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solderpaste

Basics of Solder Paste selection for PCB Assembly

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INTRODUCTION

Solder pastes are amorphous putty-like soldering materials used to solder surface-mounted components to the Printed Circuit Board. The effect of solder paste on the PCB’s structural and functional integrity is the paramount factor to consider when deciding on selection of solder paste for application. Many factors which contribute towards the strength of the solder joint and its conduction efficiency need to be addressed as well. This is not just a discussion on what measures and precautions to take during PCB assembly and reflow, but also to put into question what a PCB design engineer should consider when designing a PCB and how the layout should adapt to the corresponding solder paste properties to yield the best result. It is a very brief introduction towards an expansive topic like solder pastes which will be discussed in further detail in future posts.

PROBLEM STATEMENT

A big concern for manufacturers arises when they need to select the right solder paste for SMT applications that is best suited to the PCB assembly and the manufacturing setup. A regular PCB has different types of components, all of which cannot always be compatible with the one solder paste applied across the board and thus, need some necessary compromises in solder selection. PCB designers should be educated about solder paste application and properties in SMT manufacturing to increase reliability of product yield.

SOLDER PASTE BASICS

Solder pastes are categorized based on the following characteristics: RoHS compliance (solder composition), flux type, grain size etc. RoHS (Restriction of Hazardous Substances) is a directive which mandates the exclusion of lead and other hazardous materials from solder pastes and manufacturing processes and aims to reduce environmental and occupational hazards related to electronics manufacturing. It has been adopted as a standard for commercial applications while only military applications can use leaded manufacturing processes. Many components now specifically require RoHS or non-RoHS procedures for PCB Assembly.
Flux is a chemical resin that is used to facilitate the soldering process. It is responsible for removing dirt and preventing oxidation of the component tips during reflow. They can be classified as either water-soluble fluxes or no-clean fluxes. Water soluble fluxes can be cleaned by using water while no-clean fluxes produced low levels of residue which are not necessary to clean but it is advised to clean with designated chemical wash to provide better result.
Solder pastes consist of solder grains which are available in different sizes which are given numerical designations from Type 1 to Type 8 based on descending order of solder grain sizes. Decrease in solder grain size also highlights the advancements in solder technology where Type 1 was adopted first, and Type 8 is the latest addition to minimum achievable solder grain size.

SOLDER PASTE

Since 2006, commercial solder pastes were manufactured and used without lead and other hazardous materials like cadmium and mercury in accordance with the RoHS directive. The directive also affected key PCB fabrication processes and successfully eliminated usage of hazardous materials for commercial applications. Lead in a traditional tin-lead alloy solder is responsible for lowering the melting temperature of the solder to approx. 183°C and it also helps slow down the rate of tin whisker growth in electronics. The process of finding replacements to maintain those advantages offered by lead is still ongoing. Lead-free solders have higher melting points and are more expensive than leaded solders.
The most popular lead-free solder currently being offered is tin-silver-copper alloy which has a melting temperature of approx. 217°C. This has also resulted in components like resistors, transistors being conformed to RoHS compliance. The main drawback of maintaining RoHS compliance for the product is that it is significantly more expensive than leaded processes and does not yield any benefits of switching to lead-free options. The effect of RoHS directive on component manufacturing and the larger effect on electronics manufacturing will be discussed in detail in future posts.
As of today, Type 3 solder is the most widely used solder paste. The following comparison consists of certain superficial characteristics which are a good point to start at before diving into a thorough discussion for each and exploring more complex properties and features of solder pastes. The reason behind comparing T3, T4 and T5 specifically is that T4 and T5 were recently adopted for mass usage for finer and smaller footprints in the PCB assembly industry while T3 has been the industry standard for a long time.

solder paste
solder paste

It is important to note that the sensitivity and reactivity of solder paste to temperature change increases as the solder grain size decreases. This is due to increase in the number of solder grains occupying the same area as the solder grain size decreases. Simply put, the greater the number of solder particles in a given area, the more reactive that particular area of solder will be. Therefore, from this we can conclude that T4 solder will melt at a lower temperature than T3, and T5 will melt at a lower temperature than T4. The advantages, disadvantages and the various effects of using small grain-size solders on component structure and performance will be discussed in further detail in the next post.

