Caf Avoid Failure

How to Avoid Conductive Anodic
Filaments (CAF)
Ling Zou & Chris Hunt
22 January 2013
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2
NPL Management Ltd - Commercial
1
NPL EI Free Technology Webinars
Benefits of Using Nitrogen During Soldering and determining PPM Levels
Thursday 14 February
Attraction of Sn Tin Whiskers

Wednesday 6 M arch
BGA Reliability - The Effects of Solder Joint Voiding and Uneven Stand-Off Height
Tuesday 30 April
Reuse of Electronic Products

Wednesday 15 M ay
Through Hole Reliability for High Aspect via Holes

Tuesday 11 June
Functionalisiation and Applications of Nanomaterials for Electronic Applications

M onday 18 July
Environmental Robustness: Performance Coatings & High Temperature Interconnects

Tuesday 3 September
www.npl.co.uk/ei
“IPC/NPL Cleaning & Contamination Testing Center Live” stand 1549

30ft
AV & Seminars
AOI for Flux &
SIR Testing Microscope Aqueous Cleaner
Coatings
20ft
Contamination
Ionic Tester Ion Chromatography Ionic Tester
Flux Test Kits
Bobs Office Table
http://www.ipcapexexpo.org/html/main/cleaning.htm
2
How to Avoide Conductive Anodic
Filaments (CAF)
22 January 2013
Three main drive for CAF concern in past ten years
 CAF failure mechanism was first reported in the

1970;s by Bell laboratory.
 Three main drives:
 The drive to increase circuit density with smaller
printed wiring board geometries.
 The rapid increase of the use of electronics in harsh
environments and for high reliability and safety critical
application.
 Lead-free soldering process affect laminate stability
and increase CAF material choices.
6
3
Conductive Anode Filament (CAF)
 CAF formation inside the PCB is an important failure

mode for electronic circuit. It is a electrochemical
process, and initially caused by anodic Cu corrosion.
 CAF is Cu corrosion products grow along the
glass/resin interface from anode to cathode
- +
Mechanisms
Ionic species
Low pH
Anode
Moisture
corrosion • Electrochemical cell
• Mobile corrosion
products
Bias
• Migration down
pathway
Susceptibility reflow pathway
• pH increase
CAF • Deposition of salt
8
4
Electrochemical process for CAF
V
- +
- HO- H+ M +n H+ +
Cu M Cu Corrosion
- C6 H9 O- M +n
H2 HO
of metal
Cathode Anode
Cu+n + ne  Cu Cu  Cu+n + ne
H+ + 2e  H2 2H2 O  O2 + H+ + 4e
O2 + H2 O + 4e  4OH -
Cu+2 + 2OH -  Cu (OH)2 Cu (OH)2 Cu O + H2O
CuO: Black CuCl2: Yellow brown CuSO4 5H2O : Blue
 The Cu salt or Cu (OH)2 can be deposited at high pH

9
Conditions for CAF formation
 Electrical charge carriers must be present to form

Electrochemical cell
 Ionic species inside PCB, H+ and OH- from water
 Water must be present to dissolve the ionic material
and sustain them in their mobile ionic state
 Moisture, humidity
 Acid environment around conductors is needed to
initiate Cu corrosion at anode.
 Acid contaminations from glass fibre surface, fluxes from assembly
process or/and acid residues from plating process
 Pathway is needed for Ions to move
 Delamination between glass fibre and resin due to reflow
 Bias acts as driving force for ion transport
 Circuits need to be powered up in service
5
Traditional CAF measurement
 Test PCBs at high temperature and humidity (85°C/85% RH)

condition with bias (50V) for 1000 hours.
 Monitor Insulation Resistance (IR) continually.
 Take long time for the evaluation.
11
Time to failure
12
11
217 hours
(ohm
10 217 hours
217 hours
IR ()
9
Log SIR
8
Log
7
6
5
0 50 100 150 200 250 300
Time (hour)
12
6
Traditional CAFGmeasurements
800µm
I K
A C
In-line
400µm 400µm
300µm 550µm Horizontal
Anti-Pad Anti-Pad
In-line In-line
E 400µm Inner Pads No Pads
Vertical Vertical
In-line Ground Ground
Horizontal Anode Anode
F J L
B D
H 400µm 400µm
400µm
400µm 800µm
Staggered Anti-Pad Anti-Pad
In-line In-line
Inner Pads No Pads
400µm
Vertical Vertical
geometry Via Anode Via Anode
No via
13
In-Line /staggered combs
m 300 400 550 800
+ _
Via to via
+ +
- -
Fibre Weave Fibre Weave
In-Line Staggered
14
7
Anti-pad combs
Cathode Via Anode Via

