JCAA/JG-PP LEAD-FREE SOLDER TESTING FOR HIGH RELIABILITY APPLICATIONS: -55°C to +125°C THERMAL CYCLE TESTING

摘要

The use of conventional tin-lead (Sn/Pb) solder in circuit board manufacturing is under ever-increasing political scrutiny due to environmental issues and new regulations concerning lead, such as the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) and the Restriction on Hazardous Substances (RoHS) Directives in Europe. In response to this, global commercial electronic manufacturers are initiating efforts to transition to lead-free assembly. Leadfree (Pbfree) materials may find their way into the inventory of aerospace and defense assembly processes under government acquisition reform initiatives. Any potential banning of lead compounds could reduce the supplier base and adversely affect the readiness of missions led by National Aeronautical Space Agency (NASA) and the Department of Defense (DoD). The Joint Council on Aging Aircraft (JCAA)/ Joint Group on Pollution Prevention (JG-PP) Pbfree Solder Project, a partnership between DoD, NASA and OEMs, was created to examine the reliability of component solder joints using various Pbfree solders when exposed to harsh environments representative of NASA and DoD operational conditions. This paper documents final results of the JCAA/JG-PP consortia -55oC to +125oC thermal cycle testing. The goal of testing was to generate reliability data for test boards that are representative of IPC Class III High Performance Electronic Products.