FUNDAMENTALS OF BGA BALL ATTACH REFLOW PROCESS

Michael Ko
Research International
Ronkonkoma, New York, USA

ABSTRACT many engineers are faced with using conveyorized ovens or

The fundamentals of reflowing solder balls for the BGA furnaces for the first time. Others have used conveyorized
ball attach process is discussed. The content is divided ovens, but only to the extent of duplicating old processes or
into three major sections: modes of heat transfer, steps outline by their predecessors.
convection technologies used in reflow ovens and
mechanics of temperature profiles. The paper’s goals are to explain the principles behind the heat
transfer in convection ovens and to outline the science of
There are three basic modes of heat transfer: conduction, proper temperature profiling.
convection and radiation. All three modes are utilized in
achieving desired temperature profiles. For most of the Many process and quality issues in BGA ball attach process
reflow ovens in the industry, forced convection is the can be improved by following the basic steps of ball attach
dominant mode of heat transfer. Understanding the modes reflow profiling.
of heat transfer assists process engineers in
troubleshooting reflow applications. MODES OF HEAT TRANSFER
There are three different modes of heat transfer in reflow
In the reflow oven industry, there are two basic methods ovens. They are conduction, convection and infrared
of achieving forced convection: fans and pressure sources. radiation. In most of the convection ovens the predominant
Typically, fans are used to achieve convection and heat transfer method is convection, but other modes contribute
recirculate process gas. Examples of pressure sources are in transferring heat to the product. For heat to be transferred
compressors and nitrogen tanks. Benefits of both there must be a temperature difference. In general, the greater
methods are discussed. In convection heat transfer, the temperature difference, the higher the heat transfer rate.
temperature and speed of the gas provide quantitatively The heat always transfers from a body with higher temperature
different effect in heating the product. Adjusting the to one with lower temperature.
temperature difference between the process gas and the
product is a more effective method of controlling heat Conduction heat Transfer
transfer. In general, higher gas speed or volumetric flow Conduction heat transfer occurs when bodies of different
rate improves the temperature uniformity across products. temperature are in physical contact. The rate of heat transfer
depends on thermal conductivity of the materials and
There are four different elements in reflow profiling: geometric factors such as the thickness and contact area. In
preheat, dryout, reflow and cooling. Profiling is no longer conduction, the most important factor in determining the heat
a ‘shoot in the dark’ task. There is a definite procedure in transfer efficiency is the quality of surface contact. The
performing temperature profiling. Understanding the surfaces must be in ‘perfect’ contact for efficient conduction
relationship among heater set point temperatures, desired heat transfer. In general, the conduction heat transfer equation
profile temperature, gas speed and conveyor speed, one is
can achieve desired temperature profiles with improved
efficiency and accuracy. Q = K A (T1 – T2)
∆X
Understanding and practicing the fundamentals of the where
reflow process for the BGA packaging can enhance the Q = Conduction heat transfer [W]
productivity and lower operational cost. A = Cross sectional area [cm2 ]
K = Thermal conductivity [W/cm-°C]
Key words: BGA, reflow oven, temperature profile, heat T1 = Temperature at location 1 [°C]
transfer T2 = Temperature at location 2[°C]
∆X= Thickness between locations 1 and 2.
INTRODUCTION
In both the SMT [Surface Mount Technology] and BGA Another item to consider is the path of conduction. An effect
packaging industry, reflow ovens are often considered as called contriction reduces the quantity of the heat transferred
‘black boxes’. Many process engineers use reflow ovens via conduction because of the geometric factor. This can be
for many different applications without fully seen easily on the FEA [Finite Element Analysis] result of the
understanding the science behind the heat control cooling fin analysis. If the conduction heat transfer path is
technology. Especially in the semiconductor industry,
very small the efficiency is decreased. As an example, to Because infrared radiation depends on the line of sight for heat
conduct heat away from a surface using thin cooling fins transfer, the geometry of the objects plays a major role. In
the constriction effect needs to be minimized by BGA ball attach process, the IR view factor is very high
optimizing the fin shape, dimension, spacing and etc. because of the direct line of sight between the heater panels
and products.
Convection heat transfer
In most reflow ovens, convection is the major heat In most convection reflow ovens used for BGA ball attach
transfer mode. In general, convection heat transfer occurs process, heat transfer via conduction is minimal compared to
when a fluid contacts a body of different temperature. The convection and IR. In all convection ovens, IR heat transfer
important fact is that the fluid is in motion and makes contributes a high percentage to the overall heat transfer. As a
contact with the body of different temperature. In all rough estimate, the ratio between convection and IR is about
three modes of heat transfer, convection is the only mode 70 to 30. This fact can be explained fairly simply. If the set
where motion is essential. The rate of convection heat point temperature of the oven for a particular heating zone is
transfer depends on the convection coefficient, at 250°C., the gas temperature and the heater panel with the
temperature difference and area. The general equation for array of holes are at around 250°C. In some convection oven
