Assembly of Flexible Circuits with LeadLead-Free Solder Alloy

Bob Willis leadfreesoldering.com

Introduction to LeadLead-Free Assembly Video Clips

Component www.bobw illis.co.uk/lead/videos/components.rm Printed Boards www.bobw illis.co.uk/lead/videos/pcb.rm Solder Paste Printing www.bobw illis.co.uk/lead/videos/pasteprinting.rm Component Placement www.bobw illis.co.uk/lead/videos/plaement.rm Reflow Soldering www.bobw illis.co.uk/lead/videos/reflow .rm Wave Soldering www.bobw illis.co.uk/lead/videos/wave.rm Hand Soldering www.bobw illis.co.uk/lead/videos/handsoldering.rm Rework and Repair www.bobw illis.co.uk/lead/videos/rew ork.rm Inspection www.bobw illis.co.uk/lead/videos/inspection.rm X-Ray Inspection www.bobw illis.co.uk/lead/videos/xray.rm

These files ar e all in RealPlayer for mat

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Flexible Circuit Construction

Base M aterial - 0.05mm Copper 18/18 um ESPANEX from Holders Technologies Liquid Solder M ask - M PR80 Amber - Nippon Steel Solder Finishes Immersion Nickel/Gold - Aurotech, from Atotech Immersion Tin - Stannatech from Atotech Immersion Silver - Sterling from M acDermid OSP - Glicoat SM D P2 from Shikoku

Assembly Process Stages

Flexible Circuits Screen Printing Solder Paste Placement Reflow Profiling Automatical Optical Inspection X-ray inspection Optical Inspection Rework Rework M aterials

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Flexible Circuit Construction

Wetting indicator str ips for solder paste dot solder ability patter n

SOT23 component positions SOIC16 component positions

0402 chip component positions Land Gr id Arr ay 40 pin

Assembly Pallet for Flexible Circuit

Thermal relief areas on the base of pallet to improve delta T during reflow. Also consider drain holes under the flex if using vapour phase for lead-free reflow.

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Assembly Pallet for Flexible Circuit

Modified flexible pallet with thicker recess in the areas of the circuits and solderability test strips. Drain holes for fluid are positioned under the flexible when using vapour phase reflow soldering

Pallet and Flex Circuit

Paste being printed/reflowed in side this area of the pallet

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Assembly Pallet for Flexible Circuit

Double sided flexible circuit on assembly pallet. Fixed and sprung pallets location pins used for the flexible. Protrusion of pins above the circuit was approximately 0.010

Assembly Pallet for Flexible Circuit

Circuits do lift on the edge of the tooling holes which does not cause a problem during assembly. This may be due to the copper being relieved around the hole causing the flex film to distort when clamped.

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Printing of LeadLead-Free Solder Paste

The 0.006 (150um) stencil was recessed on the base of the foil to allow for any protrusion of the pallet clips. The stencils was recessed by 0.003 .

Printing of LeadLead-Free Solder Paste

Printing of lead-free solder paste with a 0.006 (150um)stencil. Two different aperture sizes were used on three different component footprints. Specific design rule s used on the solderability wetting strips. Recesses were placed around pin protrusions from the palle t.

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Component Placement on Flexible Circuit

Placement of components on 0402, SOT23 and SOIC16 paste deposits. LGA Land Grid Array to be used in the Lead-Free Experience.

Reflow Profile of Circuit on Pallet

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Reflow Profile of Circuit on Pallet

Vapour Phase Reflow Profile

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Reflow Oven Parameters

Zone Number: 1 2 3 4 Top Set points (deg C): 195 229 220 270 Bottom Set points: 195 229 220 270 Conveyor Speed 39.5 cm/minute Product Name: Flexible Circuit Process Window Name: Sn/Ag/Cu Oven Name: RO400FC

Example Lead-Free Joints

Sn/Ag/Cu solder joints after convection reflow in air. The paste alloy was Sn96/Ag3/Cu05. Its was a type 4 powder also being used on another rigid board design for 01005.

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X-Ray Examination of Joints

Images show voiding due to the time in a liquid state. The speed of reflo w and the time above liquid us temperature was rela ted to the pallet mass. Incomplete reflo w of wetting indicators due to non relie f of palle t under strips

Lead-Free PPM Flex Results

Results from 20 flexible circuits

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Rework of Flexible Circuits with LeadLead-Free

Rework joints with hot air pencil
Use flux prior to reflow Remove and replace components Set-point on tool 340-360 oC Use lead-free wire to set-up air pencil distance from joints for reflow

Removal of solder shorts with solder wick

Shorts purposely added to SOIC16 leads for testing Set-point on iron 380 oC No issues of delaminatio n or pad lift on parts after two rework operations. Pad dimensions for the parts used could be reduced to improve use of the surface area but adhesion of the pads would be reduced. Modifications can be made, but only when this is really necessary.

Rework of Flexible Circuits with LeadLead-Free

Video clip showing the removal of SOT23 with lead-free alloy SnAgCu from the surface of a flexible circuit. Flux is applied first to aid removal followed but reflow with hot air pencil.

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Next Lead-Free Process Trials

Double sided reflow trials More complex components/smaller pitch Through hole components, reduced pin length Wave solder and reflow flexible circuits Trials on solder levelled circuits with other finishes Sensitivity of flex with liquid solder mask to moisture

LeadLead -Free Experience 3

To download the FREE 85 page SMART Group Lead-Free Experience Report go to www.leadoutproject.com

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BGA Manufacture

BGA Manufacture

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BGA Manufacture

BGA Manufacture

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BGA Manufacture

LeadLead -Free Experience

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Contact details: Bob Willis bob@bobwillis.co.uk www.leadfreesoldering.com Tel 01245 351502 Fax 01245 496123 2 Fourth Ave, Chelmsford Essex CM1 4HA, England

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