Research on damage-mechanism based prediction methodologies for thermo-mechanical reliability of solder joints in electronic packaging

In the transition to lead-free process, one of the most prominent problems as the changes of packaging materials and process has brought about is the lead-free solder joint reliability. As material property degradation due to microstructure evolution under loading conditions is the main cause of solder joint failure, studying on damage behavior and failure mechanism of solder joints has a very important theoretical and practical significance for evaluating and predicting the reliability of electronic assemblies. In this paper, failure modes, damage behaviors and failure mechanisms of solder joints under thermos-mechanical loading are reviewed, then the damage-mechanism based prediction methodologies for solder joint reliability in electronic packaging is discussed emphatically. Finally the prospective research on directions of lead-free solder joint reliability in the future is forecasted.