Knocking Down the Bone Pile: Gold Mitigation for Class 2 Electronics
Punching Out: Your Financial Preparation for a Sale
Nolan's Notes: The Next Killer App in Component Manufacturing
Book Excerpt: 'The Printed Circuit Assembler’s Guide to… Solder Defects'
June 7, 2022 | I-Connect007 Editorial TeamEstimated reading time: 1 minute
The Printed Circuit Assembler’s Guide to… Solder Defects—authored by the experts at Indium Corporation and exclusively available in the I-007eBook library—is specifically dedicated to educating the printed circuit board assembly sector and serves as a valuable resource for people seeking the most relevant information available. What follows is the introduction from this book.
Introduction:
In 2006, much of the world switched from tin-lead to lead-free solder. The European Union’s Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) directive, which essentially eliminated lead from electrical solder, drove this global move. This change has challenged circuit board assemblers since Pb-free solders melt at temperatures nearly 40°C hotter than lead-containing solders, and they do not flow or wet as well as SnPb solders.
At the same time, the density of electronics has unabatedly increased. This density increase has resulted in exponentially more powerful electronics—the fastest supercomputer of 1996 is outperformed by today’s iPhone 11 Pro—creating another challenge for assemblers. Whereas the 0402 passive was the leading edge in miniaturization in the SnPb era, the 0201, 01005, and smaller passives have emerged for Pb-free soldering. The combined challenges of Pb-free soldering and ever-increasing miniaturization have resulted in new or exacerbated defects in electronics assembly. This book was developed to address this problem, and will address the following defect topics:
- Voiding in SMT Assembly
- Graping
- Head-in-Pillow and Non-Wet Open Defects
- Tombstoning of Passive Components
- Solder Paste Insufficients
- Solder Balling and Beading
It is also important to recognize that effective electronics assembly is an optimization process—often, minimizing one defect will exacerbate another. So, in addition to the information presented here, when confronted with a process defect or challenge, it is helpful to refer to experts from your materials or equipment suppliers. IPC and SMTA standards should provide further guidance as well, along with the many excellent courses presented by these industry organizations.
Share on:
Suggested Items
Indium’s Karthik Vijay to Present on Dual Alloy Solder Paste Systems at SMTA’s Electronics in Harsh Environments Conference
05/06/2025 | Indium CorporationIndium Corporation Technical Manager, Europe, Africa, and the Middle East Karthik Vijay will deliver a technical presentation on dual alloy solder paste systems at SMTA’s Electronics in Harsh Environments Conference, May 20-22 in Amsterdam, Netherlands.
SolderKing Achieves the Prestigious King’s Award for Enterprise in International Trade
05/06/2025 | SolderKingSolderKing Assembly Materials Ltd, a leading British manufacturer of high-performance soldering materials and consumables, has been honoured with a King’s Award for Enterprise, one of the UK’s most respected business honours.
Knocking Down the Bone Pile: Gold Mitigation for Class 2 Electronics
05/07/2025 | Nash Bell -- Column: Knocking Down the Bone PileIn electronic assemblies, the integrity of connections between components is paramount for ensuring reliability and performance. Gold embrittlement and dissolution are two critical phenomena that can compromise this integrity. Gold embrittlement occurs when gold diffuses into solder joints or alloys, resulting in mechanical brittleness and an increased susceptibility to cracking. Conversely, gold dissolution involves the melting away of gold into solder or metal matrices, potentially altering the electrical and mechanical properties of the joint.
'Chill Out' with TopLine’s President Martin Hart to Discuss Cold Electronics at SPWG 2025
05/02/2025 | TopLineBraided Solder Columns can withstand the rigors of deep space cold and cryogenic environments, and represent a robust new solution to challenges facing next generation large packages in electronics assembly.
BEST Inc. Reports Record Demand for EZReball BGA Reballing Process
05/01/2025 | BEST Inc.BEST Inc., a leader in electronic component services, is pleased to announce they are experiencing record demand for their EZReball™ BGA reballing process which greatly simplifies the reballing of ball grid array (BGA) and chip scale package (CSP) devices.