Cheryl To have enough data you need to make cross sections and a metallurgical analysis. We saw failures looking somewhat like what you mentioned because of 3 reasons: 1) Metallisation lifted of the pin. 2) Poor thermal management. The pin and the solder never got together long enough with ample temperature to form an alloy. Or the solder solidified from the pin and from the PCB. Where the two solidifying fronts met the solder was already too cold to join (Just a remark: This seems to be more pronounced with lead free solder). 3) Contamination of metal surfaces (rare) or reduced solderability which combined with 2) can lead to soldering problems. In your case I have the impression that you have a thermal problem (ground plane). Best regards Guenter EMPA Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Testing and Research Centre for Reliability Guenter Grossmann, Senior Engineer 8600 Duebendorf Switzerland Phone: xx41 1 823 4279 Fax : xx41 1 823 4054 mail: [log in to unmask] --------------------------------------------------- Technet Mail List provided as a service by IPC using LISTSERV 1.8e To unsubscribe, send a message to [log in to unmask] with following text in the BODY (NOT the subject field): SIGNOFF Technet To temporarily halt or (re-start) delivery of Technet send e-mail to [log in to unmask]: SET Technet NOMAIL or (MAIL) To receive ONE mailing per day of all the posts: send e-mail to [log in to unmask]: SET Technet Digest Search the archives of previous posts at: http://listserv.ipc.org/archives Please visit IPC web site http://www.ipc.org/contentpage.asp?Pageid=4.3.16 for additional information, or contact Keach Sasamori at [log in to unmask] or 847-615-7100 ext.2815 -----------------------------------------------------