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CHAPTER 6
P r o j e c t
a t
M o t o r o l a
E X P E R I M E N TA L F AT I G U E D ATA
What happens to an electronic package when it is subjected to repeated temperature changes? This question is important if you want your electronic product
to be reliable. Every time you use your cell phone,
pager, computer, or start your car, the electronics inside begin to warm up.When materials warm up, they
expand. However, different materials expand at different rates. For example, the glassepoxy laminate,
called a printed circuit board, has a coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) of 12 to 15*106/C, while
the silicon IC located inside an electronic package
has a CTE equal to 2.5*106/C. These differences
will induce inelastic deformation to the solder interconnect. The solder interconnect makes the electrical connection from the PCB to the electronic
package and is usually made of a low-melting-point
(183C) alloy comprised of tin and lead. After using
your portable product or computer or turning the car
engine off, the electronics will cool off. These temperature cycles result in repeated expansion and contraction of the material used to make the electronic
assemblies. The greater the temperature change or
the greater the difference in CTE between materials,
the greater will be the inelastic strain imparted to the
solder joint. A decrease in strain will increase fatigue
life. Lets look at a typical situation.
Example of an electronic package (top
view) soldered to a
PCB used to evaluate fatigue life.
Polymer overmold
Fatigue Cycles, Nf
0.01
10,000
0.035
1000
0.1
100
0.4
10
1.5