Prediction of void occurrence during capillary underfill encapsulation process is vital to avoid package failure due to incomplete filling during the encapsulation process. Two design variables, namely the gap height and package orientations, together with different types of industrial standard design of dispensing methods were identified as possible influences to the void formation in encapsulated package. In this paper, all these factors have been closely related to the void formation and subsequently the best chip design has been formulated to improve package reliability. From the study, air entrapment is clearly visualized in the experiment, which can be detrimental as it contains trapped oxygen, which can combust at high temperature. A series of experiments eventually showed higher possibility of air void formation by U-type dispensing method compared with the L-type dispensing method. In addition, it is found that the chip design parameters that include the scaling size and ball grid array orientation have an effect on the size of void formed. Our experimental findings were validated using lattice-Boltzmann method simulation and great consensus is found between both approaches. These findings provide additional insights to the electronic packaging developer to effectively reduce the formation of void during encapsulation process.
Purpose
This paper aims to present experimental and finite volume method (FVM)-based simulation studies on the scaling effect on the capillary contact angle and entrant pressure for a three-dimensional encapsulation process of ball-grid array (BGA).
Design/methodology/approach
With the development of various sizes of BGA packages, the scaling effect of BGA model on capillary underfill (CUF) process is investigated together with the influences of different industrial standard solder bump arrangements and dispensing methods used as case study.
Findings
The experimental results agree well to the simulation findings with minimal deviation in filling time and similar flow front profiles for all setups. The results revealed that the capillary contact angle of flow front decreases in scale-up model with larger gap height observed and lengthens the encapsulation process. Statistical correlation studies are conducted and accurate regression equations are obtained to relate the gap height to the completion filling time and contact angle. CUF threshold capillary pressures were computed based on Leverett-J function and found to be increasing with the scale size of the package.
Practical implications
These statistical data provide accurate insights into the impact of BGA’s scale sizes to the CUF process that will be benefiting the future design of BGA package. This study provided electronic designers with profound understanding on the scaling effect in CUF process of BGA, which may be extended to the future development of miniature-sized BGA and multi-stack device.
Originality/value
This study relates the flow behaviour of encapsulant to its capillary contact angle and Leverett-J pressure threshold, in the CUF process of different BGA and dispensing conditions. To date, no research has been found to predict the threshold pressure on the gap between the chip and substrate.
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