Thermal Stress Measurement of Solder Joints in BGA Packages: Theoretical and Experimental

In this study, an analytical model to obtain a closed-form solution for thermomechanical behaviours of BGA (Ball Grid Array) package was derived and experimentally validated. In the theoretical analysis, the BGA package was represented by a three-layer axisymmetrical model: two layers of dissimilar materials jointed by a graded interlayer. Based on the classical bending theory, the thermal stresses induced by temperature changes were calculated accurately. 2-D FE (Finite Element) meshes of BGA packages subjected to high temperature were used to verify the theoretical solutions. Furthermore, two types of BGA samples, each with eutectic (63wt%Sn/37wt%Pb) and Pb-free SAC387 (95.5wt%Sn/3.8wt%Ag/0.7wt%Cu) solder joints respectively, were experimentally investigated by high resolution Moire´ Interferometry (MI). Thermal cycling tests were performed on each package with temperature variation from 25°C to 125°C. It was found that the thermal deformation obtained from moire´ tests matched well with those from analytical solutions and FE analyses. Based on the shear strain values, the reliability characteristics of BGA assemblies were also assessed.