eBook:LED Technical Papers

LED Technologies
Performance Improvement
• Effect of Thermal Properties of Die Attach Materials on
Performance of High Power Blue LEDs… ……........................................page 03

• LED Thermal Management System – High Thermal

and High Reliability Materials………........................................................page 07

Reliability Improvement
• Low Voiding Reliable Solder Interconnects for LED
Packages on Metal Core PCBs… ……....................................................page 10

• Assembly Interconnect Reliability in Solid State

Lighting Applications – Part 1………........................................................page 16

System Cost Improvement

• Enabling the Use of PET Flexible Substrates for LED
Lighting Applications… …….....................................................................page 22
 EFFECT OF THERMAL PROPERTIES OF DIE ATTACH MATERIALS ON
PERFORMANCE OF HIGH POWER BLUE LEDS

Aloka Khanna, Ranjit Pandher, Ph.D. and Ravi Bhatkal, Ph.D.

Alpha, an Alent plc Company
South Plainfield, NJ, USA
rbhatkal@alent.com

ABSTRACT
InGaN-based High Power blue LEDs exhibit a maximum
light conversion efficiency of 40%, which decreases further
at high drive currents. Thus, more than 60% of the electrical
input power is dissipated as heat in an LED chip, leading to
a rise in the junction temperature of the LED. Junction
temperature has a significant impact on the light conversion Figure 1. High Power LED
efficiency of the LEDs. Also, it reduces LED lifetime by
excessive heating and results in subsequent failure of the Thus, in order to evaluate the affect of die attach materials
LED chip. Thus, heat flow from junction to heat sink is with different thermal conductivities on LED junction
important for maintaining the junction temperature as well temperature, light conversion efficiency and light output,
as the light conversion efficiency and light output in a high commercially available 1 W blue LED chips from SemiLED
power LED package. Heat flow can be facilitated by using were packaged on Aluminum Metal Core PCB and
high thermal conductivity die attach materials for packaging characterized by junction temperature and optical
LED die on the MCPCB. Therefore, commercially available measurements. LED junction temperature cannot be
LEDs have been characterized for evaluating the affect of measured directly and therefore, forward voltage method
different die-attach materials on LED junction temperature was used for evaluating junction temperature at different
and light conversion efficiency at different drive currents. drive currents, utilizing the variation in the LED forward
Also, the variation of peak emission wavelength and light voltage with junction temperature. Optical measurements
conversion efficiency with heat sink temperature has been were done on the packaged LEDs in a Labsphere Integrating
determined for the packaged LEDs. The results and Sphere for determining their light output, light conversion
observations have been presented here along with efficiency and peak emission wavelength.
recommendations for future work.

INTRODUCTION EXPERIMENTAL
The junction temperature in the LED increases with
increasing drive current since, more than 60 % of electrical LED packaging
input power is dissipated as heat due to efficiency droop at For junction temperature and light output characterization,
high drive currents in InGaN LEDs. This rise in the 1W blue SemiLED chips with peak emission wavelength of
junction temperature reduces the light output by increasing 455 nm were used. These were packaged on a 1 cm × 1 cm
the probability of non-radiative recombination. Thus, the Aluminum Metal Core PCB with two different die attach
dissipated heat needs to be removed from the junction in materials (SAC-305 and SnBiAg) used as models. The
order to maintain the light conversion efficiency and light thermal conductivities and packaging processes used for
output from the High Power LED package. The various these two die attach materials are summarized in Table-1.
components in the heat flow path in a High Power LED
package as shown in Figure-1 are LED junction, substrate
(Sapphire, SiC, Si), die attach material, MCPCB, thermal
interface material and heat sink. The thermal conductivity of
the die attach being lower than some of the other
components in the heat flow path can play a significant role
in determining the thermal resistance from junction to heat
sink which further affects the heat flow rate and junction Table-1.
temperature in the LED package.
Junction temperature measurement by Forward Voltage
Method
Equation-1 describes the variation of the LED forward
voltage with junction temperature. In order to assess the
junction temperature of the LED using forward voltage, two
sets of measurements need to be done- a calibration
measurement and the actual junction temperature
measurement. The calibration measurement is done in a
temperature-controlled oven wherein the forward voltage is
measured at different ambient temperatures when the LED
is driven at a very low drive current (<30 mA) to avoid self-
heating so as to keep the junction temperature as close to the
ambient temperature as possible. The calibration
measurement gives the temperature coefficient of the diode
forward voltage (dVf/dT).

In the second set of measurements, the forward voltage

drop from high drive currents (0.3 A, 0.5 A, 0.7 A) to 0.01 Figure 2. Junction Temperature as a function of the LED
A is recorded while maintaining the heat sink temperature at drive current for LEDs packaged with SAC-305 and
20 °C. This forward voltage drop and the temperature SnBiAg die attach materials
coefficient of diode forward voltage derived earlier are used
to calculate the junction temperature of the LED at different In Equation-2, Tj represents the junction temperature,
drive currents. Tboard is the board temperature, Rjunc-board is the thermal
resistance from junction to board and ∆W is the heat
Optical measurements using Labsphere Integrating generated from input power. At a drive current of 0.7 A, the
Sphere power dissipated in the SemiLED package is nearly 2.2 W.
For junction temperature calculations, the board temperature
Labsphere electrical, optical and thermal characterization was calculated using Equation-3 and the thermal resistance
system (TOCS) was used for the light output measurements value for the thermal interface material (82 W/m-K for
of LEDs packaged with different die attach materials. Two indium foil) with a cross-sectional area of (1 cm×1 cm) and
sets of measurements were done- light conversion efficiency thickness of 0.1 mm.
and peak emission wavelength versus drive current and sink
temperature. For these measurements, the LEDs were placed
on the heat sink with indium foil as the thermal interface
material between the MCPCB and heat sink. The sink
temperature was varied using Arroyo Instruments The heat sink temperature was maintained at 20 °C for
TECSource temperature controller and LEDs were driven junction temperature measurement using forward voltage
using Agilent Power Supply. For the first set of method and this value was used for the calculation of board
measurements with varying drive current, heat sink temperature. The calculated board temperature at 2.2 W
temperature was maintained constant at 20 C with the power dissipation is 20.02 °C. The value of thermal
TECSource temperature controller and for the second set of conductivities, cross-sectional area and thickness for heat
measurements with varying heat sink temperature, the drive flow for the various components in the heat flow path are
current was maintained constant at 30 mA to avoid self- presented in Table-2. Thermal resistance and calculated
heating of the LED die. junction temperature values are presented in Table-3. It is
seen from Table-3 that the calculated value of difference in
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION the junction temperature (1.9 °C) of LEDs packaged with
the two die attach materials is in good agreement with the
Effect of Different Die Attach Materials on LED value determined experimentally (2.2 °C).
Junction Temperature

