Temperature cycling performance of ball grid array packages under thermal enabling load

Presence of a thermal enabling load applied to Ball Grid Array (BGA) components creates a distinctive set of evaluations to be completed for reliability of solder joints (SJ) that connect the BGA to the board. This becomes especially relevant for newer technologies that drive to smaller component form factors. In this comprehensive study, a computational mechanics based Design of Experiments approach was utilized to elucidate the impact of load, load assembly parameters and package design on the reliability of BGA joints. Modeling results were validated with test data showing excellent correlation. Multiple conclusions were derived with important implication for BGA design, definition of accelerated test setups and optimization of system level designs for reliability.