Effect of Surface Finish and Roughness on the Mechanical Strength of Solder Joints

Abstract

This study investigates the effect of surface finish and roughness on the mechanical strength of solder joints, which play a crucial role in the reliability and durability of electronic devices. The experiment focused on tensile mechanical strength and involved various surface treatments, solder materials, and thermal aging conditions. The results demonstrated that electroplated nickel exhibited the highest mean peak load among all the surface treatments tested. A slight difference in mechanical strength between SAC305 and SN100C solder materials was observed, with SAC305 showing marginally higher peak loads. Thermal aging was found to negatively impact the mechanical strength of solder joints. An interesting observation regarding break location suggested that the intermetallic compound (IMC) formed with electroplated nickel is less fragile compared to SiC paper-treated samples. The findings contribute valuable insights for optimizing solder joint performance, reliability, and durability in the electronics industry.