Cleaning challenges continue to evolve as miniaturisation drives the use of finer pitch components like microBGAs and QFNs with low standoff heights, typically less than 2 mils. This makes cleaning flux residues underneath these components a very difficult task, thereby increasing reliability risks. Adding to this challenge is the use of lead-free solder paste at higher process temperatures as well as newer flux compositions that have been developed with different thermal properties. In some cases, these have led to hard residues being produced which are more difficult to remove.

At the same time, cleaning chemistries and cleaning equipment have continuously improved over the past several years to meet the challenges of cleaning these highly dense and miniaturized circuit assemblies. In efforts to find the most suitable processes and chemistries to remove these flux residues that have been trapped or shielded from cleaning, manufacturers have collaborated with experts in this area of the industry to come up with designed experiments in order to find the optimum set of solutions for various assembly processes.

The latest results from these experiments and various other solutions gathered from the field will be presented and discussed in detail in a free webinar entitled “Cleaning Under Low Standoff Components” presented by EMSNow twice on 22nd June, 2012. The webinar will last approximately an hour including a 15-minute Q&A session.