Localize original fractured layers beneath pads
First add original layer locations and samples without additional destructive testing.
Compare solutions
Compare each solution's purpose, inputs and limits.
For “BGA drop-induced pad cratering”, check what each solution can answer before planning validation.
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BLNKK assessment notes
Update engineering conditions →Your next step
Compare purposes and limits now. Confirm key sample conditions before planning validation.
0 solutions selected0 of 5 relevant conditions confirmedNo solutions selected; these notes cover the current engineering problem.
Priority items to confirm · 5
01Substrate cracks beneath pads have been localizedUnconfirmed
Have cracks been localized to PCB resin or glass fibers beneath a BGA pad, rather than solder or IMC?
An overall open, apparent pad lift, or a detached ball alone cannot confirm cratering; original layer-location evidence is required.
Update engineering conditions →02Original and normal samples can be alignedUnconfirmed
Are original failed and normal pads retained with localization before preparation, and are component-removal, dye, and cross-section artifacts controlled?
Component removal or pull testing can itself create new cracks; keep samples from additional destructive tests separate from original failures.
Update engineering conditions →03Events and local board loading can be alignedUnconfirmed
Do drop, board-bending, or assembly mechanical events have direction, fixture-point, board-strain / waveform, and location comparisons?
Recording peak acceleration alone does not establish local board strain; normal assemblies and before-and-after event comparisons require the same board support.
Update engineering conditions →04Actual layer stack, pads, and thermal history are definedUnconfirmed
Are this PCB's layer stack, pad dimensions and surface, material batches, and reflow history comparable?
Nominal FR-4 does not represent local resin, glass fibers, or pad structure; thermal history may also change relative mechanical responses.
Update engineering conditions →05The mode is fixed and transfer limitations are definedUnconfirmed
Do candidate pull, shear, or board-bending comparisons hold mode, rate, and fixture fixed, with calibration against the original event?
An IPC excerpt is not a complete current procedure; pull, shear, or board bending does not automatically demonstrate drop-load capacity. Acceptance requires the process's own agreement and a complete applicable method.
Update engineering conditions →Relevant assessment paths
Compare board material / fixturing and local loading
First add local waveforms, support, and the actual layer stack.
Relative comparisons using pad pull, shear, and related methods
First add original controls, actual layer stacks, and method controls.
Assessment preparation checklist
Discussion preparation based on the relevant engineering conditions; not mandatory supplier requirements or a record of evidence already available.
- Substrate cracks beneath pads have been localized
- Original and normal samples can be aligned
- Events and local board loading can be aligned
- Actual layer stack, pads, and thermal history are defined
1 more preparation item
- The mode is fixed and transfer limitations are defined
Check the comparison table above for each solution’s specific inputs and applicability limits.
Questions to discuss
- Which layer contains the original crack, and what artifact controls are used during component removal and sampling?
- Are fixture points and local board waveforms aligned with cracks?
- How are layer stack, pads, thermal history, and pull / shear methods controlled, and how is transfer calibrated?
Public references · 12
- ASE · Failure Analysis Lab ↗
View source notes and limits
Lists nondestructive electrical and X-ray localization followed by targeted cross-section, FIB, SEM, and EDX analysis.
A public analysis list does not guarantee resolution or service availability for a particular bump, IMC, or PCB layer; preparation artifacts, sampling representativeness, and permitted destructive scope require separate confirmation.
- IPC · IPC-9708 official contents and scope excerpt ↗
View source notes and limits
The 2010 contents and scope excerpt separates relative material / design comparisons for cohesive dielectric failure beneath pads from acceptance criteria, and lists pin-pull, ball-pull, and ball-shear methods.
Only the contents and part of the scope are available, not a complete current specification; no product-specific acceptance criteria or directly executable procedure are provided. Transfer among methods and to actual drop or board-bending events requires calibration.
- Nordson Test & Inspection · 4000 Plus Bondtester ↗
View source notes and limits
Lists contact mechanical testing capabilities for shear, pull, hot bump / pin pull, and controlled fixtures and imaging.
Tool capabilities are not drop or fatigue results for this product; pull and shear modes, speeds, tool heights, and preparation cannot be freely interchanged. Product maximum force is not a sample threshold.
