Parametric investigation of solder bumping for assembly of optical

components
Thomas Burkhardt1a,b, Marcel Hornaffa, Erik Beckerta, Ramona Eberhardta, Andreas Tnnermanna,b
a
Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Optics and Precision Engineering, Albert-Einstein-Strasse 7,
07745 Jena, Germany
b
Institute of Applied Physics, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Albert-Einstein-Strae 15, 07745
Jena, Germany

ABSTRACT

Laser-based solder bumping is a highly flexible and fast approach for flux-free soldering of micro-optical components in
complex 3D geometries with localized and time restricted energy input. Solder joints provide superior mechanical
strength, higher radiation stability, humidity resistance and a good thermal and electrical conductivity compared to
adhesive bonding. Due to the good long term stability solder joints are feasible for the integration of optical, mechanical,
electronic, and MEMS/MOEMS devices in multi functional hybrid optical assemblies. Comparative studies of solder
bumping of optical components with sputtered thin film metallization on platforms made of Alumina (Al2O3) and Low
Temperature Cofired Ceramics (LTCC) with both Au and AgPd thick film metallization were carried out using design of
experiment methods (DoE). The influence of the system parameters, laser pulse energy and duration, distance, incidence
angle and nitrogen pressure on targeting accuracy and bond strength were evaluated. The jetting of liquid solder spheres
within a localized nitrogen atmosphere improves wetting on the respective wetting surfaces and simplifies the joining
process due to integration of solder alloy preform handling and reflowing, thus showing great potential for a high degree
of automation.
Keywords: Micro assembly, soldering, solder bumping, lead-free solder, SnAgCu, Al2O3, LTCC

1. INTRODUCTION
Hybrid integration and packaging of optical and opto-electronical systems require a high precision joining technology to
be the reliable completing task in the process chain of system assembly. Following the tasks of handling and alignment
the joining technique has to guarantee the compliance with submicron adjustment during the bonding process as well as
over the life time cycle of the assembly. Solder joints promise to overcome known drawbacks of the current standard
technology bonding by means of UV-curing, polymer based adhesives. Limitations concerning long term stability,
sensitivity to radiation and humidity as well as outgassing in vacuum environments can be resolved by using metallic
joint connections. Depending on the basic conditions of the assembly solder alloys can be selected from a wide range of
material systems with different liquidus temperatures and mechanical parameters concerning tensile strength, creep and
cryogenic compatibility. Metallic solder alloys further provide good thermal and electrical conductivity, thus enabling
for the integration of further functionality in the solder joint providing thermal contact to a heat sink or electrical
connection. In comparison to standard adhesives it has to be mentioned that the creation of solder joints requires a
wettable metallization, thus needing a further process step and due to the opaqueness these metallizations strictly have to
be created outside the optical beam propagation path.
Solder bumping was initially developed for placement of solder bumps for microelectronics packaging [6]. The high
processing speed due to fast application and the fast solidification of the solder alloy on the target compared to UV-
curing adhesives with curing times of about 10 seconds depending on the adhesive, lead to a very short cycle time. Flux
less processing as provided by solder bumping prevents contamination of optical surfaces, thus providing a better

1
thomas.burkhardt@iof.fraunhofer.de; phone +49 3641 807-339; fax +49 3641 807-604; www.iof.fraunhofer.de

Laser-based Micro- and Nanopackaging and Assembly III, edited by Wilhelm Pfleging,
Yongfeng Lu, Kunihiko Washio, Willem Hoving, Jun Amako, Proc. of SPIE Vol. 7202,
720203 2009 SPIE CCC code: 0277-786X/09/$18 doi: 10.1117/12.807986

