SEDL / STP / STP515-EB / STP34675S



An Investigation of Fatigue Life Performance in Lap-Type Solder Joints

Coombs, VD
IBM Corporation, Endicott, N. Y.


Pages: 19    Published: Jan 1972


Download this paper for $25 PDF (336K)          View License Agreement
Abstract

The reliable operation of data processing equipment depends upon the mechanical integrity of many thousands of solder joints, particularly upon the resistance of the joints to strain-cycle fatigue fractures resulting from component temperature (and thermal expansion) excursions. In an attempt to develop life prediction techniques for solder joint fatigue fracture, two test programs were conducted—torsion fatigue tests of pure tin, pure lead, tin-lead eutectic solder, and tin-lead-indium solder, and shear-fatigue tests of lap-type solder joints employing tin-lead eutectic solder. Although solder joints are operated in an “elevated temperature” range (0 to 100 C) for these metals, no significant temperature effect was discovered in the fatigue life behavior of eutectic tin-lead solder. It was observed that increasing temperature enhanced the fatigue life of pure lead (for the cyclic strain rates employed). The fatigue behavior curves provided a design aid for conservative estimates of solder joint lives.


Keywords:
predictions, circuit interconnections, soldered joints, failure, fractures (materials), stress cycle, creep properties, stresses, fatigue (materials), crack initiation, crack propagation

Paper ID: STP34675S
Committee/Subcommittee: G03.08
DOI: 10.1520/STP34675S
CrossRef ASTM International is a member of CrossRef.