Reflow Soldering Contribute to a Flexible Printed Circuit Board
A Flexible printed circuit board (PCB) provides the platform for mounting and interconnecting various electronic components. These include surface mount devices (SMDs) and through-hole components. The components are attached to the conductive copper tracks on the PCB by soldering them to them. The soldering process involves a specialized machine called a reflow oven that subjects the PCB to carefully controlled temperature profiles. This allows the solder paste to melt and solidify, creating reliable connections between the components and the PCB.
The first step of the reflow process is known as thermal soak. The reflow oven maintains the PCB at a lower temperature than the solder melting point, which is between 240 and 250 degrees Celsius for Pb-free solder. This ensures that all areas are brought up to temperature simultaneously, eliminating the potential for shadowing effects on the final product. It also helps reduce any moisture absorption by the flexible printed circuit board polyimide base material, which is hydroscopic and can delaminate if exposed to excessive heat.
Once the PCB has been pre-baked, it is placed into a reflow oven where it will spend the majority of its time. The reflow oven uses multiple heating zones to control the temperature profile. The zones are sized to allow for a small amount of time at the highest reflow temperatures, which is necessary for proper soldering and a successful assembly.
How Does Reflow Soldering Contribute to a Flexible Printed Circuit Board?
During the reflow process, the solder paste is applied to the solder pads on the PCB using a stencil with perforations that align with the components’ pads. The solder paste is a mixture of silver, tin, and lead in the form of tiny spheres suspended in a solvent paste with flux agents that aid in component adhesion. The spheres are then coated with a thin layer of copper foil to protect the circuit and allow for the proper conductivity of the electrical connections.
Once all the components have been placed, they are sent through the reflow oven to achieve the desired temperature profile. The solder will melt and bind with the other elements of the flex circuit to create strong, durable connections between them. This process is essential for a high-quality finished product.
After the soldering process is complete, any remaining residues should be cleaned off with an alcohol wipe or a mild cleaner. This is important because any residual flux could cause the flex circuit to corrode or damage over time. It is also a good idea to apply an epoxy coating to the flex circuit to further increase its strength and durability.
Soldering flex circuits is different from rigid PCBs because of their inherent flexibility and the fact that they are more susceptible to moisture uptake. For this reason, it is often recommended that reflow ovens for flex circuits be set at a higher temperature range to allow for adequate melting and solidification of the solder. Moreover, the design of a flex circuit can be optimized to reduce thermal gradients and stress during the reflow process by the use of reinforcements and stiffeners or by incorporating built-in stress-relief features.