ELECTRONIC PACKAGING

-3-

Marius RANGU, PhD

ASSEMBLY TECHNOLOGIES

Components placement Physics of soldering Manual / semiautomatic soldering Wave soldering Reflow soldering The SMT assembly line

The PCB Assembly Process

Assembly = Placement + Soldering + Inspection Manual or automatic ?

Component Placement
Component carriers
Paper tape THD axial and radial components Axial components needs terminal forming and cutting

Tape and reel Small SMD components Most widely used component carrier
Guiding holes Reel

Plastic carrier Top Tape

4

 Linear Magazine (Stick) Medium and large SMD components Low volume carrier

Waffle tray Large SMD components

Manual / Semiautomatic Placement

Low productivity: takes long time and is prone to human error Used exclusively for prototyping and low-volume production Might complement automatic assembly for exotic components: those that are too large or have to complicated geometries to be handled by automated placement machines Most SMD components are difficult to handle manually

Manual placement productivity tools

Vision system

Stick Feeder

Manipulator

Tape Feeder

Carousel Feeder

Tray Feeder
6

Automated pick & place machines

Placement is done automatic, under computer control Components are picked from tapes or trays Machine vision ensures precise alignment of the components May operate with several placement heads, in tandem (on several boards at the same time) The components list, their positions and orientations are known from CAD-generated pick and place files
7

Pick & place operations

Pick Check Rotate Place Inspect

PICK A vacuum nozzle extract the component from the feeder, using suction After picking, tape feeders spin the reel to move the next component on the picking position CHECK Optical inspection checks the component presence, orientation and marking Electrical check on the fly is possible for some components ROTATE The orientation can be adjusted on the fly PLACE The component is placed on the PCB pads with controlled pressure INSPECT Optical inspection check again the component presence and orientation
8

Turret pick & place machines

Multiple nozzles are mounted on a revolving turret The turret is stationary The board moves in X-Y directions The feeder carriage moves on X direction, to select any component Several operations are done simultaneously: pick component, inspect, dispose if bad, rotate, place

Feeder carriage Turret head PCB Vacuum nozzle

Very fast: tens of thousands components / hour Moderate accuracy: cannot handle fine pitch components
9

Turret pick & place

10

Gantry pick & place machines

The board and feeder carriage are stationary The placement head is moved on X-Y directions by a gantry system The operations are done sequentially by the placement head: pick component, inspect, dispose if bad, rotate, place Two or more placement heads might operate sequentially on the same board, to speed the process

Feeder carriage Placement head PCB Gantry

Very accurate: can handle fine pitch components Slower than turret: thousands of components / hour

11

Gantry pick & place

12

The physics of soldering

Soldering = joining two or more metals through metallurgical bonds with a filler material
The filler material is called soldering alloy (or just solder) The filler material must be added to the process. If the melting temperature of the filler is much smaller that the melting point of the joined metal, the process is called soft soldering If the melting temperature of the filler is comparable with the melting point of the joined metal, the process is called hard soldering In electronics, soft soldering joins the component terminals to the PCB pads

The soldering process

Solder melting Solder Wetting Base metal dissolution Formation of the intermetallic layer

13

1. Solder melting
Heated air + vapors Soldering iron Solder Flux Impurities

Base metal

Heat must be applied, at a high enough temperature and for a sufficient time, in order to melt the solder Soldering temperature must be higher than the solder melting temperature ! One way to apply the heat is by direct contact, using a soldering iron. (There are many others) The base material is usually covered by oxides and impurities. This is a big problem. Flux has a crucial role in cleaning the base material When the solder melts, the surrounding air is heated and filled with flux and impurities vapors. It is not air at ambient temperature !
14

2. Wetting

( a reminder on the surface tension )

Molecules in a liquid experience intermolecular attractive forces (residual electrostatic forces) Intermolecular forces between alike molecules are called cohesion forces. Intermolecular forces between unlike molecules are called adhesive forces. Molecules on the separation layer of a liquid experience more cohesion than adhesion, so they exhibit inwards attractive forces. The inward intermolecular attraction forces the liquid into the shape with minimal surface area (in isolation: spherical) The surface tension is defined as the force acting on a line of unit length: F is parallel to the surface F N = F is perpendicular to l

