Mixed Assembly of Lead-free Solder Joint: A Short Review

Abstract

The transition from lead (Pb) to Pb-free solder has arisen the need for the development of the reliability of mixed assemblies solder joint research. Mixed assemblies are defined as solder joints that joint together with different compositions or solder forms for example Ball Grid Array (BGA) and solder paste. During the transition period of solder materials, mixed assemblies are still used in electronic packaging. In addition, Pb-free manufacturing has been forced to release some of the product categories since legislation banning the use of lead solder in electronic assemblies. This phenomenon causes health and environmental concern of the Pb solder used in electronic assembly. Hence, some electronic assemblies will continue to use traditional eutectic Sn–Pb solder paste while others will use Pb-free solder paste. This situation indicates that the use of mixed assemblies in electronics manufacturing is still inevitable. This paper presents a projection of the reliability of mixed assembly’s Pb-free solder joint.