Field failure due to creep corrosion on components with palladium pre-plated leadframes

摘要

Creep corrosion is a mass-transport process during which solid corrosion products migrate over a surface. It has been identified as a failure mechanism responsible for the malfunction of electrical contacts and connectors. For components with noble metal pre-plated leadframes, creep corrosion is a potential reliability risk for long-term field applications. This paper explains the source, process and possible products of creep corrosion on integrated circuit (IC) packages. The operating environment for telecom equipment is introduced as an example demonstrating the corrosive environments for electronic components. Field failure due to creep corrosion on plastic encapsulated components with palladium pre-plated leadframes is presented and analyzed. Similar phenomenon has been reproduced in an accelerated manner using mixed flowing gas (MFG) testing in the laboratory.