stencils handbook

a comprehensive guide

innovators in chemical etching since 1970

table of contents

1.0 an introduction to SMT and stencils..............................................................................4

2.0 choosing your stencil....................................................................................................15

3.0 nanocoating and SMT stencils.....................................................................................25

4.0 printing parameters.....................................................................................................31

5.0 squeegee blades..........................................................................................................44

6.0 reflow...........................................................................................................................50

7.0 rework...........................................................................................................................61

8.0 other stencil applications............................................................................................72

9.0 glossary........................................................................................................................85

2 Tecan stencils handbook

In this handbook, we aim to provide a comprehensive guide to SMT
stencils considerations, how to use them to optimum effect and their
applications.

For further information and to buy online, go to www.stencils.co.uk.

3 Tecan stencils handbook

1.0 an introduction to SMT
and stencils

for optimum solder paste volume and accuracy

4
1.1 Surface mount technology
Surface mount technology (SMT) is a method for constructing electronic circuits in which the components are
mounted directly onto the surface of printed circuit boards (PCBs). Electronic devices made in this way are called
surface-mount devices or SMDs.

In the electronics industry SMT has largely replaced the previous construction method of fitting components with
wire leads into holes in the circuit board (also called through-hole technology).

An SMT component is usually smaller than its leaded counterpart because it has either no leads or smaller
leads. It can have short pins, flat contacts, a matrix of balls (BGAs), terminations on the body of the component
(passives), or short leads in a gull-wing formation (QFPs).

1.1.1 Typical SMT components

The following close-ups of printed circuit boards include a PC mother board and an assembly from an RF control
application, both showing typical surface mount technology components.

The large square component (Item 5) in Figure 1.1 is a ball grid array (BGA) device - having its terminations on the
underside facilitates increased lead-outs at larger pitches than is possible with QFPs. The copper pads relating
to a BGA can be seen in the middle of this PCB. BGA devices are becoming ever smaller as can be seen in
applications such as mobile phones. MLF devices (Item 7) contain no outwardly visible leads or terminations and
care has to be taken to ensure the paste volume matches the requirement exactly. QFP devices (Item 1 being
0.5mm pitch) have been produced down to 0.3mm pitch but are widely used only to 0.4mm pitch with BGA
technology providing more robust assembly solutions for finer pitch.

Figure 1.2 contains both 0.5mm pitch TSSOP (Item 2) and BGA devices (Item 5) together with a surface mount
switch (Item 1) and inter-board connectors (Items 3 and 4). Often the inclusion of connectors can create problems
when their co-polarity is less than ideal. Solder paste requirements to overcome these problems often need to be
greater.

Figure 1.1: Assembly from a RF control application Figure 1.2: PC motherboard assembly

1. QFP 5. BGA 1. Switch

2. Bridge rectifier 6. Tantalum capacitor 2. TSSOP
3. Wet film electrolytic capacitor 7. MLF 3. Surface mount header
4. Crystal oscillator 8. TSOP 4. Surface mount header
5. BGA

5 Tecan stencils handbook

1.1.2 Advantages of SMT

The main advantages of SMT over through-hole are:

• Smaller, lighter components.

• Fewer holes need to be drilled through abrasive boards.
• Simpler, automated assembly.
• Small errors in component placement are corrected automatically (the surface tension of the molten solder
pulls the component into alignment with the solder pads).
• Components can be fitted to both sides of the circuit board.
• Lower lead resistance and inductance (leading to better performance for high frequency circuits).
• Better mechanical performance under shake and vibration conditions.

1.1.3 Package sizes

Surface-mount components are usually much smaller than their leaded counterparts, and are designed to be
handled by machines rather than by human hand. The electronics industry has defined a collection of standard
package shapes and sizes. These include:

Rectangular passive components (mostly resistors and • SOIC - Small outline integrated circuit, dual-
capacitors): in-line, 8 or more pins, Gull-wing leads, pin
01005 0.01” × 0.005” (0.3mm × 0.15mm) two terminals spacing 1.27mm.
• PLCC - plastic leaded chip carrier, square,
0201 0.02” × 0.01” (0.6mm × 0.3mm) two terminals J-lead, pin spacing 1.27mm.
• TSOP - thin small-outline package, thinner
than SOIC with smaller pin spacing of
0402 0.04” × 0.02” (1.0mm × 0.5mm) two terminals
0.5mm.
• SSOP - shrink small-outline package, pin
0603 0.06” × 0.03” (1.5mm × 0.8mm) two terminals
spacing of 0.635mm.
• TSSOP - thin shrink small-outline package.
0805 0.08” × 0.05” (2.0mm × 1.3mm), two terminals
• QSOP - quarter-size small-outline package,
with pin spacing of 0.635mm.
1206 0.12” × 0.06” (3.0mm × 1.5mm), two terminals • VSOP - even smaller than QSOP; 0.4, 0.5
mm or 0.65mm pin spacing.
1812 0.18” × 0.12” (4.6mm × 3.0mm), two terminals • DPAK - discrete packaging. Developed by
Motorola to house higher powered devices.
2010 0.20” x 0.10” (5.0mm x 2.5mm), two terminals • SOT - small-outline transistor, with three
terminals.
• SOT-23 - 3mm × 1.75mm × 1.3mm body –
Tantalum capacitors: three terminals for a transistor, or up to
eight terminals for an integrated circuit.
Size A (EIA 3216-18): 3.2mm × 1.6mm × 1.6mm • SOT-223 - 6.7mm × 3.7mm × 1.8mm body
– four terminals, one of which is a large
Size B (EIA 3528-21): 3.5mm × 2.8mm × 1.9mm heat-transfer pad.
• LQFP - Low-profile Quad Flat Package,
Size C (EIA 6032-28): 6.0mm × 3.2mm × 2.2mm 1.4mm high, varying sized and pins on all four
sides.
Size D (EIA 7343-31): 7.3mm × 4.3mm × 2.4mm • PQFP - plastic quad flat-pack, a square with
pins on all four sides, 44 or more pins.
Size E (EIA 7343-43): 7.3mm × 4.3mm × 4.1mm • CQFP - ceramic quad flat-pack, similar to
PQFP.
• TQFP - thin quad flat pack, a thinner version
of PQFP.

6 Tecan stencils handbook

• QFN - quad flat pack, no-leads, smaller footprint than leaded equivalent.
• PQFN - power quad flat-pack, no-leads, with exposed die-pad[s] for heat sinking.
• BGA - ball grid array, with a square or rectangular array of solder balls on one surface, ball spacing typically
1.27mm.
• CGA - column grid array, circuit package in which the input and output points are high temperature solder
cylinders or columns arranged in a grid pattern.
• CCGA - ceramic column grid array, circuit package in which the input and output points are high temperature
solder cylinders or columns arranged in a grid pattern. The body of the component is ceramic.
• BGA - micro-BGA, with ball spacing less than 1mm.
• COB - chip-on-board; a bare silicon chip that is usually an integrated circuit, is supplied without a package
(usually a lead frame over-moulded with epoxy) and is attached, often with epoxy, directly to a circuit board.
The chip is then wire bonded and protected from mechanical damage and contamination by an epoxy “glob-
top”.
• COF - chip-on-flex; a variation of COB, where a chip is mounted directly to a flexible circuit.
• COG - chip-on-glass; a variation of COB, where a chip is mounted directly to a piece of glass - typically an
LCD display.
• MLP – Lead-frame package with a 0.5mm contact pitch.
• MQFP - Metric Quad Flat Pack, a QFP package with metric pin distribution.
• CSP – Chip Scale Package. A 4 pin round grid array. Can be classified into the following groups:
• Customised lead frame-based CSP (LFCSP)
• Flexible substrate-based CSP
• Flip-chip CSP (FCCSP)
• Rigid substrate-based CSP
• Wafer-level redistribution CSP (WL-CSP)

There are often subtle variations in package details from manufacturer to manufacturer, and even though
standard designations are used, designers need to confirm dimensions when laying out printed circuit boards.

1.2 The SMT process

1.2.1 SMT assembly

Where components are to be placed, the printed circuit board has flat, usually tin, silver, gold plated, tin-lead or
copper pads without holes, known as solder pads. Solder paste, a mixture of flux and tiny solder particles, is first
applied to all the solder pads using a squeegee and thin metal stencil. If components are to be mounted on the
second side, the assembly can either pass through the entire process (as described in 1.2.2) again or the second
side components can be fixed in place using surface mount adhesive which can be printed through a stencil
or dispensed as small liquid adhesive dots at the locations of all second-side components, with wave soldering
creating the soldered terminations.

The boards then proceed to the pick-and-place machines, where they are placed on a conveyor belt. Small SMDs
are usually delivered to the production line on paper or plastic tapes wound on reels. Integrated circuits are
typically delivered stacked in static-free plastic tubes or trays. NC pick-and-place machines remove the parts
from the reels or tubes and place them on the PCB. Second-side components are placed first, and the adhesive
dots are quickly cured with application of low heat or ultra-violet radiation. The boards are flipped over and first-
side components are placed by additional NC machines.

The boards are then conveyed into the reflow soldering oven. They first enter a pre-heat zone, where the
temperature of the board and all the components is gradually, uniformly raised. This helps minimise thermal
stresses when the assemblies cool down after soldering. The boards then enter a zone where the temperature
is high enough to melt the solder particles in the solder paste, bonding the component leads to the pads on the
circuit board. The surface tension of the molten solder helps keep the components in place, and if the solder pad
geometries are correctly designed, surface tension automatically aligns the components on their pads.

7 Tecan stencils handbook

There are a number of techniques for reflowing solder. One is to use infra-red lamps; this is called infrared reflow.
Another is to use a hot gas, known as convection reflow. Also available are special fluorocarbon liquids with high
boiling points employed in a method called vapour phase reflow. Nitrogen gas can be used in convection reflow
ovens to prevent re-oxidation of pads and terminations. Each method has its advantages and disadvantages.
With infrared reflow, the board designer must lay the board out so that short components don’t fall into the
shadows of tall components. Component location is less restricted if the designer knows that vapour phase reflow
or convection soldering will be used in production.

Following reflow soldering, certain irregular or heat-sensitive components may be installed and soldered by hand,
or in large scale automation, by focused infrared beam (FIB) equipment.

After soldering, the boards are washed to remove flux residue and any stray solder balls that could short out
closely spaced component leads. Rosin flux is removed with fluorocarbon solvents, high flash point hydrocarbon
solvents, or limonene, derived from orange peels. Water soluble fluxes are removed with de-ionised water and
detergent, followed by an air blast to quickly remove residual water. When aesthetics are unimportant and
the flux doesn’t cause shorting or corrosion, flux residues are sometimes left on the boards, saving the cost of
cleaning and eliminating the waste disposal.

Finally, the boards are visually inspected for missing or misaligned components and solder bridging. If needed,
they are sent to a rework station where a human operator corrects any errors. They are then sent to the testing
stations to verify that they work correctly.

8 Tecan stencils handbook

1.2.2. SMT flow diagram

Step 1: stencil creation Step 2: printer set-up

The majority of stencils are created by modifying The stencil is mounted, positioned; and the printer
the original design of the PCB in CAD using Gerber then calibrated in terms of:
files or their derivatives to optimise the printing
process. Stencils are then typically cut on laser- • Adjustment of print speed and squeegee
stencil machines. pressure (to suit the PCB design and paste used)
• Setting printing table height (achieving contact
between the PCB and the stencil)
• Ensuring adequate under-board support
• Defining the limits of print stroke or travel
• Fiducial recognition
• Paste application

Step 3: carriage Step 4: image recognition

The PCB along the assembly line can be: The alignment or matching of PCB features to
stencil apertures with or without fiducials is one
• Manual of the most critical pre-printing operations. The
• Shuttle options include:
• Or conveyor
• Hand-eye
• Top down looking camera
• Camera/comparison (using stored images of
before and after printing)
• In-line cameras as either:
- Look-up/look-down, using a split field prism
or alternative
- Look-down/look-down

Poor alignment is probably the biggest cause

of surface mount defects on finer pitched
components.

9 Tecan stencils handbook

1.2.2. SMT flow diagram

Step 5: lifting into contact Step 6: print stroke

The PCB is raised into good contact with the Travel of the squeegee blade, effectively rolling
underside of stencil. paste media to fill stencil apertures.

Step 7: separation Step 8: inspection

Effective separation of the PCB from the stencil for Checking the printed PCB for correct paste
good paste release: alignment:

• Straight lift separation is recommended for fine • Optical

pitch requirements • 2D/3D auto microscopes
• Table separation speed depends on the solder
paste selected (usually consisting of a slower
initial speed, to facilitate paste separation from
the stencil)
• Cantilever or clam shell separation will affect
the quality of the fine pitch printed deposits.
paste media to fill stencil apertures

Step 9: pick and place Step 10: reflow

Placing the components onto the correct pads on Melting the solder to ensure electrical and
the PCB. mechanical connection of the device to the PCB:

• Convection
• Infrared
• Vapour phase
10 Tecan stencils handbook
1.3 Stencils
Surface mount stencils are more than just sheet of metal, with apertures replicating the PCB layout, used to
deposit solder paste. They are the single most important tool whose design and optimisation influences the
success of every surface mount assembly line.

Achieving success with lead-free printing, either fine-pitch or pin-in-hole reflow, is very similar to using traditional
solder alloys. The stencils used have multi-level aspects that contain distinct thicknesses on the same stencil to
deliver the individual paste volumes required by the diversity of components on the PCB.

Tecan combines its knowledge of the latest surface mount industry requirements with its extensive manufacturing
experience to offer stencil solutions based on three technologies as follows:

Precision etching Laser-cut stencils Laser-formed stencils are used to deliver stencil
is used to reduce the deliver improved aperture solutions for finest pitch components on very quick
stencil thickness locally, definition and superior turnarounds. The stencil material is electroformed
creating recesses or dimensional tolerances for nickel and the apertures are subsequently created
leaving raised areas, finer pitch apertures. In using laser technology. During the laser cutting
ready for the apertures this process each aperture process the laser beam normally liberates trace
to be subsequently is created consecutively, elements to the cut surface of the aperture walls.
created using laser with larger aperture count Since the material used here is more than 99% pure
technology. stencils requiring more time. hard nickel the resultant apertures are naturally
polished and offer optimum paste release.

1.3.1 Precision etching technology

• Accurate, cost-effective solution primarily used to reduce the stencil thickness locally to create recesses or
raised areas.

Photo Chemical Machining (PCM), or ‘photo etching’, is a subtractive process that selectively removes metal by
chemical action. PCM is an extremely precise and cost-effective process that facilitates the production of a wide
range of burr- and stress-free parts and tools in virtually any metal.

Virtually all metals are suitable for Tecan’s Photo Chemical Machining (PCM) process. The following metals are
most widely used for producing stencils:

• Stainless Steel 302, 304 & 430

• Fine grain steel
• Semi-fine grain steel
• Nickel

11 Tecan stencils handbook

 etchant
1.3.1.1 Multi-level stencils photo-resist

Multi-level stencil features are created using the Photo Chemical

Machining technique. Stepped stencils are created by removing an
isolated depth on the squeegee side of the stencil leaving the general
Figure 1.3: Etching
thickness untouched. from both sides

Stencils with raised areas on the squeegee

surface are created by removing the majority of
the top surface to leave raised islands.

Figure 1.4 shows a stepped stencil containing

a standard thickness of 0.150mm and a locally
reduced area of 0.120mm tailored to the
requirements of the fine pitch component.

Figure 1.4: Stepped stencil

Figure 1.5 shows a stencil that was

optimised with three thicknesses:
0.150mm general thickness,
reduction to 0.120mm for the fine
pitch and up to 0.200mm for the
power components and connectors.

Figure 1.5: Stencil optimised with

three thicknesses

12 Tecan stencils handbook

 Typical multi-level steps

Steps of up to:

Using standard thickness of 0.100mm +/- 0.025mm

Using standard thickness of 0.125mm -0.050 and + 0.075mm

Using standard thickness of 0.150mm -0.075 and + 0.100mm

Using standard thickness of 0.175mm -0.075 and + 0.075mm

Using standard thickness of 0.200mm -0.100 and + 0.050mm

standard thickness raised area

step-etched pocket
Figure 1.6: multi-
level stencil

under-routed or relieved

1.3.2 Laser manufacturing technology

• Improved dimensional accuracy for finer pitch requirements.