Figure-2 shows the junction temperature as a function of the

LED drive current for the two die attach materials measured
using the forward voltage method described in Sec-2.2. It is
seen that the LEDs packaged with die attach materials
whose thermal conductivities are 60 W/m-K and 20 W/m-K,
resp. exhibit a small difference in the junction temperature
(2.2 °C) at the maximum rated drive current for SemiLED
(0.7 A). In order to confirm these results, the junction
temperature at a drive current of 0.7 A was calculated for
LEDs packaged with these two die attach materials using
Equation-2.
 Figure 3. (a) Light Conversion Efficiency, (b) Light Output
as a function of the LED drive current for LEDs packaged
with SAC-305 and SnBiAg die attach materials
Figure-4 (a-b) show the variation of the peak emission
wavelength with LED drive currents for LEDs packages
with SAC-305 and SnBiAg die attach materials,
respectively. The peak emission wavelength for both LEDs
follows a similar trend i.e. the peak emission wavelength
The assembly process for the LED package may yield less first decreases with increasing drive current and then
than 100 % pad coverage and voiding in the die attach layer. increases at high drive currents. For these measurements,
For the junction temperature calculation using package the sink temperature was maintained at 20 °C. This trend is
thermal resistance, it has been assumed that the pad explained by two competing effects with increasing drive
coverage is 100 % and no voiding occurs in the die attach current i.e. rise in junction temperature and QCSE
layer and thus, the thermal resistance of the die attach layer (Quantum Confined Stark Effect). While QCSE causes the
for these calculations is lower than the thermal resistance in energy levels in the quantum wells to move farther apart due
the actual package. This explains lower junction to increasing electric field, the junction temperature rise
temperatures from package thermal resistance calculations with increasing drive current causes the effective band-gap
as compared to the values measured by the forward voltage to decrease. This leads to decrease in the peak emission
method. wavelength as QCSE dominates at lower drive currents and
increase in peak emission wavelength as effect of junction
Effect of different die Attach materials on LED light temperature dominates at higher drive currents. Since, a
output and quality noticeable variation in peak emission wavelength due to
junction temperature requires at least a 20 °C difference in
Junction temperature has a significant impact on the light the junction temperature (Figure-6), no difference in peak
conversion efficiency of the LEDs. High thermal emission wavelengths for the two LEDs was recorded in
conductivity die attach materials can improve the light this case as the junction temperature difference for these is
conversion efficiency by reducing the junction temperature only 2-3 °C.
at high drive currents. Thus, the light conversion efficiency
and light output of LEDs packaged with two die attach
materials (SAC-305 and SnBiAg) was recorded at different
drive currents. Figure-3 (a-b) show the light conversion
efficiency and light output versus drive current data
measured at a constant sink temperature of 20 C for the
two LED packages with different die attach materials. It is
seen from Figure-3 (a) that the LED packaged with SAC-
Figure 4. Peak Emission Wavelength as a function of the
305 shows lower drop in light conversion efficiency at high
LED drive current for LED packaged with (a) SAC-305 and
drive currents as compared to the LED packaged with
(b) SnBiAg die attach material.
SnBiAg due to better thermal management in the former
resulting from higher thermal conductivity of SAC-305. At
Effect of heat sink temperature on light output and
1 A drive current, the LED packaged with SAC-305 shows
quality
2.4% higher efficiency than the LED packaged with
SnBiAg. The high light conversion efficiency is translated For a 1 W LED on FR4 PCB with a TIM of thermal
into higher light output (Figure-3 (b)) which is almost conductivity 3 W/m-K, there is almost a 50 °C difference
greater than1.1 times for the LED packaged with SAC-305 between the sink and junction temperature. For such an
as compared to the LED packaged with SnBiAg at 1 A drive LED on Si substrate with a die attach material of thermal
current. conductivity 57 W/m-K under 1 W operation, the junction
temperature is 104 °C while the sink temperature is 53 °C.
Thus, in order to emulate the real operating conditions of a 1
W LED, the light conversion efficiency of SemiLEDs LEDs
with different die attach materials was characterized at
different sink temperatures. The sink temperature was
regulated using the Arroyo Instruments TECSource
Temperature Controller. Figure-5 (a-b) show the variation in
the light conversion efficiency as a function of the sink
temperature at drive currents of 1 A and 1.1 A, resp. for
LEDs packaged with SAC-305 and SnBiAg die attach
materials.
 The junction temperature of the LEDs increases with die attach materials with thermal conductivity of 20 with a
the sink temperature and thus, light conversion efficiency material having thermal conductivity of 60 W/m-K, the light
decreases with increasing sink temperature. Heat flow from conversion efficiency could be increased by 2.4% at 1 A
the junction is affected by the thermal conductivity of the drive current. Also, this translates into a light output
die attach material and thus, the drop in LED efficiency with improvement of 10-11%. Further, the affect of sink
sink temperature is an indication of effectiveness of the die temperature on light output and quality was determined for
attach material in heat flow from the LED junction to the the LEDs packaged with these two die attach materials. It
heat sink. It can be seen from Figure-5 (a-b) that the was found that high sink temperatures led to loss of LED
efficiency drop from 20 °C to 70 °C sink temperature is light conversion efficiency which further increased the
higher for LEDs packaged with SnBiAg as compared to junction temperature of the LED. Thus, the LEDs packaged
SAC-305 due to higher thermal conductivity of SAC-305 with SAC-305 exhibited 0.2 % and 0.8 % higher light
die attach material. As seen from Figure-5 (a-b), the light conversion efficiency as compared to LEDs packaged with
conversion efficiency at a sink temperature of 70 ºC is 0.2 SnBiAg as SAC-305 facilitated efficient heat flow from the
% and 0.8 % higher for LEDs packaged SAC-305 as LED junction to the heat sink. Also, it was determined that
compared to those with SnBiAg at 1 A and 1.1 A drive the peak emission wavelength of the 1 W blue LED changed
currents, respectively. Also, the typical sink temperature for at a rate of 1 nm per 20 °C change in sink temperature
a 60 W LED lamp in the open base down configuration is which could cause significant shift in the chromaticity of
75 °C. As seen from Figure-6, the LED peak emission LED lamps where the typical sink temperatures are in the
wavelength changes at the rate of 1 nm per 20 °C. range of 75-100 °C.
Therefore, a typical LED lamp in this configuration would
show a 2-3 nm variation in peak wavelength under
operation.

Figure 5 (a-b). Light Conversion Efficiency as a function of

the Sink Temperature for LEDs packaged with SAC-305
and SnBiAg die attach materials at different drive currents

Figure 6. Peak Emission Wavelength as a function of Sink

Temperature for blue 1W SemiLEDs at 30mA drive current

CONCLUSIONS

Commercially available blue LEDs have been characterized

for evaluating the affect of different die-attach materials on
LED junction temperature, light output and quality at
different drive currents. It was found that by replacing a
 LED THERMAL MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS – HIGH THERMAL AND HIGH
RELIAIBLITY MATERIALS
Ravi Bhatkal, Ph.D., Gyan Dutt
Alpha, an Alent plc Company
South Plainfield, NJ, USA
rbhatkal@alent.com
o Applications such as spotlights or
INTRODUCTION headlights need good control of LED
LED technology is seeing widespread adoption in range of die/package tilt and optical axis
end markets including lighting, automotive and display  Reliability and Longevity
applications. LEDs offer several advantages such as energy o Long term thermal cycling requirements
efficiency, long life, instant turn on and off, high luminance, and vibration resistance during operation
high brightness, color control (e.g. pure red, orange, and are critical for reliable operation of the
white light), shock and vibration resistance, and styling and LEDs for the design life.
design freedom.  Efficiency and brightness improvement
o Efficiency is critical for reduction of
LED lighting systems such as exterior lighting, can be energy consumption, while brightness
described in terms of a hierarchy shown in Figure 1 below. improvement (increased light output) is
needed to reduce cost per lumen.
 Rework
o It is difficult to rework LEDs assembled,
so first pass yield is critical

Materials and components were chosen based on

commercially available LED packages, solder pastes and
flexible substrates.

THE ROLE OF HIGH THERMAL AND HIGH

RELIABITY MATERIALS IN LED LIGHTING
 High thermal and high reliability die attach and
assembly materials enable rapid heat extraction,
thus enabling performance improvement, reliably,
over the expected lifetime.
Figure 1. Hierarchy of an LED Lighting System  Key requirements for advanced die attach and
assembly materials used in LED die attach and
For high power LED applications such as projection, street package-on-board assembly are:
lighting and automotive headlamps, materials used in the  Die Attach
packaging and assembly of LEDs need to be able to handle o Very high thermal conductivity
high thermal loads and high thermal cycle and vibration o Thin, uniform bond line for die tilt control
reliability requirements. In this paper, we discuss the and thermal performance
mitigation of thermal and reliability issues in high power o No bleed-out or die top contamination
LED lighting systems with two of Alpha®’s advanced o High thermal cycle reliability with high
materials platforms. CTE mismatch
o High creep resistance
KEY ISSUES IN LED LIGHTING  Package-on-Board Assembly
Key issues in high power LED lighting include: o Low/acceptable void level assembly
 Heat dissipation at all levels of the lighting system o Package tilt control
o Heat buildup can lead to device failure o High creep-fatigue resistant solder alloys
o Voiding under thermal pads leads to heat leading to better thermal cycling
buildup, loss of efficiency and potential performance
failures o High vibration resistance
o Excellent printability and first time right
 Directionality of light output assembly
TWO KEY ALPHA® TECHNOLOGY PLATFORMS
FOR HIGH THERMAL, HIGH RELIABIITY
 Alpha®’s novel high thermal, high reliability
materials for LED die and package attach can help
improve the design window and performance.
 High creep fatigue resistant solders
o Maxrel™ alloy based preforms and paste
for die/package attach
 Silver sintering die attach materials
o Argomax® Ag film for die attach
o Fortibond™ pressureless sintering
Figure 3. Bond Line Uniformity of Maxrel™ Alloy
Maxrel™ Creep Resistant Alloy Joint vs SnAg Alloy Joint
Maxrel™ alloy is a creep resistant solder material that
increases reliability of the solder joints subjected to thermal Argomax® Ag Sintering Technology
cycling in high CTE mismatch material stacks. Figure 2 Argomax® Ag sintering materials can be processed at 190C
shows Maxrel alloy performance vs SAC305 alloy in to 300C under pressure, to form a pure Ag interface. After
thermal cycling of ceramic submount LEDs assembled on bonding, Argomax® joint has a melting point of 962 C,
Metal Core PCBs. High creep resistance of Maxrel™ alloy same as bulk silver. The material and process yields joints
provides better thermal cycling performance. with thermal conductivities in the ~250W/mK range, with
thin, uniform bond lines. The resulting bond is a pure
diffusion bond with no intermetallics.