15

Solder wetting of pads

SE SB

Molten solder

BE

Base metal

The molten solder spreads on the metal base The shape of the solder is defined by the equilibrium of the tensions at the separation between: - Base metal (B) - Solder (S) - Environment (E) = air + vapors The equilibrium condition is known as Youngs Equation is called the wetting angle. A good solder joint must have a small wetting angle (good spreading on the pads) Small can be achieved by: - high surface tension substrate - low surface tension solder - low surface tension flux

BE = SB + SE cos

16

Solder wetting of SMD terminals

The surface tension of the lateral side of the terminal forces the solder to rise on it The surface tension on the bottom side of the terminal and the surface tension of the pad forces the solder to spread underneath the terminal (capillarity flow)

T
T

Solder wetting of THD terminals

P T

Capillarity flow forces the solder to rise in inside the hole For a good quality joint, the solder should also wet the top side of the terminal

Pad finishes plays a crucial role in wetting

17

3. Base metal dissolution

Molten Solder

The solder and base metal mix at the atomic level. Base dissolution in solder is necessary for metallurgical bonding (for instance, lack of dissolution prevents soldering on glass)
Solder Copper

Base metal

The rate of dissolution depends on base metal, solder, temperature and time Too much dissolution might reduce the copper thickness to unacceptable values
18

4. The intermetallic layer

Molten Solder Intermetallic layer

Base metal

Chemical reactions between base metal and solder will create intermetallic compounds (IMC) at the interface layer. Tipical thickness of an intermetallic layer is a few micrometers The intermetallic layer has some desirable and some undesirable effects Desirable: Enhances wetting due to increased surface energy of the IMC Slows the base metal dissolution due to higher melting point of the IMC Undesirable: IMC are crystals with low symmetry, so they are brittle. Thin intermetallic layers reduce the reliability of the solder joint. IMC increase the contact resistance If exposed to air, IMC reduces wettability through oxidation. 19

Soldering alloys
A GOOD SOLDER SHOULD:
Have a melting point lower than the melting point of the base metal, and low enough to be easily achievable using common heating technologies Have a melting point higher than the maximum expected operating temperature Have a low surface tension Have high electrical and thermal conductivity Have good mechanical strength (ability to withstand stresses) Have a CTE similar to the CTE of the base material Have a low price

Does such a soldering alloy exists ?

In the past century, Tin-Lead (SnPb) was the preferred solder but The ROHS Directive (Restriction of Hazardous Materials) prohibits the usage of Lead in electronic assemblies (except for killing or curing people)
...

So today, SAC (SnAgCu) is the most widely used alloy

(polar bears still die though)
20

Eutectic SnPb Solder

(Phase diagram of the SnPb alloy)

21

 An eutectic alloy has a lower melting point than any other composition of the same metals The eutectic alloy doesnt have a pasty transition between solid and liquid. A pasty phase prevents good wetting.

Properties of eutectic SnPb solder

Property Composition Melting point Electrical conductivity Thermal conductivity Coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) Value 63% Sn + 37% Pb 183 [] 6,85106 [1/ m] 47,7 [W/m] 25 [ppm/]
( 11.5% Cu) ( 11.9% Cu) ( 147% Cu)

SnPb solder comes as:

(so do lead-free solders)

Solder wire, for manual soldering Solder bar, for wave soldering Solder paste, for reflow soldering
22

Lead-free Solder
The most widely used Lead-Free Solder is SnAgCu (SAC) The eutectic SAC has 3.7% Ag and 1% Cu, and melts at 216.7 []

Properties of SAC305 solder

Value

Property Composition Melting point Pasty phase Electrical conductivity Thermal conductivity Coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE)

96.5% Sn + 3% Ag + 0.5% Cu 218 [] nearly eutectic 1.3 [] (216.7 218) 6.6106 [1/ m] 58.7 [W/m] 21.6 [ppm/]
( 11 % Cu) ( 14.6 % Cu) ( 127% Cu)

