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July 2006

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Subject:
From:
"Stadem, Richard D." <[log in to unmask]>
Reply To:
TechNet E-Mail Forum <[log in to unmask]>, Stadem, Richard D.
Date:
Fri, 28 Jul 2006 10:14:53 -0500
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text/plain (334 lines)
Danielle,
Yes, excellent point. I do not think anyone makes a 63/37 solder paste
whose flux rheology is intended for those types of reflow profiles.
Thank you.

-----Original Message-----
From: TechNet [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Danielle Casha
Sent: Friday, July 28, 2006 10:04 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: [TN] BGAs; SnPb vice SAC Balls

Well put Richard.

I have one additional comment: I would caution you to watch the  ramp
temps with PbSn paste and a  Pb Free profile.  You may burn off the flux
too quickly.



Danielle L. Casha

        -----Original Message-----
        From:   TechNet [SMTP:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Stadem,
Richard D.
        Sent:   Friday, July 28, 2006 10:59 AM
        To:     [log in to unmask]
        Subject:        Re: [TN] BGAs; SnPb vice SAC Balls

        Mike,
        I believe the actual melting temperature of the SAC alloy is
more like
        220 deg. C or slightly higher. This means that the other
components are
        seeing temperatures in the range of 230 deg. C to 240 deg. C,
because in
        order to get the temperature under a BGA to 220 C minimum with a
longer
        TALT, the other portions of the pwb that are more exposed to the
heat
        are (typically) reaching much higher temperatures as a result.
Since you
        need to hold this TALT for a longer time in order to achieve the
more
        homogenous alloy mix on the resultant SAC/63-37 mixed solder
joints for
        the BGA, you will be subjecting the rest of the components on
the board
        to temperatures and dwell times that they should never see.
While your
        particular assembly and set of components (including the printed
wiring
        board itself) appear to be holding up to this process and you
have
        undoubtly qualified it properly, I doubt that most other
standard SMT
        assemblies in the industry can or will. This is why, in general,
it is
        more often wiser to strip off the SAC alloy and reball the BGAs
if you
        are tied to a 63/37 process.  There is far less risk to
        cycles-to-failure rates using BGAs that are reballed properly
than there
        is using mixed alloys and higher reflow temps and TALTS. 

        -----Original Message-----
        From: TechNet [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Barmuta,
Mike
        Sent: Friday, July 28, 2006 9:34 AM
        To: [log in to unmask]
        Subject: Re: [TN] BGAs; SnPb vice SAC Balls

        Bogert: We are faced with the same predicament. As a
manufacturer of
        Test and Measurement equipment we are not covered under RoHS.
Hence we
        are free to use 63/37 Sn/Pb solderpaste. However we are seeing
more and
        more BGA's switching over to SAC only availability. 

        Your statement:" There have been published test studies done
that show
        that if one solders BGA's having SAC balls in an assembly
soldering
        process using traditional Sn63 solder, an unreliable solder
joint may
        exist." Is both true and false.

        If you use a traditional Sn/Pb reflow profile it is true.
However the
        profile can be modified to increase temperature and duration
above the
        217-219C melting of the SAC alloy. By using the right time,
temperature
        and flux activation system you can create a homogenous
dispersion of the
        Sn/Pb throughout the SAC solderball. Thus creating a reliable
        solderjoint. This is the route we have chosen to take.

        We have conducted metallurgical and reliability testing and are
        continuing to run long term reliability testing of SAC BGA's
with Sn/Pb
        solder. We have not seen any reliability issues.

        The real problem is getting all the other components on the PCA
to
        withstand the higher process temps.


        Good luck on whatever direction you take, I know it's a real
dilemma.

                                	
        	
        Regards
        	
        Michael Barmuta
        	
        Staff Engineer
        	
        Fluke Corp.
        	
        Everett WA
        	
        425-446-6076 
         



        -----Original Message-----
        From: TechNet [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of - Bogert
        Sent: Thursday, July 27, 2006 5:16 PM
        To: [log in to unmask]
        Subject: [TN] BGAs; SnPb vice SAC Balls

        July 27, 2006

        Folks, I have a dilemma regarding the transition to Pb free. 

        As a military user, we have no intention of transitioning to Pb
free
        assembly soldering at this time, and probably never, unless
industry can
        positively provide documented evidence, based on accelerated
life
        testing acceleration factors, that establish that the use of
Pb-free
        solders, such as SAC, will provide a product that will meet the
same
        reliability life requirements that Pb based solders have been
proven to
        meet, and that this level of reliability can be easily and
consistently
        achieved on the production floor without hiring a "Rocket
Scientist" or
        a team of 20 people to establish the soldering process using
Pb-free.

        Given this, I am frustrated by some BGA manufacturers apparent
"Don't
        give a dam attitude" about the military users of BGA'S since
some folks
        are eliminating Pb from solder balls in favor of alloys such as
SAC.
        Appears they are more interested in their bottom line industrial
and
        commercial customers than us military folks.  This is
understandable
        since us military folks constitute a very small % of their
overall
        business.  

        Although some manufacturers will still provide Pb BGA balls,
some will
        only provide SAC balls.  Also if Pb balls are requested, there
may be
        long lead times involved.

        There have been published test studies done that show that if
one
        solders BGA's having SAC balls in an assembly soldering process
using
        traditional Sn63 solder, an unreliable solder joint may exist.

        Based on the above, our current intent is to prohibit the use of
any BGA
        that does not use SnPb balls.

        My question is, which is the least reliable alternative.  That
is,
        allowing BGA'S with SAC balls soldered using Sn63 solder, or
having
        someone take the BGAs and have the SAC balls replaced with SnPb
balls?  

        What suppliers have the capability of doing this ball
replacement?  

        My preference is to stick with the prohibition on non-Pb BGA
balls.  The
        down side of this is that by doing this, we may not be able to
take
        advantage of new technology parts that may only use SAC balls.

        This Pb free issue is driving up costs.  Since about 50% of the
part
        manufacturers are eliminating Pb from their part finishes
without
        changing their part numbers, we are forced to implement XRF
testing of
        parts received by our OEMs to verify they contain the 3% Pb
mandated by
        most military specifications.  

        Just because it is a mil spec part does not mean one will not
get Pb
        free part terminations.  There have been several recent GIDEP
Alerts
        that indicate that some mil parts contained pure tin finish, in
        violation of the mil spec. 

        While my experience to date is that part manufacturers who have
        transitioned to a Pb free finish such as pure tin have
implemented
        tin-whisker mitigation methods, there is no guarantee that all
folks
        have done this.  Additionally, even though JP002 tin whisker
mitigation
        methods can reduce the risk for growing tin whiskers, if one
uses pure
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