- Nordson Test & Inspection · BT 4000HS high-speed joint-shear comparison ↗
View source notes and limits
The linked sheet specifies shear up to 4 m/s and pre/post-peak energy; technical text describes failure-curve comparison.
Scope and limitations Destructive, rate-dependent local tests do not establish full-board drop or thermal-cycle lifetime. Curves alone cannot prove pad cratering; examine fracture surfaces/sections. What to prepare BLNKK suggests documenting dimensions, materials/process, tool height, direction, speed and fixture, with consistent classification and controls. Confirm with the supplier Confirm acceleration clearance, transducer/adapter, calibration, sampling and energy analysis, plus correlation between representative specimens and board-level tests.
- Instron · 9400 Series instrumented board-material impact comparison ↗
View source notes and limits
The product page and EN V2 brochure describe interchangeable fixtures, force acquisition and high-speed camera triggering.
Scope and limitations Read sources do not establish compliance with a specific JEDEC board-drop method. Tup energy is not BGA joint load; force traces alone cannot identify the fractured layer. What to prepare BLNKK suggests preparing board/stackup and specimen geometry, supports, mass/velocity, and electrical, local-strain and fracture comparisons. Confirm with the supplier Confirm model, tup/supports, sensor range and acquisition settings, and how specimen tests will be correlated with actual board-level failure.
- Correlated Solutions · VIC-Volume internal deformation comparison from CT ↗
View source notes and limits
Official technical content describes DVC, before/after-load scans and data export for FEA validation; evaluation licenses are offered.
Scope and limitations Image quality, texture and registration limit results. The published workflow does not establish high-speed drop capture or fracture-layer identification from strain alone. What to prepare BLNKK suggests preparing board stacks, loads/supports, reference/loaded CT data, scan settings and comparable models or reference measurements. Confirm with the supplier Ask the supplier to assess texture, correlation subvolumes and displacement/strain uncertainty, then agree on load states, data formats and model comparison.
- Integrated Service Technology (iST) · iST BLR board-level failure-localization service ↗
View source notes and limits
The service page lists localization and cross-station analysis, without a fixed test combination for every case.
Scope and limitations Cracks/delamination do not establish cause or timing alone. Dye/pry and sectioning alter specimens; retain preparation records. What to prepare BLNKK suggests test stages, electrical/location records, original specimens and controls, planning nondestructive inspection before destructive sampling. Confirm with the supplier Confirm targets, methods, preparation effects and cross-checks; agree report scope and delivery timing.
- ZEISS Industrial Quality Solutions · ARAMIS board loading and deformation comparison ↗
View source notes and limits
ZEISS documents full-field/point measurements, camera variants and force-signal synchronization.
Scope and limitations It cannot directly view buried pads or identify a failure layer from surface strain alone. Occlusion, patterns, calibration and fixtures affect interpretation. What to prepare BLNKK suggests preparing board/fixture details, load history, tracking areas and failure timing, correlated with electrical and fracture observations. Confirm with the supplier Confirm cameras/lenses, field and recording rate, calibration/synchronization and achievable spatial/temporal resolution for the specimen.
- MA-tek · MA-tek monotonic board-bend comparison service ↗
View source notes and limits
MA-tek separately offers monotonic board bending and electrical monitoring.
Scope and limitations Bending is not drop impact or cyclic fatigue. Resistance changes alone do not identify the fracture layer; agree conditions and criteria. What to prepare BLNKK suggests preparing board/package/alloy details, support span, load/strain goals and monitoring design, with post-failure localization. Confirm with the supplier Confirm fixtures, loading rate, sampling and failure criteria, plus deliverable load, deformation and electrical records.
- Allied High Tech Products, Inc. · TechCut 4x low-speed sectioning ↗
View source notes and limits
The named product page describes sectioning; the semiconductor page links TechCut 4x.
Scope and limitations Cutting can introduce cracks or alter original damage; specimen preparation alone cannot determine pad-cratering causes. What to prepare BLNKK suggests preparing anomaly maps, pre-cut images, material stacks and reference samples, with section direction and subsequent observations planned. Confirm with the supplier Confirm blades, mounting, coolant, loading and target approach, and how to identify preparation artifacts.
