A Gauge Study of an Intercomparison Evaluation to Implement the use of Fine-Pitch Test Patterns for Surface Insulation Resistance (SIR) Testing of Solder Fluxes

SIR is a recognised tool for establishing electrochemical reliability of electronic assemblies. Currently the test patterns in the standards reflect coarse pitch components. An intercomparison has been completed with the aim of establishing the introduction of a fine pitch SIR pattern with a 200µm gap. This exercise included the contribution from seven international participants. This new pattern moves the test method forward into the realm of current technologies where components of this pitch are common place. The study reported here validates the basis for the introduction of the new pattern, and confirms acceptable Gauge R&R for the SIR technique. The analysis also highlights the challenges in controlling humidity to achieve comparable results between different users. The results also point to the challenges in achieving acceptable Gauge R&R when measuring resistances >1011Ω.