Measurements of thermal conductivity and specific heat of lead free solder

Thermal processes in the manufacture of solder joints are critical to the production of high quality electronic packaging. Thermal conductivity, thermal diffusivity and volumetric heat capacity are thermophysical properties of solder material that control the thermal aspects of the soldering process. As lead based solder materials are targeted for elimination from electronics manufacture, the need to understand the thermal properties of the new attachment materials to be used are critical for quality control as well as for energy consumption and environmental impact of the manufacturing process. Lead free solder materials are expected to be the predominant attachment material in the near future.