• Used for component pitches down to 0.3mm.

Beam size
of 38µm Ø Draught angle
of 1.5°

Laser cutting machine SEM of laser cut apertures Figure 1.7: Laser cutting

Approximately 1.5° - 2° taper, from squeegee side to release side, provides the necessary trapezoidal aperture
geometry which improves paste release to achieve consistent printed deposits for finer pitched components.

Using laser technology the stencil apertures are

created consecutively, as such - stencils containing
larger aperture counts take longer to complete. 4

Stencil apertures are cut with a fine beam from inside

the aperture (1) towards its boundary (2) and then 3 5
tracing around (3 - 5) until the beam passes the point
where it first met the boundary. The resultant metal 1
shape is then deposited into the vacuum tray beneath.
Aperture wall definition and smoothness affect paste 2
release; this is why the speed of cut is fundamental to
achieving the results intended.
Figure 1.8: Laser-cut apertures

13 Tecan stencils handbook

1.3.3 Laser-formed stencils and fine grain steel

• Stencil material is electroformed from nickel and the apertures are lasered.
• Fine grain steel can also be used as base material to improve aperture wall smoothness.

Laser-formed stencils are a hybrid technology offering the

precision of laser cut apertures and the enhanced paste release
properties of nickel. Improved paste roll activation and multi-level
technology are combined with exceptionally quick turnarounds to
deliver optimised print deposit consistency.

Fine grain steel can also be used as a base material for stencil
thicknesses up to 0.250mm.

When laser cutting stainless steel materials, trace elements are

liberated to the aperture walls and as such, care has to be taken
to ensure the relative wall roughness doesn’t impede the transfer
of solder paste.

With laser-formed or fine grain steel stencils the base material

results in significant improvements to the aperture wall
smoothness to offer enhanced printed deposits.

Laser cutting machine

14 Tecan stencils handbook

2.0 choosing your stencil

which format is right for your application?

15
2.1 Stencil formats
2.1.1 Remountable stencils

Many years ago, the tension offered by meshed stencils could not be fully replicated and as such image stability
was a major concern when adopting remountable stencils for fine pitch printing. Today however, there are a
number of four-sided tensioning frames in the market that are capable of ensuring optimum stencil tension and
long stencil life.

Remountable stencils offer three major benefits:

• Space saving of up to 80%

• Cost saving of up to 65%

• No issues regarding selection of cleaning solutions to be compatible with adhesives

2.1.1.1 Genesis

Figure 2.1 Genesis mechanically tensioned stencil

Tecan’s proprietary tensioning system, Genesis, enables foils to be quickly interchanged and held absolutely flat
with equal and maintainable planar tension across the whole stencil.

This simple mechanical mounting system uses no adhesives - which may degrade over time, has no need for
pneumatics - which are susceptible to rupture - and does not require a loading jig.

Description Size Tecan part number

Genesis 58 frame 584mm x 584mm x 25.4mm FRG58

Genesis 73 frame 786mm x 786mm x 38.1mm FRG73

Genesis frame adaptor Convert a Gen 58 into a 73 FRGADAPT

16 Tecan stencils handbook

2.1.1.2 OptiGuard

Figure 2.2 OptiGuard stencils for VectorGuard frames

A patented joint development between ASM and Tecan, OptiGuard is designed for use with standard
VectorGuard™ frames.

Pin bars are used to mount the foil into an extruded aluminium profile, which is ideal when stepped or multi-level
stencils are required and can be used with laser-cut, precision etched, or laser-formed stencils.

The foil is then mounted into the VectorGuard frame using air pressure.

Description Size Tecan part number

VectorGuard VG260 584mm x 584mm x 30mm FRV2323

frame
VectorGuard VG265 584mm x 736mm x 30mm FRV2329
frame
VectorGuard VG265 wide 736mm x 736mm x 30mm FRV2929
frame
VectorGuard VG248 584mm x 584mm x 26.4mm FRV248
frame
VectorGuard frame Convert a VG260 to VG265 FRVADAPT
adaptor or VG265 wide

2.1.1.3 TetraBond™

Figure 2.3 TetraBond stencil and VectorGuard frame

A simple system for safe mounting and demounting, designed to optimise rigidity in the stencil.
Foils are mounted into a thin aluminium extrusion using an advanced bonding system and are designed for use
with Tetra™ and VectorGuard frames, whilst being backwards compatible with most other frames in the market.

17 Tecan stencils handbook

2.1.1.4 Other formats

In addition to these most popular formats, there are a number of alternative

remountable framing systems on the market. Tecan supports stencil production/
capability for most of these, including:

• Tecfoil
• Apex
• FTS
• LPKF
• ZelFlex

2.1.2 Meshed stencils

Figure 2.4 Stencil meshed in aluminum frame

Traditional meshed stencils, where the metal stencil element is bonded on to an aluminium frame, are still preferred
by some operators.

Tecan only uses high grade epoxy adhesives and polyester fabrics in the meshed stencil manufacturing process as
although meshed stencils are tensioned in four directions, the mesh material tension can degrade over time with use.
Also, alternative adhesive bonds - between the frame and mesh and the mesh and stencil - may degrade with some
cleaning solutions available.

Offset image positioning can often result in the start of the print stroke being close to the glue bond areas. When
using semi-automatic or automatic printers with meshed stencils, don’t be tempted to make the print stroke too long
or damage to the glue bonds and mesh border could result.

Typical frame sizes (mm):

• 434 x 434 x 25.4mm • 584.2 x 584.2 x 38.1mm • 798 x 578 x 28/35mm

• 508 x 508 x 38.1mm • 622.3 x 392 x 19.05mm • 736.6 x 736.6 x 38.1mm
• 503 x 404 x 25.4mm • 650 x 550 x 30mm • Other sizes available on request

2.1.3 Extended stencils

Tecan’s extended precision screens are
available in sizes of up to 1800mm x 900mm.
Typically used for specialist applications
such as OLED and LCD display technologies,
these bespoke meshed stencils provide the
same level of printing accuracy as standard
SMT sizes.
Figure 2.5 Extended stencil meshed into aluminum frame

18 Tecan stencils handbook

2.2 Stencil thickness selection

S
t 0.300mm
0.012 “
e
n 0.250mm
c 0.010“
i
0.200mm
l 0.008”

t 0.150mm
0.006”
h
i 0.125mm
c 0.005”

k
0.100mm
n 0.004”
e
s 0.075mm
0.003”
s

Glue 1.27mm / 0.635mm 0.500mm 0.450mm 0.400mm 0.300mm / 0201 /

PIHR (0.025”) (0.020”) (0.018”) (0.016”) CSP
(0.050”) (0.012”)

Component pitch
Figure 2.6 Component pitch vs stencil thickness

Stencil thickness ultimately determines the volume of solder fillet that is available for the component terminations.
Any aperture design modifications, used to optimise the printing process, can be compromised by selecting an
inappropriate thickness. Too thin and the fillets required may not be achieved. Too thick and paste retention may
occur effectively starving the solder paste volume.

Figure 2.12 above highlights the different stencil thickness requirements for a range of surface mount components
often found together on a typical assembly. In deciding which stencil thickness will give the best results it is always
worth considering a multi-level stencil as this is the best way to provide components with conflicting paste volume
requirements, the specific individual paste volumes they require.

The aspect ratios of materials currently available are listed below:

Stencil material Simple aspect ratio

Stainless steel 690:1

Fine grain steel 615:1

Nickel 615:1

19 Tecan stencils handbook

2.2.1. Multi-level

Multi-level stencils have become the preferred solution for many organisations due to their superior print quality
and paste release properties. Other benefits include lower printed defects; less paste bridging, higher production
yields and optimised quality.

Multi-level stencil features are created using photo chemical machining and subsequent laser-etching.

Figure 2.7 Multi-level stencil with raised and recessed areas

2.2.2. Stepped stencil

etchant
Stepped stencils are created by removing an isolated depth on the photo-resist
squeegee side of the stencil leaving the general thickness untouched.

Figure 2.8 Etching

from both sides

Stencils with raised areas on the

squeegee surface are created by
removing the majority of the top
surface to leave raised islands. In
these cases it is better to select
nickel as the stencil material since
it isn’t affected by removal of the
majority of one skin.

Figure 2.9: Stepped stencil containing a standard thickness of 0.150mm and

a locally reduced area of 0.120mm tailored to the requirements of the fine
pitch component

20 Tecan stencils handbook

Figure 2.10: This stencil was optimised with three thicknesses: 0.150mm general
thickness, reduction to 0.120mm for the fine pitch and up to 0.200mm for the power
components and connectors.

Stencils with both raised portions and reduced thicknesses are the result of two separate processes.

2.2.3 Under-routed stencils

Localised pockets can be provided on the underside of the stencil to accommodate thicker solder pads, test points
and badly registered solder resist. This enables optimum stencil gasketing.

standard thickness raised area

step-etched pocket

under-routed or relieved
Figure 2.11: Multi-level stencil with under-routing

21 Tecan stencils handbook

2.3 Aperture design
2.3.1 Aperture reduction
So why is it necessary to reduce stencil apertures from the CAD Gerber designs? It is recommended that stencil
apertures are generally reduced from the copper feature sizes to be printed. Exceptions to this rule include BGAs,
µBGAs, components with a known poor co-planarity and pin-in-hole reflow applications.

Let’s consider that the Gerber is used as a datum from which both the PCB substrate and the stencil apertures
are created.
Figure 2.12: Designs can be created in CAD which are accurate
to fractions of a micron. PCB fabricators amend the CAD design
by adding etch factors to their photolithographic tools to realise
the copper feature sizes required ± 50-70µm. Obviously thicker
deposits of copper require increased tolerances.

PCB fabricators work to a manufacturing tolerance. Understanding the processes involved in producing the
substrates can help to achieve successful printed results.

It is no good to design aperture footprints with IPC standards in mind if the PCB has been accepted with over-
etched features.

Although today’s stencils can be produced with tolerances of between 5-9µm, the loss of any stencil to PCB
gasketing surface can lead to under-stencil contamination and ultimately bleeding, bridging shorts and rework.

Stencil gasket should be a minimum 10 - 20 µm per side

Figure 2.13: Stencil gasket

Printing accuracy must always be considered, even with the best printing machine available an acceptable
tolerance on its accuracy is often ± 12 - 25µm so aperture reduction must accommodate this tolerance.

Reductions also allow for any paste slump: the “collapse” of the paste bricks from their printed formation due to
environmental conditions and any paste spread associated with pick and placement pressures.

22 Tecan stencils handbook

2.3.1.1 Aperture reduction example

Figure 2.20
The paste has been printed
accurately and the resultant brick
deposits are uniform and consistent.
Close up inspection reveals the
evidence of a gasket surrounding
the copper features.

Figure 2.21
In this example the copper features were not over-etched but poor lead
co-planarity caused several of the adjacent paste deposits to splay and
almost merge after pick and placement.

Figure 2.22
The results of reflow can be clearly seen in this example. A reduction
in the width of the stencil apertures overcame the issues facing this
company.

2.3.2 Aperture shapes

Simply reducing all the stencil apertures by a global dimension or percentage cannot offer the advantages that
specific reductions or aperture shape modifications, tailored to individual components, can achieve to reduce
end of line surface mount assembly defects.

For those engineers who recognise the problems but may not be aware of the solutions, Tecan can design the
stencil aperture sizes and shapes to suit.

Square Radiussed square Round Radiussed rectangle Rectangle Oblong

Figure 2.17: Stencil aperture shapes

23 Tecan stencils handbook

 Wendy house Arrowhead Inverted Arrowhead

Figure 2.18: Aperture modifications for discrete chip

components

“D” or Bullet Global reduction Saddle

With the base pads of D-PAK components it is often

necessary to reduce the outside dimensions of this
pad and then window the resulting aperture to offer
the solder paste volume required by the component
without causing unnecessary component float or paste
starvation.

Figure 2.19: Modifications for D-PAK components

2.3.3 Mid-chip solder ball elimination

Solder beading or mid-chip solder balls are the result of excess solder paste
beneath the non- wetting surfaces of discrete components. Upon reflow this
paste is not able to retract and when the component is drawn towards the PCB
it is squashed to emerge from beneath the component.

Figure 2.20: Mid-chip solder ball

Excessive paste deposits beneath component body Emergence of solder spheres

Figure 2.21: Excessive paste deposits beneath component Figure 2.22: Emergence of solder spheres
body

24 Tecan stencils handbook

3.0 nanocoating and SMT
stencils

for quality results and a cleaner process

25
3.0 Nanocoatings
With a thickness of no more than 1-100 nanometers, nanocoatings are ultra-thin layers or chemical structures
that are applied to surfaces by a variety of methods and applied to a wide range of substrates and chemically
bond with non-porous surfaces. To put this in perspective, consider the thickness of paint used in the automotive
industry of which is typically 125 microns or 125,000 nanometers.

While they can be one molecule thick, multiple molecular layers can be built up to deliver a particular chemical or
physical property to a surface such as water-resistance (hydrophobic) and oil-resistance (oleophobic).

3.1 Nanocoating SMT stencils

The underside of solder paste stencils can be nanocoated at a typical thickness of ~5 nanometers to provide a
non-stick surface which:

• reduces the number of cleaning cycles required during the paste printing process
• improves paste transfer efficiency for fine pitch apertures

Nanocoating SMT stencils delivers immediate and measurably improved results from the first print and can
also be applied on the production line to previously used stencils.

3.2 When to use nanocoatings

There are a number of factors to take into account when considering whether to nanocoat a stencil:

1. What is the smallest aperture and pitch on the stencil and what is its thickness?
In the case of a large board with large appertures, the benefit of nanocoating is insignificant. On the other
hand, stencil performance can be considerably improved in the case of a dense image with fine pitches and
small apertures.

2. How many prints are you using the stencil for?

If you’re simply printing a prototype, nanocoating is not necessary but where volume runs are concerned,
nanocoating significantly reduces the frequency of cleaning cycles.

3. What paste are you using?

In the case of SMT stencils, the denser the paste you are using, the greater the benefit of nanocoating.

26 Tecan stencils handbook

3.3 Nanocoating benefits

3.3.1 Better quality printing

Because the flux is repelled from the aperture walls by nanocoating, there is a reduction in bridging, resulting in
better results. Figure 3.1 below shows the print definition improvements that can be achieved with a nanocoated
stencil, highlighting QFN and 0201 devices after ten prints with no wipe using the same board, same stencil design
and same print stroke.

Results from stencil with no Results from nanocoated stencil

nanocoating

Figure 3.1: Print definition improvements with nanocoated stencil. Source: “Fine Tuning the Stencil, Manufacturing Process
and Other Stencil Printing Experiments”, Shea C. and Whittier R., Proceedings of SMTA International.

Reduced Under
Wipe Frequency
Higher Print Yields Better Volume Repeatability Print Yield
100%
Coeffeicient of Variation

100% 100% 14% 90%

Lower is better
Lower is better

90% 13%
10,9%
70% 10,8%

Untreated Treated Untreated Treated Untreated Treated Untreated Treated 1 Print/Wipe 10 Prints/Wipe

Stainless Steel Electroformed Stainless Steel Electroformed

Nickel Nickel Improved quality at
10x wipe interval
Effective on all stencil
materials

Figure 3.2: Results of 10-print test in large DOE. Source: “Fine Tuning the Stencil, Manufacturing Process and Other
Stencil Printing Experiments”, Shea C. and Whittier R., Proceedings of SMTA International.

27 Tecan stencils handbook

3.3.2 Improved productivity, reduced costs

Flux-resistant nanocoating applied to the underside of the stencil and stencil aperture walls can boost
productivity and reduce costs for volume runs:

• less underwiping is required

• less downtime for paper changes
• there is less damage to stencil mountings, particularly for meshed stencils, from exposure to aggressive
cleaning solvents.
• lower paper and solvent consumption

Figure 3.3: Comparison of untreated and NanoClear

treated stencil.
Source: https://www.aculon.com/nanoclear-stencil-wipes/

Untreated NanoClear treated

3.4 SMT nanocoatings available from Tecan

A choice of nanocoatings are available for all Tecan stencils both of which create a robust, abrasion resistant
surface that stands up to repeated cleaning.

• MicroShield is a two-part coating that is applied by Tecan prior to stencil dispatch

• NanoClear® coating from Aculon is supplied in a pouch containing both the primer and nanocoating to be
applied on the production line.