Comb I
- Comb J
+ -
Inner Layer Pads
+
Comb K
- +
Comb L
+ -
Inner Layer
15
Parameters tested
 Factors affect CAF formation:

 Via wall gap
 Bias
 Pattern orientation
 Pattern arrangement
 Via polarity
 Presence of Inner-layer pads
 Surface finish
 Drill speed
 Reflow conditions
 PCB materials
 Board house
16
8
Effect of tested variables on CAF formation-failure time
17
Conclusions- how to avoide CAF
• Via to via gap

• Fail faster with smaller gap
• Bias
• High bias significantly decrease the time to fail Wicking, & inter yarn voiding
Images courtesy of Isola
• Laminate
• CAF resistance material reduce risk of CAF formation
• Identically specified laminates from different suppliers have different CAF performance
• Manufacture
• The in house process of laminate at board house resulting in different CAF performance
• Via and ground planes
• Anodic via fail faster than cathodic via
• Alignment to reinforcement
• Warp and weft direction
• Via staggered at 45° has greater CAF resistance
• Reflow condition
• High peak temperature in reflow is harmful to CAF performance of the PCB
• Board finish, drill speed, inner pads, Tg of laminate have a less significant effect
on CAF performance
18
9
Publication
 Lead-Free and Other Process Effects on Conductive

Anodic Filamentation Resistance of Glass-Reinforced
Epoxy Laminate” Ling Zou, Alan Brewin & Christopher
Hunt, The ELFENT Book on Failure Mechanisms,
Testing Method, and Quality Issues of Lead-Free
Solder Interconnects, 2011 p255-271
 Susceptibility of Glass- Reinforced Epoxy Laminates to
Conductive Anodic Filamentation, Alan Brewin, Ling
Zou & Christopher Hunt, MATC(A)155, January 2004
19
Identifying CAF
 Typically CAF occurs in buried layers inside PCBs

 It is difficult to find and inspect, and hence it is difficult
to study
 Work at NPL has investigated a method for
controlling the growth of CAF, and then subsequently
studying the growth.
 NPL has developed a sample structure where glass
fibres are introduced, encapsulated, and then provide
the correct electrochemical conditions to grow the
CAF in relatively shot time.
20
10
Simulated Test Vehicle (STV)
 Simulated Test Vehicle (STV) was developed, which

provides a controlled way to grow CAF.
 This enables us to investigate different variables
separately.
 CAF formation:
 Different resin systems and glass fibres: STV & STV with drilled
hole
 Reflow process: STV
 Desmear process: STV with drilling hole - +
 Glass bundle size: STV
 CAF can be easily seen using microscope with backlight
- +
21
STV1 sample
- +
- +
 Polyimide substrate with 2 oz Cu

 Resin powder dissolved in acetone
 Resin cured at 150°C for 60 minute
22
11
Test sample preparation
Different variables
0.025ul 0.3mm
5mm
 Acid condition at anode (plating solution CuSO4+H2SO4 )

 Ionic contamination inside PCB (NaCl coated fibres)
 Pathway between two conductors (Reflow process not
necessary)
12
Test different resins and glass fibres - STV
 Anode contaminated with or without plating solution
Resin Glass fibres Suppler

1080 finished
DICY Cured* A
7628 finished
7628 finished
Phenolic
cured 7628 heat cleaned no finish B
7628 loom state no finish

*DICY absent DICY cured resin 20m
25
Phenolic cured resin - 7628 heat clean fibre
13 13
1 1
12 2 12 2
Log R (ohm)
11
Log R (ohm)
11 3 3
10 4 10 4
9 5 9 5
8 6 8 6
7 Not reflowed 7 7 Reflowed 7
6 8 6 8
5 5
0 30 60 90 120 150 180 0 30 60 90 120 150 180
Time (hour) Time (hour)
 Anode: no contamination
 Fibres: clean
 CAF formed on reflowed sample
- + - +
13
Phenolic cured resin - 1080 finished fibre
13 13
1 1
12 2 12 2
Log R (ohm)
11
Log R (ohm)
3 11 3
10 4 10 4
9 5 9 5
8 6 8 6
7 7 7 7
6 8 6 8
5 5
0 30 60 90 120 150 180 0 30 60 90 120 150 180
 Anode: 100% plating solution

