Reflow Soldering Guidelines

®
for Surface-Mount Devices

June 2002, ver. 4 Application Note 81

Introduction Altera’s surface-mount packages include quad flat pack (QFP), plastic
J-lead chip carriers (PLCC), and ball-grid array (BGA), including FineLine
BGATM packages. Several soldering methods exist for these devices, but a
combination of forced-air convection and infrared reflow soldering is the
most common way to secure surface-mount technology (SMT) devices to
printed circuit boards (PCBs). The reflow process consists of applying a
eutectic solder paste to a circuit board, placing devices onto the paste, and
then conveying the board through an oven with successive heating
elements of varying temperatures. In the oven, each board typically goes
through the following stages:

■ Gradual preheating
■ Brief duration at high soldering temperature
■ Controlled cooling process

The maximum temperature, the rate of heating, the time a device spends
at each temperature, controlled heating, and controlled cooling are critical
parameters for effective soldering.

Customers’ experiences have shown that Altera® surface-mount products

can be mounted successfully on boards over a wide range of
temperatures. However, an inappropriate reflow process can damage
plastic packages. Although Altera does not perform board assembly,
guidelines for reflow processes have been developed. These guidelines
are based on Joint Electron Device Engineering Council (JEDEC)
Standards (see “References” on page 10 for more information). Altera
subjects devices to a controlled introduction of moisture and simulation of
convection reflow as required in the JEDEC standards, followed by
temperature cycling stress to validate component reliability. Altera also
subjects devices to a complete board-level reflow to the JEDEC guidelines
at an outside contract manufacturer, followed by board-level temperature
cycling for board-level reliability validation. Each board design has an
individual optimal reflow temperature profile that is dependent on
application, available equipment, and solder paste. However, the
recommendations in this application note provide guidelines and limits to
ensure that devices are not unduly stressed and that the customer reflow
process is properly characterized to successfully attach Altera devices. An
example profile used by Altera's contract manufacturer is also included.

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AN 81: Reflow Soldering Guidelines for Surface-Mount Devices

Temperature Because different board designs use different number and types of
devices, solder pastes, reflow ovens, and circuit boards, no single
Profiles temperature profile works for all possible combinations. However, you
can successfully mount your packages to the PCB by following the proper
guidelines and PCB-specific characterization. Altera runs both
component-level verification using in-house Heller reflow chambers and
board-level assembly with a third-party manufacturer. The results of this
testing are verified through post-reflow reliability testing. Profiles used at
Altera are based on JEDEC standards to ensure that all packages can be
successfully and reliably surface mounted. Figure 1 shows a sample
temperature profile compliant to JEDEC standards. You can use this
example as a generic target to set up your reflow process. You should
adhere to the JEDEC profile limits as well as specifications and
recommendations from the solder paste manufacturer to avoid damaging
the device and create a reliable solder joint. Guidelines on profiling PCB
boards and characterizing new PCB designs are provided in “Reflow
Tips” on page 3. You should properly and fully characterize any new PCB
design to achieve good reflow results. The graph in Figure 1 illustrates the
four basic stages of a reflow oven:

■ Preheat
■ Flux Activation
■ Reflow
■ Cool

Figure 1. Temperature Profile for Infrared or Convection Reflow

300

250 Dwell Time

o
60 to 150 Seconds
Maximum Package Body Temperature (220 C)

200 o
Melting Temperature of Solder (183 C)
o
Temperature ( C)
150
One to Two Minutes 1o to 3o C Less than 6o C
per Second per Second
Flux Activation
100
Temperature

50 1o to 3o C
per Second
Preheat Flux Activation Reflow Cool
0
0 50 100 150 200 250

Time (Seconds)

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 AN 81: Reflow Soldering Guidelines for Surface-Mount Devices

Reflow Stages
In the preheat stage, the solder paste dries while its more volatile
ingredients evaporate. After preheating, the leads should be kept at about
150° C for one to two minutes so the flux in the paste can clean the bonding
surfaces properly. During the flux activation stage, the solder on all areas
of the board should be roughly the same temperature. The devices enter
the reflow stage when the temperature increases at a rate of 1° to 3° C per
second. To prevent warping, bridging, and cold solder joints, keep the
package body above the solder's melting point (183° C) for at least
60 seconds. The device body temperaturewhich may vary from the
temperature of the leads by as much as 15° Cshould not exceed 220° C.
The package should be within 5° C of the actual peak temperature for
10 to 30 seconds. Small devices with a volume of less than 350 mm3 will
heat up more than larger packages. These devices have a maximum
temperature rating of 240° C.