3.4.1 MicroShield

This on-contact coating has a unique chemistry. Upon contact, it forms a self-assembling monolayer that is highly
hydrophobic and oleophobic. It is applied to Tecan’s solder paste stencils after they are cut and prior to dispatch.
MicroShield demonstrates both the printing and cleaning benefits of nanocoating.

MicroShield does not “cure” like a traditional polymer coating but instantly transforms the surface on-contact.
Performance typically improves with time.

Physical Properties Values

Appearance Clear

Specific Gravity @ 23 °C 0.80 g/cm3

Viscosity @ 23 °C 2.1 cP
Nonvolatile content 1%
Static contact angle, water 103 Degrees
Static contact angle, n-hexadecane 69 Degrees
Abrasion resistance, ASTM D2486, Isopropyl Alcohol >2000
Abrasion resistance, ASTM D2486, IPA Based Flux >2000
Pencil hardness N/A

Figure 3.4: MicroShield test results

28 Tecan stencils handbook

 3.4.2 NanoClear®

NanoClear is a SAMP Coating (Self-Assembling Monolayer Phosphonate) supplied in a two-part pouch and
can be applied by SMT operators to a new stencil on the production line or to an existing stencil to improve
performance.

Aculon NanoClear repels flux which improves print quality, increases efficiency, lowers total costs and enhances
printing with small apertures.

Application of NanoClear® is very simple. With a

NanoClear® dual wipe, a water source, and just five
minutes of time you can have an SMT stencil that has
been properly treated with a robust and high performing
coating.

Figure 3.5 NanoClear SMT Stencil Nanocoating”

3.4.2.1 Applying NanoClear

Step one (unprimed stencil)

Take the clean stencil and hold under running water for a few seconds, if the water
does not wet out evenly onto the stencil (see figure 3.6), then the stencil still has
surface contaminants and needs to be primed with Aculon Primer (Part A).

Figure 3.6: Uneven wetting

Step two (primed stencil):

After using Aculon Part A rinse the stencil under running distilled or deionised water for at least 60 seconds.
Please note a primed stencil will have an unbroken film of water that should remain on the surface without
beading up for 30 seconds. If the stencil looks like this, then completely dry with a cleanroom wipe and proceed
to the application of Part B.

Step three (treated stencil):

Upon opening, immediately apply Aculon Nanoclear Part B by wiping it on the
stencil for one minute. Wipe off excess coating with a cleanroom wipe. You can
test a stencil’s performance by evaluating if water droplets bead tightly on the
surface (as shown in figure 3.7) and shed from the stencil easily when tilted.

Figure 3.7: Tight beading on stencil surface

29 Tecan stencils handbook

3.5 How long does a nanocoating last?
Aculon states that users typically report 25K print cycles, although durability depends on many factors,
including:

• Abrasiveness of wiper paper/fabric

• Wipe frequency
• Solvent or dry wipe
• pH of under wipe and off-line cleaning solvents
• Solder paste chemistry

In order to maximise durability, Aculon suggests:

• Use soft, non-abrasive understencil wiper paper such as Eco Roll SCER360 or Hyperclean PP4200
• Use a solvent wipe rather than a dry wipe – engineered solvents are best for lead-free no-clean pastes
• Use pH neutral cleaners
• Reduce understencil wipe frequency

30 Tecan stencils handbook

4.0 SMT printing
parameters

understanding the print cycle and the factors

that can affect board assembly

31
4.0 Printing parameters
Success with SMT printing depends on many factors, the
most significant being:

• Printer set-up
• PCB flatness and solderable finish
• Solder paste, its condition, solder sphere size
• Squeegee blade or paste delivery system
• Environmental conditions
• Operator’s experience
• Stencil design and optimisation

4.1 The printing cycle Figure 4.1 Printer set-up

A printer must be able to carry out several operations to complete the print cycle, which comprise:

1. Transporting the substrate into position and contacting the stencil

2. Alignment of stencil to board
3. Application of solder paste - enabling paste roll and aperture filling
4. Controlled separation of the substrate from the stencil
5. Inspection of solder paste deposits (optional)
6. Under screen cleaning to remove stray solder balls and contamination (after predetermined number of cycles)

The printing cycle time is an important factor in determining the line capacity or throughput. Typically, the
printing cycle is completed between 9 seconds - for mass manufactured items such as mobile phones - up to
approximately 25 seconds for small batch runs involving fine pitch. Today, the more significant factors are pick
and placement and reflow times. Often separate offline operations are used for inspection to avoid delays to the
total cycle time.

The sequence of printing operations is as follows:

1. PCB enters printer and travels to board stop.

2. PCB is clamped.
3. Printer camera moves to fiducial 1 and locates its position
4. Printer camera moves to fiducial 2 and locates its position
5. Camera moves to rest position away from printing operation
6. Stencil is aligned
7. PCB support/platen moves up and PCB contacts underside of stencil
8. Squeegee operation commences
9. Board support moves down
10. Board is unclamped and exits machine on the conveyor

This description of a printer integrated into a production line also applies to standalone printers in respect of
board fixturing, alignment of substrate to stencil, board separation and cleaning.

There are many variations in the way mounting, alignment and cleaning are implemented, and standalone or
shuttle printers will also handle boards manually rather than automatically.

32 Tecan stencils handbook

Printers can vary from the simplest hinged frame and platen arrangement, where the printing is achieved using
a manual squeegee blade, through semi-automatic printers offering control of the squeegee pressure and print
stroke, to fully automatic printers that include all the features required of a flexible inline machine. In essence, the
finer the component pitch being printed combined with the quantity being produced and the quality standard
offered defines the type and attributes of the printer required.

Left: Figure 4.2 Typical semi-automatic printer

Right: Figure 4.3 Typical automatic printer

4.2 Board mounting

The PCB or substrate is usually transported into and out of the printer by conveyor belts. The PCB arrives in the
working area and is stopped in the desired position using either mechanical end stops or an optical sensor. It is
essential that the PCB is clamped rigidly in position to prevent lateral movement, whilst also being supported
to resist the downward forces during the print stroke, which would otherwise lead to warping and solder bleed
under the stencil.

Underboard support can take several forms, including:

• A dedicated tooling plate with dowel pins to align the board

• A matrix of manual or programmable universal mounting pins

The exact solution chosen will depend on the application, but

providing adequate support during second-side printing can be
problematic, especially when the first-side assembly is densely
packed with components, or the board is thin or flexible. In such
applications a dedicated tooling plate can be employed which is
machined to accommodate the components. This often provides Figure 4.4 Pin board support
improved support which is better than a bed-of-nails fixture,
especially around the extents of the substrate.

A 3-D profiled aluminium nest plate can be created

complete with supporting pillars and routed areas
to accommodate the first-side components whilst
offering a flat substrate to the underside of the
stencil.

Fully milled

Partially recessed

Original material thickness

Fully milled
Figure 4.5 Nest for second-side printing
Partially recessed

33 Original
Tecan material
stencils thickness
handbook
 4.3 Board clamping

Clamping the PCB to the conveyor rails can be achieved mechanically, using edge clamps which are thin enough
not to impede squeegee travel (and which are correspondingly sharp!). It must be remembered that using clamps
on PCBs where the surface mount features are too close to the edge of the board can and does lead to bleeding,
bridging and or insufficient paste deposits.

Clamping foil

PCB

Conveyor belts
Conveyor rails

Figure 4.6 Clamping foils

Some PCB designs do not have salvage or snap off regions whilst
also containing fine pitch components very close to the edge of
the PCB itself. Although with the older shuttle printers this is not
Profile
likely to be a problem, modern inline printers utilise clamp foils
to retain the PCB in registration throughout the print cycle. Even
with these thin foils it is not possible to ensure the stencil gaskets
to the PCB - thereby creating paste release problems, paste
retention or stencil clogging and also paste bleeding bridging and
short circuits.

Where possible ensure the PCB design has a snap-off or salvage

area whenever fine pitch components are located in close
proximity to the finished PCB edge. The red shaded area shown
in figure 4.7 represents approximately 2-4mm where the stencil
cannot achieve good contact with the substrate.
Plan

Figure 4.7 Poor flatness of the stencil at the

edge of the PCB
Direction of print

d
✗
Irregular printed deposits
thickness ✗
✓ Good printed deposits

✓ Improved printed deposits

✗ Bleeding / bridging of printed deposits

Figure 4.8 Typical results when the clamp foil thickness affects
the stencil’s ability to seal or gasket to the PCB features.

34 Tecan stencils handbook

To ensure the stencil is able to seal to the solder pads at the edge of a PCB, when using in-line printers the
underside of the stencil can be relieved to accommodate the clamping foils.

The part etched nests on the underside of the stencil enable fault free printing.

Clamp

Profile

Plan

Figure 4.9 Nesting of clamping foils

4.3.1. Vaacum tooling plates

Other holding options include the use of vacuum tooling plates - where the substrate is held against the tooling
plate with vacuum assistance. This method can be used to assist in overcoming flatness problems associated
with warped boards (although this task is largely carried out by the downward pressure of stencil and squeegee
blade).

Figure 4.10 Vacuum tooling plates

4.3.2. Pin bar arrangements

Semi-automatic printers often have simple pin bar fixtures to retain the PCB throughout the transport and
printing modes. The inherent accuracy of these printers is less than their equivalent automatic counterparts since
drilled holes in PCBs used with the pins as shown in figure 4.11 often tend to be ± 50 - 100µm of the nominated
dimension required.

Figure 4.11 Typical pin bar arrangements on semi-automatic printers

35 Tecan stencils handbook

4.4 Image positioning
Examples of image positioning are shown below:

Figure 4.12 Offset image for use on DEK 265 (29” x29”) machines

L
C
114mm

622mm

CL Movable rear rail

622mm
Offset front justified

Front fixed
Front fixed rail
rail Movable rear rail
114mm

Figure 4.13 Dual image offset details for DEK 265 (29” x29”) machines
Offset front justified

Front fixed rail

114mm

622mm

Movable rear rail

Offset front justified

Front fixed rail

114mm

Figure 4.14 Centred image positioning

36 Tecan stencils handbook

4.4.1. Roll on / Roll off distance

It is important to provide the solder paste with every opportunity to roll; as such a distance at the start and end of
the printing stroke, known as the roll on / roll off distance should be accommodated.

The RO/RO distance should be between 30-40mm. Its purpose is to provide sufficient momentum to the paste to
promote good paste roll, which enables aperture filling.

Figure 4.15 RO/RO distance

Squeegee separation also must be considered. This is a fixed dimension and on most
modern printing machines is between 40 and 50 mm.

Figure 4.16 Squeegee separation 40-50mm

4.5 Alignment
Y adjustment
Alignment accuracy is critical to achieving success with
the printing process. Positioning the board accurately
and providing alignment repeatability to align the
copper features of the PCB pattern with the apertures
in the stencil is the minimum required in this operation.
Rear X adjustment
This requires three adjustments (X, Y, Ø): since the
range of angular adjustment is small, alignment is often
implemented using X1, X2, and Y adjusters as shown in Front X adjustment
Printing table movement
figure 4.17.

Figure 4.17 Stencil alignment mechanism

37 Tecan stencils handbook

 PCB Image

Stencil image

Figure 4.18 Adjustment to X and Y axis controls Figure 4.19 Final adjustments

The alignment of PCB pads to stencil apertures Final adjustments may involve an angular or theta
requires adjustments to X and Y axis controls as adjustment where the front and rear X axis controls
shown in figure 4.18. are used.

4.5.1 Vision alignment systems

Manual adjustment has now largely been replaced by

vision systems using a CCD camera to image fiducial
marks on the board. A number of different shapes
of fiducial have been used in the past, although the
industry tends now to use either a solid filled circle
or diamond between 1mm and 3mm in diameter. It is
essential to ensure the fiducials are unique so that the
recognition factor involved in locating them with a
vision system presents minimal confusion or problems.

When repeatability is required, assisted-vision systems

are a necessary part of any printer. There are several
Figure 4.20 Down-looking camera fitted to a semi-
systems that can be used to achieve good alignment:
automatic printer

• Basic look-down camera systems used on semi-automatic printers that store the image of the features on a
PCB and subsequently compare the printed deposit positions with the original copper pad
• Automatic fiducial recognition using either look-up / look-down camera technology - where the fiducials on
the PCB and their counterparts on the stencil are compared and “best fit” alignment is achieved, using split
field prisms
• A look-down / look-down camera that also offers subsequent printed deposit inspection

In many systems, the camera is inserted between the Fiducials

Stencil
stencil and the PCB, looking down onto the PCB as well
as up onto the underside of the stencil to view the fiducials
simultaneously. The camera is free to rove beneath the
stencil as it registers the fiducials and then it returns to its
rest position away from the vertical motion of the printer
rails. PCB

Figure 4.21 Vision alignment system

38 Tecan stencils handbook

 Y offset Y offset

1st Fiducial X offset 2nd Fiducial X offset

Figure 4.22 First fiducial Figure 4.23 Second fiducial

Some printer manufacturers adopt different methods of employing cameras to recognise the fiducials including
precision look-down / look-down cameras that store an image of the PCB fiducial or pad to compare with the
corresponding stencil feature.

Fiducial identity can be referenced to either a lighter background, as in the case of the stencil or a darker
background as on a PCB or substrate. Printer camera recognition systems are used to calculate the fiducial’s
position, by scoring against target/accept scores. The ideal situation would result in a perfect match.

Image alignment accuracy depends on:

• Optical and incident lighting system employed in the printer

• Resolution, in terms of pixels into which the PCB image is converted by the camera
• Algorithm used to determine the necessary location information from the board image

4.5.2 Alignment compromises

Environmental variability - such as differences in temperature and humidity during production - can lead to small
differences in dimensions, particularly on large boards, so there is no absolute guarantee that the stencil will
exactly match the board even though these have been generated from the same CAD artwork.

Because of minor variability, the best an alignment system can do is to provide perfect alignment between the
stencil and the corresponding feature on the PCB at one point, and to minimise the errors at all others. Vision
alignment systems look at two or more fiducials, and then correctly align the fiducials to the line joining them
averaging the error along this line as shown in figure 4.24.

The one point of perfect match is somewhere

between the two fiducials. Often this point is
midway between them, but some boards may have
non-central areas which are particularly difficult
to print. In such cases, it is possible to ‘weight’ the
fiducial correction, so that the optimum alignment
occurs at the desired board location. In all cases,
however, exact alignment in X, Y and theta, is
only achieved at one place, and the inaccuracy
increases with distance from this point.

Figure 4.24 Averaging errors in fiducial positions

39 Tecan stencils handbook

4.6 Environmental conditions
If possible, temperature should be kept constant within close limits: 21°C ±2°C is a typical specification. This is
primarily in order to avoid any effect on the process resulting from changes in the viscosity of the solder paste,
but also helps keep alignment consistent by maintaining constant stencil dimensions.

4.7 Squeegee Blades

Squeegee blades are effectively the paste delivery mechanism and to ensure the solder paste fills the finest of
stencil apertures several factors need to be considered. These are covered in more detail in chapter 5 in this
series.

Figure 4.25 Squeegee blades

4.8 Speed
Printing speed needs to be considered carefully. The first consideration
should always be the finest aperture present on the stencil, parallel
to the direction of print. Printing with an excessive speed may cause
incomplete or inadequate aperture filling resulting in inconsistent
printed deposits.

Always consult the paste manufacturer’s recommendations with

regard to printing speeds required for their products. Equally
poor results can be obtained by printing high speed paste at lower
Figure 4.26 Speed should always allow
speeds - where the rheological properties of the paste do not reach
the finest apertures parallel to the
the optimum conditions - as printing lower speed pastes above the
printing direction to be filled.
recommended speeds.

4.9 Pressure
Squeegee pressure depends mostly on length of blade being used. Blade lengths should be the equivalent of the
board width +25mm at each end. If the squeegee blade employed is longer than this dimension it is often not
possible to achieve good printed results without increasing the pressure significantly. As a good rule of thumb
0.5-1.0kg / 50mm should satisfy most solder paste printing requirements. Beware of using excess pressure as
inconsistent printed results and under-stencil contamination usually occur.

