Patent Application
20220132673
The present invention relates to a method for obtaining information about a layer of an organic solderability preservative on a printed circuit board, in particular to a method for determining an individual thickness of a layer of an organic solderability preservative (OSP) on a printed circuit board
Printed circuit boards (PCB) comprise copper structures, such as copper conductive paths, which are placed on a non-conductive substrate. A solder resist is placed on the printed circuit board and covers the substrate and most parts of the copper structures. The solder resist comprises openings were the copper is not covered by the solder resist. These openings allow access to contact pads. Contact pads are junctions for creating a contact from the copper structure of the PCB to electronic components which are placed on the PCB and connected to the PCB by a solder connection. Contact pads may have a smaller or a larger area than an allocated opening. In order to create a solder connection, openings are filled with a soldering paste, the component is inserted and connected by reflow soldering.
Before electronic components are connected to the PCB, the PCB may be stored for weeks or months. During this time exposed copper within the contact pads, which is not covered by solder resist, would oxidize which would make a reliable solder connection impossible. This is why the contact pads are temporarily protected by a so-called organic solderability preservative (OSP). The PCB is immersed in an OSP solution and the OSP is specifically deposited on the exposed copper in the contact pads only, by reacting with the copper. So, the OSP specifically fills the openings and covers the copper surface of the contact pads in the openings. In a later soldering process the OSP is vaporized, decomposed or mixed with other components without affecting the solder resist on the PCB.
It is necessary to know whether copper of contact pads is sufficiently covered with the OSP in order to guarantee the later function of the PCB. It is particularly desired to know about the thickness of a layer of OSP on the contact pads. Although it is desired to have an identical thickness of the OSP on all contact pads, typically openings with varying dimensions result in OSPs with varying thicknesses. For these reasons, a quick and reliable method for determining the individual thickness of the OSP is highly desired.
In processes according to the state-of-the-art the thickness of an OSP is determined by cutting or grinding through the contact pad and measuring the OSP thickness by electron microscopy. The drawback of this method is that the PCB is destroyed for the measuring process, the analysis is expensive, time consuming, and sophisticated. In another technique, the OSP is chemically dissolved and a concentration of the dissolved compounds forming the OSP is determined. From the concentration of said compounds an average thickness of OSP in the contact pad is calculated. A clear drawback of this method is, besides that at least the OSP is destroyed, that only an average and theoretical thickness is determined. Although it is a quick method, the individual thickness of a particular OSP in a specific opening cannot be determined. Furthermore, these techniques are only suitable for random sampling. In addition, it is impossible to implement such methods for an active real-time inspection.
In other approaches, non-destructive methods are applied. For example, US 2006/023936 A1 refers to a film detection apparatus for detecting an organic film formed on a printed circuit board, an inspection system, and a method of inspecting a printed circuit board.
US 2012/092488 A1 refers to a precision solder resist registration inspection method, including a method for operating a machine vision inspection system to determine a fluorescent imaging height for acquiring a fluorescent image for repeatably determining the location of a workpiece feature edge that is located within a layer of fluorescent material on a workpiece.
The object of the invention was to provide an improved and significantly simplified method for obtaining information about a layer of an organic solderability preservative on a printed circuit board, in particular for determining an individual thickness of a layer of an organic solderability preservative on a printed circuit board, thereby avoiding the drawbacks mentioned above. It was particularly desired to utilize such a simplified method as an active manufacturing control. Particularly it was also an object to provide an improved method for obtaining a thickness profile of an OSP layer.
The invention provides a method for obtaining information about a layer of an organic solderability preservative on a printed circuit board according to claim 1. Specific embodiments are object of dependent claims or described in this patent specification.
Thus, the invention provides a method for obtaining information about a layer of an organic solderability preservative on a printed circuit board, the method comprising
The detected fluorescent radiation is preferably used as information in quality control and information in further production and processing of OSP layers on PCBs. Further explanations are given below. When detecting the fluorescent radiation, preferably a signal, particularly an intensity of the signal is detected.
