Title: Thermal fatigue life prediction of solder joints of plastic ball grid array packages

Authors: Yin Fun Chu; Sung Yi; Phil Geng

Addresses: Mechanical and Material Engineering Department, Portland State University, Portland, Oregon 97207-0751, USA ' Mechanical and Material Engineering Department, Portland State University, Portland, Oregon 97207-0751, USA ' Intel Corporation, 5200 NE Elam Young Parkway, Hillsboro, OR 97124, USA

Abstract: In the present study, the fatigue life of solder joints of plastic ball grid array packages (PBGA) under thermal cycling condition is evaluated using the finite element method. A unified, viscoplastic constitutive model for solder joints of plastic ball grid array packages is employed to improve accuracy of reliability prediction. The constitutive model is then implemented into the commercial finite element analysis software, ABAQUS, to predict the thermo-mechanical behaviour of solder balls in PBGA package subjected to thermal cycling. Damage parameters are obtained from the FEA results and are used to estimate the thermal fatigue life of solder balls. The Coffin-Manson equation is employed. The predicted thermal fatigue lives are discussed in detail.

Keywords: fatigue life; solder joints; lead free soldering; creep; thermal fatigue; plastic ball grid array; PBGA; finite element analysis; FEA; viscoplastic constitutive modelling; reliability prediction; thermal cycling.

DOI: 10.1504/IJMSI.2014.064769

International Journal of Materials and Structural Integrity, 2014 Vol.8 No.1/2/3, pp.3 - 20

Published online: 21 Oct 2014 *

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