Thermal fatigue modelling and simulation of flip chip component solder joints under cyclic thermal loading

Abstract

Thermal Fatigue of flip chip component solder joints is widely existing in thermal energy systems, which imposes a great challenge to operational safety. In order to investigate the influential factors, this paper develops a model to analyze thermal fatigue, based on the Darveaux energy method. Under cyclic thermal loading, a theoretical heat transfer and thermal stress model is developed for the flip chip components and the thermal fatigue lives of flip chip component solder joints are analyzed. The model based simulation results show the effects of environmental and power parameters on thermal fatigue life. It is indicated that under cyclic thermal loading, the solder joint with the shortest life in a package of flip chip components is located at the outer corner point of the array. Increment in either power density or ambient temperature or the decrease in either power conversion time or ambient pressure will result in short thermal fatigue lives of the key solder joints in the flip chip components. In addition, thermal fatigue life is more sensitive to power density and ambient temperature than to power conversion time and ambient air pressure.