Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Thermal Cycling Reliability of Sn-Ag-Cu Solder Interconnections. Part 1: Effects of Test Parameters

  • Published:
Journal of Electronic Materials Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The work presented in part 1 of this study focuses on identifying the effects of thermal cycling test parameters on the lifetime of ball grid array (BGA) component boards. Detailed understanding about the effects of the thermal cycling parameters is essential because it provides means to develop more efficient and meaningful methods of reliability assessment for electronic products. The study was carried out with a single package type (BGA with 144 solder balls), printed wiring board (eight-layer build-up FR4 structure), and solder interconnection composition (Sn-3.1Ag-0.5Cu) to ensure that individual test results would be comparable with each other. The effects of (i) temperature difference (ΔT), (ii) lower dwell temperature and lower dwell time, (iii) mean temperature, (iv) dwell time, and (v) ramp rate were evaluated. Based on the characteristic lifetimes, the thermal cycling profiles were categorized into three lifetime groups: (i) highly accelerated conditions, (ii) moderately accelerated conditions, and (iii) mildly/nonaccelerated conditions. Thus, one might be tempted to use the highly accelerated conditions to produce lifetime statistics as quickly as possible. However, to do this one needs to know that the failure mechanisms do not change from one lifetime group to another and that the failure mechanisms correlate with real-use failures. Therefore, in part 2 the observed differences in component board lifetimes will be explained by studying the failure mechanisms that take place in the three lifetime groups.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. IPC SM-785. Guidelines for accelerated reliability testing of surface mount solder attachments (1992).

  2. J.W.C. de Vries, M.Y. Jansen, and W.D. van Driel, Microelectron. Reliab. 47, 444 (2007).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  3. JEDEC Standard JESD22-A104C, Temperature cycling (May 2005).

  4. JEDEC Standard JESD22-A106B, Temperature shock (June 2004).

  5. IEC International Standard 60068-2-14 ed 6.0, Environmental testing. Part 2-14: Tests. Test N: Change of temperature (2009).

  6. Department of Defence Test Method Standard MIL-STD-202G, Test Method Standard Electronic and Electrical Component Parts, (February 2002).

  7. IPC Standard TM-650, Test Methods Manual (October 2000).

  8. Y. Qi, R. Lam, H. Ghorbani, P. Snugovsky, and J.K. Spelt, Microelectron. Reliab. 46, 574–588 (2006).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. J. Reichelt, P. Gromala, and S. Rzepka, Proceedings 17th European Microelectronics and Packaging Conference (EMPC) (June 15–18, 2009, Rimini), p. 1.

  10. J-P Clech, Proceedings SMTA International Conference (September 25–29, 2005, Chicago, IL), p. 902.

  11. A. Syed, Proceedings 11th International Conference Thermal, Mechanical and Multi-Physics Simulation and Experiments in Microelectronics and Microsystems (EuroSimE) (April 26–28, 2010, Bordeaux), p. 1

  12. F. C. Classe and S. K. Sitaraman, Proceedings 5th Electronics Packaging Technology Conference (EPTC) (December 10–12, Singapore, 2003), p. 81.

  13. JEDEC Standard JESD22-B111, Board level drop test method of components for handheld electronic products (July 2003).

  14. J.S. Karppinen, J. Li, T.T. Mattila, and M. Paulasto-Kröckel, Microelectron. Reliab. 50, 1994 (2010).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. W.-R. Jong, H.-C. Tsai, H.-T. Chang, and S.-H. Peng, J. Electron. Packag. 130, 1 (2008).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  16. M. Bouarroudj, Z. Khatir, J.P. Ousten, and S. Lefebvre, IEEE Trans. Device Mater. Reliab. 8, 471 (2008).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. A. Schubert, R. Dudek, E. Auerswald, A. Gollhardt, B. Michel, and H. Reichl, Proceedings 53rd Electronic Components and Technology Conference (ECTC) (May 27–30, New Orleans, LA, 2003), p. 603.

  18. R. Darveaux, K. Banjerji, A. Mawer, and G. Dody, Ball Grid Array Technology, ed. H. Lau (McGraw-Hill, New York, 1995).

  19. H. Xu, O. Ratia, J. Hokka, T.T. Mattila, and M. Paulasto-Kröckel, IEEE Trans. Compon. Packag. Manuf. Technol. (in press).

  20. C.J. Zhai, Sidhart, and R. Blish II, IEEE Trans. Device Mater. Reliab. 3, 207 (2003).

    Google Scholar 

  21. S. Sahasrabudhe, E. Monroe, S. Tandon, and M. Patel, Proceedings 53rd Electronic Components and Technology Conference (ECTC) (May 27–30, New Orleans, LA, 2003), p. 898.

  22. X. Fan, G. Raiser, and V.S.Vasudevan, Proceedings 55th Electronic Components and Technology Conference (ECTC) (May 31–June 3, Orlando, FL, 2005), p. 901.

  23. J. Manock, R. Coyle, B. Vaccaro, H. McCormick, R. Popowich, D. Fleming, P. Read, J. Osenbach, and D. Gerlach, SMTA J. 21, 36 (2008).

    Google Scholar 

  24. M. Dusek, M. Wickham, and C. Hunt, Soldering Surf. Mount Technol. 17, 22 (2005).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  25. R. Ghaffarian, Proceedings 51st Electronic Components and Technology Conference (May 29–June 1, Orlando, FL, 2001), p. 1170.

  26. J. Lau and W. Dauksher, Proceedings 55th Electronic Components and Technology Conference (ECTC) (May 31–June 3, Orlando, FL, 2005), p. 1292.

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Electronics, Aalto University, 00076, Aalto, Finland

    Jussi Hokka, Toni. T. Mattila, Hongbo Xu & Mervi Paulasto-Kröckel

Authors
  1. Jussi Hokka
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Toni. T. Mattila
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Hongbo Xu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Mervi Paulasto-Kröckel
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Jussi Hokka.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Hokka, J., Mattila, T.T., Xu, H. et al. Thermal Cycling Reliability of Sn-Ag-Cu Solder Interconnections. Part 1: Effects of Test Parameters. J. Electron. Mater. 42, 1171–1183 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11664-013-2551-x

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11664-013-2551-x

Keywords

Search

Navigation