Reliability Challenge

The increasing use of commercial products in high reliability military, aerospace, medical, telecommunications and sensitive industrial applications, together with a growing concern over elevated temperatures for lead-free processing, has placed renewed emphasis on moisture control. Specifically, (1) higher reflow temperatures associated with lead-free solder; (2) continued reductions in package body thickness and lead pitch; (3) increased use of plastic instead of higher cost hermetic body materials; and (4) the use of high humidity manufacturing sites necessitates focusing on a moisture sensitivity level strategy to eliminate moisture risks while preserving component quality and functionality. Without properly addressing MSL issues, popcorning, cracking, warping and delamination can occur and result in damage which may not be detectable at occurrence and may introduce a long-term reliability risk. Equality Process can assist in reducing this latent risk.