Thermal and Dynamic Mechanical Characterization of Surface Mount Structural Components

The reliability of the soldier joints in surface mount constructions is an ongoing concern. Temperature excursions impart strains to the solder, the effects of which are difficult to establish quantitatively. Reliability tests of surface mount constructions, generally accelerated by rate or temperature or both, reveal failure to occur within the solder itself after some interval of testing. Due to the complex mechanical relaxation behavior of solder, long-term predictions of solder joint reliability have not been possible.