Post-Reflow Cooling
The reflow stage is complete when the molten solder connections cool and
solidify to form strong solder joint fillets. A fast cooling rate reduces the
grain size of the intermetallic compounds and strengthens the solder
joints. However, controlled cooling is important to reduce stress on the
component body and minimize warping; this can sometimes best be
achieved by a slow cooling rate depending on oven capabilities (air
velocity, placement of heating elements, belt width, etc.).

Post-Reflow Cleaning
After the soldering process, a simple wash with de-ionized water
sufficiently removes most residues from the board. Most board-assembly
manufacturers use either water-soluble fluxes with a tap water wash, or
"no-clean" fluxes that do not require cleaning after reflow.

Reflow Tips

New PCBs should always be characterized to a specific reflow profile

using production ovens. Belt width, thermal mass of the board, air
velocity and placement of heater elements can influence successful reflow.
You should follow body temperature restrictions described in Figure 1 to
avoid moisture-related damage. You should thermal-probe larger
components, particularly BGA and FineLine BGA packages, at several
locations to verify the temperature is consistent across the component and
that all key profile attributes are maintained.

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AN 81: Reflow Soldering Guidelines for Surface-Mount Devices

The following tips provide information on how to optimize the reflow

process:

■ For more uniform heating, use ovens that utilize a combination of full
convection and IR heating. In general, ovens providing more
heating/cooling zones are better because they provide greater
control and shaping of the temperature profile.
■ Use an oven with more heating elements on both its floor and ceiling
to minimize temperature variations, deliver precise temperature, and
provide the necessary heat to board areas that might be shielded.
■ Variation can exist across the width of an oven belt - it’s best to
characterize and run a board in the same relative position (across the
width of the oven belt) in the oven. Pay attention to temperature
variations particularly at the edges of the PCB.
■ Place thermocouples on the PCB adjacent to the leads/balls and on
the bodies of the devices. You should also place thermocouples at the
center ball location of BGA devices by drilling through the underside
of the PCB board. This should be the coolest location on the device.
Monitor the lead/ball temperatures to ensure good solder joints, and
monitor the device body temperatures to protect the devices. The
difference between the lead/ball and device body temperatures can
be as high as 15° C. Therefore, it is risky to rely on temperature
measurements at only one location. Thermocouples should not be
applied to heat sinks, but to alternative surfaces such as the package
substrate or the PCB board immediately adjacent the package.
■ Adjust the reflow duration to create good solder joints without
raising the device body temperature beyond the allowed maximum
of 220° C (240° C for packages smaller than 350 mm2).
■ Validate the reflow process by thermal profiling and evaluating the
solder joints. You can evaluate the solder joints electrically, visually
(with BGA packages, only on the outer row), and, if possible, by
cross-section analysis. You can also evaluate the solder joints on BGA
packages by x-ray. Analyzing the solder joints may reveal specific
ways to improve the reflow profile/process.

Reflow Process Example

Altera performs board-level reliability evaluations by first reflowing BGA
components onto reliability stress boards at a local contract manufacturer.
The contract manufacturer uses a Conceptronics eight-zone oven, along
with Qualitex 778 water-soluble solder paste. Altera reliability stress
boards are between four to eight layers, 63 to 93 mils thick,
13 inches × 4.5 inches, use SnPb HASL pads, and are made of standard
FR4 board material. Altera performs board-level temperature cycling to
check solder connections on all reflow experiments and reliability (see the
Altera Reliability Report posted at http://www.altera.com).

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 AN 81: Reflow Soldering Guidelines for Surface-Mount Devices

A typical reflow profile from Altera’s contract manufacturer is shown in

Figure 2. This is an example profile measured on an Altera FineLine BGA
device. Different package types have different profiles due to individual
device characteristics, especially thermal mass and construction. Tables 3
and 4 provide parameters to the reflow profile in Figure 2.

Figure 2. Reflow Profile

240

216

192

168

144

˚C 120

96

72

48

24

0
0:20 0:52 1:24 1:56 2:28 3:00 3:32 4:04 4:36 5:08 5:40

Time

Table 3. Reflow Profile Probe Data

Probe Location Time Above Time Above Peak

150° C 185° C Temperature
(Seconds) (Seconds) (° C)
Probe 1 Next to solder 160 81 220
point
Probe 2 Top of package 149 68 217

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AN 81: Reflow Soldering Guidelines for Surface-Mount Devices

Table 4. Oven Setting

Oven Setting Temperature (° C) (1)

1 150
2 150
3 160
4 160
5 160
6 190
7 230
8 230

Note to Table 4:
(1) This temperature is for both the top and bottom of the device.