In a specific embodiment, the method is a method for determining an individual thickness of the layer of the organic solderability preservative, the method further comprising step:
By this method, an individual thickness of a layer of an OSP is determined with the help of fluorescent radiation, preferably in each selected opening.
The term “individual thickness” means a thickness in a selected opining. The term individual expresses that in different openings different thicknesses of an OSP layer may occur, so that the thickness is an individual thickness.
The method of the present invention is performed without damaging or destroying the printed circuit board.
In the method, the measuring system, particularly the radiation source, preferably is moved at any surface location of the PCB and the individual thickness of the OSP is preferably determined at any desired location having an opening in the solder resist.
The method allows determining an individual thickness of a layer of OSP on a PCB with preferably high resolution, thereby avoiding erroneous readings caused by fully or partly irradiating the solder resist. Solder resist compounds typically emit fluorescence radiation upon excitation. Thus, if a solder resist is (also) irradiated instead of OSP or together with OSP, wrong results would be obtained. This can be avoided by the method of the present invention.
The method of the present invention is a nondestructive method for determining the layer thickness and preferably in addition a thickness distribution of OSP on a PCB. The method allows a significantly increased process reliability, and helps to save chemicals and resources.
By a higher reliability of the method, thickness of OSP may be adjusted more precisely without necessity of creating a thicker OSP as necessary, in order to guarantee a minimum thickness.
The method of the present invention is quick, cheap, and significantly simple, preferably compared to methods used in the art, the method furthermore allowing large scale production control.
In the fluorescence measuring system, the radiation source emitting a radiation beam, preferably emits radiation in the UV range. The radiation source is preferably a laser. Preferably, the radiation source optimally has a power of up to 150 mW. Preferred is a method of the present invention, wherein the radiation beam has a power in a range from 20 mW to 200 mW, preferably in a range from 40 mW to 180 mW, more preferably in a range from 60 mW to 160 mW, most preferably in a range from 80 mW to 140 mW.
The radiation beam preferably irradiates an area of 0.5-1 mm2 on the layer of the organic solderability preservative.
The opening has preferably an area of at least 1 mm2, most preferably the at least one selected opening has an area of at least 1 mm2. An upper limit of the area is preferably 100 mm2.
The radiation beam causes fluorescent radiation in the selected/radiated opening and the fluorescent radiation is emitted from the OSP and detected by the detection unit.
The detection unit is preferably a photodiode.
By the movement device the radiation source and the PCB are moved relatively to each other, so that in such relative movement the radiation source is moved along the surface, or adjacent to the surface of the PCB, without contacting the PCB.
One of the radiation source and the PCB are preferably held in stationary position and the other is moved by the movement device. In another embodiment, both the radiation source and the PCB are moved by the movement device.
Preferably, the radiation source is coupled to the movement device.
The method preferably further comprises: Placing the printed circuit board adjacent to the movement device. This embodiment is preferably applied when the printed circuit board is resting in stationary position and the fluorescence measuring system is moved by the movement device.
Preferably, the movement device is arranged to move
The movement in two dimensions is preferably in such a way that in the movement a distance between the radiation source and the PCB, particularly the surface of the PCB, is held constant or essentially constant.
In a chosen cartesian coordinate system, the PCB, particularly the copper layer and the layer of OSP, preferably extends in X and Y direction (wherein the PCB and the layers of course have a thickness in Z-direction) and the relative movement is preferably done in one or more of the X and the Y direction.
Preferably, the movement is also possible in a third dimension. In a cartesian coordinate system, the PCB preferably extends in X and Y direction and the relative movement is preferably done in one or more of the X direction, the Y direction and the Z direction. Movement in Z direction allows adapting the method to different thicknesses of the PCB, either at the location where thickness of OSP is determined or during relative movement.
The movement device preferably comprises a holding device for holding the radiation source, and preferably also the detection unit.
The movement device preferably comprises linear guidings allowing the movement of one or more of
The movement device preferably comprises a motor and/or a gearing mechanism for effecting movement.
