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The role of microstructure in the thermal fatigue of solder joints

The role of microstructure in the thermal fatigue of solder joints

Xian, Jingwei, Xu, Yilun, Stoyanov, Stoyan ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6091-1226, Coyle, Richard, Dunne, Fionn P. E. and Gourlay, Christopher (2024) The role of microstructure in the thermal fatigue of solder joints. Nature Communications, 15:4258. pp. 1-15. ISSN 2041-1723 (doi:10.1038/s41467-024-48532-6)

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Abstract

Thermal fatigue is a common failure mode in electronic solder joints, yet the role of microstructure is incompletely understood. Here, we quantify the evolution of microstructure and damage in Sn-3Ag-0.5Cu joints throughout a ball grid array (BGA) package using EBSD mapping of localised subgrains, recrystallisation and heavily coarsened Ag3Sn. We then interpret the results with a multi-scale modelling approach that links from a continuum model at the package/board scale through to a crystal plasticity finite element model at the microstructure scale.We measure and explain the dependence of damage evolution on (i) the β-Sn crystal orientation(s) in single and multi-grain joints, and (ii) the coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) mismatch between tin grains in cyclic twinned multigrain joints. We further explore the relative importance of the solder microstructure versus the joint location in the array. The results provide a basis for designing optimum solder joint microstructures for thermal fatigue resistance.

Item Type: Article
Uncontrolled Keywords: thermal fatigue; microstructure; solder joints; SAC305; failure; multi-scale modelling; finite element analysis; crystal plasticity
Subjects: Q Science > Q Science (General)
Q Science > QA Mathematics > QA75 Electronic computers. Computer science
T Technology > T Technology (General)
Faculty / School / Research Centre / Research Group: Faculty of Engineering & Science
Faculty of Engineering & Science > School of Computing & Mathematical Sciences (CMS)
Related URLs:
Last Modified: 22 May 2024 13:51
URI: http://gala.gre.ac.uk/id/eprint/47239

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