To analyze the reinforcement effect of adding polymer to solder paste, epoxies were mixed with two currently available Sn-3.0Ag-0.5Cu (wt.% SAC305) and Sn-59Bi (wt.%) solder pastes and specimens prepared by bonding chip resistors to a printed circuit board. The effect of repetitive thermal stress on the solder joints was then analyzed experimentally using thermal shock testing (-40 °C to 125 °C) over 2000 cycles. The viscoplastic stress⁻strain curves generated in the solder were simulated using finite element analysis, and the hysteresis loop was calculated. The growth and propagation of cracks in the solder were also predicted using strain energy formulas. It was confirmed that the epoxy paste dispersed the stress inside the solder joint by externally supporting the solder fillet, and crack formation was suppressed, improving the lifetime of the solder joint.
Keywords: finite element methods; polymer solder; prediction of life.