convection heat transfer is designs, the heater panel can be at a higher temperature than
the gas by design. The heater panel radiates IR at 250°C, but
Q = h A (Ta – Tt ) the IR energy is exponential to the fourth power of 250°C. In
BGA ball attach process, the strips are flat and in direct line of
where sight with the heater panels contributing to very efficient IR
Q = Convection heat transfer [W] heat transfer.
h = Convection coefficient [W/(cm2 °C)]
Ta = Fluid temperature [°C] CONVECTION TECHNOLOGIES USED IN REFLOW
Tt = Target temperature [°C]. OVENS
There are many different methods in achieving convection.
In general, the higher the fluid speed, the higher the For the scope of this paper, there are basically two different
convection coefficient. There are two kinds of the means: mechanical or utilizing pressure difference. The
convection: natural and forced. Natural convection mechanical method is similar to using a regular household fan.
occurs as the buoyancy of the fluid causes vertical The fan blades exert a mechanical force causing the gas to
movement because of the temperature difference. Forced move or travel; it can be thought as ‘hitting’ the gas to move.
convection is caused by some mechanical means such as
fan blades or pressure forces which causes the fluid to The pressure difference causes the gas to move because the
move. gas wants to travel to a lower pressure area. The speed of the
gas depends on the magnitude of the pressure difference. In
Infrared radiation heat transfer convection ovens, the pressure difference is between the
Infrared radiation heat transfer occurs when any object is heater cavity or the heater box and the chamber. The chamber
above –273 °C. [absolute zero]. Again, for any heat is defined as the volume where the products are heated during
transfer to occur there must be a temperature difference. transport on a conveyor system.
While conduction and convection modes of heat transfer
are linear function of temperatures, the infrared radiation Higher pressure in heater cavity is created by one of two
mode is exponential to the fourth power. This is why methods. One method utilizes a fan to blow gas into the
infrared [IR] heat transfer is so efficient in heat transfer. cavity thus creating pressure. The other method utilizes a
The general equation for IR heat transfer is pressurized source such as nitrogen tanks or compressors.
Because the speed of gas depends on the force caused by
Q = Fv εs αt σ A [Ts 4 – Tt 4 ] pressure difference, increasing the pressure inside a heater
cavity increases the gas speed as it comes out from the holes
where in the heater cavity. The pressure inside a heater cavity can be
Q = Radiation heat transfer [W] controlled by either modulating the RPM of a fan or a flow
Fv = View factor meter.
εs = Emissivity of the source
αt = Absorptivity of the target The benefits of using fans are lower cost of operation and the
σ = Stefan-Boltzmann Constant ability to move high volume of gas. The benefits of
(5.67 x 10-12 W/(cm2 K4 )] compressed source are easier control of the gas speed and
A = Cross sectional area [cm2 ] maintenance of the atmospheric purity inside the oven. On
Ts = Temperature at source [K] ovens using fans to achieve convection, the pressure and
Tt = Temperature at target [K]. volume of gas movement depends on the fan curves and the
system curve. Both curves are not linear: the effect of gas
speed is not linear to the RPM of the fan. On ovens using a
compressed source, the pressure in heater cavities is controlled
via flow meters. The relationship between the gas speed The importance of temperature repeatability of reflow ovens
and flow meter setting is linear and thus provides better cannot be stressed enough. It could be the difference in
control of gas speed. profiling once a week versus several times a day while
manufacturing the same lot of product. Even though,
The two control variables in convection heat transfer are repeatability is a design feature of an oven, process engineer
convection coefficient and fluid temperature. In must understand what conditions can change the temperature
convection ovens, the convection coefficient can be profiles at no fault of the oven. If any of the three variables in
modified by either changing the RPM of fans or flow the reflow process is changed the profile will change. The
meters. In general, the convection coefficient is steps outlined in this paper can assist process engineers to
proportional to the gas speed. The fluid temperature can reduce unintended mistakes. Once the flow meters and fan
be modified by changing the set point temperature of a settings are optimized for the ball attach process, it should not
heater zone. Hence, in convection ovens the two control be changed unless there is a dramatic change in the product
variables of convection heat transfer are settings of fans package type. This leaves the conveyor speed and oven set
or flow meters and set point temperatures. point temperatures as the only two variables. These two
variables make a unique oven program, sometimes called a
In most reflow ovens, changing the RPM of fans or the recipe.
flow meter settings have negligible effect to convection
heat transfer compared to the effect of changing heater set MECHANICS OF TEMPERATURE PROFILES
point temperature. For example, the effect of increasing Typically, a process engineer programs an oven to achieve a
the convection coefficient from 4 to 8 by increasing the particular temperature profile recommended by the flux
speed of the gas is small compared to increasing the set manufacturer. The basic components of a profile are preheat,
point temperature from 220 to 260°C. In optimizing the dryout, reflow and cooling as illustrated in Figure 2.
ball attach process or programming the oven for a new
product, it is simpler and more efficient if only the set
point temperatures are modified. This is based on the
assumption that the fans or the flow meters of the oven
are already optimized during machine installation. 300.0

