APPLICATION NOTE

Solder Paste Storage and Handling

Guidelines
Solder Paste in Transit • Working life of solder paste is dependent on:
-- Temperature and relative humidity in the manufacturing
Indium Corporation’s published Solder Paste Storage and Handling environment (less than 30°C)
Conditions on the product data sheets are long-term material storage -- Sealed container, closed container, or open container
recommendations and not a shipping or temperature-at-receipt -- Air flow inside the stencil printer
requirement. -- Time of exposure on the stencil
Indium Corporation designed and implemented a packaging system to • Contact Indium Corporation to discuss disposition on
protect solder paste from thermal damage while in transit. Most solder heat-damaged solder paste.
paste is shipped via next-day or 2-day delivery service. Our packing
system is designed to maintain solder paste in a cool condition (≤35°C) Before Using Solder Paste
for a minimum of 3 days.
• Prior to use, solder paste must equilibrate to the environmental
Indium Corporation’s solder paste can be held at temperatures up to conditions in which it will be used.
35°C for 7 days in transit without adverse effects on the solder paste
• It is important to remove sealed containers from refrigeration and
performance. Solder paste in deliveries as received should be ≤35°C. If
equilibrate to room temperature before opening (typically at least
solder paste is received at temperatures exceeding 35°C, please contact
two hours, up to four for large or frozen containers).
your Indium Corporation representative to arrange for fitness-for-use testing.
• Note: Opening cold solder paste in a warmer environment can
Solder Paste Storage result in condensation and potential performance impact.
• Indium Corporation solder paste is refrigerated or frozen after • Recommendation: Remove a jar or cartridge of solder paste
manufacturing and shipped cold, often with a cold pack. This helps from refrigeration one day before use to allow plenty of time for
keep the solder paste from getting hot during shipping. equilibration in the environment (not recommended for syringes).
• Refrigerated storage prolongs the shelf life of solder paste; -20 to • Do not expose solder paste to heat (>25°C) to bring it up to
10°C is common, although some solder pastes should not be frozen. temperature.
Consult the product data sheet for specific information. • For quickest equilibration, a temperature-controlled water bath
• Solder paste packaged in syringes and cartridges must be stored ≤25°C is recommended.
with the tip pointed down for best dispensing performance. • Label containers with date of removal from refrigeration to monitor
• For product-specific storage requirements and shelf life exposure.
information, please refer to the product data sheet.
• When stored properly in refrigeration, solder pastes are often
Paste Handling Best Practices During
viable after the “use by” date. It is up to the user to validate use of Stencil Printing
paste after this recommendation. • It is not typically necessary to re-homogenize paste prior to use.
However, if needed, hand stirring with a plastic spatula is the best
Storage Best Practices method for solder paste in jars.
• Solder paste is a shelf-life dependent item and should be stored as • Use of mechanical/planetary mixing equipment is not necessary for
such (in a First In-First Out manner). homogenizing Indium Corporation’s solder pastes. Planetary mixers
• Upon delivery, solder paste packages should be directly put into a should not be used to speed the process of bringing the solder
storage refrigerator (<10°C). paste to room temperature from cold storage.
• Solder paste should be removed from coolers and refrigerated for • When solder paste is removed from the stencil, always store in a
long-term storage. separate jar; re-introduction into fresh paste can result in process
inconsistency.
• The manufacturing date is included on each label along with a
“use by” date for best performance. • It is not necessary to return solder paste to the refrigerator after
opening. It is possible that refrigeration can cause condensation
• Solder paste should be stored by lot, ensuring use of the older lots
and compromise performance (unless use environment is
first for optimal material management.
uncontrolled or >30°C).
Process Impacts of Excessive Heat Exposure
• Generally, solder paste is stable at temperatures less than 25°C. Contact Indium Corporation’s
Technical Support Engineers at
• Solder paste exposed to temperatures >30°C for extended periods
askus@indium.com to discuss alloy,
of time may no longer perform as expected.
particle size, and metal loading
• Key reasons for concern: to best suit your application. This
-- Significant flux separation application note is for reference only.
-- Potential for chemical decomposition, reducing the tack and Please refer to product data sheets
activity of flux for shelf life requirements.
-- Elevated viscosity, resulting in poor print transfer

