Structural Modal Analysis for Detecting Open Solder Bumps on Flip Chips

Although flip chips have received wide acceptance as an integrated circuit package, significant manufacturing problems exist with the integrity of the connection between the package and the printed circuit board (PCB). Conventional X-ray, ultrasonic and electronic testing systems have been used to assess the integrity of this connection, however, none of these have proven suitable for detecting open solder bumps between the chip and the board. The inability to detect open solder bumps with traditional methods merits the investigation of new, nondestructive methods for detecting defects in a manufacturing environment. This work assesses the feasibility of monitoring the vibration characteristics of flip chips to detect open solder joints. Test vehicles with open solder joints were created, and a nondestructive laser ultrasonic system was used to measure the free vibration response of the chips attached to the printed circuit board. The algorithm of mode isolation (AMI) was applied to the vibration response data in order to extract the modal parameters of the chip. The statistical differences between the modal parameters of sets of damaged and undamaged chips were assessed, revealing the ability of the method to determine the location and severity of these defects in the presence of experimental scatter and manufacturing variation. The parameters of the first mode of vibration, especially its mode shape, were found to be much more sensitive to damage than those of a higher frequency mode.