Combined peridynamic theory and kinetic theory of fracture for solder joint fatigue life prediction

This study presents an approach that combines the kinetic theory of fracture with peridynamic theory to predict solder joint fatigue life in electronic packages. It is applied to two different package types whose measured life values are reported in literature. The nonlinear finite element analyses of the global package model and sub-model of the critical joint provide the boundary conditions for the peridynamic model. Both the finite element and peridynamic analyses are performed in the ANSYS framework by using the available elements and options. This new approach captures the experimentally observed damage topology in a solder joint. Although the initial and final fatigue life predictions are acceptable, the predictions can certainly be improved with accurate values of activation energy and activation volume for materials employed in the package.