FLUX

Fluxes are infused in the solder paste and they are released during reflow. The flux is always released before the solder can melt to provide an oxidation-free environment. Its chemical profile consists of a natural or synthetic resin to coat the component pins and pads, activators to release the flux at the right temperature, solvents to facilitate deposition of solder on the joint, and additives to compensate for any modifications in flux composition. Water-soluble and no-clean fluxes are both used in various situations based on the amount of oxidation occurring during reflow, the level of reactivity of the solder, solder grain size, material of the board, and surface finish of the board.
solder_paste
No-clean fluxes are generally used for boards where the corrosion resistance of the surface is weak. It yields low residue on the printed circuit board assembly because the flux either burns off during reflow or it forms noncorrosive, localized residue around the solder joints. Contrary to its name, it does require cleaning post-reflow but less so than most other high-residue fluxes. No-clean solder pastes are used as an industry standard by most electronics manufacturing service providers because of its ease of use. The main drawback of using no-clean flux is that since it is less corrosive, it does not provide as much protection from oxidation as water-soluble flux but that has to be accepted as a trade-off for better quantitative results in large-scale production.
Water-soluble fluxes are generally used for precise action and give excellent results but the main drawback is that they require careful application and condition regulation due to their highly reactive and corrosive nature, and the difficulty in cleaning them post-reflow. Compared to no-clean flux, it produces more residue that cannot be removed easily from the board and due its high corrosivity, it may damage the PCB surface and component leads. Cleaning unwanted residue off the board requires additional machinery which occupies valuable space on the shopfloor. This limits its usage in the industry to only customer requests or specifications to use water-soluble solder pastes.

KEY CONSIDERATIONS FOR PCB DESIGNING

It is important to consider how solder selection will affect your PCB design. For simplicity, the effects will be divided based on solder paste composition, solder size and flux usage. Many of these considerations may overlap or may have to be used in conjunction for achieving the best result.

SOLDER PASTE COMPOSITION:

• Components used on PCB should be first checked to see if they are RoHS compliant or not, based on the solder paste used. Components with RoHS compliance usually have different leads which may or may not be compatible with leaded solders, and it may affect the solderability of the component to the copper pads, the solder joint’s mechanical strength, and component shelf-life and performance. It is also important to ensure the components operating and manufacturing parameters meet the solder paste properties, otherwise components may get burned or dysfunctional during the reflow process, leading to visible or latent component failure.
• Flux selection should be based on solder paste composition. Flux release at specific temperatures should be done in conjunction with the reflow profile for that specific solder paste. Solder melting and flux activation occur at different instances in the reflow process. Early activation of flux may cause surface corrosion, component failure, early burn-off which may lead to poor soldering and late activation may lead to increased oxidation during reflow process along with difficulty in cleaning.

SOLDER SIZE

• Solder grain size should also be considered when choosing component package and its corresponding design footprint on the Printed Circuit Board. Larger footprints do not require smaller grain-size solders. If the grain size is small, say T5, then based on its high reactivity, more number of particles per unit area and greater wetting ability, solder may flow too easily on melting resulting in solder defects which will affect component performance and product life-cycle. The reverse situation, where small footprints are used in conjunction with large grain-size solders, also leads to solder defects.
• Component package selection will also affect stencil aperture size, stencil thickness and solder deposition efficiency. Using large-size solders, say T3 solder, for micro-BGA or 01005-imperial sizes will result in gasketing and insufficient paste deposition; while using small-size solders, say T5 solder, for large footprints may result in bridging.
• The spacing between footprints of separate components, spacing between component leads of the footprint on the Printed Circuit Board should change based on the solder grain-size as using large grain sizes for small footprints, and vice versa, will lead to solder bridging which will in turn affect device performance and life-cycle.