Device Semiconductor moisture sensitivity becomes an important issue as board

assemblers switch to hotter and faster reflow processes. Any non-
Moisture- hermetic package can absorb moisture. Like popcorn, the moisture in
Sensitivity some plastic packages can vaporize and expand rapidly due to high
temperatures causing cracks or delamination (a separation of the plastic
from the die or leadframe inside a device). Delamination sometimes, but
not always, degrades devices.

Altera is dedicated to improving package materials to reduce the risk of

moisture-induced damage. Nevertheless, as a precaution, Altera currently
bakes and dry-packs devices in the following package families (these are
plastic surface mount packages that may require dry-pack, depending on
the number of leads and the device):

■ Thin quad flat pack (TQFP)

■ Power quad flat pack (RQFP)
■ Plastic quad flat pack (PQFP)
■ Plastic J-lead chip carrier (PLCC)
■ Ball-grid array (BGA), including FineLine BGA packages

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 AN 81: Reflow Soldering Guidelines for Surface-Mount Devices

Based on the sensitivity of each device to moisture, Altera has specified

the floor life of each package, which is the maximum recommended time
between removing devices from a dry pack and soldering them onto a
PCB. To determine the floor life for each moisture-sensitive device, Altera
forced moisture into sample packages, then subjected them to typical
reflow temperatures and temperature cycling. The devices were
subsequently tested electrically and analyzed physically with x-ray and
acoustic microscopy to gauge their sensitivity to moisture. Altera
performs moisture sensitivity tests according to Moisture/Reflow Sensitivity
Classification for Non-Hermetic Solid State Surface Mount Devices
(J-STD-020A). Reliability and solder tests demonstrate that 220° C is both
a satisfactory and safe maximum body temperature for Altera devices
during reflow. The MSL is indicated on the dry-pack label. The dry-pack
label also provides the recommended bake conditions for devices out of
dry pack for longer than the recommended time.

Altera provides a broad range of packages, pin counts, and device sizes.
While this variety provides convenient options for designers, it precludes
Altera's ability to specify one level of sensitivity per package type. For
instance, QFP packages with a larger die or pin count tend to be more
sensitive to moisture than QFP packages with smaller die or pin count.
Therefore, Altera tests the sensitivity of packages by using representative
devices with a variety of die sizes, die shapes, and pin count. (Although
similar packages tend to have similar sensitivity, all devices in a particular
package rarely have the same floor life.) Based on the tests of the
representative devices, Altera specifies the sensitivity of each device and
package combination. However, designers should refer to the dry-pack
labels, which have the most current and reliable information about a
device's sensitivity to moisture. When transferring devices to new dry-
pack bags, operators should carefully copy the floor life and expiration
date onto the new dry-pack labels.

Reflow of Once the moisture-sensitive devices are removed from their dry-pack
bags or other controlled environments, the devices should be soldered
Moisture- onto a PCB within the floor life specified on the dry-pack label. Devices
can be stored indefinitely in a desiccant cabinet, which is a controlled
Sensitive environment kept at less than 30° C and 10% relative humidity. If a device
Devices is stored in an uncontrolled environment, bake it for 12 hours at 125° C to
dry it, then mount the device within the specified floor life.

f For more information about storing and handling moisture-sensitive

devices, see AN 71: Guidelines for Handling J-Lead, QFP & BGA Devices and
Standard for Handling, Packing, Shipping and Use of Moisture/Reflow Sensitive
Surface Mount Devices (IPC/JEDEC J-STD-033).

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AN 81: Reflow Soldering Guidelines for Surface-Mount Devices

During reflow, the device's temperature should be kept below 225° C

(240° C for packages smaller than 350 mm3), and the rate of temperature
increase should be kept between 1° to 3° C per second. Based on testing
done by Altera, the devices can operate safely at any humidity level after
reflow.

Guidelines for When the soldering process is complete, you may need to rework or
remove SMT devices from PCBs. Although Altera devices are designed
Removing SMT for ease-of-use, you should be careful when separating them from PCBs.
Devices Careless heating or removal of a plastic package can cause thermal and
lead damage. These degradations may render a device useless, impeding
any failure analysis and preventing the reuse of the device. Therefore, it is
important to observe the thermal and lead damage precautions outlined
in this section.

Preventing Thermal Damage

Removing SMT devices requires guidelines similar to those for soldering
parts. The temperature, rate of heating, and time a device spends at each
temperature are the most critical parameters for effective soldering. These
thermal guidelines are also important when removing devices from PCBs-
whether you use an oven, heat gun, or soldering iron. Most importantly,
you should ensure that the temperature of the plastic packages does not
exceed 220° C (235° C for packages smaller than 350 mm3). By adjusting
the duration of heating, you can safely remove devices in almost all cases
without raising the temperature of the package body beyond 220° C
(235° C for packages smaller than 350 mm3).