 Fibres: clean
 No CAF formed on both reflowed and no reflowed samples
CAF formation with different resins and glass fibres
Anod e G la s s fib re s R e s in C A F fo rm a tio n

c o n ta m in a tio n N o t re flo w ed re flow e d
1 0 8 0 fin is h e d (A )
7 6 2 8 fin is h e d (A ) x x
1 0 0 % p la ti n g 7 6 2 8 fin is h e d (B ) D IC Y
s o lu tio n absent
7 6 2 8 h e a t c le a n e d  
D IC Y
7 6 2 8 lo o m s ta te c u re d
7 6 2 8 h e a t c le a n e d x
7 6 2 8 lo o m s ta te
N one 7 6 2 8 h e a t c le a n e d x 
7 6 2 8 lo o m s ta te  
1 0 0 % p la ti n g 1 0 8 0 fin is h e d (A ) P h e n o l ic
s o lu tio n c u re d x x
7 6 2 8 fin is h e d (A )
7 6 2 8 fin is h e d (B )
- + - +
14
Different resins and glass fibres
 With anode contamination only:

 There is CAF formation for heat cleaned and loom
state fibres with both resins (DICY cured and phenolic
cured).
 There is no CAF formation for all finished fibres with
both resins.
Finished glass fibre - DICY resin
Anode Fibre Reflow

100% plating solution Yes
100% plating solution No
20% plating solution 3% NaCl Yes
100% plating solution Yes
20% plating solution 1% NaCl Yes
 Anode contamination
 Fibre coated in NaCl
 Reflow & no reflow
15
Conclusion for finished fibres
Anode Fibre Reflow CAF formation

100% plating solution Yes Yes
100% plating solution No No
20% plating solution 3% NaCl Yes Yes
100% plating solution Yes No
20% plating solution 1% NaCl Yes No
 Three factors must be met for CAF formation

 Low pH at anode (Plating solution contamination)
 Ionic contamination inside PCB (NaCl coated fibres)
 Pathway between two conductors (Reflow process)
CAF formation - different glass fibre bundle size
 Phenolic cured resin

 Anode: no contamination
 Fibres: Clean heat and loom state glass fibres
 Bundle size: small (~10) & large (30~50)
 Reflowed
32
16
Phenolic cured resin -
Heat cleaned fibre loom state fibre
13 Small bundle
13 Small bundle
1 12
12 1
2 11 2
Log R (ohm)
Log R (ohm)
11
3 10 3
10 4 4
9 9 5
5
8 6 8 6
7 7 7 7
8
6 8 6
5 5
0 30 60 90 120 150 180 0 30 60 90 120 150 180
13 Large bundle 1 13 Large bundle
12 2 12
3 9
Log R (ohm)
Log R (ohm)
11 11 10
4 11
10 5 10
9 12
6 9 13
8 7 8 14
7 8 7 15
6 16
6
5 5
0 30 60 90 120 150 180 0 30 60 90 120 150 180
33
CAF formation
- + +
-
- +
- + - +
34
17
STV with drilled hole
- +
- + Cu
Polyimide
Tap
100% 30% 10%
 STV is sitting on adhesive tape.

 Hole filled with 1µl different concentration plating solutions.
 Filling solution dried for 2 hours at room temperature before
CAF testing.
35
CAF formation – desmear process
No-desmear Desmeared
36
18
CAF formation without desmear
- Phenolic cured resin & 7628 finished glass fibre (B)
13 100% plating solution 13 30% plating solution

12 1 12 6
Log R (ohm)
Log R (ohm)
11 2 11 7
10 10 8
9
3
4
9 - + 9
8 8 10
5 11
7 7
6 6
5 5
0 30 60 90 120 150 180 0 30 60 90 120 150 180
13 10% plating solution

12 12
Log R (ohm)
11
10
13  More CAF formed with
14
9 15 contamination increase
8
16
7
6
5
0 30 60 90 120 150 180
Time (hour) 37
CAF formation with desmear

-Phenolic cured resin & 7628 finished glass fibre
13 100% plating solution 13 30% plating solution

12 12 6
1
Log R (ohm)
11
Log R (ohm)
11 7
2 10 8
10
9
3
4
9
8
- + 9
10
8 11
5 7
7
6 6
5 5
0 30 60 90 120 150 180 0 30 60 90 120 150 180
13 10% plating solution

12 12
 Desmear process increase
Log R (ohm)
11 13
10
9
14 CAF formation, but not
15
8
16 significant.
7
6
5
0 30 60 90 120 150 180
Time (hour)
38
19
CAF formation on drilling sample
- +
- +
- +
- + - +
39
CAF formation
- +
40
20
STV1 and STV1 with drilled hole
 A STV has been successfully used to evaluate the effect

of different resin systems, different glass fibres, desmear
process, reflow process and glass fibre bundle size on
CAF failure.
 Heat cleaned and loom state fibres form CAF more easily than
finished fibres. Loom state fibre has the highest propensity to
form CAF compared with others.
 Phenolic cured resin promote more CAF than DICY cured resin,
this is probably because the DICY was removed when the resin
was dissolved in acetone in our sample preparation.
 Desmear process can increase CAF formation, but not
significant.
 Reflow process increase CAF formation significantly.
 Large bundle size increase CAF formation, but not significant.
 Further developments of a STV are underway
41
How to Avoide Conductive Anodic