40 Tecan stencils handbook

4.10 Stencil cleaning
Stencil cleaning may not be the most glamorous part of the printing process but is nonetheless essential. Cleaning
is required at the end of printing when the stencil is removed from the printer, to remove any accumulations of
solder paste from the aperture walls and the top and bottom stencil surfaces before the deposits harden. It is also
necessary as an in-process activity to ensure printed deposit consistency. The frequency of under-stencil cleaning
will depend on the finest pitch component present as much as the quality of the PCBs being printed, together
with the accuracy of the printer.

Stencil cleaning frequency can be reduced by using nanocoated

stencils. This is covered in more detail in chapter 3 in this series.

The underside of the stencil must enable gasketing to the

copper features below or it will gradually acquire solder paste
through:

• Stencil bleeding
• Misalignment
• Poor paste release

The rate at which this happens will depend on the print

parameters selected as well as the stencil technology, substrate Figure 4.27 Paste clogging
condition, paste rheology and the prevailing environmental conditions.

Solder paste can accumulate on the underside of the stencil because small amounts of paste bleed resulting
from an imperfect seal between the stencil and board. This phenomenon is made worse by misalignment, using
squeegee pressures outside the process window or by poor release of paste from the stencil.

Periodic cleaning of the underside of the stencil is particularly important for fine-pitch applications, because even
a small degree of contamination of the substrate by solder balls or flux from the solder paste will degrade the
printed results through smearing. If the contamination is not removed, the resulting print smearing increases the
incidence of bleeding, bridging and solder shorts or solder balling.

Cleaning can be carried out by hand or completed automatically. Programmable in-process stencil cleaning can
be built into modern automated stencil printers, while separate automatic spray-cleaning tanks may be used for
stencils after printing.

Automatic stencil cleaners are designed to enable unassisted cleaning of the underside of the stencil at user-
programmable intervals (typically after a predetermined number of print cycles). The frequency of under-stencil
cleaning will depend on whether the stencil is nanocoated, the alignment of the stencil to the PCB and also the
environmental conditions.

Typical systems for cleaning the stencil underside use a

lint-free wipe, running between supply and take-up rolls,
so that an unused area of the paper is pressed against the
underside of the stencil. Contaminants and paste removed
from the stencil are trapped on the material roll.

Figure 4.28 Under-stencil cleaning mechanism

41 Tecan stencils handbook

On some machines, this operation can be run dry or wet, using a cleaning fluid that is sprinkled onto the
absorbent paper. Machines can also be programmed for different combinations of wet and dry wiping, using wet
cleaning to loosen any dried solder paste residues.

The cleaning process can also be assisted by vacuum, which can help remove solder paste from stencil openings
and improve the clearance of partially clogged apertures. The vacuum system operates in conjunction with twin
blades on the under-stencil wiper to draw contaminants into the absorbent paper below the stencil surface.

4.11 Paste conditioningg

Paste needs to be stored correctly and allowed to reach operating temperature before the container is exposed
to (potentially moist) air. Preparation for use should also include a degree of ‘paste conditioning’ to ensure that:

• The paste is homogenous – during extended storage, solder spheres and flux may separate. Ideally, paste
should be rolled slowly and continuously, which is especially difficult if the paste has been stored refrigerated
to extend shelf life and is not brought to ambient temperature in a controlled manner
• Initial folding or stirring of the solder paste does not introduce or entrap air
• Once the solder paste has achieved a stable rheological state it is essential that it rolls or flows to fill the
apertures, and then reverts to provide solid solder brick deposits before separation of the substrate from the
stencil.

One technique available on the printing machine itself is the knead function where the paste is moved backwards
and forwards over a portion of the stencil containing no apertures until suitable paste rolling action is achieved.

4.12 Print quality

This usually involves a visual assessment of selected paste deposits to offer a quick and helpful guide to whether
the process is under control. Good results can be obtained with relatively low magnification (×4 to ×10) using
a magnifier or projection microscope, as these allow the whole area to be scanned relatively quickly. So, what
should you be looking for?

A working definition of acceptable print quality is one that has good definition and registration without any
defects such as slumping, scavenging, bridging and peaking. These defects are covered in more detail in chapter
6 in this series.

4.12.1 Paste measurement

Measurement of the paste deposit is crucial to quality control, there being two significant aspects:

• Has the whole of the intended pattern been printed successfully?

• Have you achieved the volume of paste deposits required for the component population? (For which paste
height and area are useful measurements).

The methods of evaluating a printed substrate vary between fully automated inspection, both for coverage and
paste height, and occasional operator visual checks. Today, with the increasing use of smaller components, often
with terminations below their bodies, there is a trend towards implementing automatic checks at the end of the
print cycle, using either the printer itself or a separate machine.

42 Tecan stencils handbook

Until recently inspection of the paste deposits using the printer camera systems impacted or limited the required
printing cycle times. But advances in technology - employing the existing sophistication and speed of the optical
arrangements, combined with software - make it possible to complete a post print inspection in under a minute.

Optical inspection for coverage has in the past relied on there being a visual difference between a pasted and
bare pad: this is very easy when printing onto a nickel-gold finish, but significantly more difficult when printing
onto solder surfaces.

A ‘z-check’ for paste height can be carried out easily with a light-section microscope or laser equivalent. As shown
in figure 4.29, the height of the print, and some information on the topography of the surface, can be gained using
oblique illumination through a slit, and viewing from above.

Solder paste Laser slit light at

45º oblique

1:1
Height

Base

Figure 4.29 Method of operation of a light-section microscope

43 Tecan stencils handbook

5.0 squeegee blades

applying solder paste for optimum results

44
5.0 Squeegee Blades
There are two main methods of applying solder
paste to a circuit board using an SMT stencil printer:
squeegee blade printing and enclosed head printing.
This section focuses on the most common method –
squeegee blade printing.

With squeegee blade printing, three print parameters

can typically be controlled, squeegee speed, blade
angle and downward squeegee pressure. Excessive
pressure can result in damaged stencils, coining and
breaking of webbing between fine pitch apertures.
Too little pressure can result in skips if the stencil is not
wiped clean.
Figure 5.1 Squeegee blade printing
To achieve the best results, the blades must possess
flexibility to consistently deliver the expected paste
volumes.

5.1 Squeegee blade types

There are two squeegee material types: rubber/polyurethane squeegees and metal squeegees.

Metal squeegees blades are most commonly used and operate at lower pressure than rubber variants. As
such, they do not scoop paste from apertures, and because they are metallic, they do not wear as easily as
rubber types - and hence do not need to be sharpened. The popularity of metal squeegees has grown with the
prevalence of finer pitch components.

Metal squeegee blades are typically made from

stainless steel in either a single thickness (0.150mm)
configuration or can be manufactured with an
etched mobile/recessed edge where the base
material is 0.300mm thick and the edge is tapered
down to 0.150mm.

Figure 5.2 Metal squeegee blades

5.1.1 Single-thickness metal squeegee blades

Single-thickness squeegee blades are laser-cut from specially

selected 0.150mm annealed stainless steel and are ideal for
applications that contain a mix of components. They offer a
wide pressure window, excellent consistency and minimal wear.

Figure 5.3 Single thickness metal squeegee blades

45 Tecan stencils handbook

5.1.2 Mobile edge metal squeegee blades

Mobile edge metal squeegee blades are etched from 0.300mm

stainless steel with the edge feathered down to 0.150mm
thickness.

Blade flexibility and its reaction to under-stencil interruptions

such as proud vias, poor silk-screening or solder resist
imperfections can influence the success of the printing process.
Figure 5.4 Uneven stencil surfaces can result from
proud features on the substrate

Mobile edge blades adapt better than single thickness

blades. In instances where a raised PCB feature is adjacent
to fine pitch apertures it can create interruptions to the
stencil flatness that cause the squeegee blade to “jump” or
skip over an aperture leading to either retention of paste in
the aperture, leading to an insufficient or possible bleeding
and bridging.

Mobile edge blades possess extra flexibility at the interface

with the stencil surface and can adjust their profile, local to
the under-stencil deformation, without sacrificing the print
quality to achieve cleaner more consistent printed deposits.
Figure 5.5 Mobile edge metal squeegee blades

5.2 Squeegee printing parameters Pressure

Printing with squeegee blades involves angle, speed and pressure.

Speed

5.2.1 Blade angle ø Angle

Generally, the squeegee blade should be angled at 60° to the stencil

surface. Sufficient downwards force should be exerted as the squeegee
blade traverses the stencil, on the printing stroke, to ensure the paste
rolls and fills the finest stencil apertures. Figure 5.6 Squeegee printing parameters

Decreasing the blade angle to 45° will provide extra downwards force to encourage increased aperture filling.
Care should be taken to ensure the squeegee blade pressure is not excessive at this angle as it is possible to break
the gasket seal between the stencil and the PCB resulting in bleeding, bridging and shorts.

5.2.2 Speed

The speed at which the squeegee moves across the stencil plays
a large part in the effectiveness of the solder paste application
by determining how much time is available for the solder paste to
‘roll’ into the stencil apertures and on to the PCB pads. Typically
operators use a speed of 25 millimetres per second, but this can
be adjusted depending on the size of the apertures and the type of
solder paste being used.

Figure 5.7 Speed should always allow the finest

apertures parallel to the printing direction to be filled

46 Tecan stencils handbook

5.2.3 Pressure

Squeegee pressure depends mostly on the length of blade being used. Blade lengths should be the equivalent
of the board width + 25mm at each end. If the squeegee blade employed is longer than this dimension it is often
not possible to achieve good printed results without increasing the pressure significantly. As a rule of thumb
0.5-1.0 kgs / 50mm should satisfy most solder paste printing requirements. Beware of using excess pressure as
inconsistent printed results and under-stencil contamination usually occur.

5.3 Squeegee condition and maintenance

Squeegees need to be carefully stored and maintained as any damage can lead to poor printing results. They
should be checked before use and thoroughly cleaned after use, ideally using an automated cleaning system
so that any solder paste residue is removed. If any damage is noticed to squeegees they should be replaced to
ensure a reliable and repeatable process.

Squeegee life and quality should be discussed with all your process engineers and operations and should be
established as a standard.

With stainless steel metal squeegee blades, extra care must be taken in handling. All squeegee blades should be
inspected before installation and be replaced if they contain any edge flaws such as nicks or dents.

Operators should flag and stop any printer / squeegee setup which is not wiping properly. This is an indication of
a squeegee or printer setup problem. The swipe of the squeegee should produce a smooth shiny stencil surface
with no puddles or streaks of solder paste left behind.

5.4 Squeegee blades available from Tecan

5.4.1 Standard ranges

Tecan offers a range of off-the-shelf squeegee blades that are fully compatible with most leading SMT printer
types. These can be purchased directly from www.stencils.co.uk

5.4.1.1 DEK/ASM compatible single thickness blades

Figure 5.8 DEK/ASM compatible single

thickness blade

Part No OEM part number Description

LSQD170 129924 Single thickness DEK compatible 60° squeegee blade 170mm
LSQD200 129925 Single thickness DEK compatible 60° squeegee blade 200mm
LSQD250 133584 Single thickness DEK compatible 60° squeegee blade 250mm
LSQD300 133585 Single thickness DEK compatible 60° squeegee blade 300mm
LSQD350 129926 Single thickness DEK compatible 60° squeegee blade 350mm
LSQD400 133586 Single thickness DEK compatible 60° squeegee blade 400mm
LSQD440 129927 Single thickness DEK compatible 60° squeegee blade 440mm
LSQD483 133587 Single thickness DEK compatible 60° squeegee blade 483mm
LSQD510 133588 Single thickness DEK compatible 60° squeegee blade 510mm
LSQD535 129928 Single thickness DEK compatible 60° squeegee blade 535mm

47 Tecan stencils handbook

5.4.1.2 DEK/ASM compatible mobile edge blades

Figure 5.9 DEK/ASM compatible

etched mobile edge blade

Part No OEM part number Description

ESQD170 129924 Mobile edge DEK compatible 60° squeegee blade 170mm
ESQD200 129925 Mobile edge DEK compatible 60° squeegee blade 200mm
ESQD250 133584 Mobile edge DEK compatible 60° squeegee blade 250mm
ESQD300 133585 Mobile edge DEK compatible 60° squeegee blade 300mm
ESQD350 129926 Mobile edge DEK compatible 60° squeegee blade 350mm
ESQD400 133586 Mobile edge DEK compatible 60° squeegee blade 400mm
ESQD440 129927 Mobile edge DEK compatible 60° squeegee blade 440mm
ESQD483 133587 Mobile edge DEK compatible 60° squeegee blade 483mm
ESQD510 133588 Mobile edge DEK compatible 60° squeegee blade 510mm
ESQD535 129928 Mobile edge DEK compatible 60° squeegee blade 535mm

5.4.1.3 Speedprint compatible mobile edge blades

Figure 5.10 Speedprint compatible

mobile edge blade

Part No Description

ESQS170 Speedprint compatible 60° squeegee blade 170mm

ESQS220 Speedprint compatible 60° squeegee blade 220mm
ESQS270 Speedprint compatible 60° squeegee blade 270mm
ESQD300 Mobile edge DEK compatible 60° squeegee blade 300mm
ESQS320 Speedprint compatible 60° squeegee blade 320mm
ESQS370 Speedprint compatible 60° squeegee blade 370mm
ESQS420 Speedprint compatible 60° squeegee blade 420mm
ESQS450 Speedprint compatible 60° squeegee blade 450mm
ESQS490 Speedprint compatible 60° squeegee blade 490mm
ESQS550 Speedprint compatible 60° squeegee blade 550mm

48 Tecan stencils handbook

5.4.1.4 Reprint compatible mobile edge blades

Part No Description

ESQR150 Reprint compatible 60° squeegee blade 150mm

ESQR200 Reprint compatible 60° squeegee blade 200mm
ESQR220 Reprint compatible 60° squeegee blade 220mm
ESQR300 Reprint compatible 60° squeegee blade 300mm
ESQR360 Reprint compatible 60° squeegee blade 360mm
ESQR420 Reprint compatible 60° squeegee blade 420mm
ESQR450 Reprint compatible 60° squeegee blade 450mm
ESQR460 Reprint compatible 60° squeegee blade 460mm
ESQR520 Reprint compatible 60° squeegee blade 520mm

5.4.2 Bespoke squeegees

Bespoke mobile edge etched squeegee blades for all other printers and applications are available on request. For
a price and lead-time please provide the dimensions as indicated in figure 5.11 below.

Figure 5.11 Bespoke squeegee blade

All brands, logos and trademarks are the property of their respective holders. Any reference to these trademarks is purely for the purpose of
identifying the SMT manufacturers’ compatible components. Tecan is neither affiliated with, authorised by, distributors for, or related in any
way to the descriptive SMT brand manufacturers.

49 Tecan stencils handbook

6.0 reflow

overcoming faults, solder paste printing effects

and screening can requirements

50
6.1 Reflow and profiles
During reflow soldering the printed solder paste deposits melt and form solder joints to interconnect the
component terminations to the substrate pads. There are a considerable number of solder paste manufacturers
each with a range of solder pastes with subtle nuances in the formulations that require small adjustments to the
reflow profile to achieve the results required.

Figure 6.1 “Typical lead-free reflow

profile”

Alloys: Sn96.5/Ag 3.0/Cu 0.5 and Sn 96.5/

Ag 3.5

When surface mount began, the heat sources used were infrared. Infrared ovens have improved in the last thirty
years to achieve good results but today many people use forced air convection ovens to reflow the solder paste.
Vapour phase technology was also used to good effect in the development of reflow soldering and is popular with
lead-free process requirements. The boiling point of the chemical used is a constant and every part of the PCB
assembly benefits from the same temperature.

Achieving a reflow profile that is suited to both the solder paste and the components used is critical to the success
of the surface mount process. Guidance is always provided by the solder paste manufacturer and should be used
as exactly that. The PCB you are processing may require small variations from the manufacturer’s suggested
reflow profile to enable achievement of acceptable quality levels.

In order to adjust a profile you need to understand what’s happening on the PCB. As such, a profiler should be
used with thermocouples mounted to monitor the temperature at various critical points throughout the process
to ensure the temperatures achieved enable reflow of the solder paste.

Reflow profiles can be broken down into four distinct areas:

• Pre-heating: This raises the temperature of the PCB and components without the risk of thermal shock to
either.

• Soaking: Allows the stabilisation of the temperature across the variation of different components.