Argomax® Ag sintering technology, offered in a film form

factor, can provide automotive Led assemblies with:

• No die tilt, highly controlled and uniform bond

line, which provides excellent control of
directionality and optical axis.
• No bleed-out of the die attach material, ensuring
die-footprint-conformal die attach yielding smaller
package and module sizes.
• Placement of an array of dies closer together
without movement or "die float" which yields
Figure 2. Thermal Cycling Performance of Maxrel™ Alloy higher lumen density in smaller area.
vs SAC305 Alloy • Ultra-high thermal conductivity, enabling thermal
Maxrel™ alloy has unique reflow properties that minimize resistance reduction, and therefore lower junction
die / package tilt and die float. This leads to more uniform temperatures, or higher drive currents. This can
bond lines and control of die tilt as shown in Figure 3. yield brightness improvement and control of
wavelength shift and ability to handle very high
Further, the higher creep resistance of Maxrel™ alloy power densities.
provides increased reliability while reducing bond line, • Very high die shear strength and thermal
which in turn means that Maxrel™ alloy can provide lower cycling/thermal shock reliability as shown in
thermal resistance in the joint. Figure 4.

Further improvements in reliability can be obtained by

tailoring the ratio of modulus of the solder to the modulus of
the dielectric.
 Fortibond pastes demonstrate high performance. For
example, the Fortibond AL12P printable paste shows shear
strength in the 25 MPa range, passes typical LED package
thermal cycling, thermal shock and thermal aging
requirements, as well as withstanding multiple reflows in
MSL Level 1 testing for the die attach material.

• Die-Shear Strength: >25MPa

• Thermal Cycling: Passed 1000 cycles with -40 to
125C
• Passed 1000 hrs aging at 175C with no change in
die-shear strength
• Thermal Shock : Passed 1000 cycles from -55 to
+125C
• Passed Moisture Sensitivity Level (MSL) Level 1
Figure 4. Argomax® Provides High Thermal Cycle and
Thermal Shock Reliability
Fortibond™ is a Pressure-less silver sintering technology
platform designed to address applications that require
The process is high volume manufacturing capable, with
assembly at zero / low pressure by processes compatible
sintering process UPH capability in excess of 20,000 die
with existing equipment. (on both semiconductor packaging
bonded per hour. This is shown in Figure 5.
as well as SMT assembly lines) shown in Figure 6.
Processing Options
 Die-level film lamination (DTF Process)
 Wafer back-side lamination
 Large area bonding

Figure 6. Fortibond™ Processing Options and HVM

Capability
Summary and Conclusions
High reliability, high thermal technologies such as
Maxrel™ alloy, Argomax® Ag sintering film and
Fortibond™ pressureless sintering technology can be used
to provide high reliability, high thermal joints for LED
assembly in high power lighting applications.

Figure 5. Argomax® Processing Options and HVM Acknowledgements

Capability Bawa Singh
Oscar Khaselev
Fortibond™ Pressureless Ag Sintering Technology Ranjit Pandher
Fortibond™ pressureless Ag sintering technology, currently Shamik Ghoshal
in paste form, is new Ag sintering technology platforms Sathish Kumar
developed by Alpha that can be used for die attach using Siuli Sarkar
existing equipment sets for printing/dispensing, placement Mike Marczi
and sintering. Julien Joguet
Gustavo Greca
• Pressure-less Silver Sintering Paste compatible Monnir Boureghda
with existing dispense / printing, die bonding and Paul Koep
curing equipment Anna Lifton
• Sintered silver joint enables high temperature
stability during secondary reflow
• High bulk thermal conductivity (135+ W/mK)
enables lower junction temperature / higher light
output
• Available in print & dispense versions with pin
transfer versions in development.
• Regular refrigerator storage and shipping without
dry ice for easy economical handling
 LOW VOIDING RELIABLE SOLDER INTERCONNECTS FOR LED
PACKAGES ON METAL CORE PCBS

Ellen Tormey, Ph.D., Rahul Raut, Westin Bent, Ranjit Pandher, Ph.D., Bawa Singh, Ph.D. and
Ravi Bhatkal, Ph.D.
Alpha, an Alent plc Company
South Plainfield, NJ, USA 07080
rbhatkal@alent.com

Justin Kolbe
The Bergquist Company
18930 W 78th Street, Chanhassen, MN 55137, USA

ABSTRACT mounted and can provide high lumen output and superior
SSL Assemblies need to meet high reliability requirements thermal performance. An image and cross-section of the
such as Energy Star Category A which dictates a B50/L70 LED package are shown in Figures 1 and 2, respectively
lifetime of 35,000 hours for commercial and outdoor (Ref 1).
residential lighting. Solder joints with low void content are
critical for long term performance and reliability. Two types
of MCPCB substrates, 4 different solder pastes and one type
of LED ceramic package were evaluated in this study to
develop a low voiding assembly process. Results of the
study and recommendations for achieving low voiding are
presented.

Key words: LED package, MCPCB; solder joint % voids

INTRODUCTION
Applications for light emitting diodes (LEDs) are increasing
dramatically in the lighting sector. The benefits of LEDs
over competing technologies include versatility and long-
term reliability. Package and luminaire design are critical Figure 1. Image of InGaN LED package
considerations in ensuring that performance and reliability
targets are met for commercial applications.

Customer expectations for LED based luminaires (Solid

State Lighting) are very high due to the relatively high cost
of such luminaires. For commercial and outdoor residential
lighting, 70% lumen maintenance after 35,000 hours and a
(3) year warranty is required for LED packages, modules
and arrays to meet Energy Star Category A criteria. For
high reliability, long lifetime and color maintenance of LED
lights, it is critical to have excellent assembly interconnect
reliability; i.e., package to insulated metal-core substrate
solder joints with low voiding for low thermal resistance
and hence good heat dissipation.

ASSEMBLY MATERIALS & COMPONENTS:

Materials and components were chosen based on
commercially available LED packages, solder pastes and Figure 2. Cross section of LED package
MCPCB substrates.

High power LED package: MCPCBs and Dielectric:

A high power InGaN-based LED package (Ref.1) was used The LED package is a surface mount component and can be
in this study. It is a compact package that can be surface assembled on a typical FR4 board or on an MCPCB (Metal
Core Printed Circuit Board). MCPCBs are also referred as requires reliable operation over a large temperature range
Metal Clad PCBs. An MCPCB has a thin, thermally and number of thermal cycles, while still providing very
conductive dielectric layer bonded to an aluminum or good thermal performance.
copper substrate for good heat dissipation.
The relationship between the modulus of the MCPCB
Each of the board materials has its own benefits and dielectric and the solder over the range of application
limitations. For example, a FR4 board with open or filled temperatures to which the assembly will be subjected is a
and capped vias is a low cost solution for a regular LED major factor in determining where the strain resulting from
assembly. MCPCBs offer more rigidity than typical FR4 CTE mismatch between the surface mount component and
boards along with improved thermal performance, enabling substrate will be distributed. The modulus of dielectric A is
heat conduction from LED packages into the metal core of the same order of magnitude as that of most common
board material. A partial image of the MCPCB used in this MCPCB dielectrics available on the market, and as such can
study is shown in Figure 3; a 6x6 array of 36 parts per be referred to as a “standard” MCPCB material in terms of
substrate was used here. A cross-section of a MCPCB is solder joint reliability.
shown in Figure 4 (Ref 2).
Table 1 summarizes the materials and dimensional details of
the MCPCB substrates used in this study, which have ENIG
surface finish.

