• Journal of the Microelectronics and Packaging Society
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.23-27
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• 2017

This paper proposes an approach to predict the reliability of high temperature heaters by identifying their primary failure modes and mechanisms in the field. Test specimens were designed to have the equivalent stress conditions with the high temperature heaters in the field in order to examine the effect of stress conditions on the solder joint failures. There failures often result from cracking due to intermetallic compound (IMC) or void formation within a solder joint. Aging tests have been performed by exposing the test specimens to a temperature of $170^{\circ}C$ in order to reproduce solder joint failures in the field. During the test, changes in IMC formation were investigated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) on the cross-sections of the test specimens, while changes in void formation were monitored both by resistance spectroscopy and by micro-computed tomography (microCT), alternately. The test results demonstrated the void volume within the solder increased as the time at the high temperature increased. Also, the phase shift of high frequency resistance was found to have high correlation with the void volume. These results implied the failure of high temperature heaters can be non-destructively predicted based on the correlation.

• Journal of the Microelectronics and Packaging Society
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• v.10 no.3
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• pp.19-27
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• 2003

Surface finishes of PCB laminates are important in the solder joint reliability of flip chip package because the types and thicknesses of intermetallic compound(IMC), and compositions and hardness of solders are affected by them. In this study, effects of surface finishes of PCB on the low cycle fatigue resistance of Sn-based lead-free solders; Sn-3.5Ag, Sn-3.5Ag-XCu(X=0.75, 1.5), Sn-3.5Ag-XBi(X=2.5, 7.5) and Sn-0.7Cu were investigated for the Cu and Au/Ni surface finish treatments. Displacement controlled room temperature lap shear fatigue tests showed that fatigue resistance of Sn-3.5Ag-XCu(X=0.75, 1.5), Sn-3.5Ag and Sn-0.7Cu alloys were more or less the same each other but much better than that of Bi containing alloys regardless of the surface finish layer used. In general, solder joints on the Au/Ni finish showed better fatigue resistance than those on the Cu finish. Cross-sectional fractography revealed microcracks nucleation inside of the interfacial IMC near the solder mask edge, more frequently on the Cu than the Au/Ni surface finish. Macro cracks followed the solder/IMC interface in the Bi containing alloys, while they propagated in the solder matrix in other alloys. It was ascribed to the Bi segregation at the solder/IMC interface and the solid solution hardening effect of Bi in the $\beta-Sn$ matrix.

• Journal of the Microelectronics and Packaging Society
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• v.12 no.4 s.37
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• pp.289-299
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• 2005

The ball shear force was investigated in terms of test parameters, i.e. displacement rate and probe height, with an experimental and non-linear finite element analysis for evaluation of the solder joint integrity in area array packages. The increase in the displacement rate and the decrease in the probe height led to the increase in the shear force. Excessive probe height could cause some detrimental effects on the test results such as unexpected high standard deviation and probe sliding from the solder ball surface. The low shear height conditions were favorable for assessing the mechanical integrity of the solder joints. The mechanical and electrical properties of the Sn-37Pb/Cu and Sn-3.5Ag/Cu BGA solder joints were also investigated with the number of reflows. The total thickness of the intermetallic compound (IMC) layers, consisting of Cu6Sn5 and Cu3Sn, was increased as a function of cubic root of reflow time. The shear force was increased up to 3 or 4 reflows, and then was decreased with the number of reflows. The fracture occurred along the bulk solder, in irrespective of the number of reflows. The electrical resistivity was increased with increasing the number of reflows.

• Journal of the Microelectronics and Packaging Society
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.163-169
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• 2019

Sn-Pb solder alloys in electronics rapidly has been replaced to Pb free solder alloys because of various environmental regulations such as restriction of hazardous substances directive (RoHS), European Union waste electrical, waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE), registration evaluation authorization and of chemicals (REACH) etc. Because Sn58%Bi (in wt.%) solder alloy has low melting point and higher mechanical properties than that of Sn-Pb solder, it has been studied to manufacture electronic components. However, the reliability of Sn58%Bi solder could be lowered because of the brittleness of Bi element included in the solder alloy. Therefore, we observed the microstructures of Sn58%Bi composite solders with various contents of Sn-decorated multiwalled carbon nanotube (Sn-MWCNT) particles and evaluated bonding strength of the FR-4 components assembled with Sn58%Bi composite solder. Also, microstructures and bonding strengths of the Sn58%Bi composite solder joints were evaluated with the number of reflows from 1 to 7 times, respectively. Bonding strengths and fracture energies of the Sn58%Bi composite solder joints were measured by die shear test. Microstructures and fracture modes were observed with scanning electron microscope (SEM). Microstructures in the Sn58%Bi composite solder joints were finer than that of only Sn58%Bi solder joint. Bonding strength and fracture energy of Sn58%Bi composite solder including 0.1 wt.% of Sn-decorated MWCNT particles increased up to 20.4% and 15.4% at 5 times in reflow, respectively.