Reflow Soldering: Reflow Soldering Is A Process in Which A Solder Paste (A

Reflow soldering
Reflow soldering is a process in which a solder paste (a

sticky mixture of powdered solder and flux) is used to
temporarily attach one or thousands of tiny electrical
components to their contact pads, after which the entire
assembly is subjected to controlled heat. The solder
paste reflows in a molten state, creating permanent
solder joints. Heating may be accomplished by passing
the assembly through a reflow oven or under an infrared
lamp or by soldering individual joints
[unconventionally] with a desoldering hot air pencil. Example Ramp to Spike thermal profile.
Reflow soldering with long industrial convection ovens

is the preferred method of soldering surface mount
components to a printed circuit board or PCB. Each
segment of the oven has a regulated temperature,
according to the specific thermal requirements of each
assembly. Reflow ovens meant specifically for the
soldering of surface mount components may also be
used for through-hole components by filling the holes
with solder paste and inserting the component leads
through the paste. Wave soldering however, has been the
common method of soldering multi-leaded through-hole
components such as through-hole connectors or highly
application specific through-hole components, onto a
circuit board designed for surface-mount type Example of reflow soldering thermal profile.
components.
When used on boards containing a mix of SMT and PTH

components, through-hole reflow, when achievable by specifically modified paste stencils, may allow for the
wave soldering step to be eliminated from the assembly process, potentially reducing assembly costs. While
this may be said of lead-tin solder pastes used previously, lead-free solder alloys such as SAC present a
challenge in terms of the limits of oven temperature profile adjustment and requirements of specialized
through-hole components that must be hand soldered with solder wire or cannot reasonably withstand the
high temperatures directed at circuit boards as they travel on the conveyor of the reflow oven. The reflow
soldering of through-hole components using solder paste in a convection oven process is called intrusive
soldering.
The goal of the reflow process is for the solder paste to reach the eutectic temperature at which the particular
solder alloy undergoes a phase change to a liquid or molten state. At this specific temperature range, the
molten alloy demonstrates properties of adhesion. Molten solder alloy behaves much as water, with
properties of cohesion and adhesion. With sufficient flux, in the state of liquidus, molten solder alloys will
exhibit a characteristic called "wetting."
Wetting is a property of the alloy when within its specific eutectic temperature range. Wetting is a necessary
condition for the formation of solder joints that meet the criteria as "acceptable" or "target" conditions, while
"non-conforming" is considered defective according to IPC.
The reflow oven temperature profile is suited for characteristics of a particular circuit board assembly, the
size and depth of the ground plane layer within the board, the number of layers within the board, the number
and size of the components, for example. The temperature profile for a particular circuit board will allow for
reflow of solder onto the adjoining surfaces, without overheating and damaging the electrical components
beyond their temperature tolerance. In the conventional reflow soldering process, there are usually four
stages, called "zones", each having a distinct thermal profile: preheat, thermal soak (often shortened to just
soak), reflow, and cooling.
Contents
Preheat zone
Thermal soak zone
Reflow zone
Cooling zone
Etymology
Thermal profiling
See also
References
External links
Preheat zone
Preheat is the first stage of the reflow process. During this reflow phase, the entire board assembly climbs
towards a target soak or dwell temperature. The main goal of the preheat phase is to get the entire assembly
safely and consistently to a soak or pre-reflow temperature. Preheat is also an opportunity for volatile
solvents in the solder paste to outgas. For paste solvents to be properly expelled and the assembly to safely
reach pre-reflow temperatures the PCB must be heated in a consistent, linear manner. An important metric
for the first phase of the reflow process is the temperature slope rate or rise vs time. This is often measured in
degrees Celsius per second, C/s. Many variables factor into a manufacturer's target slope rate. These include:
target processing time, solder paste volatility, and component considerations. It is important to account for all
these process variables, but in most cases sensitive component considerations are paramount. “Many
components will crack if their temperature is changed too quickly. The maximum rate of thermal change that
the most sensitive components can withstand becomes the maximum allowable slope”. However, if thermally
sensitive components are not in use and maximizing throughput is of great concern, aggressive slope rates
may be tailored to improve processing time. For this reason, many manufacturers push these slope rates up to
the maximum common allowable rate of 3.0°C/Second. Conversely, if a solder paste containing particularly
strong solvents is being used, heating the assembly too fast can easily create an out of control process. As the
volatile solvents outgas they may splatter solder off the pads and onto the board. Solder-balling is the main
concern of violent outgassing during the preheat phase. Once a board has been ramped up to temperature in
the preheat phase it is time to enter the soak or pre-reflow phase.
Thermal soak zone