Table 1. MCPCB Materials and Thicknesses

Layer ID Material and Thickness
Metal Core Aluminum: 1.57 mm
Dielectric A: 76 µm; B: 102 µm
Circuit Layer Copper: 35 µm

Solder paste materials:

Four different solder pastes (with four different metal
alloys) were selected for this study. These pastes used Type
Figure 3. Image of MCPCB Test Board 3 solder powder and have 88-90 wt% metal contents.
Details of these solder pastes are as follows:

Solder Paste A: This is a no-clean, zero halogen, and lead-

free SAC305 alloy solder paste designed for a broad range
of applications. This solder paste has a broad processing
window thereby providing excellent print capability
performance and high production yields.

Solder Paste B: This is a no-clean, zero halogen, and lead-

free MaxrelTM alloy solder paste that is suitable for fine
feature printing applications. The MaxrelTM alloy is known
for its superior thermal cycling/shock performance relative
to other high temperature solder alloys.

Figure 4. Cross Section of MCPCB substrate Solder Paste C: This is a no-clean, zero halogen, and lead-
free SACX PlusTM0807 alloy solder paste that is suitable for
For this study MCPCB boards with two dielectric materials fine feature printing applications and has reduced Ag level
were used, as described below: for lower cost.

MCPCB with Dielectric A: An MCPCB with dielectric A Solder Paste D: This is a no-clean, zero halogen, and lead-
minimizes thermal impedance and conducts heat more free solder paste that enables low temperature surface mount
effectively and efficiently than standard printed wiring assembly due to the low melting point (<140°C) of the
boards (PWBs), an attribute important for LED packages. SnBiAg alloy.

MCPCB with Dielectric B: Dielectric B is a low modulus

dielectric designed to reduce the strain on solder joints in LED ASSEMBLY PROCESS
applications where there is a large CTE mismatch between Table 2 summarizes the SMT equipment that was used for
the surface mount component and the MCPCB substrate. the LED assembly.
This dielectric is also preferred when the application
 Table 2. Assembly Process Equipment Boxplot of % Voids - MCPCB w/ Type B Dielectric; SAC305 Alloy Paste
SMT Equipment SMT Equipment Details 25

Speedline MPM UP3000

Stencil Printer 20
Ultraflex
Universal Advantis with FlexJet
Pick and Place 15

% Voids
Head
Reflow Oven Electrovert OmniFlo 7 10

5.71 5.87
5
Solder Paste Printing:
Solder paste printing was done using the MPM UP3000
0
stencil printer with a 5 mil thick laser cut stainless steel High Soak Str Ramp
stencil with a 1 to 1 ratio of aperture size to pad size. Stencil Profile

printing parameters used for all solder pastes are shown in Figure 5. Box plot of %Voids vs Reflow Profile
Table 3.

Table 3. Stencil printing parameters

Print Parameters Print Parameter Details
Print Speed 2.54 cm/sec
Print Pressure 268 grams/cm of blade
Stencil Release 0.051 cm/sec
Snap off 0 cm (on contact printing)

Component Placement:
Universal Instrument’s Advantis pick and place machine
with FlexJet head was used for the LED assembly. An off-
center pick-up was programmed for the LED package pick-
up and placement. Care was taken to avoid any contact of
the nozzle exterior with the LED domed silicone lens.
Figure 6. High Soak Profile for SAC305, SACX
Reflow Soldering: PlusTM0807 & MaxrelTM Alloy Pastes; 150-200°C/115 sec
An Electrovert OmniFlo 7 reflow oven, with seven heating Soak/ 240°C Peak/ 67sec TAL
and two cooling zones was used for the reflow assembly.
All boards were assembled in an air atmosphere.
VOIDING TEST RESULTS
Voids Measurement: The % voids data for the test boards was analyzed using
A Nikon Model XTV160 Xray machine was used to Minitab and Microsoft Excel.
measure the voids percentages (by area) of the reflowed
solder joints. For each solder paste and board dielectric type, A main effects plot for the (2) variables in this study
(5) boards were assembled and at least 50% of the solder (MCPCB board dielectric and solder paste) is shown in
joints on each board were measured for %voids. Figure 8. This plot shows that the board dielectric has a
relatively minor effect on the overall % voids for the LED
Reflow Profile Pre-Screening Test: package assembled with the various solder pastes on the
A pre-screening test was performed using two types of MCPCB boards. However, the solder paste has a significant
reflow profiles (high soak and straight ramp), the SAC305 effect on % voids. The MaxrelTM alloy paste results in
solder paste and MCPCB board with type B dielectric, to average void percentages of ~15%, while the SAC305 paste
determine the best type of profile for the LED assembly results in <9% voids overall.
based on percent voids in the reflowed joints. The pre-
screening test results (shown in Figure 5) show that a high In Figure 9 is shown a box plot for % voids verses the
soak profile results in slightly fewer voids and also a MCPCB board dielectric type. It shows that overall, the
narrower % voids distribution. Therefore, high soak profiles board dielectric had very little effect on the % voids with
were used for this study. The high soak profiles used for the almost the same medians (10.5, 10.9 % voids) and ranges
high temperature alloy solder pastes (SAC305, MaxrelTM for both types.
and SACX PlusTM0807 pastes) and the low temperature
SnBiAg paste are shown in Figures 6 and 7, respectively.
 Boxplot of % Voids
35

30

25

20

% Voids
15

10.465 10.805
10

0
A B
Board Dielectric

Figure 9. Box Plot of %Voids Verses MCPCB Board

Dielectric

Boxplot of % Voids
35
Figure 7. High Soak Profile for SnBiAg Alloy Paste; 100-
30
110°C/75 sec Soak/ 175°C Peak/ 60sec TAL
25

20 20
% Voids

Main Effects Plot for % Voids

Data Means 15

Board Dielectric Paste Alloy

35 10

30 5

25
0
Board Dielectric A B A B A B A B
20
Mean

Paste Alloy Maxrel SAC305 SACX0807 SnBiAg

15
Figure 10. Box Plot of % Voids verses Board Dielectric
10 Type and Paste Alloy
5

0 Figure 11 is a bar chart of void size verses the % of solder

A B Maxrel SAC305 SACX0807 SnBiAg
joints. Overall, >90% of the solder joints have void sizes
Figure 8. Main Effects Plot for Board Dielectric and Solder that are 0-4% of the solder joint area. The “Zero” value on
Paste the x-axis refers to void sizes that are <0.005%.

In Figure 10 is shown a box plot for % voids by MCPCB

board dielectric type and solder paste alloy. Apparent here is LED Assembly Voids Sizes

a slight effect of board dielectric type for the different solder 100%
B Diel/ SAC305
pastes, but the trend varies depending on paste alloy. For the 90% A Diel/ SAC305
A Diel/ SnBiAg
MaxrelTM and SAC305 alloy pastes, the type B dielectric 80% B Diel/ SnBiAg
A Diel/ Maxrel
results in lower voids percentages, while for the SACX 70% B Diel/ Maxrel

PlusTM0807 and SnBiAg alloy pastes the type A board A Diel/ SACX0807
% of Joints

60%
B Diel/ SACX0807

dielectric results in lower voids percentages. The SAC305 50%

solder paste results in the lowest void percentage of the four 40%

30%
pastes; this particular solder paste is known for its’ low
20%
voiding attribute. Note that all of the solder pastes resulted
10%
in <20% voids, meeting the IPC Class 2 voids specification.
0%
ZERO 0-4% 4-8% 8-12% 12-16% 16-20% >20%

Void Size as % of Joint Area

Figure 11. LED Assembly Void Sizes

Figures 12 and 13 are bar charts of the average and lowest void percentages in the reflowed joints for both
maximum void sizes, respectively, as a function of solder MCPCB dielectrics. This particular paste is known for its
paste alloy and MCPCB dielectric type. For all (4) solder good voiding performance. Not discussed herein, but key, is
pastes, the type A MCPCB dielectric results in smaller the effect of paste flux on voiding.
average and maximum void sizes than does the type B
dielectric. The low melting point SnBiAg paste results in the The effect of board dielectric type on voiding performance
smallest average void size, probably because it is reflowed is solder paste specific with (2) of the pastes resulting in
at a lower temperature than the SAC and MaxrelTM alloy lower % voids when reflowed on boards with the type A
pastes. In terms of maximum void size, the SAC305 and dielectric (SACX PlusTM0807 and SnBiAg pastes) and (2)
SnBiAg alloy pastes are comparable, with maximum void pastes showing better voids performance on boards with the
sizes of 10~13% of the joint area. type B dielectric (SAC305, MaxrelTM). In terms of average
and maximum void sizes, the reflowed joints for the type A
dielectric boards are superior for all pastes, and the SnBiAg
paste results in the smallest void sizes.
LED Assembly Average Void Size