• Reflow: This occurs once the temperature is elevated above that of liquidus. Typically 40-60 seconds is spent
above this temperature (time above liquidus) to ensure all the solder fillets are fully reflowed.

• Cooling: Necessary to ensure the prevention of excessive intermetallic layers, which could cause
embrittlement of the resultant solder fillets.

51 Tecan stencils handbook

6.2 Reflow related faults

6.2.1. Solder balling

Sometimes also known as spattering, this is mostly caused by the explosive evaporation of the solvents within
the solder paste. As part of the reflow process, when the solder deposit’s temperature is raised, pressure builds
up within the deposit until the solvents are able to migrate through this flux membrane. Since these solvents are
contained within the printed deposits it is important that the reflow profile ramp rate is not excessive or the soak
zone temperature too high so that the release of these solvents is more gradual.

A similar but far more spectacular fault can be caused by the solder paste absorbing moisture which upon reflow
causes mini-steam explosions with the accompanying spattered effects.

6.2.1.1 Isolated solder balls in close proximity to a solder pad.

This generally occurs when either the stencil to substrate alignment wasn’t
good during printing or the stencil aperture couldn’t gasket to the copper
feature beneath. Common reasons include over-etched PCBs, incorrect
aperture reduction or printer registration errors.

6.2.1.2 Dewetting and solder-balling Figure 6.2 Isolated solder balls

Poor wetting and solder balling on the same pad is most likely caused by
creating an excessive soak phase in the reflow profile. Firstly, the activated
flux will clean the solder but extending the soak time can cause reoxidation
resulting in poor wetting and a large solder ball. This can often become more
of a problem with the solder pastes used for finer pitch requirements as the
smaller solder spheres have a larger surface area on which oxides can form or
re-form. Lower residue pastes can also offer a smaller operating window so it
is prudent to consult the technical data sheet for the paste selected.
Figure 6.3 Dewetting and solder balling

6.2.1.3 Mid-chip solder balls or solder beading

This is usually evident as an emerging ball or balls beside discrete chip

components and is usually the result of inappropriate reduction to the stencil
aperture. Excessive paste deposits are unable to retract to the component
terminations or solder pad before the chip component is attracted to the
board upon reflow. Any solder not able to flow to the component terminations
becomes trapped and is compressed to form solder balls. Aperture
modifications to greatly reduce or eliminate this problem are found in chapter 2. Figure 6.4 Mid-chip solder balls

6.2.2. Wicking

Wicking occurs when a component lead or termination attracts or absorbs

the meted solder and can often result in an open circuit. Typical reasons
include too large a temperature difference between the pad to be soldered
and the component leads. If the lead is hotter than the adjacent copper pad
then the solder will flow onto the lead away from the pad. One obvious area
to explore is prolonging the soak time to ensure there is minimal difference
between the temperatures of the components and the substrate.
Figure 6.5 Wicking

52 Tecan stencils handbook

6.2.3 Wetting

Poor wetting can be the result of increased or excessive oxidation. This can
be limited by a reduction in the heat impact on the solder paste selected.
Reductions can be achieved by shortening the overall heating time or
lowering the temperature rise (∆T) in the pre-heat and soak zone.

Dewetting is caused by overheating

during the reflow process. To overcome
this problem, peak temperature can be
lowered or the dwell time reduced.
Figure 6.6 Poor wetting

Figure 6.7 Dewetting

6.2.4 Tombstoning/component lifting

Tombstoning on chip components can be caused by unequal wetting forces

on the two terminations. Surface tension at the end that reflows first can
attract the component and make it rise - often causing it to stand on its
end.

Unequal wetting can be caused by

incorrect solder pad design, poor
Figure 6.8 Tombstoning
solderability of either the component
terminations or solder pad, different volumes of solder paste available at
each termination or unequal temperature at the two pads. A reduction in
temperature difference is required to solve this problem. The temperature
rise (∆T) used in the pre-heat phase must be reduced and the soak time
extended accordingly.
Figure 6.9 Tombstoning

There are a number of reasons for the appearance of tombstoning with discrete components including:

• Different pad surface areas, from one side of the component to the other
• Variations in the thermal demand of the solder pads attributed to tracks and internal layers
• Different volumes of solder paste applied to the two pads
• Solder paste printed beneath the body of the component
• Poor solderability of one or both of the solderable component terminations
• Solder resist thickness. Excessive thickness may cause the component to rock
• Inadequate pick and placement pressure causing poor initial adhesion to the paste deposits

With discrete components getting ever smaller the surface area of the solder pads influences the surface tension
experienced by the components. Tombstoning can be more prevalent with smaller component sizes.

6.2.4.1 Incorrect pad design

Solder pads should be designed to accommodate the component terminations approximately central to the pad
centroids to ensure the forces acting on the two ends of the component are balanced. When the component is
out of position, relative to the centroids, the forces at each end will be different causing the possibility of lifting the
component. Once movement has started the momentum continues until the component has no solder termination
at one end.

53 Tecan stencils handbook

6.2.4.2 Variations in thermal demand of solder pads.

When designing the layout of the PCB it is important to achieve, as near as possible, equal solder pad and
track interconnections at each end of the component. This is because during the reflow process the component
terminations do not reflow at precisely the same moment. Differences in the surface area of copper connected to
the component terminations, including connecting tracks, can affect the wetting speed and lead to an imbalance of
forces on one side of the component compared to the other - increasing the incidence of component lifting.

6.2.4.3 Different volumes of solder paste

There may be occasions, even when the copper pads are equal in size, that the solder paste volumes might be
different. Poor registration of the stencil to the PCB can cause just such a problem. Smaller paste deposits may reflow
before the larger deposits, causing wetting to the termination faster than the other side of the component. This logical
process is also evident with variations in small paste deposits used for µBGAs where the smaller paste deposits reflow
before the larger ones.

6.2.4.4 Paste under the component body

Slumping of the solder paste deposits, caused either by squashing during placement or cold slump due to
environmental conditions, are both undesirable as this can cause component lift during reflow. Paste should always
be contained within the boundary of the copper pad limits.

6.2.4.5 Solderability

Solderability issues can exist when the plating finish itself is suspect or subsequent environmental reactions, for
example from incorrect storage, have degraded the finish to cause large variations in the wetting attraction forces
evident on the two pads. Where the solderability of the terminations is worse on one end of the component, the
forces acting on the component would pull the component to the better wetting pad before reflow had been effected
at the other pad. It may not cause a tombstone but it is important to remember that even a small lift can cause an
inadequate solder fillet or an open circuit.

6.2.4.6 Solder resist thickness

Thicker solder resist and resist variability between adjacent solder pads can cause the component to seesaw rather
than sit correctly. This effect can also be seen when interconnecting copper tracking exists between the two pads.

6.2.4.7 The effect of pick and placement pressure

This can cause the component to simply rest on the surface of the paste deposit, as opposed to being held by the
tackiness of the flux. In such cases, when the solderability of the component is in question, wetting of the solder may
be limited. Care has to be taken with pick and placement as excessive force can lead to both increases in mid-chip
solder balls and shorting.

54 Tecan stencils handbook

6.2.5. Component skew

Skewing is also caused by an unequal wetting at the two terminations on a discrete component. The surface
tension, at the end to reflow first, often acts to realign the component out of its original placed or desired position.
With chip components, the solution is the same as for tombstoning. Pad design can also affect the surface tension
at one end of a chip component. Placing two chips on shared pads or having differing width connection tracks or
via holes within the pad can influence the realignment of the components concerned.

Left: Figure 6.10 Misplacement

Right: Figure 6.11 Component skew

Some integrated circuits used today, such as QFNs, have comparatively large grounding planes on their
underside between the terminations. If solder paste is applied to the corresponding central copper pad without
reductions, the volume of solder available causes the component to skew out of position.

QFN Package QFN Package Corresponding Aperture

Figure 6.13 Figure 6.14 Corresponding Aperture
design required to design required to
Figure 6.15
Figure 6.12 The shorts visible in the QFN package Corresponding
prevent skew. prevent skew. Corresponding
x-ray picture above could have been aperture design aperture design
avoided by optimising the apertures as required to required to
shown in the figures 6.13 – 6.15. prevent skew prevent skew and
bridging

6.2.6 Cold joints

Cold joints will be caused by low peak temperatures not fully reflowing the
solder mass. To achieve the required solder fillet appearance, it is essential
that minimum peak temperatures are achieved and also the time above
liquidus (TAL) is sufficient.

6.2.7 Voiding
Figure 6.16 Cold joints

Voiding or non-metallic pockets within a solder joint are largely caused by outgassing of solvent materials.
Pockets of flux can also become trapped within a solder joint as shown in the cross sections in figure 6.17.

Flux entrapment is clearly visible on the right-hand end

view, whereas evidence of surface voiding can still be
seen on the middle view. Minimising this problem relies on
reducing the soldering time or the pre-heat ramp-up rate.

Figure 6.17 Cross sections showing the solder fillets resulting from PIHR.

55 Tecan stencils handbook

6.2.8 Intermetallic growths

Excessive intermetallic growths are caused by exposure to heat over time,

where resultant absorption of metallic elements form layers within the solder
joint and also at the interface with the surface mount pads and component
terminations.

Thicker intermetallic layers make a solder joint harden and become brittle.
Care should always be taken to ensure excessive peak temperatures and TAL
are avoided.
Figure 6.18 Formation of
intermetallic layers in solder joint
The appearance of large grain sizes in the solder joint is indicative of a slower
cooling rate. This can be avoided by ensuring the cooling rate is set between
3 - 4° C / second.

6.2.9 Cracks

Component cracks develop due to thermal stress inside of the component.

Care should be taken when heating or cooling to ensure both the PCB and the
component population do not undergo rapid temperature changes.

Figure 6.19 Component cracks

Solder joint cracks are usually the result of mechanical stress at the
component terminations. This can be caused by substrate flex, which in some
cases is exacerbated by the use of inappropriate solder pad designs which
creates too much solder on component terminations.

6.2.10 Fillet lifting Figure 6.20 Cracked solder filet

Pad lifting, fillet lifting and fillet tearing are effects

that result in part from the differences in thermal
coefficients of expansion (TCE) between the substrate
material and the copper barrels and tracks on the
PCB.

Figure 6.21 Fillet lifting

There is a relatively large expansion of the laminate material in the z axis throughout contact with the molten
solder in the wave or selective soldering processes. This expansion causes conical deformation of the copper
pads.

When solder joints start to solidify, the board material cools down and
returns to its planar shape. This movement can create stress on the surface
of the solder joint, which at this stage has not gained its full strength. Such
stress may cause pad lifting or – if adhesion between the copper pad and
substrate is at that point stronger than the solder – will cause cracks in the
solder fillet surface, known fillet tearing.

Figure 6.22 Fillet tearing

56 Tecan stencils handbook

6.3 Solder paste printing effects
Many individual company workmanship standards exist alongside those published by the SMART group and other
bodies, but generally they all refer to qualifying the printing process in terms of:

• Registration of the printed deposits to the copper pad pattern

• The effective solder paste coverage of the pads
• The appearance of the printed deposits and their definition and consistency
• Paste thickness achieved
• Appearance of obvious defects such as slumping, bridging and spikes

6.3.1 Good print

Paste is printed and contained within the boundary of the copper pads.

6.3.2 Misaligned print

Poor registration of the stencil image to

the corresponding PCB features. Figure 6.23 Good print

Figure 6.24 Misaligned print

6.3.3 Bridged
The result of incorrect gasketing between the stencil aperture and the copper
pad or feature on the PCB. Never assume that the PCB or substrate features
match the original data sizes exactly. Dependent on the thickness of the copper
on the PCB, it is possible to lose up to 100µm from the target size required.

Bridging is often a problem with finer pitched devices and can be caused by a
number of factors including: Figure 6.25 Bridging

• Inadequate gasketing through incorrect stencil aperture reductions, over-etched PCBs, or inaccurate stencil to
substrate alignment

• Component coplanarity errors or excessive pick and placement pressure

• Paste slump caused by too rapid a temperature gradient in the pre-heat zone

• Dirt and particulate contamination, for example a hair or fibre filament across two adjacent pads, causes an
attraction and flow path between them - often resulting in shorts

When printing fine pitch requirements, the stencil must gasket onto the copper pad in order to confine the printed
deposit to the pad itself.

X X Figure 6.26 Over-etched

copper pads cause a loss of
gasket that results in flux and
solder balls – causing bleeding,
bridges and shorts.

57 Tecan stencils handbook

6.3.4. Slumping

Paste slump can be caused

by using solder paste outside
of its usual environmental/
temperature/humidity range.
The same effect can occur if
using out-of-date solder paste.

Figure 6.27 Good print Figure 6.28 Slumped print

6.3.5. Scavenging

Loss of the solder paste volume, for larger stencil apertures, such as base
pads of D-PAK devices. The answer here is to brace the aperture to make
several smaller apertures within the original pad border.

6.3.6 Ripped print

Figure 6.29 Scavenged print

Ripped print can be caused by movement at the end of the print stroke
or the use of cantilever, not straight, lift separation of the substrate from
the stencil post-printing. If using a simple cantilever separation make use
of a two-axis or table up/down control to separate by a minimum of 1.5 x
stencil thickness.
Figure 6.30 Ripped print

6.3.7 Insufficient

Too little solder paste printed - usually the result of incorrect aperture
sizes or excessive printing speeds.

Figure 6.31 Insufficient

58 Tecan stencils handbook

 6.4 Screening can requirements
Coplanarity issues are not limited to semiconductors; RFI shielding cans play an increasing role in the quality of
finished assemblies today. Often ‘pressed’ (or stressed) cans will not sit flat on the PCB itself. Several methods
are currently used to overcome such problems, including preheating to anneal the cans and placing weights on
the cans during reflow, but this can affect the reflow characteristics of the assembly and is also likely to lead to
problems with joint integrity during cooling and use.

Some screening cans do not exhibit severe coplanarity problems as they are manufactured using photo chemical
machining which does not induce stress into the material. Once plated and assembled the seating faces on all
four sides largely fulfill the flatness tolerances required.

The use of selective thickness printed solder deposits can also help to overcome any coplanarity problems.
Printing increased height paste deposits for the screening can, on the same printing pass, eliminates problems
associated with this non-conformance and provides stronger solder fillets which increase mechanical security
and prevent problems associated with voided fillets.

Often paste deposits are printed in isolated blocks. The solder does not, however, reflow sufficiently and creates
voids and blowholes in the sealing fillet, which may require reworking. One answer is to ensure the paste deposits
do not have these large interrupts that cause the effect in the first place. It is possible to produce integral
deposits, which assist in reflowing without voids. Replacement of the solid metal tags with suitable mesh aperture
patterns that join the isolated deposit apertures, permits the deposition of sufficient solder material and flux in the
paste. This encourages the necessary conditions to provide surface tension, ensuring solder flows over all areas
giving an even fillet all around the can.

Since both the PCB and screening can initially possess good solderable
finishes, the addition of printed solder paste, combined with the heat
applied during reflow often encourages the migration of solder up the
can walls away from the PCB. The result is sometimes less than pleasing
in terms of appearance and may not provide effective shielding or the
mechanical strength required in the solder fillet.

Figure 6.32 Paste deposits for screening cans

Can wall

Paste
Migration Plating

Can Smaller Can Plimsoll Line

Voids & Fillets
blow holes Good, strong
Fillet
PCB PCB formation

Figure 6.34 Paste migration

Figure 6.33 Conventional assembly method
showing paste migration.

A unique solution to this problem of solder fillet migration is the Reflow

Plimsoll Line (RPL). The interruption in the plating finish on the can
wall allows the solder deposit only minimal migration and ensures
fillet strength and volume are maximised. It also avoids the problems
associated with the formation of blowholes, gaps and the untidy
appearance of the can wall finish.

Figure 6.35 Reflow Plimsoll Line (RPL)

59 Tecan stencils handbook
 6.4.1 Stencil design considerations for screening can applications

A traditional approach, including webs between adjacent apertures as shown in figure 6.36, often results in
isolated paste deposits that do not always deliver integral solder fillets and may need rework.