- Dantec Dynamics · HSpeedDIC impact/drop surface deformation ↗
View source notes and limits
Dantec documents impact/drop applications, a typical two-camera configuration and the optical correlation/triangulation principles.
Scope and limitations Surface DIC neither sees buried pad fractures nor measures electrical continuity. A strain concentration alone does not locate BGA failure. What to prepare BLNKK suggests preparing board, fixture, drop and observation-area details, with visible speckles and synchronized independent electrical/failure checks. Confirm with the supplier Confirm cameras/lenses, spatial and temporal resolution at the required field of view, calibration, triggering and pattern visibility throughout the event.
- Instron · Three- and four-point bend testing for microelectronic packages ↗
View source notes and limits
Instron’s application page covers failure loads and compliance correction; its 2018 brochure and 2025 updated article give microelectronics examples.
Scope and limitations Package bending is not board-level drop or thermal cycling, nor standalone proof of pad cratering or field life. What to prepare BLNKK suggests dimensions/stack, orientation, span/rate, preconditioning and force-displacement, electrical or microscopy objectives. Confirm with the supplier Confirm fixtures, load cell, failure detection, geometry model and compliance correction, and how results connect to board-level tests and physical evidence.
Full assessment recordExpand for all conditions, path rules and original assessment notes.
Current assessment and next steps
Based on reported conditions and public sources. Ready to assess does not establish sample applicability or root cause. Order does not identify the best solution.
Known conditions · 0
Key unknowns · 5
- Have cracks been localized to PCB resin or glass fibers beneath a BGA pad, rather than solder or IMC?An overall open, apparent pad lift, or a detached ball alone cannot confirm cratering; original layer-location evidence is required.
- Are original failed and normal pads retained with localization before preparation, and are component-removal, dye, and cross-section artifacts controlled?Component removal or pull testing can itself create new cracks; keep samples from additional destructive tests separate from original failures.
- Do drop, board-bending, or assembly mechanical events have direction, fixture-point, board-strain / waveform, and location comparisons?Recording peak acceleration alone does not establish local board strain; normal assemblies and before-and-after event comparisons require the same board support.
- Are this PCB's layer stack, pad dimensions and surface, material batches, and reflow history comparable?Nominal FR-4 does not represent local resin, glass fibers, or pad structure; thermal history may also change relative mechanical responses.
- Do candidate pull, shear, or board-bending comparisons hold mode, rate, and fixture fixed, with calibration against the original event?An IPC excerpt is not a complete current procedure; pull, shear, or board bending does not automatically demonstrate drop-load capacity. Acceptance requires the process's own agreement and a complete applicable method.
Paths to assess
Localize original fractured layers beneath pads
First add original layer locations and samples without additional destructive testing.
- Have cracks been localized to PCB resin or glass fibers beneath a BGA pad, rather than solder or IMC?
- Are original failed and normal pads retained with localization before preparation, and are component-removal, dye, and cross-section artifacts controlled?
Conditions that change this path
- Have cracks been localized to PCB resin or glass fibers beneath a BGA pad, rather than solder or IMC?Supports assessment: Substrate cracks beneath pads have been localized · Unsuitable for now: Only opens or unlocalized fractured layers are available
- Are original failed and normal pads retained with localization before preparation, and are component-removal, dye, and cross-section artifacts controlled?Supports assessment: Original and normal samples can be aligned · Unsuitable for now: Only post-removal or post-test fracture surfaces remain
Compare board material / fixturing and local loading
First add local waveforms, support, and the actual layer stack.
- Have cracks been localized to PCB resin or glass fibers beneath a BGA pad, rather than solder or IMC?
- Do drop, board-bending, or assembly mechanical events have direction, fixture-point, board-strain / waveform, and location comparisons?
- Are this PCB's layer stack, pad dimensions and surface, material batches, and reflow history comparable?
Conditions that change this path
- Have cracks been localized to PCB resin or glass fibers beneath a BGA pad, rather than solder or IMC?Supports assessment: Substrate cracks beneath pads have been localized · Unsuitable for now: Only opens or unlocalized fractured layers are available
- Do drop, board-bending, or assembly mechanical events have direction, fixture-point, board-strain / waveform, and location comparisons?Supports assessment: Events and local board loading can be aligned · Unsuitable for now: Only a drop-test label or a single peak is available
- Are this PCB's layer stack, pad dimensions and surface, material batches, and reflow history comparable?Supports assessment: Actual layer stack, pads, and thermal history are defined · Unsuitable for now: Only nominal board material or thickness is available
Relative comparisons using pad pull, shear, and related methods
First add original controls, actual layer stacks, and method controls.