Form No. 98995 R2

APPLICATION NOTE
Solder Paste Storage and Handling Guidelines
Aperture Ratio Chart
Aperture Size (μm) 50 100 150 160 170 180 190 200 250 300 350 400

Aperture Size (mils) 1.97 3.94 5.91 6.30 6.69 7.09 7.48 7.87 9.84 11.81 13.78 15.75

5 0.10 0.20 0.30 0.31 0.33 0.35 0.37 0.39 0.49 0.59 0.69 0.79
Stencil
Thickness 4 0.12 0.25 0.37 0.39 0.42 0.44 0.47 0.49 0.62 0.74 0.86 0.98
(mils)
3 0.16 0.33 0.49 0.52 0.56 0.59 0.62 0.66 0.82 0.98 1.15 1.31

■ Not typically within process window ■ Attainable with newer generation products ■ Typically within process window

Stencil Printing Best Practices Best Practices for Syringe Dispensing

• Board support, typically provided by vacuum tooling, is of Solder Paste
paramount importance for consistent stencil printing.
• Powder size selection is most important in choosing a solder paste
• Use enough paste so that a generous bead is able to roll freely to dispense.
when the squeegee moves freely (typically 1/3" to 3/4" in diameter).
• To determine powder size, use the chart below for guidelines
• Set squeegee pressure just high enough to ensure a clean swipe depending on needle size.
of the squeegee with no paste left on the stencil after the pass
(for Indium Corporation pastes, typically 5kg is sufficient for a • For indium-containing alloys, powder sizes may be limited.
10" blade). • Viscosity is very important for consistent, smooth dispensing, and
• Solder paste is a thixotropic material, meaning it thins under is dependent on metal loading (weight percent of solder powder in
pressure, so it only reaches optimal performance after a couple of the paste). Please refer to the data sheet for optimal metal loading
prints (number varies depending on paste). for dispense applications.

• Proper gasketing is very important, meaning alignment of apertures

with pads, levelness of board surface, and solder mask definition Largest
should not detract from contact between the surface of the board Dispensing Needle Powder
and the stencil. Size
• To check for proper gasketing, check the alignment of stencil and Gauge EFD Color Code ID (inches) ID (microns) Type
board. While in contact, tap the stencil to ensure there is no space
for deflection.
14 Olive 0.060 1,520 2
• Wiping the underside of the stencil intermittently to remove 15 Amber 0.053 1,350 2
any excess paste is often necessary. Typically, a dry wipe with 16 Grey 0.047 1,190 2
advancing paper and a vac cycle is sufficient.
18 Green 0.033 840 2
• Refer to the product data sheet for specific wipe frequency
recommendations. Frequency is also highly dependent on proper 20 Pink 0.023 580 3
gasketing and process optimization. 21 Purple 0.020 510 3
• Calculating area ratios and staying within typical stencil guidelines
will give best first pass yields (refer to the table above for 22 Blue 0.016 410 3
guidelines). 23 Orange 0.013 330 3
• Powder size choice can also effect stencil printing (refer to 25 Red 0.010 250 4
Powder Choice application note for more information).
27 Clear 0.008 200 5
• Typically, higher transfer efficiencies correlate to higher area
ratios. 30 Lavender 0.006 150 6

Contact Indium Corporation’s Technical Support Engineers at askus@indium.com to discuss alloy, particle size,
and metal loading to best suit your application. This application note is for reference only. Please refer to product
data sheets for shelf life requirements.

This application note is provided for general information only. It is not intended, and shall not be construed, to warrant or guarantee the performance
of the products described which are sold subject exclusively to written warranties and limitations thereon included in product packaging and invoices.
All Indium Corporation’s products and solutions are designed to be commercially available unless specifically stated otherwise.

Contact our engineers today: askus@indium.com

Learn more: www.indium.com
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