The effect of solder paste residues on RF signal integrity

Wireless devices such as pagers and cellular phones are becoming common consumer items. These products require low loss RF signal propagation which is affected by material choices and processing conditions. This paper examines the effect of a series of no-clean solder pastes on signal integrity using an RF test circuit which sends a broadband signal through a gallium arsenide antenna switch and measures its transmission using a network analyzer. The test circuit also measures signal leakage. This paper reports on two different test vehicles, one that uses a 900 MHz antenna switch, and the other that uses a 2.0 GHz antenna switch. The transmission and leakage readings were taken daily for 16–21 days while the test vehicles were under accelerated aging conditions of 85°C and 85% RH. Average values for the readings for each solder paste were plotted to provide comparison among the pastes. The comparison data clearly distinguish solder pastes that provide consistency throughout the test period from those which do not.