250.0 Reflow
Temperature uniformity is defined as the temperature
Temp. [deg. C]

200.0 Dryout
difference among products processed in multiple lanes. It
describes the capability of an oven to heat products 150.0 Preheat
Cooling
uniformly across the process width of the conveyor belt.
100.0
Load factor in general is the percentage of process lanes
occupied by product. For example, if 50% of the process 50.0
lanes are occupied by product, the load factor is 50%.
0.0
This is illustrated in Figure 1. Temperature repeatability
0.0 0.8 1.5 2.3 3.0 3.8 4.5
is defined as the temperature difference among profiles
performed at different time and load factors while the Time [minutes]
same oven program and product are used. The Figure 2. Temperature Profile
repeatability of the oven is a design feature. It is a
thermal response characteristic of an oven at different By understanding the different components of the profile, one
load factors and time. Repeatability is the capability of the can program a reflow oven in less time with greater accuracy.
oven to provide the same temperature profile through out
its use as long as the oven program and the product are There are three major steps in programming an oven:
not changed. 1. Calculating the conveyor speed and oven set point
temperatures.
2. Performing a temperature profile or measuring the actual
Space temperature of the product
3. Making minor adjusts to the oven program and re-
Space profiling.

Calculating the oven conveyor speed

Space The conveyor speed is calculated using the formula below:

Conveyor Speed = Total Heated Length

Figure 1. Example of 50% load factor. The length of Profile Time
space is equal to the length of the product.
The Total Heated Length is provided by the oven
manufacturer and the Profile Time is recommended by the
flux provider. The profile time is defined as the total time One important item to keep in mind is that because the product
the product takes to reach the peak temperature. It most travels through the oven, the temperature it reaches at each
cases this is between 2 and 3 minutes for BGA ball attach heater zone is not equal to the zone set point temperature. For
process. If the oven’s total heated length is 48 inches and example, when the oven set point for reflow zone is 275°C,
the profile time is 3 minutes: the peak temperature might be only about 210°C.