Isolated paste
deposits
Figure 6.36 Stencil layout with webs between apertures

Stencil
Webs

XX
XX

XX

XX
XX

XX
The enhanced stencil design, shown in figure 6.37, includes
metal mesh and ensures paste deposits on the whole of the
Can wall XX
XX XX
XX
can wall - the
Canpresence
wall of flux and paste encourages the
reflow process. Paste
Paste
Migration Plating
Migration Plating XX
XX XX
XX
Can canSmaller
Multi-level stencils Can paste
also ensure appropriate
Plimsoll Line Stencil
deposits
Voids & as Can
illustratedSmaller
in figures
Fillets 6.38 Can
and 6.39. Plimsoll Line Mesh

Voids &
blow holes Fillets Good, strong XX
XX XX
XX
blow holes Good, strong
Fillet
PCB PCB Fillet
formation
PCB PCB stencilformation
Figure 6.37 Enhanced design

XX
XX
XX

XX
XX
XX

Figure 6.38 Conventional single-thickness

paste deposits

Figure 6.39 Selective multi-height paste

deposits can be achieved using multi-level
stencils

Figure 6.40 Screening can assembled using reflow technique, in

combination with multi-level stencil, replacement of stencil webs and
Reflow Plimsoll Line.

60 Tecan stencils handbook

7.0 rework

a range of solutions designed to ensure

consistent reworking

61
7.1 Rework solutions
Electronic assemblies today often contain diverse
component populations; some can be reworked using
conventional skills such as hand soldering.

A different approach is, however, required for many

surface mount components, including:

• PLCCs
• QFPs
• BGAs
• µBGAs Figure 7.1 Hand soldering
• SM connectors

Rework stencils mimic the footprint and aperture sizes, corresponding to both the device requirements and
the original stencil used in production. In combination with a rework station, alignment is simple, resulting in a
controlled ‘right first time’ process.

Offering optimum reliability and consistent printed results, rework stencils are both strong and rigid to ensure
positive gasketting with the PCB surface. The compact designs include minimal stencil projection beyond the
image to be printed, enabling use in all situations, especially high-density component areas.
Accurately folded edges and run-on / run-off areas ensure effective paste roll and containment without causing
interference to other components on the populated PCB.

In addition to specialised direct component printing or PCB printing rework stencils, other rework solutions
include dip transfer plates, BGA re-balling stencils and reflow reflector shields.

Figure 7.2 Direct printing stencils Figure 7.3 PCB printing rework stencils

Dip transfer plates enable the accurate application of precise flux volumes to the lower quartile of the solder balls
of Ball Grid Array (BGA) components, thereby eliminating excessive flux contamination on the underside of the
reflowed component.

BGA re-balling stencils offer advantages in two areas. Firstly, to ensure the precise registration of new solder
spheres onto pre-printed flux deposits, and secondly, in the form of the thicker stencils necessary for printing
solder paste onto the BGA itself to create new solder sphere terminations.

For depositing paste onto the pads of the BGA device itself, where the printed device will be picked and placed
onto the printed circuit board (PCB) and subsequently reflowed, direct component printing stencils are used.

62 Tecan stencils handbook

During reflow, reflow reflector shields provide critical protection for heat sensitive components on densely
populated PCBs, where an adjacent device is to be reworked / reflowed. The reflow shields are custom-made
to fit over leaded components such as connectors, crystal oscillators, switches, inductors and capacitors, during
reflow. In the reflow oven the shield reflects heat energy, thereby preventing damage to the component body,
while simultaneously allowing conducted heat from the bottom of the PCB to reflow the solder paste effectively,
ensuring a good joint every time.

Figure 7.4 Reflow reflector shields

7.2 Fine pitch suitability

Stencil technology Dimensional tolerance Paste release Ease of forming

Precision etched

± 9µm 4 ✓✓

Laser cut / laser-formed

± 5µm 4.5 ✓

63 Tecan stencils handbook

7.3 Rework stencil design considerations
Although rework stencils are used to print solder paste for single component footprints their design and suitability
are examined in the same way as a stencil used to print the solder paste for an entire component population in
terms of:

• Aperture size / shape

• Stencil thickness
• Aspect ratio / area ratio
• Paste release / wall roughness
• Solder paste rheology / particle size

7.4 Rework option 1 – Printing paste on to the PCB

1. Remove faulty component using hot air reflow
2. Clean copper pads to level/flatten footprint. Once cleaned it should be remembered that the solder
remaining will invariably be more than was present when the PCB was assembled and as such a thinner
stencil may give better results
3. Align stencil and print paste. It is recommended that a holding jig is used so that once alignment is achieved,
the operator only has to concentrate on printing the paste. Solder paste must roll across the stencil to fill the
apertures and during printing it is essential that the stencil is not disturbed
4. Once printing has been completed the stencil should be lifted vertically from the PCB to leave the paste
deposits on the solder pads
5. Place new component
6. Localised reflow
7. Inspect

Poor solderable pad finish flatness will prevent stencil gasketting, causing bleeding and bridging which can result
in further rework. When preparing the solder pads before printing care should be taken to achieve the flattest
possible finish.

Figure 7.5 PCB pad finish

64 Tecan stencils handbook

 10.5.2 Mini rework stencil printing
7.4.1 Mini rework stencil printing
10.5.2 Mini rework stencil printing

Step 1: Step 2:
Accurately align stencil above the solder pads Ensure solder paste rolls to fill the apertures
Step 1: Step 2:
Accurately
Step align stencil
1: Accurately above
align the solder
stencil abovepads
the Step 2:solder
Ensure Ensure solder
paste paste
rolls to fillrolls to fill the
the apertures
solder pads. apertures.

Step 3: Ensure straight lift separation of the Step 4:

Step 3: Ensurestencil from the
straight PCB
lift separation of Step 4:reflow
Localised Localised
solderreflow
paste toofform
solder paste
solder to
fillets
Step
the 3: Ensure
stencils fromstraight lift separation of the
the PCB. form solder fillets.Step 4:
stencil from the PCB Localised reflow solder paste to form solder fillets

Figure 7.6 Mini rework stencil printing

65 Tecan stencils handbook

7.4.2 Rework stencil keep out zone

Keep-out zones are the distances between the terminations of the device being reworked and the nearest
adjacent component. Once a PCB has been fully assembled the packing density will affect the clearance
surrounding the rework stencil. Sometimes it can be more effective to remove any discrete components that
interfere with achieving a minimum clearance of 2.50mm.

Figure 7.7 Rework stencil keep-out zone

Creation of a “ski-ramp” at the end of the rework stencil can both accommodate adjacent components and allow
uninterrupted printing with any excess paste remaining on the ramp.

Figure 7.8 Ski-ramp

It is essential that rework stencils are provided with straight lift to the PCB surface and also after printing. Any
angular variation from 90° will create pressure on one edge of the stencil, interrupting its correct seating, causing
gasketting problems.

Figure 7.9 Rework stencil angle

✗ ✓

66 Tecan stencils handbook

7.4.3 Rework stencil design options

Hollow stalks, vacuum nozzles, screwed threads and simple handheld

interfaces can all be provided. With any stencil format, straight lift of the
stencil after printing and providing sufficient head height to permit a printing
angle of approx. 60 degrees are essential.

Head
height

Figure 7.10 Stencil head height

7.5 Rework option 2 – Dip transferring sticky flux (gel

flux)
1. Remove faulty component
2. Clean copper pads
3. Apply gel flux to component
4. Place new component
5. Localised reflow
6. Inspect

Figure 7.11 Dip transferring sticky flux

Sticky flux can be used as an alternative to solder paste for plastic BGAs. The application of excessive volumes of
flux leads to problems when the assembly requires visual inspection or cleaning as the hardened flux is difficult to
see through or remove.

Dip transfer plates ensure that only the lower quartile of each ball is coated to provide sufficient flux for reflow
without the risks associated with excess volumes. The plates are profiled using photo etching to provide the
precise recess depths required.

ø Dip transfer depth is recessed to ø/4

Figure 7.12 Dip transfer depth

67 Tecan stencils handbook

7.6 Rework option 3 - Direct printing onto device
terminations
1. Remove faulty component
2. Clean copper pads
3. Place component in stencil nest
4. Hold component in place in nested mini rework stencil using finger
5. Turn over nested rework stencil
6. Put paste on stencil
7. Use mini squeegee blade to apply paste to component
8. Turn over stencil
9. Place nested mini rework stencil in rework machine clamp (if applicable)
10. Localised reflow
11. Inspect

Component should be nested to avoid any stress before

stencil is aligned.

Figure 7.13 Direct printing mini rework

stencil and mini squeegee blade

Figure 7.14 Component nesting

Stencil thickness and aperture diameter need to be considered carefully to ensure the solder paste is released in
consistent volumes on top of the BGA solder balls.

Figure 7.15 Direct printing Figure 7.16 Results from a 0.150mm direct printing
rework stencil

68 Tecan stencils handbook

7.7 Rework option 4 - BGA re-balling stencil
It is possible to re-ball BGAs using thicker stencils to provide the necessary ball diameters the device was created
with. It must be remembered however that solder paste although 88-93% metal by weight, is only 50% by volume.
As such, typical stencil thicknesses required are 0.5 – 0.65mm depending on the sphere diameter.

The Component should be nested to avoid any stress before the stencil is aligned.

Step 1: The BGA must be nested carefully before the stencil is aligned.

Step 2: The exact thickness of the stencil (t) depends on the sphere diameter required.

Step 3: Subsequent reflow with the stencil in place creates the spheres required.

Figure 7.17 BGA re-balling stencil printing

69 Tecan stencils handbook

7.8 Reflow reflector shields
The primary use of this protection is to protect susceptible plastic components or connector bodies from the
affects of heat during the Pin in Hole Reflow process. Being thin and reflective they can be designed to reduce the
temperature within the shield by up to 40°C relative to the outside temperature.

Simple 5-sided shields for prototype assembly can be

augmented using spot welding to provide shields that
will endure many reflow operations.

Heat

Heat

Figure 7.18 Reflow reflector shields

Figure 7.19 Schematic diagram showing a

Air flow Air flow reflow reflector shield in operation

7.8.1 Reflow reflector shield results

Reflow shields can also be used to good effect, protecting surrounding devices from the effects associated with
subsequent reworking of an adjacent component. Simply locating a reflow reflector shield over the surrounding
susceptible components protects them from any adverse effects resulting from the reflow temperatures involved.

Reflow reflector shield solves the Some components go into

heat susceptibility problem meltdown if not protected

Figure 7.20 PIHR assembly using

conventional non-reflow capable
headers

70 Tecan stencils handbook

 Figure 7.21 Evidence of severe heat distortion
after reflowing without a reflow reflector shield

Figure 7.22 Use of a reflow reflector shield has

preserved the mechanical integrity and thermal
stability of the headers

71 Tecan stencils handbook

8.0 other stencil
applications

considerations for glue and pin-in-hole reflow

72
8.1 Glue
Epoxy glue is used as a surface mount adhesive (SMA) to attach and maintain surface mount devices (SMD) to
the PCB surface throughout placement and wave soldering. As such, thicker stencils which enable increased
adhesive deposits are required.

Since the development of single component epoxy technology for use as a SMA, the methods of application
themselves have evolved, driven by the requirements for increased assembly speed and improved process
repeatability.

Adhesive stencil printing utilises existing production technology and techniques to optimise the efficiency required
from a surface mount line, particularly relevant when densely populated assemblies are processed. Total print
times of less than 15 seconds are achievable.

8.1.1 Wave soldering

Direction of travel
PCB

Molten solder wave

Flux

Figure 8.1 Wave soldering principle stages: flux,

pre-heat and solder
Pre Heaters

Figure 8.2 Wave soldering machine Figure 8.3 Conveyorised Figure 8.4 PCB entering solder wave
board transport

8.1.2 Glue stencils

The stencil technology differs from that used to print solder paste, where the intention is to transfer the entire
contents of the aperture onto the PCB. When glue printing, however, good use is made of the adhesive’s ability to
remain as a partial retention in the apertures. This is based on the simple relationship of the surface area of the
deposit base (PCB contact area) relative to the aperture wall surface area.

73 Tecan stencils handbook

8.1.3 Glue printing principles

For components of a similar stand-off a stencil of 0.008” should be used. Where a variety of components exist
a stencil of 0.010” should be used. The resultant glue dot heights are a direct result of the aperture diameter
relative to the stencil thickness.

Where diameter = stencil thickness the dot heights are approx. 1/3 of the stencil thickness used. Using apertures
of twice the stencil thickness delivers dot heights of between one and two stencil thicknesses. Increasing the
aperture further delivers dots of approx. the stencil thickness.

Glue deposits can exist as single dots, double dots or simple slots. In each case it is important that the aperture
dimensions do not exceed 1/3 of the distance between the inner most edges of the discrete component pads.
The reason is that when a component is placed onto the adhesive dot it will flatten and spread out and the
contamination of the copper pads on the board with adhesive should be avoided at all cost.

Photo etched stencils can provide an aperture profile on the top of the stencil that assists with increased glue dot
heights. It is also possible using laser stencils to manufacture stencils with aperture sizes the same as the stencil
thickness, 0.200mm in 0.200mm (0.008” in 0.008”), this can be useful when the pads on the PCB are too close
together.

8.1.4 Multi height deposits

Where apertures are small, for example 0.012”/0.3mm, the adhesion between the glue and stencil effectively
retains some of the deposit and the resultant dots have a small or low Glue Dot Height (GDH).

Stencil apertures of 0.8mm (0.032”) ensure a larger percentage of the adhesive is transferred onto the PCB.
When the stencil and board are separated the stencil drags the adhesive and the resultant dots will be higher.

For apertures of between 0.060” to 0.080” (1.5mm to 2mm) most of the adhesive is transferred onto the PCB and
the GDH will be similar to the thickness of the stencil.

Each adhesive has individually distinct properties and characteristics which may require some process variations.
Most manufacturers offer guidelines and basic design rules to ensure compatibility with screen printing.

0.250mm (0.010”) 0.500mm (0.020”) 1.5mm (0.060”)

0.250mm (0.010”)

1/3x 2x 1x

Figure 8.5 Deposit height relative to glue dot diameter and stencil thickness

74 Tecan stencils handbook

8.1.5 Glue stencil design

There are three variables to consider when designing the most effective pattern for SMD attachment:

• Component standoff
• Stencil thickness
• Pad design

8.1.5.1 Component Standoff

This refers to the distance between the PCB and the underside of the
component, shown as x in figure 8.7 below.

Figure 8.6 Component standoff

End terminations

A standoff of 0.002” (0.05mm) will cause

the deposit to spread 100% more than Component

if it was 0.005” (0.125mm), see figure as x

shown in figure 8.8.

PCB

Component pads
Figure 8.7 Component standoff
d

Adhesive deposit, after placement Adhesive deposit, as printed (d / 3) Adhesive deposit, after placement Adhesive deposit, as printed (d / 3)

Figure 8.8 Effect of placement

The difference could be enough to allow the adhesive to spread onto the solder pads, causing joint contamination
and preventing effective soldering of the component. To avoid this problem, double dot printing is recommended
as shown in figure 8.9.

8.1.5.2 Stencil thickness

Single dot
This is dependent upon the type of SMDs being usedformat Double dot
but is usually between 0.008” format(0.2-0.3mm). 0.008” Simple slot for
- 0.012”
(0.2mm) is more appropriate for components with similar standoffs and 0.010”-0.012” (0.25- 0.3mm) is used
where the mix of components require deposits of different heights (multi-height deposits).

75 Tecan stencils handbook

8.1.5.3 Pad DesignAdhesive deposit, after placement Adhesive deposit, as printed (d / 3)

This is usually dependent upon the clearance between the deposit and the component pads after placement.
Three alternatives are available as shown in figure 8.10

Single dot format Double dot format Simple slot format

8.1.6 GDD and GDH Figure 8.10 Dot formats

Glue dot diameter (GDD) and glue dot height (GDH) of the deposits depend on:

• Diameter of stencil apertures

• Stencil thickness selected
• Viscosity/rheology of adhesive (manufacturer defined)
• Surface roughness of the stencil (friction between adhesive and aperture walls)
• PCB surface condition. An uncontaminated dry surface is necessary to ensure optimum adhesive printing

The following table shows approximate GDDs required when the adhesive has been printed with a metal
squeegee blade through a 0.010” (0.25mm) Tecan glue stencil.

Component Size GDD in mm Component size GDD in mm

0402 0.4 Mini-melf 1.1

0603 0.5 1812 1.4
0805 0.6 SO8 3 x 1.5
1206 0.8 SO14 3 x 1.7
SOT 23 0.9

Equally good results have been achieved using multi-level stencils with 0.008” (0.200mm) general thickness rising
to 0.014” (0.350mm) in selected areas.

