Optimization Method for Hot Air Reflow Soldering Process Based on Robust Design

Abstract

The process design of hot air reflow soldering is one of the key factors affecting the quality of PCBA (Printed Circuit Board Assembly) component products. In order to improve the product quality during the design process, this paper proposes a robust optimization-based finite element simulation analysis method including significant influencing factor screening, robustness evaluation, robust optimization, and reliability verification for the reflow soldering process. The simulation model of the reflow soldering process temperature field based on experiments is constructed and validated. Sensitivity analysis is used to select important influencing factors, such as the last five set temperature zones (T5 to T9) in the reflow oven and the thermal properties of materials such as PCBs (printed circuit boards), BGAs (ball grid arrays), and solder paste, as well as noise factors like the heating environment during the soldering process. Several surrogate models are used to construct the response surface, and the optimal fitting scheme is selected to effectively avoid poor fitting caused by inappropriate surrogate models. The 6σ robust optimization approach is introduced to evaluate and optimize the robustness of the process design parameter where the heating factor is chosen as the optimization target. The reliability analysis method is employed to validate the product quality. This paper establishes a comprehensive robustness analysis method for hot air reflow soldering, effectively reducing design costs and addressing the lack of robustness analysis in the current hot air reflow soldering process design.

Analysis of the Parallel Seam Welding Process by Developing a Directly Coupled Multiphysics Simulation Model

“…In the realm of hermetic packaging for integrated circuits, parallel seam welding stands out as one of the most prevalent encapsulation techniques employed in microelectronic devices due to its outstanding characteristics, which include high reliability, superior sealing performance, cost-effectiveness, and high productivity, setting it apart from storage welding, reflow soldering process, and laser welding [1][2][3]. In contrast to storage welding, which produces a large weld area, and laser welding, which produces a high heat-affected zone, high-quality welding in small dimensions is realized in parallel seam welding due to the fineness of the weld area and the low heat-affected zone, which is essential for the protection of sensitive components in microelectronics.…”