FLUX COMPOSITION

• PCB thickness, material and coatings should be selected based on flux used for the reflow process. One should avoid using water-soluble fluxes for a thin PCB as they are highly corrosive in nature and may lead to excess surface corrosion. Corrosion resistant material and coatings should be used in accordance with the flux selected, as not using them will lead to corrosion and cleaning issues and using them when not needed(say a no-clean flux is being used) will increase cost of production.

All PCB’s should be designed keeping in mind the effects of solder paste, stencil design, flux, process used on
SMT assembly PCB’s. Some of these topics and more will be added to the list and discussed in further detail in the future.

3d-printed-pcb-prototype

Accelerate your New Product Development with rapid PCB assembly prototyping

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The time from concept to prototype has accelerated remarkably in the past decade. 3D printed prototype components in a wide variety of materials are available in hours. Machined or sheet metal components are available from rapid prototype shops in only one or two days.

Prototype Printed Circuit Board Fabrication and assembly companies like PNC have followed this trend towards faster prototypes and can now provide complete assemblies in less time than ever before. PNC can fabricate and deliver a bare 10-12-layer PCB in just three days, and a simple double-sided board in just 24 hours.

However, even with the streamlining of PCB fabrication, the fully assembled PCBA is often the longest lead component in prototype designs primarily because of the sheer number and variety of passive and active components to be purchased and the demands of accurately placing and soldering those components. Sourcing the components on a typical PCBA BOM can take days in the best case and weeks in the worst case. Setting up and running the assembly job can add another few days, especially for double sided PCBs, and PCBs with a combination of surface mounted and through hole components.

Fortunately, there are some things that a product development team can do to reduce PCB assembly lead time.

First, do everything possible to reduce the impact of long component lead times. Plan to order the components as early as possible in the circuit design process. Deciding when to order components requires balancing the costs of scrapping some components as the design matures vs. the benefits of reducing the lead time for an assembled PCBA by days or weeks.

Second, reduce the time required to set up and build the prototypes by working with a full-service company like PNC. PNC has the capability to both fabricate the bare PCB and assemble the components. This means that the PCB fabrication team and assembly team can save time by working in parallel. While the PCBS are being fabricated, PNC’s engineers can create pick and place data, solder paste stencils and program the assembly equipment. When the PCBs are finished and the components arrive, everything is ready to begin assembly immediately.

The third way to save time with PCB prototypes is to minimize the number of PCB prototype iterations. Saving a full printed circuit board assembly prototype cycle is the most effective way to reduce the time from concept to mature design.

One way to reduce design iterations is by testing circuit designs as early in the design process as possible by building “Works Like” prototypes. “Works Like” prototypes are usually combinations of development kits, large one or two layer PCBs with larger SMT components that can be soldered by hand and various types of breadboards. In addition to testing the circuit, a “Works Like” prototype gives software developers an early platform to start developing code and debugging the circuit design. The result of testing early with rough prototypes is that you fix problems before you have invested the time in the full layout and prototyping process.

In parallel, the mechanical engineers can optimize cable routing and connector placement by printing 3D models of the PCBs, then epoxying actual connectors to the board model. This is an effective way to quickly try different options for cable routing using actual cables and connectors, since it is difficult to simulate the way actual cables behave with CAD software.

Experienced electrical engineers know that it is often poor connector access or cable interference that drive Printed Circuit Board layout redesigns as often as issues with actual circuit performance.

Once the circuit has been tested with the “Works-Like” prototype, and the board layout has been tested with 3D printed models, the last way to save time is to work closely with the PCB manufacturer to make sure that the PCB fabrication files are clean and complete, and that the BOM is accurate and matched with the circuit and layout to avoid placement mistakes.