Tecan can create a glue stencil from the copper pad and silk screen data layers in combination with the
component designation file.

Some components have larger stand-offs and as such higher printed glue dots are required. It is crucial to
identify the components that need higher glue dots since too little glue will only result in loss of the components to
the solder wave.

Figure 8.11 Aperture modifications to increase GDH

76 Tecan stencils handbook

Aperture design and stencil thickness can be used to provide extra glue dot height.

The compass design enables the glue deposit to achieve a good solid base with the glue in the four points
contributing to glue dot height in the centre when the substrate separates from the stencil.

Single dot Double dot Simple dot Compass

Figure 8.12 Aperture design

When higher glue dots are required to overcome increased component standoffs, use of the compass design may
need to be combined with both a normal print and a subsequent flood. Flooding is carried out without pressure
Print
and can leave a residue on the stencil that collapses into the larger apertures to provide an extruded dot height
of between three and five times the stencil thickness selected.

Print Flood

Figure 8.13 Print and flood

8.1.7 Stencil cleaning

As the SMAs mentioned do not contain particulate matter, cleaning is easy and the selection of effective
stencil cleaning solutions will depend upon the stencil format, the SMA selected and the manufacturer’s
recommendations. Care must be taken when using mesh mounted stencils as some cleaning solutions,
Flood
concentrations and temperatures required may attack or destroy the bonding agents.

Aperture as Aperture not Further ineffective

purchased cleaned on cleaning creates more
1st attempt build up similar to the
annular rings on a tree

Figure 8.14 Stencil cleaning

77 Tecan stencils handbook

8.2 Pin-in-hole reflow (PIHR)
This assembly technique is used extensively as an alternative for
subsequent hand or wave soldering operations of leaded components
- from crystal oscillators and headers to multi-row connectors.

As with all surface mount technology, successful end product quality

relies on the accuracy and adequacy of the printed solder paste
deposits. Optimised stencil design is an essential requirement to
ensure the printing solution delivers successful PIHR results.

In its simplest form, the technique involves printing solder paste onto
the printed circuit board for both surface mount devices and leaded
components. With PIHR it is essential that sufficient paste volume is
available to ensure the required solder fillets are formed on the top
and bottom sides of the PCB and in the component holes.

Following insertion of leaded components and placement of surface

mount devices the assembly is reflowed. Shorter product cycle-times,
reductions in manufacturing costs and elimination of contamination
by second operation flux deposits are the main benefits. Figure 8.15 Pin-in-hole reflow (PIHR)

There are basic guidelines and considerations, which need to be followed to ensure success using this process.

8.2.1 PIHR criteria

8.2.1.1 Solder fillet appearance

Resultant PIHR solder fillets can have a flatter profile than those from hand or wave solder processes but with
careful paste volume matching it is possible to create fillets that resemble the traditionally accepted profiles. One
important consideration is that solder paste, although 88-92% metal by weight, is only approximately 50% by
volume. This cannot be ignored when calculating the theoretical solder fillet volume required, since absence of
paste volume before reflow will only lead to insufficient solder fillets on the finished assembly. Although the solder
fillets may look different, their strength and electro-mechanical integrity is not affected.

8.2.1.2 Resist compatibility

Printing off pad is the first option available when trying to achieve greater solder volumes - similar to hand or
wave soldered joints. It is necessary to print paste onto the solder resist surrounding the component pad as well
as onto the pad itself and also into the hole (see figure 8.16 below). Increased surface area alone can, in some
instances, provide the extra volume required.
Solder paste printed off pad
Copper pad
Solder resist

Figure 8.16 Resist compatibility

Penetration of paste as printed Hole diameter

78 Tecan stencils handbook

This method can be used providing the solder resist used on the PCB will facilitate the retraction of the paste
deposits during reflow, without leaving isolated satellite solder balls behind.

A simple test utilising either a PCB or portion of salvage can be carried out (see figure 8.17)

Extent of paste printed off pad

Component hole Isolated solder balls evident after

reflow (an indication of possible
solder resist incompatibility)

Solder resist limit

Copper pad Figure 8.17 Resist compatibility testing

8.2.1.3 Penetration of paste

This depends largely on the squeegee speed and pressure used. Too quick and the penetration will be restricted,
too high and excessive paste may result. In fact, it isn’t necessary to completely fill the holes with paste, as the
insertion of the component lead will displace a portion of solder paste. Under normal printing conditions with 4-6
kgs pressure and 10-25 mm/second printing speed, a penetration of between 45-85 % can be expected.

Varying these two parameters or overprinting can increase paste penetration. Achieving an average 60% solder
paste penetration will mean a paste depth of nearly 1.0mm on a PCB 1.6mm thick. To achieve this, a reduction
in speed is required from that generally accepted for surface mounting printing where expected paste height is
usually 0.150-0.200 mm.

Figure 8.18 Penetration of paste

8.2.1.4 Component lead length/projection

Lead projection should be kept to between 1.2-

1.5mm when using single thickness stencils with a
maximum of 2.0-2.5mm possible where increased
paste volumes are available using multi-level
stencils.

The component lead will displace a percentage of > 2.5mm ≤ 1.25 - 1.5mm
the paste upon insertion with longer pins carrying
paste further away from contributing to the bottom
fillet formation. ✗ ✓
Figure 8.19 Lead projection

79 Tecan stencils handbook

8.2.1.5 Auto insertion / manual insertion

Care should be taken to ensure insertion is carried out as accurately as possible to avoid disturbing or merging
adjacent paste deposits. This is true for both hand and machine insertion. For machine insertion particular
attention should be focused on the ability of the machine to hold or grip the component and on the design or
suitability of the component body itself.

Figure 8.20 Comparison of

bare PCB to printed with
paste for PIHR

There is a noticeable difference between the paste deposits for surface mount devices with the general reduction
in size from the original pad size and the expanded deposits associated with PIHR requirements. With manual
insertion it is necessary for the operator to fully acquaint themselves with the board layout relevant to the
component holes beneath.

Good hand and eye coordination are required to consistently place 96-way connectors, but this can be achieved
with practice.

8.2.2 PIHR component selection

Connectors selected for PIHR should be made of a material capable of surviving reflow without distortion,
melting or cracking. During reflow the connector body will experience temperatures of between 215-230°C
for a period up to one minute. To ensure the connector will survive; it is a good idea to select from a range that
manufacturers qualify to temperatures 20-30°C above peak reflow temperature.

Although it may be possible to adjust the reflow profile to accommodate existing SMT components without
damaging any plastic components, this technique has limited effectiveness.

The solder paste reflows and is attracted towards the hottest points, namely the PCB pads and component leads.
Extended deposits retract to form the required solder fillets.

Left: Figure 8.21 Paste as printed

Right: Figure 8.22 Resultant solder fillets post reflow

8.2.2.1 Standoff height/relative position

Suitable components will have built in protrusions on

their underside to maintain a standoff distance.

Printed paste deposits should not be closer than

0.100 mm (0.004”) from the underside of the
component body to avoid possible contamination
of the body with the flux and solder spheres in the
solder paste.
Figure 8.23 Standoff height

80 Tecan stencils handbook

Select components with standoffs of 0.250-0.325mm (0.010”-0.015”) to avoid contamination and provide
inspection access for the top solder fillets.

Even on simple single row headers, the relative position of the standoff can limit the paste dimensions applied, to
the point where paste volume is not sufficient to form the fillets required. Selection of an alternative component
with in-line standoffs that replaces the crown standoffs (figure 8.25), allows greater flexibility to maximise paste
volume.

Copper pad view from Simple expansion of Consideration of

CAD data. paste deposits to achieve relative standoff Tailored printing
volumes required. positions. solution.

Figure 8.24 Paste deposit expansion

Standoff positions cannot be ignored; they can severely

limit the overall result when their presence impacts on the
stencil design, restricting expansion of the printed paste
deposits and hence paste volume available.

Paste deposits don’t have to be regular shapes to provide Enlarged paste deposits Limited paste deposits
the volumes required (See figure 8.26)

Expansion should be limited to no more than 2.5-3.0

times the copper pad diameter in any direction. Ignoring
this can create problems where the solder may not
fully retract on reflow, leaving large solder balls behind
between component terminations.

8.2.3 Pin type

Round, square and oblong pins can all be used, providing a minimum clearance of approximately 0.250mm
(0.010”) exists between the pin and the inside edge of the component holes all around. Too small and insertion
becomes difficult, too large and there may be problems ensuring 100% fill of the holes. When using square or
oblong pins, the hole size should be calculated on the largest dimension plus the required clearance.

Figure 8.26 Sufficient clearance surrounding the

pin is essential to ensure easy insertion

81 Tecan stencils handbook

8.2.4 Stencil aperture designs

Solder paste, although a complex formulation, follows simple rules upon reflow having similarity to fine pitch
printing where paste deposits should be distinct / isolated to avoid bridging and shorts.

Expanded length and ø deposit

used for single row headers.
Irregular deposit.

Simple expanded deposit used for

test points and widely spaced pins. Figure 8.27 Stencil aperture designs
Teardrop design
Ideal for dual row headers or where restrictions exist
at one end of the pad.

Using PIHR, bridged deposits would leave

the paste confused and unsure where to go
causing fillet variability or large isolated solder
balls.

8.2.4.1 Volume is the result of area and Figure 8.28 Typical elongated Figure 8.29 Resultant paste
thickness PIHR stencil aperture designs deposits

When simply increasing the surface area of a printed deposit does not deliver the volume required, or the gap
between adjacent deposits becomes smaller than 0.250 mm (0.010”), a different approach has to be adopted.
Since PIHR combines existing surface mount technology with leaded components and those leaded components
require more paste, a stencil with thicker areas is required.

Multi-level stencils offer distinct thickness levels on the same stencil, which can be tailored to produce the extra
volumes required for PIHR applications whilst maintaining the appropriate stencil thickness for the surface mount
devices, including fine pitch components.

8.2.4.2 Multi-level stencils / reactivity of squeegee blades

When using multi-level stencils, the squeegee solution must provide the flexibility and small reaction times
required in both the ascent to and descent from the raised areas. Most surface mount assemblies are densely
populated and as such provide only limited clearance between, for example, a large connector and a row
of 0402 components. Recessed or mobile edged squeegee blades are able to offer improved control and
consistency of multi-height printed deposits.

Increased stencil thickness

to provide extra paste volume. Standard stencil thickness Figure 8.30 Recessed edged
for SM devices. squeegee blades and multi-level
stencils

82 Tecan stencils handbook

8.2.5 Reflow reflector shields

Reflow reflector shields (see rework chapter) can be used to maintain

existing reflow profiles whilst using non-reflow capable connectors.
The shield reflects a large proportion of the heat from the sensitive
component body whilst enabling reflow of the soldered terminations.

8.2.6 PIHR results Figure 8.31 Reflow reflector shields

In this section we examine PIHR results with the following components:

• Molex header
• 25-way D-type socket
• 3-pin header
• 6-pin header
• 2-pin header with uncropped legs
• 20-pin DIL socket Figure 8.32 Typical PIHR PCB
assembly
8.2.6.1 Molex header

Body moulding has been removed to examine the resultant solder fillets.

Figure 8.33 Top view Figure 8.34 Bottom view Figure 8.35 Top filets Figure 8.36 Bottom fillets

This component requires a reflow reflector shield to prevent meltdown. As you can see, the solder fillets have a
high wetting angle and the paste has retracted from its printed position without leaving isolated satellite balls.

8.2.6.2 25-way D-type socket

This component also requires a reflow

reflector shield to prevent meltdown. Again,
the solder fillets have a good wetting angle
and there is no evidence of isolated satellite
balls. Figure 8.37 25-way D-type socket

8.2.6.3 3-pin header

Distortion of the plastic body has affected the pin positions.

Figure 8.38 3-pin header

8.2.6.4 6-pin header

This component was reflowed using a reflow reflector

shield. The volume of paste delivered was good, but, this
component is not very well supported and during reflow
it dipped slightly towards the PCB. One answer to this
might be to dispense a glue to maintain its position. Figure 8.39 6-pin header

83 Tecan stencils handbook

8.2.6.5 2-pin inductor with uncropped legs

These were reflowed without the need for shields. Since their lead projection is significant the
solder fillets are depleted by the paste residing on the ends of the component (it is too far away
to retract back to the pads). A possible solution would be to crop before insertion.

8.2.6.6 20-pin DIL socket Figure 8.40 2-pin inductor with uncropped legs

This component was reflowed using a reflow

reflector shield. The volume of paste delivered was good, there are
well-formed solder fillets and no solder ball contamination. As this
component has turned pin legs which are larger on the PCB side
it is not a good idea to force the socket down into the solder paste
as solder bridges may form.

Sockets with turned pins can effectively squash paste into adjacent
deposits. Increased separation between deposits avoids bridging
resulting from insertion.
8.2.7 PIHR summary
PIHR is a technique that utilises existing
production equipment, personnel
and processes and can be employed
successfully provided the basic guidelines
are followed. The calculation and
provision of the appropriate volume of
solder paste to deliver the solder fillets
required, is by far the most important
determining factor to the success of the technique.

Tecan’s CAD engineers calculate the appropriate printed

paste volume to fulfil the solder fillet requirements and will
design the stencil apertures and create any local thickness
increases necessary to ensure your process is successful.
The use of x-ray equipment, although not essential, will
however enable a better understanding of:

• The volume of solder fillet achieved

• Whether the fillet has formed with voids

Figure 8.44 X-ray showing good

hole fill with minimal voids

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9.0 glossary

an explanation of terminology

85
9.0 Glossary of terms

Active temperature: The ratio of the actual temperature to the melting temperature of solder.

Activator: A chemical added to flux to aid wetting of solder deposits.

Adhesive bond: The physical connections between the mesh and metal stencil or frame.

Angstrom: Unit used to define the wavelength of light, ultra violet energy and x-rays; one angstrom is equivalent
to 10-1 nanometres (10-10m).

Anisotropic adhesive: A material with low concentration of conductive (usually silver) particles to permit
electrical conduction in the Z axis only.

Aperture listing: List of “D” Codes (definition codes) specifying the shape and size of apertures required. An
essential element of electronic data transfer.

Aperture modification: The alteration/reduction of aperture dimensions to accommodate excess solder paste
deposit and possible variations in PCB pad dimensions.

• Global modification: Expressed, for example, as either 25 microns or 0.001” per edge reduction or as a
percentage reduction across the entire image area.
• Local or Specific Modifications: Alteration to width and/or length of an aperture on a specified device.

BGA: Ball grid array. Integrated circuit package having all its electrical/mechanical
terminations on the underside. Main advantages include a larger number of pin outs at
coarser pitch than conventional PLCCs on a size for size basis.

Bi-directional tension (BDT): Where stencil tension is actuated from two axes, similar
to that of a meshed stencil, as opposed to the single axis tensioning where the stencil is
tensioned across two opposing ends, in the same direction as squeegee travel.

Bridging: The occurrence of solder forming an electrical path inadvertently through two
adjacent, normally isolated soldered pads.

CAD: Computer aided design.

Chemical polishing: A chemical process used to smooth the side walls of apertures to assist paste release.

Coining: Impressions created in the stencil after using excessive squeegee pressures or through general misuse.

Coplanarity: A measure of the distance between the highest and lowest pins of a device when placed on a flat
plane.

Deposit height: The average height of the printed deposits.

Deposition: The process of applying solder pasted by means of horizontal travel and pressure through a screen
or aperture onto a base material.

De-soldering: Removing solder from a joint in order to effect a repair. Methods include wicking, pulse vacuum
(solder sucker), localised heat and pull (hot air and laser) and solder extraction.

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Differential etching: The double-sided etching process modified to achieve smaller apertures on the PCB side
and sloping aperture walls. See trapezoidally-formed apertures).

Figure 9.2 Differential etching

Digitisation: The conversion of feature locations of a printed circuit board design to its digital representation in
X-Y coordinates.

DIL: Dual in line – an electronic device having leads in line on two opposing sides.

Durometer: A measure of shore hardness of polyurethane squeegee materials.

Electro chemical polishing: The stencil is used as an anode when it is immersed in an electrolyte solution,
electrical current flows removing metal and smoothing the side walls of the apertures to assist paste release.

