Solders have given the designer of modern consumer, commercial, and
military electronic systems a remarkable flexibility to interconnect
electronic components. The properties of solder have facilitated broad
assembly choices that have fueled creative applications to advance
technology. Solder is the electrical and me- chanical "glue" of
electronic assemblies. This pervasive dependency on solder has
stimulated new interest in applica- tions as well as a more concerted
effort to better understand materials properties. We need not look far
to see solder being used to interconnect ever finer geo- metries.
Assembly of micropassive discrete devices that are hardly visible to the
unaided eye, of silicon chips directly to ceramic and plastic
substrates, and of very fine peripheral leaded packages constitute a few
of solder's uses. There has been a marked increase in university
research related to solder. New electronic packaging centers stimulate
applications, and materials engineering and science departments have
demonstrated a new vigor to improve both the materials and our
understanding of them. Industrial research and development continues to
stimulate new application, and refreshing new packaging ideas are
emerging. New handbooks have been published to help both the neophyte
and seasoned packaging engineer.
