Contamination Problems within SMT

This paper is intended as a guide towards increasing the reliability of electronics assemblies, particularly SMAs, by going through the stages of production and examining the contamination sources. A particular accent has been put on the local situation in Central Europe, where the materials and techniques used are somewhat different from those in certain other parts of the world. Some of the particular points mentioned are: problems arising prior to soldering, as well as from soldering and subsequent flux removal; solder balling; contamination control and the ‘Green Factor’—environmental problems caused by cleaning processes and products. Obviously, in a short paper, it is not possible to give an in‐depth treatment, so it must be considered more as a summary with references given for those desiring further information.