The movement device preferably allows moving in steps of 0.1-0.5 mm in one direction.
In each case, the openings have a location on the PCB, preferably with respect to at least two side edges of the PCB, wherein each opening has an individual information about its location. There are different possibilities for obtaining the information about the location of the openings on the printed circuit board. One possibility is visual inspection. For visual inspection a camera is preferably used.
A further possibility is that the information about the location of the openings is comprised in a data set. Then in step a) the information about the location of the openings is preferably obtained from the data set. On basis of this information, the selection in step b) is done.
The data set preferably comprises the information about the location in a Gerber format. This is an open ASCII vector format for 2D binary images.
Selecting at least one (i.e. one or more than one) of the openings in step b) is preferably done by individual decision or by a programmed procedure or workflow. For example when information about the location of the openings is obtained from mentioned data set, such information is preferably taken as basis for the selection in step b). Preferably, the selecting step b) then comprises selecting several openings in a predetermined order. Such order is preferably an order of size, or an order of location on the PCB.
Once the at least one of the openings is selected, the next step is preferably moving the radiation source and the printed circuit board relatively to each other with the movement device and placing the radiation source at such position that the radiation beam irradiates into the at least one selected opening, and on the layer of the organic solderability preservative in the at least one selected opening.
The method of the invention allows to specifically irradiating the layer of organic solderability preservative. Irradiating the solder resist, or additionally the solder resist, would lead to wrong determination of thickness. Thus the radiation source is preferably placed in such way that no solder resist is irradiated.
Preferred is a method of the present invention, wherein in step c) the radiation beam irradiates in such way that no solder resist is irradiated. With the method of the invention it is possible to determine a thickness also in very small openings because the measuring system allows a high resolution, for example when the radiation beam irradiates an area of 0.5-1 mm2 only.
When detecting the fluorescent radiation which is emitted from the organic solderability preservative with the detection unit in step d), a signal, particularly an intensity of the fluorescent radiation is preferably detected.
When determining the thickness of the layer of OSP the intensity which is preferably detected in step d) is preferably allocated to the thickness of the layer of OSP. In other words, thickness of the layer is preferably determined from the intensity of the fluorescent radiation. In still other words, the intensity which is preferably detected in step d) is preferably set into relation to the thickness of the layer of OSP for determining the thickness of the layer of the OSP. Preferably, the intensity is dependent on the thickness of the layer. This dependency of intensity to thickness is preferably obtained by a calibration which is further described below.
Preferably, after each step d) the detected fluorescent radiation, preferably said intensity, form reading data, which are more preferably further processed into processed reading data. More preferably, in a subsequent step, the reading data and the processed reading data, respectively, are set into relation to reference reading data and processed reference reading data, respectively. Most preferably, in the method of the present invention, the reading data and the processed reading data, respectively, are set into relation to reference reading data and processed reference reading data, respectively, obtained from a reference sample with at least one reference layer of the organic solderability preservative having a known reference thickness. By this, the individual thickness of the layer of the organic solderability preservative is determined.
In order to conclude from a fluorescence radiation, particularly radiation intensity, to the thickness of OSP layer, a calibration is preferably performed. The method preferably comprises
Said assignment is preferably be taken as a reference, in other words as a reference information.
The “known thickness” is preferably a thickness which is determined by another method. For example, the OSP layers of the reference samples are preferably be examined by microscopy, such as cutting or grinding through the layer and measuring the individual layer thickness with microscopy.
The assignment is preferably expressed as an assignment of values, for example expressed in a calibration data table, as a calibration curve, or be expressed in a mathematical relationship. In a simple embodiment, the assignment is a linear relationship.
In the method of the invention, a PCB is provided or produced. In the latter case producing of the printed circuit board preferably comprises depositing a layer of the organic solderability preservative in the openings and on a copper surface of the copper layer within the openings.
The individual thickness is preferably determined on basis of information of the assignment. This is preferably done by
In one embodiment of the invention, the method comprises checking whether
This information is preferably used for quality control, as information for refinishing the PCB that was used in the method and/or as information to further influence a production process of further PCBs.
