Surface Mounting Reliability

Abstract

A review is given of the reliability of the ceramic chip carrier when solder‐attached to alumina thick film substrates. It is shown that no degradation occurs during humidity cycling or humidity steady state tests. Some diminution of the solder joint strength takes place during prolonged high temperature storage and temperature cycling but the effect is much more marked during power cycling. The effect of flux residues on thick film hybrids after solder reflow of surface mount components is assessed. No significant deterioration of any component, printed or discrete, that is attributable to flux is observed, given adequate cleaning techniques. The reliability of the ceramic leadless chip carrier is compared with both leaded ceramic and metal and plastic surface‐mountable components. The compliant leads of packages offer some advantages over the leadless chip carrier where thermal excursions are important but the leads themselves are easily damaged. Plastic packaging for surface‐mountable components continues to improve and become increasingly popular but potential reliability hazards associated with a thermal management performance inferior to that of ceramic and metal versions, moisture ingress and corrosion are seen to remain problem areas.

Citation

Lynch, J.T. (1986), "Surface Mounting Reliability", Microelectronics International, Vol. 3 No. 3, pp. 36-38. https://doi.org/10.1108/eb044247