Reliability model for bridging failure of Pb-free ball grid array solder joints under compressive load

The ever increasing power density in high performance microelectronic devices for applications such as large business computing and telecommunication infrastructure has led to several new reliability challenges for solder interconnects. One of them is the creep collapse and bridging of ball grid array (BGA) solder joints under heatsink compressive loads. For characterizing the solder joint response to compressive load and model the corresponding reliability failure, the compressive creep behavior of Sn3.8Ag0.7Cu solder was first investigated. A viscoplastic constitutive model developed from the creep characterization was then incorporated into numerical finite element (FE) analysis to predict solder joint creep collapse and bridging under heatsink compressive load. The numerical analysis results were validated by experimental studies of solder joint collapse under compressive load and isothermal aging condition. A simplified power-law formula is also provided for modeling the creep collapse of Sn3.8Ag0.7Cu solder joint. The model may be applied for predicting solder joint compressive reliability under a prescribed heatsink compression, or to determine the maximum allowable heatsink load for a given life expectancy.