The signal or an intensity obtained when detecting the fluorescent radiation in step d) may be taken as an information about the thickness or the quality of the OSP layer without actually determining the thickness. For example, an intensity that is outside the desired range or rated range may indicate that the thickness of the OSP layer is too low or too high.
Preferably the method further comprises one or more of the following steps
A changed thickness results in a changed signal or changed intensity of the fluorescent radiation. When a PCB with changed thickness of OSP is checked or checked again, a changed signal or an intensity of the fluorescent radiation results and it can be determined whether this signal or intensity is in a desired or rated range, without determining the thickness (again).
In case of i) the PCB is discarded if the layer is thinner or thicker as desired.
In case ii) the method is also called a method for production of a layer the organic solderability preservative on the printed circuit board, this method comprising determining an individual thickness of the layer of the organic solderability preservative on the printed circuit board. The PCB is returned into the step of production of a layer the organic solderability preservative. In case ii) the thickness of the OSP layer is preferably increased.
In case iii) the method is also called a method of production of a layer the organic solderability preservative on a printed circuit board, this method comprising determining an individual thickness of the layer of the organic solderability preservative on the printed circuit board.
In case iii) a production method is adapted in order to reach a desired thickness, as further described below. This is preferably done by adapting the deposition in the openings such that the layer of OSP in further PCB has an increased thickness or decreased thickness compared to the thickness before the adapting.
For example production of OSP is done by deposition. Deposition is preferably done by immersing into a solution OSP forming compounds. If the thickness is outside a desired of rated range, parameters of the method of depositing a layer of the organic solderability preservative are preferably changed.
Changing a method of production in iii) preferably comprises one or more of the following measures:
In one embodiment the method of the invention comprises
Preferably, the method comprises determining individual thickness of the OSP at different locations within at least one selected opening. This allows obtaining a thickness profile of OSP within an opening.
The information for the controller is preferably provided from the data set mentioned above. The information is preferably provided in predetermined or programmed manner or predetermined or programmed order. This allows process automatization, particularly when thickness of OSP in more than one opening is determined or when within one opening thickness at different locations is determined, and/or when thickness at a plurality of PCB is determined. An order of openings on a PCB and/or desired locations of irradiation on a PCB are preferably defined and taken as information for controlling the process, particularly the relative movement of radiation source and PCB and the irradiation by the radiation beam of the radiation source.
In one embodiment of the method of the invention, steps b) to d) are repeated once or more, wherein in each repetition in step b) a further, which means: a different, opening is selected and the thickness of the layer of the organic solderability preservative is determined at the respective location of irradiation in the further opening. In this embodiment thickness in a plurality of openings is determined, preferably in predetermined order. A data set and a controller as mentioned above are preferably used. When steps b)-d) are repeated in the repetitions in step b) a sequence of different openings is preferably be taken as basis and the thickness of the layer of the organic solderability preservative is preferably determined at the respective location of irradiation in the different openings.
In a more specific embodiment, the further opening, or in case of more repetitions the further openings, has/have a different area, and the method further comprises:
In ideal case, thickness of OSP layer should not, or at least not strongly depend on the area of the opening, or the area of the OSP layer. Knowledge about such assignment provides information how the manufacturing process of the OSP could be influenced to reach this.
In a further embodiment of the method of the invention steps b) to d) are repeated once or more, wherein in each repetition in step b) the same opening is selected and in step c) the radiation source is moved to a different position so that within the same opening a different location on the layer of the organic solderability preservative is irradiated. In this embodiment thickness of OSP at a plurality of locations in an opening are preferably determined, preferably in predetermined order. A data set and a controller as mentioned above are preferably used. It is of course possible to combine this embodiment with the embodiment, wherein thickness of OSP is determined. It is of course possible to combine this embodiment with the previous embodiment, wherein thickness in different openings is determined.
The solder resist is not limited in any way. The solder resist preferably comprises an epoxy resin.
