A numerical study of void nucleation and growth in a flip chip assembly process

Abstract

In this study, we develop mathematical models and numerical simulations of void nucleation and growth induced by the chemical reaction in the flip chip package assembly process using a no-flow underfill. During the thermal assembly process, the underfill chemically reacts to the oxidation of solders I/O on the chip, achieving interconnection between chip and substrate. The chemical reaction causes a large number of voids in the thermal reflow process. The voids have been considered as a critical defect, reducing the life of the thermal reliability. This study investigates the mechanism of void nucleation and growth based on classical bubble nucleation theory and bubble dynamics, respectively. This knowledge can provide a theoretical foundation to achieve a void-free assembly process and high reliability performance.