Lead-free Solder for Automotive Electronics and Reliability Evaluation of Solder Joint

Abstract

Automotive today has been transforming to an electronic product by adopting a lot of convenience and safety features, suggesting that joining materials and their mechanical reliabilities are getting more important. In this study, a Sn-Cu-Cr-Ca solder composition having a high melting temperature (>230°C) was fabricated and its joint properties and reliability was investigated with an aim to evaluate the suitability as a joining material for electronics of engine room. Furthermore, mechanical properties change under complex environment were compared with several existing solder compositions. As a result of contact angle measurement, favorable spreadability of 84% was shown and the average shear strength manufactured with corresponding composition solder paste was 1.9kg/mm2. Also, thermo-mechanical reliability by thermal shock and vibration test was compared with that of the representative high temperature solder materials such as Sn-3.5Ag, Sn-0.7Cu, and Sn-5.0Sb. In order to fabricate the test module, solder balls were made in joints with ENIG-finished BGA and then the BGA chip was reflowed on the OPS-finished PCB pattern. During the environmental tests, resistance change was continuously monitored and the joint strength was examined after tests. Sn-3.5Ag alloy exhibited the biggest degradation rate in resistance and shear stress and Sn-0.7Cu resulted in a relatively stable reliability against thermo-mechanical stress coming from thermal shock and vibration. Key words: Lead-free solder, Vehicle, ELV(End-of-Life Vehicle), Complex stress, Reliability