This is another reason to select a full-service prototype pcb manufacturer like PNC. PNC can be a partner during the layout and design process, though fabrication and assembly ensuring the final design can be translated into a working prototype in the least possible time.

PRINTED CIRCUIT ASSEMBLY TESTING

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No single printed circuit assembly testing system will meet all the requirements of every manufacturing environment. PNC employees the three most commonly used testing methods for defect detection being Functional Test (FCT), In circuit Testing (ICT) and Flying probe testing. Each test method will have different results based on your test strategy.
Your testing strategy must be developed with consideration to many factors such as reliability, cost or functionality traits. The key here is to detect defective boards and catch issues prior to end usage. Some considerations like opens, shorts, resistance, capacitance, inductance, diode issues, detecting incorrect component values, functional failures, and parametric failures are a few things that need to be addressed before your test strategy is finalized. Below is a brief description of the three test methods that are performed at PNC.

Functional Circuit Test (FCT)
Functional Circuit Test (FCT)

PNC offers multiple pc board assembly testing services. The most commonly performed, non-automated, printed circuit assembly test for electrical performance is functional testing, whether it be a partial or a full test procedure. Variabilities include what is to be tested, what inputs/outputs are needed, what are the required results and what are the testing parameters. These parameters are pre-determined from our customer supplied test procedures. FCT not only verifies the functionality of the PCB, but can also determine any assembly defects.
FCT is best suited for smaller to medium size volumes which helps our customers save a considerable cost by eliminating the need to buy actual testing equipment such as Spectrum Analyzers, AC/DC power supplies, multi-meters, etc. Depending on the complexity of the functional test to be executed, a pogo pin test fixture may be fabricated to expedite the test for optimum test results making it error-free and robust.

In Circuit Test (ICT)

PNC’s biggest advantage to in circuit testing is that it can test for functionality as well as for printed circuit assembly defects. ICT is normally much faster than probe or functional testing as it makes connection to all the board’s test points at once using a clam shell bed of nails fixture. Interpreting the test results are normally very easy to identify shorts, opens, or a particular faulty component location. As a
pcb assembly contract manufacturer speed, efficiency, and quick test results help ensure a quality printed circuit assembly.
Although there are advantages to ICT, we do find some disadvantages as well. The development of this fixture has a significant investment of time and money associated with it. To our customer base, the expense of the fixture and programming can only be recovered on boards being assembled in large volumes. In the event there are any revisions to the PCB, the layout would initiate changes to the fixture, thus resulting in a completely new fixture and the expenses associated with it.

Probe Test
Probe Test

Flying probe testing is a pre-programmed, automated system that controls two to six probes that maneuver (fly) around a printed circuit assembly to contact test points, checking nets, on both the top and the bottom of the board. Flying probe has a lower cost and minimal programming time for setup than ICT. The biggest advantage to probe testing is revisions/changes to the pcb assembly. There is no fixturing modification cost, only the programming need be adjusted.
Probe testing is slower than ICT, and best fits medium sized assembly runs, so for complex high volume production runs its not preferred or cost effective. Another disadvantage to flying probe testing is that is does not perform functional testing and is limited to detecting pcb assembly defects.

TOTAL-CONCEPT

Total Concept Company

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PNC’s expertise in design, manufacturing printed circuit boards, PCB assembly, and Box builds in one 70,000 sq./ft. facility makes us the ultimate total concept company. PNC’s unique manufacturing facility is just that, a PCB assembly usa manufacturer located in Nutley, New Jersey. PNC has been a vital supplier of electronics in the PCB industry for over 50 years and serves the military/defense, medical, aerospace, automotive, RF/Microwave, industrial and consumer sectors. Having these capabilities all in-house stream lines the turnkey process under one PO which is invaluable to our customers.

