Effects of Flux and Reflow Parameters on Lead-Free Flip Chip Assembly

Category: No-Lead Soldering
Post Date: July 20, 2004
Author(s): K. Srihari, Ph.D., Sandeep Tonapi, Thomas J. Watson School of Engineering and Applied Science, State University of New York at Binghamton; and Peter Borgesen, Surface Mount Laboratory, Universal Instruments

Description
The melting temperatures of most lead-free solder alloys are somewhat higher than that of eutectic Sn/Pb solder, and many of the alloys tend to wet typical contact pads less readily. This tends to narrow down the fluxing and mass reflow process windows for assembly onto typical organic substrates and may enhance requirements on placement accuracy. Flip chip assembly here poses some unique challenges. The small dimensions provide for particular sensitivities to wetting and solder joint collapse, and underfilling does not reduce the demands on the intermetallic bond strength. Rather, the need to underfill lead to additional concerns in terms of underfill process control and reliability. Relatively little can here be learned from work on regular SMT components, BGAs or CSPs.

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