Estimation of solder joint reliability in electronic packaging: Insights from finite element analysis on intermetallic compounds and voids

The reliability of solder joints in electronic packaging was investigated by finite element analysis (= FEA), focusing on the effects of intermetallic compound (= IMC) layers and voids. The results showed that changes in the elastic modulus of the IMC layer of around 20 % did not significantly affect solder joint life. This means that when the modulus of elasticity changes, it is not only the change in modulus that is considered, but also the change in creep properties. In addition, the FEA evaluation of voids underscores the importance of considering equivalent creep strain and cautions against relying solely on the FEA results when void locations do not coincide with maximum equivalent creep strain values. Currently, it is difficult to predict the tendency of voids to affect solder creep life based on FEA analysis results alone. A limitation is that if voids are present in the solder not at the IMC interface, the solder creep life may be underestimated. This study contributes to a better understanding of the complex thermal-fatigue life that solder joint reliability in electronic packaging.