Epoxy: A polymer thermosetting resin able to form a chemical bond to plastic and metal surfaces.

Etch factor: The ratio of etched depth to the lateral etch, or undercut. The proper definition of etch factor must
include the required specification for sidewall condition. .

Eutectic: An alloy having a melting point lower than any of its constituent metals.

Fiducial: A specific mark in the artwork or design, which can be laser marked, or etched into a stencil to mimic
corresponding features on the PCB and used by machine vision systems to verify layout orientation and location.

• Image fiducial: Global fiducial marks on a multiple PCB fabrication panel located within the perimeter.
• Local fiducial: A fiducial mark on the PCB designed around specific high accuracy requirements for
component placement.

Filmwork: See phototooling.

Fine pitch technology: A surface mount assembly technique with component lead pitch down to 0.500mm
(0.020”). See also ultra-fine pitch.

Flux: A material used to promote fusion or joining of metals in soldering, welding or smelting. A wide range of
rosin fluxes are available for soldering electrical/electronic components.

Flux activity: The cleaning and wetting of metal surface, during heating, caused by the flux.

Flux residue: Particles of flux materials remaining on the PCB after soldering and cooling.

Flux R: Rosin non-activated.

Flux RA: Rosin activated.

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Flux RMA: An organic acid of mildly activated rosin, containing no halogens, dissolved in isopropyl alcohol, which
attacks and removes oxides from the metals to be soldered. Used in no clean paste.

Flux RSA: Rosin super activated

Gerber data: Electronic transfer of data possible as tabular information on aperture selection and operating
commands based on dimensions in X and Y coordinates. Used in directing a photo plotter or laser cutting
machine.

Gull wing device: Electronic device with end terminations resembling the shape
of gull’s wings.

Heel crack: A crack in the solder fillet across the lead bond width in the heel
area. Figure 9.5 Gull wing device

Hydroscopic: A material that is capable of absorbing moisture from the air.

Image location:

• Centred Image: Placement of the PCB and hence the printing pads, in the centre of the stencil.

• Offset image: Many printers have one rail (front or rear) fixed permanently in position with the other rail
moving to accommodate PCBs of larger or smaller dimensions. The edge of the PCB to be printed must always
be obvious from the stencil data to ensure the image is positioned correctly.

J wing/J leaded device: Electronic device with end terminations in the shape of
the letter J.

Laser-cut stencils: A beam of focused laser light vaporises the metal to produce
the apertures. Resultant dross and burrs on the non-squeegee side of the stencil
must be removed before the stencil can be used for printing. Fine or ultra-fine
pitch stencils may require nanocoating or chemical/ electrochemical polishing.

Laser-formed stencils: a combination of electroformed nickel material with the apertures created using
precision laser cutting. Resultant stencils offer good paste release and accuracy.

Laser plotter: A machine used to produce phototools from electronic data input to the highest quality at speed
using laser technologies. Features include high resolution and repeatable accuracy.

LCCC: Leadless ceramic chip carriers.

Liquidus: The temperature of a metal or alloy at which it is completely liquid

(molten).

MELF: Metal electrical face, describing cylindrical passive components that require
special handling for placement.

Meshed stencils: A combination of metal stencil element and supporting mesh

structure to provide tension. The stencil is suspended from the aluminium printing
frame by the mesh (polyester or stainless steel).
Figure 9.7 MELF

Metal content: Defines the ratio of solder powder to the total composition based on weight and expressed in
percentage e.g. 90%.

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Micron: Also known as micrometer. One thousandth of a millimetre (10-6 metres).

Mixed technology: Component mounting approach that utilises both plated through hole and surface mount on
the same assembly.
Extra height for SM connectors, power devices and PLCCs

Multi-level stencils: Stencils that are Standard thickness

manufactured by a combination of etching and

laser-cutting which can achieve both recessed
and prominent surfaces used for multi height
deposits of solder paste of glue on the same
printing stroke.

Nano coating: With a thickness of no more than

1-100 nanometers, nanocoatings are ultra-thin
layers or chemical structures that are applied to
surfaces by a variety of methods and applied to a
wide range of substrates and chemically bond with non-porous surfaces.

Nitrogen inert soldering: Mass soldering within a nitrogen gas atmosphere to limit the effects that further
oxidation could have on the soldering process.

Occluded apertures: In traditional emulsion screens the presence of mesh filaments in screen
openings limits the passage of paste material so that fine pitch printing is far more difficult than
with the stencil process. Typically, only 50% of pad volume is printed.

On contact printing: Used for surface mount stencil printing. Intimate contact is maintained
between the non-squeegee side of the stencil and the substrate until print separation.
Figure 9.9 Occluded
apertures
Pad: The portion of conductive pattern on a printed circuit designated for the mounting or
attachment of components.

Pallet: Support tooling used for the transport and holding of thin or flexible PCBs during printing, placement or
reflow processes.

Particle size: Definition of the range of diameters used in the manufacture of solder paste powder.

• Type 2: 75µm - 53µm

• Type 3: 53µm - 38µm
• Type 4: 38µm - 20µm

PCB: Printed circuit board. A laminated construction with an insulating base material featuring copper cladding
on one or more sides. Materials used:

• FR2 (phenolic resin laminated paper widely used in consumer electronics)

• FR3 (epoxy resin laminated paper for better thermal stability and electrical properties)
• FR4 (increased dimensional stability for consumer, industrial and military applications)
• Polyimide where harsh environments prevail e.g. space/military applications

Photo etching: This process is used for the production of multi-level surface mount stencils. A blank of metal is
cleaned and coated with a photo-resist. The coated sheet is then exposed to UV light through the photo master
when exposure takes place. The unexposed areas are developed away, removing the resist, leaving the metal
bare where etching occurs. Etching solution is sprayed at pressure onto the top and bottom surfaces removing
the unwanted metal extremely accurately.

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Photo resist: An emulsion applied to a metal blank which is sensitive to portions of the electromagnetic spectrum
which when exposed and developed masks portions of the metal substrate with a high degree of integrity.

Photo tooling: A term generically applied to the entire group of photographic products used to produce photo
etched stencils.

Photo tool stability: In order to maintain the definition and tolerance of an image a temperature of 20oc and
humidity of 50% should be constant. Failure to observe the above may cause the film to shrink or expand with the
obvious resultant inaccuracies.

PIHR Pin-in-hole reflow: PIHR involves printing solder paste onto the printed
circuit board for both surface mount devices and leaded components. With PIHR
it is essential that sufficient paste volume is available to ensure the required solder
fillets are formed on the top and bottom sides of the PCB and in the component
holes. Following insertion of leaded components and placement of surface mount
devices the assembly is reflowed.

Pitch: The measurement in microns or thousandths of an inch between the

centres of two adjacent apertures on the same device.

PLCC: Plastic leaded chip carriers.

Print area: The area within the stencil/screen frame available for printing
deposits. Most dual squeegee printing machines require a distance of
Figure 9.10 PIHR Pin-in-hole reflow
approximately 40mm to be added at each end of the print stroke for the
separation of the front and back squeegee blades. On meshed stencils a further
encroachment into the print areas is required to secure the stencil to the mesh.

Printhead: The assembly in a printer that houses and controls the squeegee blade(s).

Print speed: The rate at which the squeegee blade moves across the stencil during the print cycle. Typical
speeds range between 10 – 150mm/sec (0.4 to 6.0 in/sec). Optimum speed will depend on the pattern to be
printed in terms of the finest pitch, image orientation and printing area.

Print separation speed also known as peel-away speed: The rate of PCB separation after printing, expressed in
mm/sec (“/sec).

Pumping, also known as bleeding: Excessive squeegee blade pressures force solder paste through the apertures
breaking the natural gasket seal between stencil and PCB pads. The resultant contamination of the underside
of the stencil requires immediate stencil cleaning to prevent subsequent transference of paste to adjacent gaps
between pads.

QFP: Quad flat package.

Quick change solutions: Stencils are located into position and tension is achieved without
the need to permanently fix the stencil to the frame with either mesh or adhesives.

Reflow soldering: The joining of components to the PCB by placing in solder paste,
followed by heating in an oven until the solder fuses and then cooling to form joints.
Figure 9.11 Quad flat package
Residue: Any visual or measurable form of process related contamination.

Rheology: Describes the flow of a liquid, as with solder paste or epoxy, or its viscosity and surface tension
properties.

90 Tecan stencils handbook

Scavenging/Skimping: caused in the majority of instances by employing polyurethane squeegee blades. The
pressure used to ensure the blade seals to the stencil surface often takes the leading edge of blade into apertures
thereby removing the top of the expected paste deposits (particularly evident with larger apertures).

Screen printing: Actually a derivative of the ancient art of stenciling. Whereas stencils have no means of
retaining isolated centres in place (such as the centres of the number 8), the screen mesh, coated with a photo-
patterned emulsion, can accommodate all such features. This process does result in occluded apertures.

Shadowing: When infrared soldering component bodies block energy to adjacent areas, resulting in insufficient
solder flow.

Side walls: An aperture should always be considered as a base of XY complete with 4 side walls (2(XZ) and 2(YZ)
where Z is the stencil thickness. For superior paste release characteristics at fine pitch the side walls should be as
smooth as possible. See Wall base ratio.

Skew: The misalignment of a component from its target position.

Slump: Spreading of the printed deposit (solder paste, surface mount adhesive or conductive adhesive) form its
original position, before soldering or curing. Too much slump results in the loss of printed definition and bridging
may result.

Snap-back: The return to normal of a stencil after being deflected by the squeegee moving across the surface of
stencil and substrate.

Snap-off: The height the stencil is set above the board for ‘off-contact’ printing, which determines the amount of
deflection that occurs during the snap-back action of the stencil. Snap-off distance is typically in the range of 0.6
– 3mm (0.024” – 0.120”). On contact printing would have a zero snap-off distance.

SOIC: Small outline integrated circuit.

Solder: Generally described as fusible alloys with liquidus temperatures below 400oC (750oF). Common alloys
include; Sn/Pb, Sn/Ag, Sn/Sb, Sn/In, Sn/Bi, Sn/Pb/Ag, Sn/Pb/Bi, Sn/Pb/In, Pb/In, Pb/Ag and Pb/Sb. As a result
of ROHS / WEEE legislation, lead-free alloys have been introduced. The generally accepted replacement alloy
is Sn/Ag/Cu. Proportions of each element may vary from brand to brand but liquidus occurs at approximately
240°C.

Solder ball: Small spheres of solder that break away from the designated solder pads but remain on the board
after wave or reflow soldering. These are sources of electrical shorts.

Solder balling: sometimes known as mid chip solder beading, a defect which occurs as paste which is initially
under the component is squeezed out during final reflow. Most commonly caused by paste being present in
excess amounts under the inert component body, which when reflowed is thrown out from under the chip. This
problem can be overcome by ensuring paste and profile compatibility.

Solder bump: Solder spheres bonded to contact areas or pads of devices and used for face-down bonding as in
BGA, micro-BGA and flip-chip devices.

Solder physical properties: Solder can be made in various physical forms including bars, ingots, wire, powder,
perform, sheet, balls and paste. In addition to the elemental compositions and physical forms, the performance
of solder materials is generally determined by the specific land pattern to which it is applies.

Solder powder: Small regular graded particles of solder (see above).

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Solder mask also known as solder resist: A coating applied over selected parts of a PCB that acts as a mask to
prevent solder flow/encroachment in the covered areas.

SOT: Small outline transistor.

Squeegee: A rubber, polyurethane or metal blade that wipes across the stencil to push the solder paste or
adhesive through the stencil apertures and onto the PCB below.

Squeegee blade attack angle: The angle formed between the stencil and the squeegee blade during the
squeegee travel. Most commonly 60° to the stencil surface but sometimes amended to 45° to improve
penetration for PIHR applications.

Squeegee direction: Direction of squeegee or print stroke, often dictates placement of an image on the stencil.

Squeegee pressure: The pressure exerted on the stencil during the print cycle, typically in the range of one to
six pounds per squeegee inch. Excessive pressure can cause pumping of paste which requires continual under
stencil cleaning.

Squeegee side: Top surface of the stencil – that which is in contact with the squeegee blade.

• Non-squeegee side: Bottom side of the stencil – that which is contact with the PCB to be printed.

Squeegee stroke: The total effective length of squeegee blade travel over the stencil, expressed in mm/inches.

Statistical process control (SPC): The use of statistical techniques to analyse a process or its output to determine
any variation from a benchmark and to take appropriate action to restore statistical control where necessary.

Stencil: A thin sheet of material with a printed circuit image formed into/through it. Among the many
materials that have been used for stencil printing are: Beryllium copper, brass, molybdenum, nickel silver and
polycarbonate. The most common materials in use today are stainless steel, nickel and fine grain steel.

Stencil clogging: The contamination or blocking of stencil apertures by ‘dead paste’ or solder particles.

Stenciling: Common method for applying solder paste to PCBs for surface mount assembly, this process provides
high throughput and good precision as the apertures are completely open and unobstructed.

Stencil thickness: Selection of the correct thickness of the stencil required for a printing application depends
upon achieving the necessary component solder volume requirements. The following considerations should be
made:

• The finest pitch present

• Adjustment of aperture sizes to suit
• The ability to compromise paste volumes between finer pitch and larger components
• Selection and achievement of multi-height deposits

Step and repeat: panelisation details required to accurately position multiple images on the same PCB/stencil.

Step-down stencil: A stencil of varying thickness

(less than the original material thickness) used to
accommodate coarse and fine pitch deposits on the same Figure 9.12 Step-down stencil
print cycle.

Step up stencil: for use where a greater volume and height of solder deposit is needed to add volume for
designed components -particularly suitable for through hole reflow solder.

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Surface insulation resistance: The electrical resistance of an insulation material between a pair of conductors -
used to determine the state of cleanliness.

Tack time: The useable life of the solder paste before and after printing. Generally the longer the retention
period the greater the time allowed between printing and placement without the risk of component loss
occurring during reflow.

Tension: Meshed stencils require supporting fabric tension to be adjusted to approximately 36 – 40 newtons per
cm2 before bonding to ensure stencils fixed on the mesh present a flat surface when printing.

Test coupon: A portion of functioning circuitry used exclusively for testing the completed PCB (positioned for easy
access).

Thermal cycling: A method to induce accelerated stress on components by heating and cooling in an air
circulating oven to verify reliability.

Tombstoning: A soldering defect in which a chip component has pulled into a vertical plane with only one
termination soldered.

Ultra-fine pitch printing: Printing where the component pitch is less than 0.500mm (0.020”).

Vector printing: Where either the image or the squeegee approach is at 45o. Enables the speed of printing
to be optimised whilst still filling the apertures with solder. Improved pad to pad print consistency with QFPs
and PLCCs (four-sided devices) where usually the rectangular apertures are both parallel to, and at 90o to the
direction of squeegee travel and printed results can be variable.

Viscosity: A measure of the force needed to overcome the resistance to flow.

Vision recognition systems: A CCD camera-based system used within both SMT printing and placement
machines to ensure ‘closest match’ between target positions and printed/placed positions. The image data
recorded by CCD cameras is evaluated using digital image processing technology.

Voids: Incomplete volumes of paste sometimes caused by entrapment of air with the progression of paste and
squeegee. Paste should roll not skid the stencil surface to ensure adequate/correct filling of apertures.

Wall/base ratio: For the finest apertures, the correct selection of thickness
of the stencil is important, as, when the wall area of the aperture increases
significantly compared to the pad area, the paste may tend to stick to the
walls rather than the PCB pad. The relationship between the surface areas Y
of the base of the aperture to the surface area of the 4 walls dictates the
Z Base area = XY
release characteristics of the paste deposit. For the best paste deposits the Wall area = 2(XZ) + (YZ)
X
base should always exceed the 4 wall surface area.
Figure 9.13 Wall/base ratio
• Ideal Ratio: = 1.5 : 1.0
• Acceptable Ratio: = 1.15 : 1.0

Wave soldering: The technique of bringing a PCB in contact with a continuous wave of molten solder to
complete a mass formation of joints.

‘Wendy house’ apertures: A modification to the stencil apertures for discrete components that remove solder
paste from the non-wettable faces of the components.

Wettability: The degree to which a metal surface will accept the flow of solder as permitted by its freedom of
oxides.

93 Tecan stencils handbook

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94 Tecan stencils handbook