0.7
Dielectric A Table 4. X-ray Voids Images
Averge Void Size (% joint area)

0.6 Dielectric B Solder MCPCB MCPCB

0.5 Paste Dielectric A Dielectric B
9.25% 7.2%
0.4

0.3
A
0.2 (SAC305)
0.1

0
SAC305 Maxrel SACX0807 SnBiAg
15.8% 12.6%
Paste Alloy

Figure 12. LED Assembly Average Void Sizes B

(Maxrel™)

LED Assembly Max. Void Size

10.0% 12.3%
30.0
Dielectric A
Max. Void Size (% joint area)

25.0 Dielectric B
C (SACX0807)
20.0

15.0

11.6% 12.3%
10.0

5.0 D
(SnBiAg)
0.0
SAC305 Maxrel SACX0807 SnBiAg

Paste Alloy

Figure 13. LED Assembly Maximum Void Sizes

Overall, for all pastes and board dielectric types, >90% of
Table 4 shows typical Xray voids images and corresponding the solder joints had void sizes of 0-4% of the solder joint
voids percentages for each solder paste and board dielectric area and less than 20% voids on average. The SAC305 alloy
combination. paste combined with the type B board dielectric results in
the lowest % voids (<8.5%).
SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS
Commercially available solder pastes with (4) different The boards assembled for this study will be subjected to
metal alloys were evaluated for % voids in the reflowed further tests including electrical measurements, die shear,
joints when used to attach a commercially available LED thermal cycling, thermal shock and solder joint
package on MCPCB substrates having (2) different characterization by cross-sectioning (Ref.3).
dielectric types. The SAC305 alloy paste results in the
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The authors gratefully acknowledge the contributions of
George Banis (an Intern working with CE) and Esse Leak to
this work.

REFERENCES
1. LUXEON® Rebel Board Design and Assembly
Application Brief AB32; ©2008 Philips Lumileds
Lighting Company.
2. Thermal Management for LED Applications –
Solutions Guide, The Bergquist Company.
3. R. Raut, R. Bhatkal, W. Bent, B. Singh, S. Chegudi,
and R. Pandher, “Assembly Interconnect Reliability in
Solid State Lighting Applications – Part 1”,
Proceedings of the Pan Pacific Microelectronics
Symposium, Hawaii, January 18-20, 2011.
 ASSEMBLY INTERCONNECT RELIABILITY IN SOLID STATE LIGHTING
APPLICATIONS – PART 1
Rahul Raut, Ravi Bhatkal, Westin Bent, Bawa Singh, Sujatha Chegudi and
Ranjit Pandher
Alpha, an Alent plc Company
South Plainfield, NJ, USA, 07080
rbhatkal@alent.com

Justin Kolbe and Sanjay Misra

The Bergquist Company,
18930 W 78th Street, Chanhassen, MN 55317

ABSTRACT SELECTION OF ASSEMBLY MATERIALS & LED

Customer expectations for light emitting diode (LED) based PACKAGE:
luminaries (Solid State Lighting) are very high due to the Materials were chosen based on commercially available
relatively high cost of such luminaries. For commercial and LED package, solder paste and MCPCB substrates and
outdoor residential applications, a B50, L70 of 35,000 hours compared to potential improvements in solder pastes and
and a 3 year warranty is needed to meet EnergyStar MCPCB substrate for the same LED package.
Category A requirements. For such high reliability and
lifetime requirements, it is critical to have excellent Selection of high power LED package:
assembly interconnect reliability (i.e. Package to Insulated In this study, LUXEON® Rebel a high power LED package
Metal Substrate attach). This study presents the results of manufactured by Philips Lumileds Lighting Company was
initial work related to understanding the reliability of Solid used. It is a compact package that can be surface mounted
State Lighting assembly interconnects in a LED Package- and can provide high lumen output and superior thermal
Insulated Metal Substrate system. performance. From the InGaN and AlInGaP metallization
patterns, we selected an InGaN LED package. Image of an
INTRODUCTION InGaN Rebel package with isolated fiducials is shown in
Applications for light emitting diodes (LEDs) are increasing Figure 1. A cross section of the Rebel package is shown in
dramatically in the lighting sector. Their benefits of LEDs Figure 2 (Ref 1).
over competing technologies include versatility and long-
term reliability. Package and luminaire design are critical
considerations in ensuring that performance and reliability
targets are met for commercial applications.

Customer expectations for LED based luminaries (Solid

State Lighting) are very high due to the relatively high cost
of such luminaries. For commercial and outdoor residential
applications, a B50, L70 of 35,000 hours and a 3 year
warranty is needed to meet EnergyStar Category A
requirements. For such high reliability and lifetime
requirements, it is critical to have excellent assembly
interconnect reliability (i.e. Package to Insulated Metal
Substrate attach). This study covers the selection of various
materials and development of assembly process. The results
of initial work related to understanding the reliability of
Solid State Lighting assembly interconnect in a LED Figure 1. Image of InGaN LUXEON Rebel package
Package-Insulated Metal Substrate system are discussed
along with the process recommendations.
 Base 0.020”-0.125” / Aluminum, Copper,
Layer 0.5 –3.2 mm Steel, or exotic
Usually includes
0.003”-0.006” /
Dielectric thermally conductive
75 -150 micron
electrical insulator
One or two-layer
Circuit 1 oz –10 oz / 35 copper is common.
Layer –350 micron More layers can be
used
Table 1. Basic details of MCPCB

The relationship between the modulus of the dielectric in the

MCPCB and the solder over the range of application
Figure 2. Cross section of LUXEON Rebel package
temperatures that the assembly will be subjected to is a
major factor in determining where the strain resulting from
CTE mismatch between the surface mount component and
Selection of MCPCBs and Dielectric:
substrate will be distributed. The modulus of dielectric A is
The LUXEON Rebel is a surface mount component and can
of the same order of magnitude as most common MCPCB
be assembled on a typical FR4 board or on an MCPCB
dielectrics available on the market, and as such can be
(Metal Core PCB). MCPCBs are also referred as Metal Clad
referred to as a ‘standard’ MCPCB material in terms of
PCBs. An MCPCB has a thin thermally conductive layer
solder joint reliability
bonded to aluminum or copper substrate for heat
dissipation.

Each of the board material has its own benefits and

limitations. For example a FR4 board with open or filled
and capped vias is a low cost solution for a regular LED
assembly. MCPCBs offer more rigidity than a typical FR4
board along with improved thermal performance as all of
the SSL packages conduct heat into the board material. An
image of the MCPCB is shown in Figure 3. A cross-section
of a MCPCB is shown in Figure 4 (Ref 2). Table 1 shows
basic details of a typical MCPCB.

In this study we selected an MCPCB with two dielectric

materials as described below:

MCPCB with Dielectric A: MCPCB with dielectric A

minimizes thermal impedance and conducts heat more
effectively and efficiently than standard printed wiring Figure 3. MCPCB Test Vehicle used for the study
boards (PWBs).The low thermal impedance of MCPCB’s
outperform other PCB materials and offers a cost effective
solution, eliminating additional LEDs for simplified designs
and an overall less complicated production process.

