Hey folks, welcome back to the blog! Today, we’re diving deep into something absolutely critical for the reliability of almost every electronic gadget out there: BGA solder joints. You know, those tiny connections that hold complex chips onto our printed circuit boards (PCBs). Keeping them strong and free from defects like those pesky little bubbles inside the solder – we call them voids – often comes down to a surprisingly fundamental aspect: the design of the pads on the PCB.
Workingbear has noticed that many people still have questions about EDX/EDS elemental analysis reports. This is the second article where he tries to provide answers based on his knowledge.
EDX (Energy-Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy), also known as EDS, is actually an auxiliary function used in SEM (Scanning Electron Microscopy), TEM (Transmission Electron Microscopy), and STEM (Scanning Transmission Electron Microscopy) analysis techniques.
In failure analysis reports for PCB assembly defects, we often use EDX or call EDS (Energy-Dispersive X-ray spectroscopy) for chemical elemental analysis. However, many people don’t fully understand how EDX works, and they have only a vague idea of how to interpret an EDS elemental analysis report. In most cases, after running an EDX scan and obtaining an elemental analysis, they get stuck—unsure of what to do next. The real question is: What useful information can EDX actually provide?
When we discover unknown contaminants on printed circuit boards assembly (PCBA) or electronic products, how do we determine what they are and where they come from? Do we rely on experience, or do we use scientific instruments for analysis? What methods are commonly used in the industry to detect and analyze contaminants?
In the electronic devices we use daily—such as remote controls, smartphones, refrigerators, TVs, air conditioners, and computers—there is a crucial component called the Printed Circuit Board (PCB). The name comes from the way its electrical circuits are formed, similar to early book printing. Some also refer to it as a Printed Wire Board (PWB).
