| Project Overview

The cratering test is a detection method used to evaluate whether damage occurs at the interface between the substrate inside the package and the solder balls/solder joints of electronic packaging or integrated circuits (ICs) when subjected to soldering, thermal stress, or mechanical stress.

Its core principle is to inspect, through microscopic observation or analytical techniques, whether the substrate material (such as ceramics or organic laminates) beneath the solder joint exhibits cracks, delamination, or voids (i.e., “craters”), as such damage may result in circuit interconnect failures.

试验通常结合切片制样、金相显微镜或扫描电子显微镜（SEM）等手段，对焊点与基板的界面进行高分辨率观察，分析弹坑的形成机制及严重程度。

The test is typically conducted in combination with sample cross-sectioning, metallographic microscopy, or scanning electron microscopy (SEM), enabling high-resolution observation of the solder joint–substrate interface and providing analysis of the crater formation mechanism and its severity.

| Test Objective

1. Defect Detection: Identify latent damage beneath solder joints in electronic packaging substrates (such as microcracks and delamination) to prevent open circuits, short circuits, or reduced reliability caused by cratering.

2. Reliability Evaluation: Verify the sensitivity of crater formation with respect to packaging design, material selection (such as substrate materials and solder alloys), and processes (such as soldering temperature and stress loading), thereby providing a basis for optimizing packaging processes.

3. Failure Analysis: When product failures occur, utilize crater detection to locate the source of failure, analyze issues such as stress concentration and material compatibility, and assist in tracing the root cause of failure.

| Testing Standards

GJB 4027B-2021、GJB 548C-2021。

| Service Products / Fields

Manufacturing, aerospace and automotive industries, electronics sector, materials and scientific research, electronic packaging and semiconductors, aerospace and defense, automotive electronics, consumer electronics, and communications.

| Project Advantages

1. High-Sensitivity Defect Identification: By means of microscopic analysis techniques (such as SEM and metallographic microscopy), micron-scale crater defects can be detected, avoiding potential risks that are invisible to the naked eye.

2. Quantitative Reliability Assessment: In conjunction with testing standards, the size, number, and distribution of craters can be quantitatively analyzed, thereby providing essential data support for product lifetime prediction.

3. Process Optimization Guidance: Based on crater detection results, welding parameters (such as temperature profiles and pressure) and substrate material selection (such as low-stress ceramic substrates) can be optimized to reduce the probability of failure.

4. Efficiency in Failure Analysis: In the event of product failure, crater detection enables rapid localization of interfacial damage issues, thereby shortening the failure analysis cycle and reducing R&D or production costs.

5. Compatibility and Versatility: Applicable to various packaging forms and material systems, with the ability to customize testing schemes according to different industry standards (such as military or automotive), offering strong adaptability.

| MTT Advantages

1. Professional Team: A team of highly experienced testing engineers and technical experts.

2. Advanced Equipment: Equipped with internationally leading testing instruments to ensure accuracy and reliability of results.

3. Efficient Service: Rapidly respond to customer needs and provide one-stop, high-efficiency inspection services.

4. Authoritative Certification: The laboratory is certified by ISO/IEC 17025, ensuring that test reports have international credibility.