Assessment of board level solder joint reliability for PBGA assemblies with lead‐free solders

Abstract

Evaluates the board level reliability of plastic ball grid array (PBGA) assemblies under thermal and mechanical loading, with the objective of characterizing the reliability of lead‐free solder joints for various assembly conditions. A five‐leg experiment was designed which included various combinations of solder materials and peak reflow temperatures. It was found that the lead‐free solder joints have a much longer thermal fatigue life than the 63Sn–37Pb solder. The 63Sn–37Pb solder joints seem to perform slightly better than the lead‐free solder under mechanical loading.