- Have cracks been localized to PCB resin or glass fibers beneath a BGA pad, rather than solder or IMC?
- Are original failed and normal pads retained with localization before preparation, and are component-removal, dye, and cross-section artifacts controlled?
- Are this PCB's layer stack, pad dimensions and surface, material batches, and reflow history comparable?
- Do candidate pull, shear, or board-bending comparisons hold mode, rate, and fixture fixed, with calibration against the original event?
Conditions that change this path
- Have cracks been localized to PCB resin or glass fibers beneath a BGA pad, rather than solder or IMC?Supports assessment: Substrate cracks beneath pads have been localized · Unsuitable for now: Only opens or unlocalized fractured layers are available
- Are original failed and normal pads retained with localization before preparation, and are component-removal, dye, and cross-section artifacts controlled?Supports assessment: Original and normal samples can be aligned · Unsuitable for now: Only post-removal or post-test fracture surfaces remain
- Are this PCB's layer stack, pad dimensions and surface, material batches, and reflow history comparable?Supports assessment: Actual layer stack, pads, and thermal history are defined · Unsuitable for now: Only nominal board material or thickness is available
- Do candidate pull, shear, or board-bending comparisons hold mode, rate, and fixture fixed, with calibration against the original event?Supports assessment: The mode is fixed and transfer limitations are defined · Unsuitable for now: Only peak force is reported, or modes are assumed interchangeable
What to do next
No result provided. Clarify key conditions before arranging an assessment.
- Have cracks been localized to PCB resin or glass fibers beneath a BGA pad, rather than solder or IMC?
What to prepare
- Original and normal PCB pads; Pre-preparation localization and permitted destructive scope; Board layer stack and event timing
- Pads with the same layer stack and thermal history; Fixed mode, rate, and tool; Event transfer and the process's own acceptance scope
- Original substrate cracks and event waveforms; This layer stack, pads, and thermal history; Methods under the same mode and controls for transfer to the product
- Supplier-listed BGA/CSP/QFN joints and substrates, with adequate acceleration clearance and suitable tools, fixtures and access.
- For material or component specimens; board-package use requires demonstrated correlation to actual loading.
- Samples need registerable images and sufficient internal contrast; validate board specimens using actual scans.
- Investigates mounted-device interfaces; confirm accessible regions and sampling for BGA/PCBA specimens.
- Consider controlled board-loading tests with visible, trackable surfaces and appropriate camera configuration.
- Compare representative BGA/CSP boards under non-periodic bending.
- Consider packages or boards permitting destructive sampling; match separately supplied blades, fixtures and consumables to materials.
- Consider transient tests with continuously visible surface patterns and suitable exposure, field of view and synchronization.
- For mechanical comparisons of IC, BGA, COF and stacked packages, with configuration matched to sample size and test objectives. Provide geometry, orientation, span, anvil radius and loading rate, plus the board failure location.
Questions to discuss
- Which layer contains the original crack, and what artifact controls are used during component removal and sampling?
- Are fixture points and local board waveforms aligned with cracks?
- How are layer stack, pads, thermal history, and pull / shear methods controlled, and how is transfer calibrated?
Public references
ASE · Failure Analysis Lab ↗A public analysis list does not guarantee resolution or service availability for a particular bump, IMC, or PCB layer; preparation artifacts, sampling representativeness, and permitted destructive scope require separate confirmation.
IPC · IPC-9708 official contents and scope excerpt ↗Only the contents and part of the scope are available, not a complete current specification; no product-specific acceptance criteria or directly executable procedure are provided. Transfer among methods and to actual drop or board-bending events requires calibration.
Nordson Test & Inspection · 4000 Plus Bondtester ↗Tool capabilities are not drop or fatigue results for this product; pull and shear modes, speeds, tool heights, and preparation cannot be freely interchanged. Product maximum force is not a sample threshold.