MCPCB with Dielectric B: Dielectric B is a low modulus

dielectric designed to reduce the strain on solder joints in
applications where there is a large CTE mismatch between
the surface mount component and the substrate of the
MCPCB and a significant combination of temperature range
and number of cycles in the application as well as high
reliability requirements, while still providing very good
thermal performance.
Figure 4. Cross section of a typical MCPCB
Selection of solder paste materials: Print Parameters Print Parameter Details
Two different solder pastes were selected for this study.
Details of these solder pastes are: Print Speed 1 inch / sec

Solder Paste A: A no-clean, lead-free SAC305 alloy solder Print Pressure 1.5 lbs / inch of blade
paste with Type 3 grade solder powder, designed for a broad
range of applications was selected for this study. This solder Stencil Release 0.02 inches / sec
paste has a broad processing window therby providing
excellent print capability performance and high production Snap off 0 inches (on contact printing)
yields. Table 3. Stencil print parameters

Solder Paste B: A no-clean, lead-free Maxrel™ based alloy Component Placement:

solder paste with Type 3 grade solder powder, that is Universal Instrument’s Advantis pick and place machine
suitable for fine feature printing application was used in this with FlexJet head was used for the LED assembly. An off-
experiment. center pick-up was programmed for the LUXEON Rebel
package pick-up and placement. Care was taken to avoid
ASSEMBLY PROCESS DEVELOPMENT: any contact / touching of the nozzle exterior to the silicone
After selection of LED package, soldering and dielectric lens (LED dome).
materials, a robust assembly process was developed.
Assembly was performed on the same day for all the test Reflow Soldering:
boards and pastes. Table 2 summarizes the SMT equipment An Electrovert OmniFlo 7 reflow oven, with seven heating
that was used for this LED assembly. zones and two cooling zones was used for the reflow
assembly. All boards were assembled in an air atmosphere.
SMT Equipment SMT Equipment Details A straight ramp reflow profile with a peak temperature of
240°C was used for both solder pastes. Please refer to
Speedline MPM UP3000 Figure 5 for the reflow profile details.
Stencil Printer
Ultraflex
Universal Advantis with FlexJet
Pick and Place
head FUNCTIONAL AND RELIABILITY TESTING
Reflow Oven Electrovert OmniFlo 7 A comprehensive evaluation of the assembled LEDs has
been undertaken. This evaluation includes both functional,
Table 2. Assembly process equipment mechanical and reliability testing of the assembled LED
packages. The comprehensive test matrix being investigated
Detailed assembly process parameters are discussed in is shown in Table 5. This paper presents results from the air
the following three sections: to air thermal cycling tests.
Solder Paste Printing: 1. Electrical Measurements:
MPM UP3000 stencil printer was used for solder paste Test description: Electrical measurements were performed
printing. A 5mil thick Ni electroform stencil with 1:1 on the as assembled (as soldered) LED packages.
aperture was selected. Though stencil design can be Measurements were performed after boards went through air
optimized further, a 1:1 aperture stencil data has initially to air thermal cycling test.
been generated for setting a baseline data. Stencil print
parameters used for both solder pastes are shown in Table 3. Test method: A power supply with the output set at 3V and
the current limited over 1 Amp was used to perform the
testing. Measurements were done on as soldered boards and
on the boards that went through thermal cycling every 100
cycles.
 Figure 5. MCPCB Straight Ramp Profile - 1.2C/s 240°C Peak 55s TAL

TEST NAME TEST DESCRIPTION

‘Initial Amperes’ measurement
Electrical Initial LEDs (as assembled)
1
measurements After thermal cycling&
After thermal shock
2 Voiding analysis Voiding performance for each solder paste on two dielectric materials

Thermal cycling Thermal cycling air to air analysis

3
analysis -40°C to 125°C, 1000 cycles with dwell time of 30 minutes

Thermal shock Thermal shock liquid to liquid analysis

4
analysis -40°C to 105°C, 1000 cycles with dwell time of 30 minutes

Cross sections of LEDs and IMC measurements:

Solder joint Initial LEDs (as assembled)
5
characterization After thermal cycling &
After thermal shock

Package shear:
Mechanical testing
6 Initial LEDs (as assembled)
(Package shear)
After thermal cycling
Table 5. Test matrix for functional, mechanical and reliability testing
 1.2
Test results on as assembled boards: Failure Rates of Thermally Cycled LEDs

1
Main Effects Plot for Initial Amps
Data Means

percent of population  with the light still on
Dielectric Solder Pastes 0.8

0.26
Dielectric A, Solder A

0.25 0.6
Dielectric B, Solder A

Dielectric A, Solder B
0.24
Dielectric B, Solder B
Mean

0.4

0.23

0.22 0.2

0.21
0
0.20 0 200 400 600 800 1000 1200
Thermal Cycles (‐40C to 125C, 30 minute dwell time)

Dielectric-A Dielectric-B SolderPaste-A SolderPaste-B Figure 8: Failure rate vs. number of thermal cycles of
Figure 6. Initial Amperage for different solder pastes and combinations of MCPCB dielectrics and solders
board dielectrics
Figure 8 shows the failure rate as a function of the number
Figure 6 shows the main effects plot with electrical of thermal cycles of combinations of MCPCB dielectrics
measurements on as assembled boards. The solder pastes and solders. It is clear that with the lower modulus
appear to have a greater effect on amperage than the dielectric, joints with both solder paste A and solder paste B
dielectric material. show almost no failures over 1000 cycles. With the higher,
modulus dielectric, joints with solder paste B with Maxrel™
2. Thermal Cycling Analysis: alloy show much lower failure rates than those with solder
Test description: For reliability study, air to air thermal paste A with SAC305 alloy.
cycling was performed on the assembled boards.
3. Solder Joint Characterization:
Test details: Assembled boards were placed in a Test description: For solder joint characterization, as
Thermotron thermal cycling chamber for reliability studies assembled boards were cross sectioned for microstructure
at -40°C to 125°C, with 30 minute dwell time. Electrical and IMC measurement analysis.
measurements were undertaken with a power supply with a
voltage limit of 3.0 volts and a current limit of 2 amps at 0 Test details: IMC measurements on the MCPCB A and
cycles and then every 100 cycles. Working LEDs were MCPCB B were performed on as assembled boards for both
considered as passing, and non-working or dark LEDs were solder pastes used. SEM images of the cross-sections for
considered failing. both solder pastes were taken and are shown in Figure 9. All
IMC measurements are in microns.
Test results and observations:
Test results and observations:
SEM images and IMC measurements show:
Air to Air Thermal Cycle
140
- Presence of a continuous Ni layer was noted at the
120 interface of the MCPCB and solder pastes.
100 - Both Solder paste A and Solder paste B had similar
Temperature (degrees C)

80
IMC thickness on MCPCB A (around 1.65 micron). For
60
40
MCPCB B material, Solder paste A had IMC thickness
20 of 1.3 microns while Solder paste B had IMC thickness
0 of 1.08 microns.
‐20
‐40
‐60
4. Voiding Analysis, Thermal Shock and Component
12:00:00 12:14:24 12:28:48 12:43:12 12:57:36 13:12:00 13:26:24 13:40:48 Shear:
Time (hr:min:sec)
Voiding analysis, Thermal shock and Component shear tests
Figure 7: Thermal cycles as measured in the Thermotron are currently underway and will be published in Phase II of
environmental chamber this work.
 solder joint fatigue and cracking in thermal cycling. With
that understanding, we would expect that:
1. An MCPCB with a copper substrate would put less
Solder strain on the solder joint resulting in less damage to
solder joints.
IMC 2. A smaller magnitude thermal cycle (such as one for
indoor lighting applications) should also cause less
strain on the solder joint.
3. A shorter dwell time at the extreme temperatures would
allow the solder joint less time to creep, resulting in less
Ni Layer damage to the joint per cycle.
Cu 4. Using a more creep resistant solder material would
increase reliability of the solder joints subjected to such
0-Cycles – Solder Paste A
cycling.
5. The combination of solder and dielectric materials can
be optimized in order to provide the required reliability
for a given application.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The authors would like to thank Proloy Nandi and Anil
Solder Kumar K.

REFERENCES
IMC 1. ‘LUXEON® Rebel Board Design and Assembly
Application Brief AB32 (10/08)’ by Philips Lumileds
Lighting Company.
2. ‘Thermal Management for LED Applications –
Solutions Guide’ by Bergquist Company.
Ni Layer Cu 3. ‘Performance and Reliability of Thermal Management
Substrates for LEDs’ by Justin Kolbe and Sanjay Misra.
0-Cycles – Solder Paste B

Figure 9. SEM micrographs of solder joints on MCPCB A

for Solder Paste A and Solder Paste B

CONCLUSIONS AND SUMMARY

From the test results, one can conclude that:
1. The creep resistance of the solder is a significant factor
in minimizing failures in solder joints due to strains
incurred in thermal cycling.
2. The relationship between the modulus of the dielectric
to the modulus of the solder over the temperature range
in the thermal cycle can be an effective way to
manipulate the strain away from the solder joint in
thermal cycling, hence reducing failures due to solder
joint fatigue.