The second section, thermal soak, is typically a 60 to 120 second exposure for removal of solder paste
volatiles and activation of the fluxes, where the flux components begin oxide reduction on component leads
and pads. Too high a temperature can lead to solder spattering or balling as well as oxidation of the paste, the
attachment pads and the component terminations. Similarly, fluxes may not fully activate if the temperature
is too low. At the end of the soak zone a thermal equilibrium of the entire assembly is desired just before the
reflow zone. A soak profile is suggested to decrease any delta T between components of varying sizes or if
the PCB assembly is very large. A soak profile is also recommended to diminish voiding in area array type
packages.[1]
Reflow zone
The third section, the reflow zone, is also referred to as the “time above reflow” or “time above liquidus”
(TAL), and is the part of the process where the maximum temperature is reached. An important consideration
is peak temperature, which is the maximum allowable temperature of the entire process. A common peak
temperature is 20–40 °C above liquidus.[1] This limit is determined by the component on the assembly with
the lowest tolerance for high temperatures (the component most susceptible to thermal damage). A standard
guideline is to subtract 5 °C from the maximum temperature that the most vulnerable component can sustain
to arrive at the maximum temperature for process. It is important to monitor the process temperature to keep
it from exceeding this limit. Additionally, high temperatures (beyond 260 °C) may cause damage to the
internal dies of SMT components as well as foster intermetallic growth. Conversely, a temperature that isn’t
hot enough may prevent the paste from reflowing adequately.
[2]
Time above liquidus (TAL), or time above reflow, measures how

long the solder is a liquid. The flux reduces surface tension at the
juncture of the metals to accomplish metallurgical bonding, allowing
the individual solder powder spheres to combine. If the profile time
exceeds the manufacturer’s specification, the result may be
premature flux activation or consumption, effectively “drying” the
paste before formation of the solder joint. An insufficient An example of a commercial reflow
time/temperature relationship causes a decrease in the flux’s cleaning oven.
action, resulting in poor wetting, inadequate removal of the solvent
and flux, and possibly defective solder joints. Experts usually
recommend the shortest TAL possible, however, most pastes specify
a minimum TAL of 30 seconds, although there appears to be no clear
reason for that specific time. One possibility is that there are places
on the PCB that are not measured during profiling, and therefore,
setting the minimum allowable time to 30 seconds reduces the
chances of an unmeasured area not reflowing. A high minimum
reflow time also provides a margin of safety against oven
temperature changes. The wetting time ideally stays below
60 seconds above liquidus. Additional time above liquidus may cause Example of a modern thermal profiler
excessive intermetallic growth, which can lead to joint brittleness.
The board and components may also be damaged at extended times
over liquidus, and most components have a well-defined time limit for how long they may be exposed to
temperatures over a given maximum. Too little time above liquidus may trap solvents and flux and create the
potential for cold or dull joints as well as solder voids.
Cooling zone
The last zone is a cooling zone to gradually cool the processed board and solidify the solder joints. Proper
cooling inhibits excess intermetallic formation or thermal shock to the components. Typical temperatures in
the cooling zone range from 30–100 °C (86–212 °F). A fast cooling rate is chosen to create a fine grain
structure that is most mechanically sound.[1] Unlike the maximum ramp-up rate, the ramp–down rate is often
ignored. It may be that the ramp rate is less critical above certain temperatures, however, the maximum
allowable slope for any component should apply whether the component is heating up or cooling down. A
cooling rate of 4°C/s is commonly suggested. It is a parameter to consider when analyzing process results.
Etymology
The term "reflow" is used to refer to the temperature above which a solid mass of solder alloy is certain to
melt (as opposed to merely soften). If cooled below this temperature, the solder will not flow. Warmed above
it once more, the solder will flow again—hence "re-flow".
Modern circuit assembly techniques that use reflow soldering do not necessarily allow the solder to flow
more than once. They guarantee that the granulated solder contained in the solder paste surpasses the reflow
temperature of the solder involved.
Thermal profiling
Thermal profiling is the act of measuring several points on a circuit board to determine the thermal excursion
it takes through the soldering process. In the electronics manufacturing industry, SPC (Statistical Process
Control) helps determine if the process is in control, measured against the reflow parameters defined by the
soldering technologies and component requirements. [3] [4] Modern software tools allow a profile to be
captured, then automatically optimized using a mathematical simulation, which greatly reduces the time
needed to establish optimal settings for the process. [5]
See also
Wave soldering
Reflow oven
Restriction of Hazardous Substances Directive (RoHS)
Thermal profiling
References
1. Profiling Basics – Reflow Phases (http://blogs.indium.com/blog/ed-briggs/0/0/profiling-basics-re
flow-phases)
2. Girouard, Roland. "Mark5 Reflow Oven" (http://hellerindustries.com/reflow-1826.php). Heller
Industries Website. Heller Industries Inc. Retrieved 28 September 2012.
3. http://www.ipc.org/TOC/IPC-7530.pdf
4. http://www.solderstar.com/files/5214/3567/7718/SolderStar_Reflow_Solutions.pdf
5. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=403RFnmL2hk
http://www.idc-
online.com/technical_references/pdfs/electronic_engineering/Electronics_Manufacture_Intrusive_Reflow.pdf
External links
"T.Bazouni: Reflow Soldering (Reflow Ovens)" (https://web.archive.org/web/20080618163704/h
ttp://www.solarfreaks.com/ftopic58_reflow-soldering-.html). Archived from the original (http://ww
w.solarfreaks.com/ftopic58_reflow-soldering-.html) on 2008-06-18. Retrieved 2008-04-11.
* Guide to Pin In Hole Intrusive Reflow, Design and Assembly (http://pihrtechnology.com/) Ebook - Bob
Willis
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Reflow soldering

Reflow soldering is a process in which a solder paste (a

Reflow soldering with long industrial convection ovens

When used on boards containing a mix of SMT and PTH

Thermal soak zone

Time above liquidus (TAL), or time above reflow, measures how

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