Effect of board and package attributes on solder joint reliability of FCBGA packages based on IPC9701 characterization

The purpose of this document is to present the results of a study to compare the long term solder joint reliability between flip chip ball grid array packages, FCBGA, using eutectic solder balls (63Sn37Pb) and lead free SAC405 solder balls (95.5Sn4.0Ag0.5Cu) under accelerated thermal loading conditions. It draws its conclusions from results obtained from accelerated temperature cycle testing data based on the IPC9701 standard, performance test methods and qualification requirements for surface mount solder attachments. Under similar testing conditions, the results of the study show that (a) lead free solder joints perform better than eutectic solder joints, (b), thermal enabling solutions improve the reliability, and (c) thicker boards reduce the solder joint reliability.