Soldering with lead-free is more difficult than soldering with SnPb, because:
SAC melts at a higher temperature than SnPb. Equipments, components and PCB must withstand this higher temperature SAC oxidizes more quickly than leaded solder, which affects the wetting process The higher tin content of the solder makes it more corrosive for wave soldering pots

23

Fluxes
Most metals (and especially copper) oxidizes very quickly in air Oxygen satisfies intermolecular bonds: On the pad: it reduces the adhesion forces On the molten solder: creates a high surface tension skin that prevents free movement of the liquid solder
Solder Oxide Flux Copper Oxide Diffusion layer

Prevents wetting

Insufficient or inefficient flux is the primary cause of poor wetting !!!

The flux has the role to clean the oxide and impurities from the base metal and solder surface, allowing wetting Fluxes are mild acids that reduce the oxide to soluble metal salts To clean the fats and dirt on the soldering surfaces, the acid is mixed with solvents

24

A GOOD FLUX SHOULD:

Have a low viscosity to penetrate all the narrow gaps of the board Retain its oxide-reducing capability at soldering temperature Not carbonize, cake up or become sticky after soldering (easy to clean)

Flux types
Rosin-based fluxes
Rosin is a pine resin soluble in alcohol It becomes chemically active above 70 [] It leaves a hard coating, difficult to remove Its an insulator, so rosin residue must be cleaned before testing Its not very effective with Tin oxides

RMA (Rosin Mildly Activated)

Rosin activated with an acid or alcohol More effective than pure rosin RMA residues might be electrically conductive (!!!) RMA residues might be corrosive Most manual soldering fluxes are RMA ! Boards must be cleaned if soldered with RMA flux !

25

 No-clean fluxes
Still rosin with activator, but with a very low solid content (<1%) No-clean flux residues forms a thin layer, non-conductive and non-corrosive The flux residue can be easily pierced by the test probes, so cleaning is not mandatory

Water-soluble fluxes
Flux residues are soluble in water, so they can be easily cleaned Might be rosin-based or rosin-free Used mostly for industrial soldering, were cleaning with chemicals poses environmental problems
26

Manual / semiautomatic soldering

Manual soldering tools
The most widely used manual soldering tool is the soldering iron (or soldering station) It provides controlled heat to a soldering tip

Magneto-regulated soldering iron

Tip Magnetic sensor Spring Switch Wiring Connector

Heater

Handle

The heat regulation is done by a ferromagnetic material Below the Curie temperature, the material is magnetic and it keeps a switch closed, closing the electric circuit of the heater Above Curie temperature, the material becomes paramagnetic and the spring opens the switch. The soldering temperature will be (aprox.) the Curie temperature 27 of the sensor

 Electronically regulated soldering iron

The heat regulation is done by an electronic controller A sensor measures the tip temperature and sends the information to the controller The controller regulates the power delivered to the heating element Temperature control is more precise than for magneto-regulated irons

Soldering Tips
Soldering tips are made of copper coated with various metals to protect it from the corrosive action of the flux Various tips shapes are available
Nickel Iron Chrome
28

Nickel Copper core

Semi-automatic soldering stations

(rework stations)
Component holder

Vision System

Soldering Iron

IR heater Board holder Pre-heater

29

Fluxes for manual soldering

Soldering wire with flux
Solder Flux

Liquid and paste fluxes

Syringe (paste flux) Pen Bottle with brush Bottle with needle
30

Manual soldering process

THD terminals
1. 2. Touch the pad and terminal with the soldering tip, to preheat them Apply solder while keeping the tip in contact with the pad and terminal. The solder should melt only at the joint location, not earlier !