The organic solderability preservative whose thickness is determined in the openings is a solid substance, particularly a solid layer. Preferred is a method of the present invention, wherein the layer of the organic solderability preservative in the openings is a polymerized and cured layer.
In one embodiment of the method, the organic solderability preservative (OSP) comprises an imidazole compound and/or a benzimidazole compound. The imidazole compound and/or benzimidazole compound is preferably the major constituent of the OSP, which means that it constitutes at least 50 wt.-% of the OSP. A further constituent of the OSP is Cu(I) which originates from the copper of whose surface the OSP is formed.
Cu(I) preferably forms a complex with the imidazole and/or the benzimidazole compound. The organic solderability preservative preferably comprises a imidazole-Cu(I) complex and/or a benzimidazole-Cu(I) complex. The layer of the organic solderability preservative is preferably at least in part an organometallic layer. The organometallic layer comprises copper as metal. The organometallic layer preferably shows a gradient of copper (I) concentration, the concentration preferably decreasing in direction to the outer surface of the layer.
So the OSP layer is preferably not only formed by the compounds that are deposited on copper when forming an OSP layer, such as (benz)imidazole, but also by copper from the copper layer itself, so that a complex layer is formed. With the method of the invention, individual thickness of such complex layer can be determined with high accuracy.
The imidazole compound is preferably an alkyl imidazole, particularly selected from the group consisting of ethyl imidazole, propyl imidazole, butyl imidazole, pentyl imidazole. The benzimidazole compound is preferably an alkyl benzimidazole, particularly selected from the group consisting of ethyl benzimidazole, propyl benzimidazole, butyl benzimidazole, pentyl benzimidazole.
The benzimidazole compound is preferably a halogen benzimidazole, particularly chloro benzimidazole. The benzimidazole compound is preferably a substituted or unsubstituted aryl benzimidazole, particularly selected from the group consisting of phenyl benzimidazole, diphenyl benzimidazole, chlorobenzyl benzimidazole, chlorophenyl benzimidazole, dichlorobenzyl-benzimidazole.
The organic solderability preservative preferably does not comprise epoxy resin.
The organic solderability preservative preferably comprises iodide.
Thickness of the OSP layer to be determined is preferably in the range of 50 to 500 nm, more preferably in a range from 100 nm to 470 nm, even more preferably in a range from 150 nm to 450 nm, still more preferably in a range from 200 nm to 430 nm, most preferably in a range from 250 nm to 410 nm.
In the method of the present invention, preferably in all the openings the copper surface of the copper layer are covered by a layer of the organic solderability preservative. This is most preferred because instead of conventionally covering such openings with tin, a tin alloy, nickel, gold, or combinations thereof, preferably said organic solderability preservative is used in order to temporarily prevent oxidation of the copper surface. Therefore, preferred is a method of the present invention, wherein before forming OSP layers in openings the printed circuit board does not comprise an opening covered with tin, a tin alloy, nickel, gold, or combinations thereof.
Preferred is a method of the present invention, wherein the radiation beam has a wave length in a range from 250 nm to 450 nm, preferably in a range from 300 nm to 400 nm, most preferably in a range from 350 nm to 375 nm.
Preferred is a method of the present invention, wherein the fluorescent radiation has a wave length in a range from 350 nm to 550 nm, preferably in a range from 400 nm to 520 nm, most preferably in a range from 450 nm to 470 nm.
Preferably, the wave length of the radiation beam is not identical with the wave length of the fluorescent radiation. More preferred is a method of the present invention, wherein the wave length of the radiation beam is lower than the wave length of the fluorescent radiation. Most preferred is a method of the present invention, wherein the wave length of the radiation beam is in a range from 350 nm to 375 nm and the wave length of the fluorescent radiation is in a range from 450 nm to 470 nm.
As mentioned before, the method of the present invention is a non-destructive method. Thus, preferred is a method of the present invention, wherein in step c) none of the layer of the organic solderability preservative is removed, i.e. neither partly nor entirely.