Filaments (CAF)
22 January 2013
42
21
Stand 1549 Presentations
Tuesday 12.00noon “Cleaning and Contamination Failures – Causes and Cures”
2.00pm “Cleaning Under Low Stand Off Components”
3.00pm “Testing Printed Board Assemblies For Cleanliness”
Wednesday 12.00noon “Evaluating a Cleaning Process Performance”

2.00pm “Reliability of Flux Residues Under Low Stand Off Devices”
3.00pm “Cleaning Package On Package Assemblies”
Thursday 11.00am “Conductive Anodic Filament CAF Failures and Defect Analysis”
12.00 noon “Testing Adhesion of Conformal Coatings and Failures”
1.00pm “Testing Components for Cleaning Process Compatibility”
Each presentation will be 15-20mins
A copy of the presentation material can be obtained by visiting the stand
http://www.ipcapexexpo.org/html/main/cleaning.htm
NPL EI Free Technology Webinars

Benefits of Using Nitrogen During Soldering and determining PPM Levels
Thursday 14 February
Attraction of Sn Tin Whiskers

Wednesday 6 M arch
BGA Reliability - The Effects of Solder Joint Voiding and Uneven Stand-Off Height
Tuesday 30 April
Reuse of Electronic Products

Wednesday 15 M ay
Through Hole Reliability for High Aspect via Holes

Tuesday 11 June
Functionalisiation and Applications of Nanomaterials for Electronic Applications

M onday 18 July
Environmental Robustness: Performance Coatings & High Temperature Interconnects

Tuesday 3 September
www.npl.co.uk/ei
22

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How to Avoid Conductive Anodic

Ling Zou & Chris Hunt

Your Delegate Webinar Control Panel

Open and close your panel

Submit text questions

Attraction of Sn Tin Whiskers

Reuse of Electronic Products

Through Hole Reliability for High Aspect via Holes

Functionalisiation and Applications of Nanomaterials for Electronic Applications

Environmental Robustness: Performance Coatings & High Temperature Interconnects

“IPC/NPL Cleaning & Contamination Testing Center Live” stand 1549

Ling Zou & Chris Hunt

Three main drive for CAF concern in past ten years

 CAF failure mechanism was first reported in the

 CAF formation inside the PCB is an important failure

NPL Management Ltd - Commercial

Cu+2 + 2OH -  Cu (OH)2 Cu (OH)2 Cu O + H2O

CuO: Black CuCl2: Yellow brown CuSO4 5H2O : Blue

 The Cu salt or Cu (OH)2 can be deposited at high pH

NPL Management Ltd - Commercial

Conditions for CAF formation

 Electrical charge carriers must be present to form

NPL Management Ltd - Commercial

 Test PCBs at high temperature and humidity (85°C/85% RH)

In-Line /staggered combs

m 300 400 550 800

Cathode Via Anode Via

 Factors affect CAF formation:

Conclusions- how to avoide CAF

• Via to via gap

 Lead-Free and Other Process Effects on Conductive

 Typically CAF occurs in buried layers inside PCBs

 Simulated Test Vehicle (STV) was developed, which

 Polyimide substrate with 2 oz Cu

NPL Management Ltd - Commercial

 Acid condition at anode (plating solution CuSO4+H2SO4 )

NPL Management Ltd - Commercial

 Anode contaminated with or without plating solution

Resin Glass fibres Suppler

7628 loom state no finish

Phenolic cured resin - 7628 heat clean fibre

NPL Management Ltd - Commercial

 Anode: 100% plating solution

NPL Management Ltd - Commercial

CAF formation with different resins and glass fibres

Anod e G la s s fib re s R e s in C A F fo rm a tio n

 With anode contamination only:

NPL Management Ltd - Commercial

Finished glass fibre - DICY resin

Anode Fibre Reflow

NPL Management Ltd - Commercial

Anode Fibre Reflow CAF formation

 Three factors must be met for CAF formation

NPL Management Ltd - Commercial

CAF formation - different glass fibre bundle size

 Phenolic cured resin

100% 30% 10%

 STV is sitting on adhesive tape.

CAF formation – desmear process

13 100% plating solution 13 30% plating solution

13 10% plating solution

CAF formation with desmear

13 100% plating solution 13 30% plating solution