Dye Penetration Study

&
Evaluation

WLBG-MPBQA/Jeffrey Chen
 Purpose

Study and evaluate the dye penetration

technology for CSP/ BGA cracked or
open inspection.

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 Thinking of Dye Penetration

What’s the Dye penetration testing ?

Evaluation results
Conclusion

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 Dye Penetration Testing

‰Purpose:
To identify solder joints that have cracked during reliability
testing or field exposure.

‰Method:
Red die is allowed to wet into the cracks and then dry. The
stained areas indicate cracks that existed prior to component
removal.

‰Advantage:
The distribution of opens can be found for the entire package
in less time than is required to cross-section all rows of
solder joints.

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 Thermal Cycled BGA Joints

Destructive detection of both process opens and field failures

such as cracked joints.

Open Joint Conductive Joint

Red indicated joint was Yellow regions indicate where the
cracked prior to component solder was still connected prior to
removal component removal

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 Thermal Cycled BGA Joints

Cracked/open prior to testing

Component PWB Partially cracked but still

conductive prior to testing

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 Dye Penetration Test – Method

Immerse in dye Place in vacuum (>/= 9 in Hg) for

1 minute then allow to soak for 1 hour

Dry dye at 100 C for Remove component by twisting

30 minutes section of PWB with pliers

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 Dye Penetration Test - Method

‰Clean the assembly with isopropyl alcohol (IPA) in an

ultrasonic cleaner.

‰The assembly is immersed in red dye to stain all exterior

surfaces.

‰The dye bath is placed in a vacuum of 9 in Hg for 1 minute

to eliminate air from under BGA/CSP. The liquid is allowed
to penetrate for 1hour.

‰The component is removed from the dye and dried 30

minutes in a 100 C oven.

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 Part Removal for Inspection

‰BGAs
BGAs are pried off the PWB using a screwdriver to reveal red
fracture surfaces which cracked prior to prying.

‰CSPs
CSPs have a relatively thin and fragile substrate and cannot be pried
off the PWB but rather the PWB section must be twisted in
alternating directions until the CSP can be removed with light
pulling.

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 Evaluation results

‰The dye penetration test process is similar to X-section process.

‰Component removal from board was difficult, it easily broken the
board’s structure by screwdriver used.
‰The dye, we used this experiment, is very common dye for other
field. Not specific material for the PCBA dye stain used. But it got
the similar property for dye penetration test.
‰The dye penetration testing process cycle time is less than X-
section. It could not see the solder joint interface to analysis the
crack by micro-view, but could figure out the crack/ open area for
component.
‰This technology can support the X-section analysis, giving the
macro-view for the component.

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 Sample-1

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 Sample- 2

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 Conclusion

‰Finish study and build up the dye penetration testing technology.

‰ We will use the dye penetration technology support the X-
section, if it needs.
‰For BGA/CSP component destructive analysis, we still use the
X-section to be the major method.

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