Conveyor Speed = 48 inches Normally, engineers try an oven program from their
3 min. experience and then profile to compare it to the desired profile
shape. This is a ‘guessing game’. By analyzing the science of
= 16 IPM [0.41 m/min] temperature profiling, the task of profiling can be fine-tuned.

Calculating Oven Set Point Temperatures The Delta T between the oven set point temperature and
The next step in programming the oven is to set the measured temperature can be calculated from either previous
individual heater zone temperatures. The layout and profile data or can be obtained by profiling 3 times on a new
lengths of the heater zones in the oven are used to identify oven. From these data, one can calculate a simple equation for
which heater zone is used for what purpose. For the each heater zone that can predict within a reasonable accuracy
sample profile in Figure 3, the first two vertical zones can the set point temperature and final temperature of the product
be used as preheat. The third zone and the fourth zones as it leaves each zone.
can be used for dryout and reflow, respectively.
As an example, let’s examine an oven with 4 vertical zones,
The resident time of the product in each zone is calculated total of 8 heating zones, with the following set point
as temperatures. For this example, each oven zone is 12 inches
[30cm] long.
Resident time = Length of Zone
In Figure 3, both the zone set point and recorded temperatures
Conveyor Speed
are shown. The Delta T’s between the zone set point and
measured temperatures can be calculated. The Delta T for the
This equation calculates how long the product is resident
reflow zone is calculated below:
in a particular zone. For example, if a zone is 12 inches
[30cm] long and the conveyor speed is 16 IPM [0.41
m/min], the resident time is 0.75 minute or 45 seconds. Delta T = 265 – 215 = 50°C

Z1 Z2 Z3 Z4 Cool By using another profile with a different conveyor speed, a

205 210 165 265 linear equation as a function of conveyor speed can be
formulated to predict the profile temperature of each zone.

For each zone, the Delta T’s between the zone set and
300.0 measured temperatures for two different profiles are
265
250.0 Profile #1: TD1 = TS1 – TM1
205 210 215.0 Profile #2: TD2 = TS2 – TM2
200.0
Temp. [deg. C]

165
150.0 160.0 170.0
Where
TS = Set Temperature
100.0 92.5 100.0
TM = Measured Temperature from profile
50.0 TD = Temperature difference
25.0
0.0
Using a simple linear equation, Y = MX + B, where M is the
0.0 0.8 1.5 2.3 3.0 3.8 4.5 slope and B is the Y-intercept, the data from two profiles are
Time [minutes] used to come up with an equation:

TD1 − TD2
Figure 3. Sample temperature profile M=
CS1 − CS2
Where
Using this information, different components of the
CS = Conveyor Speed.
temperature profile can be matched to the heater zones of
an oven. After finding out which zone controls which
component of the profile, the next step is to calculate the
Hence the equation is
temperatures.
DeltaT = M [Conveyor Speed] + B.
Using this equation, we can calculate the approximate The first item is attaching thermocouples to the sample. The
Delta T between the set and measured temperatures. goal is to measure the correct temperature for attaching the
From this value, one can predict the profile temperature solder balls to the pads. The thermocouple must be securely
from the oven set point temperature and vice versa: fixed to the desired point on the substrate with a minimum
amount of compound. If the volume of the fixing compound
Calculated Temperature = Oven set point T – DeltaT. is too large, the temperature reading will be artificially lower.
The reason is that a preformed solder ball is very small
This is a very simple, yet effective way of calculating compared to the compound.
both the profile temperatures and oven set point
temperatures. The accuracy can vary from less than 5°C The most crucial point is that the thermocouple must be in
to about 10°C depending on unique characteristics of contact with the pad on the substrate. On a conveyorized
ovens. With additional profile data points, the equation convection oven, the gas temperature is higher than the sample
can be ‘fine-tuned’ further for greater accuracy. temperature during profiling. If the thermocouple is not
contacting the pad on the substrate, the measured temperature
Sample calculation tends to be higher. The same is true if the thermocouple is not
Let us review the process using a set of sample data for securely fixed. The reason is that the thermocouple might be
the reflow zone. reading the temperature of the gas, fixing compound or
combination of both.
Set Point Peak T. Conveyor Speed
Profile #1 255°C 210°C 14 IPM The second caution is for the length of thermocouple wire
[0.35m/min] between the sample and the measuring device. Many
Profile #2 270°C 214°C 16 IPM commercially available measuring devices or profilers are
[0.41m/min] available for process engineers. They are transported through
the oven along with the thermocoupled sample. Compared to
Profile #1: TD1 = 255 – 210 = 45°C a typical BGA strip, a profiler is many times the volume and
Profile #2: TD2 = 270 – 214 = 56°C hundreds times the weight. If the sample BGA strip and the
profiler are in the same heating zone as they are transported
inside the oven, the profiled temperature will be artificially
56 − 45
M= = 5.5 higher. Because of its weight, a profiler takes away
16 − 14 substantially more heat from the oven zones than BGA strips.
As the heat is taken away from the zone, the oven
Y = 5.5 X + B compensates the heat loss by increasing the heater output
following a PID algorithm. Almost all advanced convection
Setting Y = 45 and X = 14, B is calculated as –32. ovens use a PID [Proportional Integral Derivative] method for
controlling temperatures inside the oven. The effect is that the
Hence the equation is measured temperature from the sample could be artificially
higher. A good rule of thumb is that the length of the
DeltaT = 5.5 [Conveyor Speed] - 32. thermocouple wire between the sample and the profiler must
be longer than the longest heater zone in the oven. This
AT 16 IPM, method allows the profiler to be at least one zone downstream
from the sample in the direction of travel and minimizes the
DeltaT = 5.5 (16) - 32 = 56 °C. interference effect.