Further, it is well understood in the literature that the

magnitude of the thermal cycle, the geometry of the
assembly under test, the CTE mismatch of the materials, and
the duration of the dwell time in the thermal cycle (up to the
time it takes for creep in the solder joint to be complete) will
also have an impact on the device reliability as a function of
ENABLING THE USE OF PET FLEXIBLE SUBSTRATES FOR LED LIGHTING
APPLICATIONS

Amit Patel, Rahul Raut, Ranjit Pandher, Ph.D., Ramazan Soydan, Westin Bent and Ravi Bhatkal, Ph.D.
Alpha, an Alent plc Company
South Plainfield, NJ, USA
apatel@alent.com

Brent Sweitzer, James Toonen, Bob Hanson

Multek
Northfield, MN, USA
Brent.Sweitzer@Multek.com

ABSTRACT This study assessed the feasibility of utilizing PET flexible

This paper presents a structured study covering the substrates with low temperature solder paste for Solid State
assembly of mid power LED packages on thermally Lighting (SSL).
conductive polyethylene terephthalate (PET/Polyester) and
polyimide flexible substrates. The study evaluates the ASSEMBLY MATERIALS & COMPONENTS
feasibility of using PET as a low cost, low temperature Materials and components were chosen based on
alternative with SnBi Alloy to traditional polyimide with commercially available LED packages, solder pastes and
SAC based alloy assemblies. Initially, an assembly method flexible substrates.
was developed for both polyimide and PET based
substrates. In order to validate the use of PET as an Mid Power LED package
alternative to polyimide substrates , electrical testing, For this study a 3535 package was selected. It consists of a
voiding, and thermal cycling tests were conducted. The 3535 lead-frame design (3.5mm x 3.5mm). A small notch
results of processability and long term reliability of using on the corner of the package marks the cathode side of the
low temperature solders (SnBi based SBX02 alloy) on PET emitter package. The anode and cathode both serve as
versus traditional SAC 305 on polyimide are presented in thermal pads for the emitter, with the majority of the heat
this paper. being conducted through the larger pad, corresponding to
the cathode as seen in Figure 2.
Keywords: SSL, LED, Low Temperature Assembly,
Flexible Circuits, Polyimide and PET Substrates, Sn-Bi,
SBX02, Solder Paste.

INTRODUCTION
LEDs are now becoming more prevalent and are being
widely used in a variety of applications such as Automotive Figure 1. Image of Mid Power LED Package (Refer 1)
Lighting, Commercial and Indoor Lighting. Further system
cost reductions to enable wider adoption can be achieved
by:
 LED package cost reduction through innovative
package design and high throughput, high volume
manufactuing.
 Substrate cost reduction through reductions in
material stack / footprint, improvement in process
flexibility and process cost reductions. Figure 2. LED Package Rendering Including Solder
Footprint (Refer 1)
Polyimide (PI) is the most commonly used flexible substrate
in conjunction with SAC-based Solder Pastes (a melting Polyimide (PI) and Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET)
point of around 218°C). Advancements in Polyethylene Substrates
Terephthalate [commonly known as Polyester (PET)] Flexible circuits allow for a reduced board material stack
flexible subtrates, coupled with low temperture assembly of over rigid boards and are able to provide designers with a
LEDs, can enable further system cost reductions while higher design freedom in the SSL industry. The increased
enabling new design form factors. demand for flex circuits is most noticeable in applications
for indoor linear lighting, cabin lighting for automobiles,
backlights for mobile displays, digital cameras and flat lower reflow temperatures in application of LEDs
panel displays. assembled on flexible substrates. The major benefits of
using low temperature alloys are: (Refer 3, 4, 5)
There are a number of different materials used as base films  Assembly of heat sensitive packages and
for flexible circuits including: polyester (PET), polyimide components.
(PI), polyethylene napthalate (PEN), Polyetherimide (PEI),  Long-term reliability, as low temperature solders
etc. Each substrate has its unique electrical, mechanical, reduce exposure to thermal excursion, warpage and
chemical and thermal properties. For this study the LED other defects caused by excessive heat. .
packages were assembled on two base materials, Polyimide  Reduced material costs by using low temperature
(PI) and Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET). Both substrates alloy and solder paste, low Tg PCBs and low
have a similar thickness and construction comprised of a temperature compatible components.
copper-aluminum composite.  Reduced energy costs through lowering
temperature processing.
The test vehicle with both substrates was designed in a 9x7  Higher throughputs by reducing reflow /
LED matrix. A total of sixty-three (63) LED packages were processing cycle time.
assembled in this configuration as shown in Table 1. The
image of the test vehicle used is shown in Figure 3. In general, assemblies involving LED components are
considered to be temperature-sensitive. Heat induced defects
Table 1. Details of the Test Vehicle Substrates such as browning and softening of the silicone lens, and
Test Vehicle Details: discoloration of the white solder mask typically utilized in
Polyethylene Dimensions: 18”x12” LED assembles, affects the light output. Furthermore, in
Terephthalate (PET) Solder Pad Sites: 63 (9x7) case of flexible circuits/assemblies, higher temperatures can
Polyimide (PI) Dimensions: 18”x12” cause delamination and warpage of substrates. Low-
Solder Pad Sites: 63 (9x7) temperature solders are preferred for these applications. In
this study a novel low-temperature Sn-Bi based alloy
(SBX02) solder paste is used allowing the assembly of the
LED packages to be reflowed under 175°C, Further, a
solder paste with a SAC305 alloy was also used as the
baseline.

PROCESS AND ASSEMBLY DETAILS

Test Matrix
Based on the package, substrate and materials selected the
process involved three key assembly combinations, Figure 5
shows these combinations. First combination involved using
a polyimide substrate with a SAC305 solder paste
representing the current industry practice. The second
combination involved again, a polyimide substrate in
conjunction with a low-temperature SBX02 alloy based
solder paste. This combination represents the traditional
substrate with the low-temperature solder paste. The final
Figure 3. Substrate Design
combination used a Polyester (PET) substrate with the low-
temperature solder paste (SBX02 alloy).
A cross sectional view of the PI substrate is shown in Figure
4.

Figure 4. Cross Sectional View of the Flexible Substrate

(Polyimide) (Refer 2)

Solder Paste
Lead-free Sn-Ag-Cu pastes are typically used in assemblies
utilizing polyimide flexible substrates. Solder Pastes using
Sn-Ag-Cu alloys have melting ranges between 217°C and
228°C, requiring reflow temperatures in the range of 245°C Figure 5. Three Tier Combination of LED assemblies on
to 265°C. Although manufacturers who utilize flexible Flexible Substrates.
circuits have adapted to these higher reflow temperatures, a
set of very strong drivers is pushing forward the use of
Process Details
Table 2 summarizes the SMT equipment that was used for
assembling the LED packages onto the substrate
combinations.

Table 2. SMT Equipment Summary

SMT Equipment Equipment Details
Stencil Printer Standard Stencil Printer
Pick and Place Standard Pick and Place
Machine
Placement Nozzle Flex Jet nozzle
Reflow Oven Seven Zone Reflow Oven
Figure 6. Reflow Profile of SAC305 vs. SBX02
Solder Paste Printing
Solder paste printing was done using a stencil printer with a RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS
5 mil thick laser cut stainless steel stencil with a 1:1 aperture After the final assembly, multiple tests were undertaken:
size to pad size ratio. Stencil printing parameters used for all
solder pastes and board combinations are shown in Table 3 1. Electrical testing of the assembly in the “light on”
mode was conducted by measuring the current
Table 3. Print Parameters across each board and paste combination. This
SMT SMT Process SMT Process verifies proper assembly and functionality of the
Parameters Details (SI Details (Metric circuits in the as assembled state.
Standard) System) 2. A voiding study was conducted by X-Ray analysis
Print Speed 1 inch/sec. 25 mm/s to study the performance of SAC305 and SBX02
Print Pressure 1.25 lbs/inch 0.22 kg/cm on both PET and Polyimide.
Stencil Release 0.02 inches/sec 0.508 mm/sec 3. A cross section analysis was conducted to examine
Snap off 0 inches (on contact printing) the characteristics of the solder joint in the as
Wipe Dry wipe after each print assembled state.
Frequency 4. The study evaluated the reliability of each
assembly by exposing the all of the paste and
substrate combinations to thermal cycling. “Light
Component Placement
A pick and place machine with flex jet head was used for on” current measurements and cross sectional
the picking and placing the LED package. Care was taken to analysis were recorded for 250 to 1000 cycles. The
avoid any contact of the nozzle exterior with the LED thermal cycling conditions used were -40°C to
domed silicone lens. +85°C with a 30 minute dwell time.