A good THD solder joint should:

Wet at least 75% of the pad on the soldering side Wet at least 50% of the pad on the opposite side

Fill at least 75% of the hole

31

THD manual soldering

32

 SMD terminals
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. Apply flux on the pads Place the component and align it with the pads Solder one or two supporting terminas, applying solder and heat at the same time Apply flux on the pads AND terminals Deposit some solder on the soldering tip Transfer the solder on the terminals Repeat 5 and 6 until all terminals are soldered. Add more flux if necessary

A good SMD solder joint should:

Cover with solder (C) at least 50% of the terminal width (W) and at least 50% of the pad width (P):

Cover with solder (F) at least 25% of the terminal height (H)

Provide SOME pad solder terminal overlap

33

SMD Chip manual soldering

34

SMD IC manual soldering

35

Wave Soldering
The backside of the board travels through the crest of a wave of molten solder If good wetting can be provided, solder will adhere to the terminals and pads, forming the joints Initially developed for THD soldering, it can also be used to solder SOME types of SMDs (not fine pitch)
SMDs on bottom THDs on top

Solder wave PCB

Molten solder

36

Wave soldering process

Flux Preheat Solder Wave Cooling

PCBs are mounted on frames and transported by a conveyor system Liquid or foamed flux is first applied, to provide wettable surfaces for soldering The board is preheated to avoid thermal shocks The backside of the board travels through the solder wave. Heat and solder are simultaneously applied Solder is cooled to room temperature and solidifies

37

1. Applying the flux

Flux must cover the backside of the board with a thin, uniform film It must also penetrate on the inside of the insertion holes

FOAM FLUXING

SPRAY FLUXING

Foam flux Liquid flux Compressed Air

Compressed air Metering pump Liquid flux

Compressed air is forced on the middle of a cylindrical porous body (foaming stone) Foam is guided upwards by a nozzle Some of the flux is recircullated

Compressed air extracts the liquid flux from a bath (through suction) and sprays it on the backside of the board A metering pump controls the mixture Flux can be propelled into narrow gaps Flux is always fresh. Most suitable for SMD
38

FLUXING IS CRITICAL FOR WAVE SOLDERING !!!

2. Preheating
The board and components are heated to 80 100, to avoid thermal shock (due to CTE mismatches) and reduce the temperature step at contact with the wave During preheating, the solvents from the flux evaporates
Solder melting temperature

Reflector

IR heaters Hot air blower

Wave exit Wave contact

Preheating is done by infrared heaters A reflector is placed above the conveyor, for thermal efficiency and uniform distribution of temperature Forced convection is sometimes used as a supplement, to ensure ventilation of the (potentially flamable) solvent vapors
39

1st preheater

2nd preheater

2. The solder wave

Solder is kept molten in a pressure chamber An axial impeller pump forces the solder upwards through one or more nozzles, creating stationary waves Most wave soldering machines use a double-wave configuration to avoid solder bridging The board travels through the crest of the waves on an inclined path (7)

1st wave

2nd wave

pump

Pressure chamber

Heaters
40

 1ST WAVE

High kinetic energy wave (turbulent) Fills every hole and narrow gaps At the exit point, adhesion to the joints keeps the solder attached to the board until its own weight forces it back to the bath (peelback) The peelback causes bridges and excessive solder deposits. Doe to peelback, a turbulent wave cannot by used by itself

2ND WAVE
Before SMDs wave soldering machines used only one wave, with the characteristics of what is now known as the second wave An asymmetrical wave: it provides a turbulent entry and a smooth exit On the entry part, the solder flows on the opposite direction of board traveling. It has the same effect on the board as the first wave. The exit part is flat and the solder flows in the same direction and with the same speed as the board. The solder is stationary with respect to the board, on the horizontal axis. Since on the exit path the board only moves on vertical direction with respect to the solder (due to the inclined path), it has the same effect as lifting the board from a stationary bath: it forms conical joints with minimum excess solder.

The second wave smoothes the solder joints and removes the excess solder

41

WAVE Soldering

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WXLv7MNjGL0
42

Wave soldering of SMDs

Apply adhesive

Place SMD

Cure adhesive

Flip board & place THD

Wave solder
43

 The component body can restrict solder access to pads situated on the rear end of the component (with respect to traveling direction) The first turbulent wave can diminish this shadowing effect, but not eliminate it entirely

In order to wave solder SMDs, the board must be designed with:

1. THDs on top and SMDs on bottom 2. SMDs with specific orientation relative to the board traveling direction during wave soldering:

Board traveling direction

Fine pitch SMDs cannot be soldered using wave soldering technology

44