Experimental and numerical investigations of the vibration reliability of BGA and LGA solder configurations and SAC105 and 63Sn37Pb solder alloys

Purpose This paper aims to investigate and compare the reliability performance of land grid array (LGA) and ball grid array (BGA) solders, as well as the SAC105 and 63Sn37Pb solder alloys, in vibration loading conditions. Design/methodology/approach Reliability tests were conducted using a sine dwell with resonance tracking vibration experiment. Finite element simulations were performed to help in understanding the observed failure trends. Findings Reliability results showed that the tin-lead solders out-perform lead-free solders in vibrations loading. Additionally, the LGA solder type could provide a better vibration reliability performance than BGA solders. Failure analysis results showed that in LGAs, the crack is initiated at the printed circuit board side and at the component side in BGAs. In both types, the crack is propagated throughout in the intermetallic compound layer. Originality/value In literature, there is a lack of published data in the comparison between LGA and BGA reliability performance in vibration loadings. This paper provides useful insights in the vibration reliability behavior of the two common solder joint types.