If the set point temperature is 265°C, then After profiling, it is a good practice to critically analyze the
profile data. Many profilers provide pre-analyzed data such as
Calculated profile peak temperature = 265 – 56 = 209°C. slopes of temperature rise and fall, dwell time at designated
temperatures, and etc. If the profile is for a product already in
As illustrated the only variables are the conveyor speed production, it should match the previous profile(s) within the
and the heater zone set point temperature. Because the oven’s repeatability specification.
conveyor speed is dictated by the oven length and the
profile time requirement of the flux, the only control
variable is the oven set point temperature. Following a
method such as this can decrease the time it takes to
profile and improve the quality of BGA ball attach
process.

Performing a temperature profile

In order to obtain accurate temperature profiles, there are
two items that process engineers need to practice caution.
SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION
In BGA ball attach reflow process, there are three process
variables: gas speed, conveyor speed and oven set point
temperatures. By eliminating two variables, the task of
programming the oven and temperature profiling can be
simplified. The gas speeds in heater zones are controlled
by either the fan settings or flow meters. Optimizing the
fans or flow meters during installation is recommended.
The act of changing the gas speed to achieve a certain
temperature profile is shown to be negligible compared to
modifying the zone set point temperatures. The equation
for calculating the conveyor speed is explained.

The ‘guess work’ of determining the zone set point

temperatures can be eliminated by utilizing simple
equations that can provide reasonable predictions. The
method of formulating prediction equations as a function
of conveyor speed is explained.

Items that affect the temperature profile data are

explained. The location of the thermocouple junction on
the sample, the amount of compound used in attaching the
thermocouple, and the length between the sample and
profiler can affect the temperature reading.

By understanding the principles of heat transfer inside

convection ovens and following the science behind
temperature profiling, process engineers can increase the
efficiency of profiling and BGA ball attach reflow
quality.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
I would like to thank my colleagues at Research
Incorporated for help in writing this paper.

REFERENCES
[1] Incorpera, Frank P. and DeWitt, David P.,
Introduction to Heat Transfer, Second Edition, John
Wiley & Sons, 1990, pp 311-349.

[2] Cox, Norman R., Reflow Technology Handbook, pp.

14-26.

[3] American Society of Heating, Refrigeration and Air

Conditioning Engineers, Inc., 1989 ASHRAE
Handbook Fundamentals, pp3.15-3.19

[4] Sparrow, Ephram, Lecture notes to Introduction to

Heat Transfer, Packet No. 136, 1990.