Jan 18, 2013 
AIM Solder announces that its VP of Technology Karl Seelig will present his paper titled “Conformal Coating Over No-Clean Flux” at the upcoming IPC APEX Expo, scheduled to take place February 19-21, 2013 at the San Diego Convention Center in San Diego, CA. This presentation will be held during session S12 titled “Fluxes and Pastes” on Wednesday, February 20, 2013 from 9-10 a.m.
The session will cover how reliable solder joint formation depends on the design/paste/printing/reflow process. Weakness in any of these areas means defects and decreased reliability. This session will highlight the choices an assembler has in pastes. Both the flux/vehicle and metal components of solder pastes will be covered. Build on your knowledge base to make the best choices in the quest for reliable solder joints.
In his paper, Mr. Seelig will explain how as the proliferation of modern life electronics continues to drive miniaturization and functionality, electronic designers/assemblers face the issue of environmental exposure and uncommon applications never previously contemplated. This reality, coupled with the goal of reducing the environmental and health implications of the
production and disposal of these devices, has forced manufacturers to reconsider the materials used in production.
Furthermore, the need to increase package density and reduce costs, has led to the rapid
deployment of leadless packages such as QFN, POP, LGA, and Micro-BGA. In many cases, the
manufacturers of these devices will recommend the use of no clean fluxes, due to concerns
over the ability to consistently remove flux residues from under and around these devices.
These concerns, along with the need to implement a tin whisker mitigation strategy and/or
increase environmental tolerance; have led to the conundrum of applying conformal coating
over no clean residues.
The AIM Research & Development Department has united with OEM electronics and conformal
coating manufacturers in an attempt to characterize the different coating technologies
currently available. In this study, various coating materials were tested with different
chemistries of no clean fluxes. Results demonstrate possible combinations meeting the mission
profile of the assembly with consideration for the assemblers’ capabilities and cost objectives.
For a more comprehensive look at this topic, stop by technical session S12.
AIM Headquartered in Montreal, Canada, with locations worldwide, AIM is a leading global manufacturer of assembly materials for the electronics industry. The company produces solder paste, liquid flux, cored wire, bar solder, adhesives, preforms, and specialty alloys such as indium and gold for electronics assembly, PC fabrication, component manufacturing, and other industries. For more information on how we can assist you visit www.aimsolder.com.