Nordson Test & Inspection · BT 4000HS high-speed joint-shear comparison ↗Scope and limitations Destructive, rate-dependent local tests do not establish full-board drop or thermal-cycle lifetime. Curves alone cannot prove pad cratering; examine fracture surfaces/sections. What to prepare BLNKK suggests documenting dimensions, materials/process, tool height, direction, speed and fixture, with consistent classification and controls. Confirm with the supplier Confirm acceleration clearance, transducer/adapter, calibration, sampling and energy analysis, plus correlation between representative specimens and board-level tests.
Instron · 9400 Series instrumented board-material impact comparison ↗Scope and limitations Read sources do not establish compliance with a specific JEDEC board-drop method. Tup energy is not BGA joint load; force traces alone cannot identify the fractured layer. What to prepare BLNKK suggests preparing board/stackup and specimen geometry, supports, mass/velocity, and electrical, local-strain and fracture comparisons. Confirm with the supplier Confirm model, tup/supports, sensor range and acquisition settings, and how specimen tests will be correlated with actual board-level failure.
Correlated Solutions · VIC-Volume internal deformation comparison from CT ↗Scope and limitations Image quality, texture and registration limit results. The published workflow does not establish high-speed drop capture or fracture-layer identification from strain alone. What to prepare BLNKK suggests preparing board stacks, loads/supports, reference/loaded CT data, scan settings and comparable models or reference measurements. Confirm with the supplier Ask the supplier to assess texture, correlation subvolumes and displacement/strain uncertainty, then agree on load states, data formats and model comparison.
Integrated Service Technology (iST) · iST BLR board-level failure-localization service ↗Scope and limitations Cracks/delamination do not establish cause or timing alone. Dye/pry and sectioning alter specimens; retain preparation records. What to prepare BLNKK suggests test stages, electrical/location records, original specimens and controls, planning nondestructive inspection before destructive sampling. Confirm with the supplier Confirm targets, methods, preparation effects and cross-checks; agree report scope and delivery timing.
ZEISS Industrial Quality Solutions · ARAMIS board loading and deformation comparison ↗Scope and limitations It cannot directly view buried pads or identify a failure layer from surface strain alone. Occlusion, patterns, calibration and fixtures affect interpretation. What to prepare BLNKK suggests preparing board/fixture details, load history, tracking areas and failure timing, correlated with electrical and fracture observations. Confirm with the supplier Confirm cameras/lenses, field and recording rate, calibration/synchronization and achievable spatial/temporal resolution for the specimen.
MA-tek · MA-tek monotonic board-bend comparison service ↗Scope and limitations Bending is not drop impact or cyclic fatigue. Resistance changes alone do not identify the fracture layer; agree conditions and criteria. What to prepare BLNKK suggests preparing board/package/alloy details, support span, load/strain goals and monitoring design, with post-failure localization. Confirm with the supplier Confirm fixtures, loading rate, sampling and failure criteria, plus deliverable load, deformation and electrical records.
Allied High Tech Products, Inc. · TechCut 4x low-speed sectioning ↗Scope and limitations Cutting can introduce cracks or alter original damage; specimen preparation alone cannot determine pad-cratering causes. What to prepare BLNKK suggests preparing anomaly maps, pre-cut images, material stacks and reference samples, with section direction and subsequent observations planned. Confirm with the supplier Confirm blades, mounting, coolant, loading and target approach, and how to identify preparation artifacts.
Dantec Dynamics · HSpeedDIC impact/drop surface deformation ↗Scope and limitations Surface DIC neither sees buried pad fractures nor measures electrical continuity. A strain concentration alone does not locate BGA failure. What to prepare BLNKK suggests preparing board, fixture, drop and observation-area details, with visible speckles and synchronized independent electrical/failure checks. Confirm with the supplier Confirm cameras/lenses, spatial and temporal resolution at the required field of view, calibration, triggering and pattern visibility throughout the event.
Instron · Three- and four-point bend testing for microelectronic packages ↗Scope and limitations Package bending is not board-level drop or thermal cycling, nor standalone proof of pad cratering or field life. What to prepare BLNKK suggests dimensions/stack, orientation, span/rate, preconditioning and force-displacement, electrical or microscopy objectives. Confirm with the supplier Confirm fixtures, load cell, failure detection, geometry model and compliance correction, and how results connect to board-level tests and physical evidence.