Fatigue crack propagation life analysis of solder joints under thermal cyclic loading

Fatigue crack propagation life analysis of solder joints under thermal cyclic loadings was investigated by the strain energy release rate method using finite element analysis. A relationship between the crack-growth rate and the strain energy release rate was derived. Finite element simulations were carried out to investigate the effect of crack growth along the interface of solder and lead in a solder joint assembly. The crack propagation life of the solder joint with an interface crack was predicted from the derived relationship between crack growth rate and values of the strain energy release rate. It was found that crack propagation life is much higher than the crack initiation life.