BANNOCKBURN, IL – A group of leading solder vendors today issued a statement asserting “no evidence” exists demonstrating voiding has “any significant impact” on solder joint reliability.

In a statement, Karl Seelig, chair of the subcommittee that issued the report, stressed its findings on Pb- free voids. “Based on the comparison of the number and size of solder joint voids to thermal cycle interconnection failure date, there is no evidence that solder joint voiding has any significant impact on solder joint reliability."

The report was issued three months ago by the Solder Products Value Council, a group of vendors organized under IPC.

The research is based on results of a three-year, $1 million test program that studied the reliability of tin-silver-copper alloys.

The research further determined no difference in reliability between the SAC alloy family. In the report, an alloy comprised of SnAg3.0Cu0.5 was recommended.

Seelig said the group compiled “excellent data” on the effects of solder joint voids on solder joint reliability for SAC alloys.

The group is making a public statement now because significant details over the much-debated Pb-free voiding might have been lost in the overall scope of the report, Seelig said, “That’s the reason the council has published a special report specifically on solder joint voids for Pb-free solder. We have the data and it was only a matter of reformatting it for easier analysis.”

The report is available to IPC members and can be obtained through the SPVC technical subcommittee.

The SVPC is made up of AIM, Kester, Advanced Metals Technology, Avantec, Cookson Electronics, EFD, Henkel, Heraeus, Koki Co., Metallic Resources Inc., Nihon Superior, P. Kay Metal Supply, Qualitek, Mitsui Comtek Corp., Shenmao Technology Inc., Thai Solder Industry Corp. and Indium Corp.