ELECTRONIC DESIGN

Being able to design in-house has its importance when designing for PCB manufacturing as well as prototype pcb assembly and production PCB assembly. Our designers have an edge in designing for PCB manufacturing since they are knowledgeable of the PCB manufacturing process. Designing for manufacturability eliminates defects, delays and process issues. Our design tools used are Cadence Allegro, OrCAD Capture, OrCAD PCB Designer and PADS. Our deliverables are Gerber, drill files, PCB File, schematics, Assembly and fabrication files and Formal drawings on customer format.

Having the capability to manufacture printed circuit boards, pcb contract manufacturing, in the same facility also has its benefits for prototype pcb assembly and production PCB assembly. While the printed circuit boards are in process of being fabricated, our pcb assembly division can work in parallel creating pick & place data, SMT Stencils, work instructions, AOI programing, selective soldering programming, and pre-pare testing procedures to expedite the PCB’s once the hit the SMT assembly floor. The work in parallel process makes for an efficient seamless transition from PCB manufacturing to Assembly.

TOTAL-CONCEPT-PCB
TOTAL-CONCEPT-PCB

After the PCB’s clear final inspection, they are transferred to the PCB assembly department. For a pcb assembly manufacturer in a total concept configuration, logistically you gain 1-2 days shipping time, since you do not have to outsource the PCB’s as well as a time savings of not have to perform an incoming inspection. PNC’s Assembly division is comprised of multiple high speed SMT lines with 13 zone re-flow ovens, 3d AOI, 3D X-ray, thru-hole stations, selective soldering, and rework stations. If required, PNC can perform Flying probe, ICT and functional testing to ensure a robust and error free PCBA.

Another SMT assembly service with-in our total concept company is box building. The PCB assembly never leaves the facility eliminating any ESD issues from incoming inspection handling. Our expertise in box building varies from small plastic snap together housing, medium sized metal enclosures to rack builds. If provided with a system test procedure, PNC testing engineers and technicians can perform the functional and burn in testing. When looking for total concept printed circuit assembly companies, we are here to help.

CONFORMAL-COATING

CONFORMAL COATING

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What is Conformal Coating?

Conformal coating is protective chemical material coating applied after the final SMT PCB assembly or through-hole assembly process. Coatings are comprised of 5 different types, Acrylic, Epoxy, Urethane, Silicone and Parylene resins. Applying the coatings to a PCB board assembly can be done by hand spray, robotic spray, brush or dipping. The coating acts as an additional dielectric layer that provides protection due to environmental and mechanical stresses, such as thermal extremes, chemicals, dust, salt fog, abrasions, and moisture. In a PCB assembly that has close spacing of conductive pathways or close spacing of components the coating will help minimize dendrite growth over a period of time that causes shorting.

conformal_coating

Robotic Spray vs Traditional applications:

The method of application will depend on the customer requirements of the turnkey pcb assembly, but PNC prefers spray method for consistency in overall coating thickness. There are often select components on a pcb board assembly that will not be required to be coated. The traditional way is to block out or mask the selected components with tape. This is time consuming, costly and a possibility that the component can be damaged on the SMT assembly when removing. The robotic method can be programmed accurately to spray around the parts thus ensuring no component damage from masking and maintain a repeatable coating thickness.

When choosing a conformal coating for your turnkey pcb assembly, there are many manufacturers to choose from. The following are a few that we work with, Dymax, HumiSeal, Dow Corning, Hysol, Loctite, and Huntsman. Based on your application and environment of your PCB assembly, choose the Type of coating that fits the PCB board assembly, by visiting their web pages to find the strengths and weaknesses.

IPC J-STD-001D Conformal Coating thickness requirements

Type AR Acrylic Resin 0.03 – 0.13 mm (0.00118 – 0.00512 in)
Type ER Epoxy Resin 0.03 – 0.13 mm (0.00118 – 0.00512 in)
Type UR Urethane Resin 0.03 – 0.13 mm (0.00118 – 0.00512 in)
Type SR Silicone Resin 0.05 – 0.21 mm (0.00197 – 0.00827 in)
Type XY Parylene Resin 0.01 – 0.05 mm (0.000394 – 0.00197 in)