Preferred is a method of the present invention, wherein the radiation beam is not an X-ray radiation beam.
Preferred is a method of the present invention, wherein more than one individual thickness is determined and which are provided as an individual thickness distribution.
Preferred is a method of the present invention, wherein the fluorescent radiation detected in step d) and the individual thickness of the layer of the organic solderability preservative correlate linearly. This is confirmed in
Preferred is a method of the present invention, wherein at least a number of the openings is filled with a pre-solder and preferably subjected to a heat treatment to obtain pre-soldered openings, wherein during the heat treatment the organic solderability preservative is decomposed. Preferably the pre-solder comprises tin and/or nickel.
The fluorescence measuring system was the CleanoSpector®, by SITA Company, a laser based Fluorescence measuring head.
Measuring Principle:
The principle is shown in
With increasing layer thickness of the OSP, an increased RFU is recorded or output. The layer thickness of the OSP can be determined by means of standards and calibration lines.
In
Four samples of FR4 base materials (5×5 cm) each with a 35 μm copper foil are deposited with a layer of organic solderability preservative Atotech OS Tech® with different OSP layer thicknesses as a result of different deposition times within a range from 15 seconds to 120 seconds. The main constituent of this OSP is 2-[(4-chlorophenyl) methyl]-1H-benzimidazole. Table 1 shows the results.
Method 1 (not according to the present invention): Peeling off the entire OSP with 0.5% HCl and determining the concentration based on a UV measuring at 270 nm in a defined volume. As a result, an average layer thickness is calculated. This was used for establishing a calibration curve (
Method 2 (not according to the present invention): Making a cross-section and determining the layer thickness by means of a scanning electron microscope (FIB).
Method 3 (according to the present invention): SITA CleanoSpector® (
Example 1 shows a very reliable correlation.
The layer thickness distribution is determined on a printed circuit board by means of two methods. For this purpose, measurements are taken on different and similar openings, covered with OSP, on the printed circuit board.
Thickness according to method 3 was obtained with the calibration used in example 1 (
It can be seen that thickness of the OSP layer in an opening and on a contact pad is dependent from the size of the opening. For example, thickness in the larger openings 8′ and 9′ (measuring points 8 and 9) is lower than in the smaller openings 1′-3′ (measuring points 1-3). Therefore, it is a great advantage of the method of the present invention that the individual thickness is reliably determined.
It can be seen that in the opening with the largest area, measuring point 9, the layer thickness is increased in comparison to the smaller opening with measuring point 8. This is an unexpected result but shows the advantage of the method of the invention which allows determining the individual thickness in an individual openings and allows determining such unexpected results, which can be used as a basis for adaptation of the production process of OSP layers on PCBs.
S1: Placing the printed circuit board 16 adjacent to the movement device 24 of the fluorescence measuring system 10. This is shown in
S2: Obtaining information about the location of the openings on the printed circuit board 16. Here, data from a data set (Gerber data set) is preferably provided to a controller (not shown) which e.g. controls the movement of the movement device 24. Data are preferably selected by a program. As an alternative, information can be obtained by visual inspection of the PCB 16 with a camera.
S3: Selecting at least one of the openings 21. This selection is preferably done by individual decision or by a computer program.
S4: Moving preferably the radiation source 11 with the movement device 24 and placing the radiction source at such position that the radiation beam 22 irradiates into the at least one selected opening 21, and on the layer of organic solderability preservative 20 in the at least one selected opening, as shown in
S5: Detecting a fluorescence radiation 23 which is emitted from the organic solderability preservative 20 with the detection unit 12, as shown in
S6: Determining the individual thickness of the layer of the organic solderability preservative 20 at the location of irradiation in the at least one selected opening 21. This was explained in above examples 1 and 2.
Steps S3-S6 are preferably repeated, for example in different openings and/or at different measuring points, e.g. 1-9, as shown in
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 19157592.7 | Feb 2019 | EP | regional |
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/EP2020/053836 | 2/14/2020 | WO | 00 |
