Finite element analyses and lifetime predictions for SnAgCu solder interconnections in thermal shock tests

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to study the reliability of SnAgCu solder interconnections under different thermal shock (TS) loading conditions. Design/methodology/approach - The finite element method was employed to study the thermomechanical responses of solder interconnections in IS tests. The stress-strain analysis was carried out to study the differences between different loading conditions. Crack growth correlations and lifetime predictions were performed. Findings - New crack growth data and correlation constants for the lifetime prediction model are given. The predicted lifetimes are consistent with the experimental results. The simulation and experimental results indicate that among all the loading conditions studied the TS test with a 14-min cycle time leads to the earliest failure of the ball-grid array (BGA) components. Originality/value - The paper presents new crack growth correlation data and the constants of the lifetime prediction models for SnAgCu solder interconnections, as well as for the BGA components. The paper adds insight into the thermomechanical reliability evaluation of SnAgCu solder interconnections.