Reflow Soldering Light On Current Measurements and Results

A reflow oven, with seven heating and two cooling zones A light on current test was conducted to ensure the LED
was used for the reflow assembly. All boards were packages both on PET and Polyimide were operational.
assembled in an air atmosphere with the following Using a commercially available power supply with a
Temperature/Humidity conditions: 20.4-25.2C / 16-47% constant input voltage of 25V, the current across each
RH. All of the substrates used in the study were pre-baked circuit was recorded as shown in Figure 7. Each substrate
before going under their respective reflow conditions. The was tested visually to ensure the LED lit for a minimum of 3
table below and Figure 6 summarizes the reflow conditions seconds as seen in Figure 8.
for each combination.

Table 4. Reflow Parameters

Substrate + Solder
Reflow Conditions
Paste
Polyimide + Lumet™ High Soak 150-200C/105s 245C
P39 SAC305 Peak 68-75s TAL
Polyimide + Lumet™ Low Soak 100-120C/104s 175C
P53 SBX02 Peak 65s TAL
PET + Lumet™ P53 Low Soak 100-120C/104s 175C
SBX02 Peak 65s TAL

Figure 7. Current Across Substrate & Paste Combination

 shows that overall, the percentage of voids are under 10%.
PET in conjunction with the use of SBX02 solder paste
produces the least amount of voids as seen in Table 5.

Boxplot of TOTAL VOID % POL, TOTAL VOID % PET, TOTAL VOID % POL
20

Figure 8. LED Circuit Under Operation.

15

The current measured across each circuit produces a low

variation from the mean. A significant decrease in current

Data
would indicate an increase in resistance. The light output 10
8.46925
test confirmed that all combinations of the LED circuits 7.235
passed the reflow processing conditions. Furthermore, the 5.82175
5
LED circuit shown in Figure 8 lit up confirming there are no
failures within the assembled LED package, solder layer or
board circuitry. 0
TOTAL VOID % POL W/ SBX TOTAL VOID % PET W/ SBX TOTAL VOID % POL W/ SAC

Voids Measurement and Results Figure 10. Box Plot of Total Area Void %.
Voids can reduce the overall rate of heat transfer between
the LED package and board. This reduction of heat transfer Table 5. Void % and Standard Deviation.
efficiency can cause the LED to degrade much quicker. This Mean Standard
can lead to: Combination
Void % Deviation
 Reduced solder joint integrity which lowers PET + Lumet™ P53 SBX02 5.82 1.97
overall life expectancy / reliability of the LED.
 Inefficient manufacturing process with Polyimide + Lumet™ P39
7.23 3.64
reduced first pass yields. SAC305
 Higher costs due to scrapped materials i.e.
boards, LED packages, and solder. Polyimide + Lumet™ P53
8.46 2.43
SBX02
An X-ray machine was used to measure the voids
percentages (by area) of the reflowed solder joints. A total The average percentage of voiding in all 3 combinations
of 40 randomly selected solder sites for each solder paste falls below 10%. The maximum size of a single void
and board combination were evaluated. including their respective sum of standard deviation for any
combination falls below 10.89%.
A typical example of an individual site on PET with SBX02
under X-Ray inspection can be seen below in Figure 9. Void
% by pad and total void % were analyzed. Solder Layer Measurements and Results
Cross section analysis of the assembled LEDs is presented
below; Examples of PET and polyimide using SBX02 are
shown in Figures 11A, B and 12A, B below. Polyimide
using SAC305 are shown in Figures 13A, B. Figures 11A,
12A and 13A correspond to a general cross section profile
of the assembled LED package, while 11B 12B and 13B
shows the edge view (fillet) of the solder joint structure.

SBX02

Pad
Figure 9. Void % by Total Area
Alpha 15.0kV 11.9mm x39SE
Figure 10 shows a box plot for percent voids per total pad
area for the 3 combinations of paste and substrate type. It
Figure 11A. Overall View of an LED Package on PET with
SBX02

SBX02

Pad
SBX02
Alpha 15.0kV 7.8mm x39SE Alpha 15.0kV 11.5mm x217 BSE3D

Figure 12A. Overall View of an LED Package on Figure 12B. Solder Edge View of LED Package on
Polyimide with SBX02 Polyimide with SBX02

SAC305

Pad
SAC305
Alpha 15.0kV 10.9mm x39SE Alpha 15.0kV 11.0mm x230 BSE3D
Figure 13A. Overall View of an LED Package on
Polyimide with SAC305
Figure 13B. Solder Edge View of LED Package on
Polyimide with SAC305

The solder joints exhibited excellent fillet. No visual

cracking was observed across all 3 combinations.

Thermal Cycling Measurement and Results

Reliability plays an important role in applications of LED
devices, modules and systems. To understand the reliability
performance of each combination, assemblies were exposed
to thermal cycling. All board and paste combinations were
placed in a thermal cycling chamber at -40°C to +85C°C,
with 30 minute dwell time. Each assembled combination
SBX02
was evaluated in light on state by recording the current
Alpha 15.0kV 11.5mm x217 BSE3D across each circuit (Figure 14).

Figure 11B. Solder Edge View of LED Package on PET

with SBX02
 In conclusion, PET subtrates coupled with low temperture
solder enabled LED assembly provide several advantages,
such as:
1) Enabling system cost reduction by using a lower
cost board and assembly material stack.
2) Enabling lower energy costs through low
temperature assembly.
3) Enabling the use of SAC solder based LED die
attach.

REFERENCES
[1] Ref 1 - “LUXEON 3535L, Assembly and Handling
Information – AB203”
[2] Ref 2 - “Multek Q-Prime® Product Bulletin REV B”
[3] Ref 3 - Morgana Ribas, Sujatha Chegudi, Anil Kumar,
Ranjit Pandher, Rahul Raut, Sutapa Mukherjee, Siuli
Sarkar, Bawa Singh “Development of Low-
Temperature Drop Shock Resistant Solder Alloys for
Handheld Devices”
[4] Ref 4 - Ribas Morgana, Chegudi Sujatha, Kumar
Anil1, Pandher Ranjit, Mukherjee Sutapa, Sarkar
Figure 14. Current across each board and paste across 250
Siuli1,Raut Rahul and Singh Bawa “Low Temperature
to 1000 cycles at [-40°C + 85°C]
Alloy Development for Electronics Assembly”
[5] Ref 5 - Morgana Ribas, Ph.D., Sujatha Chegudi, Anil
Mean Current Kumar, Sutapa Mukherjee, Siuli Sarkar, Ph.D. Ranjit
Combination
at 1000 Cycles Pandher, Ph.D., Rahul Raut, Bawa Singh, PhD, “Low
PET + SBX02 31.20 mA Temperature Alloy Development for Electronics
Polyimide + SAC305 31.40 mA Assembly – Part II SMTAI-2013”
Polyimide + SBX02 31.00 mA

A total of 5 circuits of each board and paste combination

were analyzed by recording the current at a constant input
voltage of 25V for 250 to 1000 cycles. The ANOVA results
show that the average current recorded is in statistical range
(P value of 0.61) of the current measurement mean
calculated in Figure 7(31mA) which is considered to be
initial (T0). The results at 1000 cycles conclude there is no
significant change in the current across the assembled
combinations.

SUMMARY
1) PET with Lumet™ P53 solder paste with SBX02
alloy can be used as an alternative to Polyimide
with SAC305 based solder pastes, for LED
assembly in certain solid state lighting applications.
2) All of the assembled packages passed the ”light
on” current test indicating that there are no failures
within the solder joint, LED package itself or board
circuitry as assembled.
3) The X-Ray inspection showed minimal voiding
percentages that meet or exceed typical SSL
industry requirements.
4) All of the assembled paste and substrate
combinations using mid-power LED packages
were able to withstand 1000 cycles at -40°C to
+85°C with a 30 minute dwell time.
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