To prevent thermal damage, follow these guidelines:

■ Place thermocouples on the PCB adjacent to the leads/balls and on

the body of a device. You should monitor the leads' temperature to
ensure clean removal of solder and the package body temperature to
protect the device. The difference between the lead and device body
temperatures can be up to 15° C. Therefore, it is risky to rely on
temperature measurements at only one location. Thermocouples
should not be applied to heat sinks, but to alternative surfaces such as
the package substrate or the PCB board immediately adjacent to the
package.

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 AN 81: Reflow Soldering Guidelines for Surface-Mount Devices

■ When heated, some plastic devices are especially sensitive to

moisture, which can quickly expand and irrevocably destroy
devices. After reflow, based on Altera’s testing, even these
devices can operate safely in any level of humidity. If a device’s
exposure to moisture exceeds the JEDEC-rated moisture
sensitivity level (MSL), bake it for 12 hours at 125° C to
dehydrate it, and then remove it from the board within the
recommended floor life duration. The JEDEC-rated MSL is
characterized by Altera and can be found on the dry-pack
moisture label. If all moisture-sensitive devices on the board are
within the original specified floor-life times, baking is
unnecessary.

Preventing Lead Damage

Although Altera uses industry-standard materials and assembly
processes for QFP, SOIC, and J-lead packages, you should handle
SMT devices carefully to prevent lead damage, which can cause
solder-related problems. In addition, extreme temperatures can
damage the solder plating (i.e., by oxidation), and solder from the
PCB may remain on leads and cause shorts by bridging. To prevent
these types of lead damage, you should ensure that the leads are
heated for the right amount of time at a uniform temperature before
removing a device. The actual temperatures and durations depend
on the heating tools and methods, which require some
experimentation.

To prevent lead damage, follow these guidelines:

■ Place thermocouples on the leads and bodies of the devices. You

should monitor the leads'/balls' temperature to ensure clean
removal of solder and the package body's temperature to
protect the parts. The difference between the lead/ball and
device body temperatures can be as high as 15° C. Therefore, it
is risky to rely on temperature measurements at only one
location.
■ Once the solder on the PCB is sufficiently heated, use a vacuum
pen to lift a device straight up off a PCB. Avoid twisting or
rotating the device while removing it. Also, do not touch or cut
leads if the device will be reused or returned to Altera for failure
analysis.
■ Soon after removing a device from a PCB, wash it with de-
ionized water to remove excess solder and residues.
■ Using a vacuum pen, immediately transfer removed devices to
an Altera-approved tray. Ensure that each device sits in the tray
correctly.

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 AN 81: Reflow Soldering Guidelines for Surface-Mount Devices

f For more information on Altera-approved trays, see AN 71:

Guidelines for Handling J-Lead, QFP & BGA Devices.

References Institute for Interconnecting and Packaging Electronic Circuits, Inc.

Component Packaging and Interconnecting with Emphasis on Surface
Mounting (ANSI/IPC-SM-780). New York: Institute for
Interconnecting and Packaging Electronic Circuits, Inc., 1988.

Institute for Interconnecting and Packaging Electronic Circuits, Inc.

Test Methods Manual (IPC-TM-650). New York: Institute for
Interconnecting and Packaging Electronic Circuits, Inc.

JEDEC/Electronic Industries Alliance, Inc. Preconditioning of Non-

Hermetic Surface Mount Devices Prior to Reliability Testing (JESD22-
A113B). New York: JEDEC/Electronic Industries Alliance, 1999.

JEDEC/Electronic Industries Alliance, Inc. Moisture/Reflow

Sensitivity Classification for Non-Hermetic Solid State Surface Mount
Devices (J-STD-020A). New York: JEDEC/Electronic Industries
Alliance, 1999.

JEDEC/Electronic Industries Alliance Standard for Handling, Packing,

Shipping & Use of Moisture/Reflow Sensitive Surface Mount Devices
(J-STD-033). New York: JEDEC/Electronic Industries Alliance, 1999.

JEDEC/Electronic Industries Alliance Acoustic Microscopy for Non-

Hermetic Encapsulated Electronic Components (J-STD-035). New York:
JEDEC/Electronic Industries Alliance, 1999.

JEDEC/Electronic Industries Alliance, Inc. Symbol & Labels for

Moisture-Sensitive Devices (JEP113-B). New York: Electronic
Industries Alliance, 1999.

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