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 vacuum compatibility, circumvents corrosion of components and increases processing speed due to the prevention of a
subsequent cleaning process. Sensitive optical parts and fragile materials require the localized and time restricted
application of thermal reflow energy. The solder ball bumper jet (SB2-Jet) integrates solder sphere feeding, reflow and
placement of the solder bump as well as providing a localized inert nitrogen atmosphere in one singular and flexible to
use device allowing for a high degree of automation and the capability of 3D-packaging.
Next to the joining technique a system platform is of interest for manufacturing of photonic modules. Ceramics such as
Low Temperature Cofired Ceramics (LTCC), alumina (Al2O3) and direct bonded copper (DBC) can provide platforms
for hybrid integration of optical, electrical and mechanical functionalities to improve the cost efficiency of systems and
allow for vacuum compatibility and hermetic sealing. Multilayered LTCC can provide cavities and mechanical structures
feasible for passive alignment of optical components [4], [5]. LTCC allows for screen printed metallization on any layer
enabling for the creation of embedded passive electrical components (e.g. resistors, capacitors) and electrical signal
routing within the stacked layer system as well as providing wettable land patterns for soldering of electrical and optical
components. Screen printed AgPd pads provide a good wetting behavior for use with SnAgCu lead-free solders [7].
Furthermore vias can provide both electrical and thermal connections increasing the low thermal conductivity. Moderate
initial costs make the LTCC technology applicable to low- and medium volume applications as well as for high-volume
applications, e.g. optical telecommunication modules. Both alumina and DBC can be ultra precision machined to provide
excellent surfaces and passive alignment structures. The high thermal conductivity makes them suitable for use in high-
power applications. Screen printing techniques allow also for the creation of localized metallization for soldering.

2. SOLDER BUMPING PROCESS TECHNOLOGY

The laser-based solder bumping is a process that places bumps of soft solder alloys onto different substrates and was
primarily developed for flip chip interconnection of semiconductor devices, e.g. IC chips and MEMS. The solder
bumping device is capable to handle a wide range of solder alloys extending from indium-tin, tin-based lead free alloys
to eutectic gold-tin (Au80Sn20) and can be adapted to process solder spheres with a diameter ranging from 100 m to
760 m by changing the singulation unit and the bump capillary.

Reservoir of solder
spheres
Singulation unit

Reflow laser
pulse

Bump capillary

Singulated
solder sphere
Nitrogen flow
Optical components

Fig. 1. Simplified schematics of the solder bumping bond head.

The basic principle of operation is shown in Fig. 1. Spherical solder alloy preforms are singularized by a singulation unit
and transferred from the reservoir to the bumping capillary with an inner tip diameter at its conical end that is slightly
smaller then the diameter of the solder spheres. The separated sphere is then held in place by a constantly applied

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 pressure of nitrogen within the capillary. With a solder ball locked at the outlet of the capillary the bond head can be
positioned near the desired joining area, e.g. by an articulated-arm robot or by means of a XYZ-gantry. Even though
singulation and transfer of the solder spheres to the capillary use gravitational force, the nitrogen pressure locked solder
sphere allows for the movement of the bond head utilizing all six degrees of freedom, including angular movements (tip
and tilt), thus enabling for the positioning of the capillary in complex, miniaturized and highly integrated system
environments.
Once the desired joining position is reached and the components have been adjusted the solder ball is melted by means of
a fiber coupled laser pulse. The current system uses a pulsed Nd:YAG laser with a pulse width up to 25 ms and a pulse
energy up to 5 J depending on both solder alloy and volume. Both the laser pulse for reflow and a red He-Ne laser for
targeting are routed through the capillary. The liquid solder is then pressed out of the capillary by the nitrogen pressure,
flying towards the designated joining area. This flight takes place within a localized nitrogen atmosphere created by the
flow of nitrogen being exhaled from the now open capillary which also allows for the preheating of the substrate due to
the laser beam. Depending on sphere diameter, required accuracy and nitrogen pressure free flight bumping distances
ranging from twice the sphere diameter to approx. 6 mm are feasible with an approximate speed of the solder ball of 0.5
to 1 m/s. The liquid solder hits the wetting surfaces and forms the solder joint by partially transferring its stored thermal
energy and creating the intermetallic phases during re-solidification. The laminar contact of the liquid solder with both
parts increases the thermal contact rigorously compared to the reflow of solder preform placed at the joining geometry.
The solder joint area is not limited to planar or horizontal surfaces, but can be shaped in complex geometries as long as
the liquid solder sphere can reach the wetting surfaces on both parts to be joined. Bump application was demonstrated
even on vertical surfaces and with large joining gaps up to 100 m appearant [3]. These features overcomes limitations
known from preform and thin film solder layer-based laser soldering techniques that usually require a contact force and
planar joining surfaces [1].
The capability of the solder bumping process to operate in a flux less mode prevents contamination of optical surfaces as
well as further corrosive effects and thus leads to a higher vacuum compatibility and a higher processing speed rendering
subsequent cleaning unnecessary. Solder bumping provides a very short cycle time compared to UV-curing adhesives
due to the short time of application a free flight time typically less than 10 ms and the fast freezing and downcooling
of the solder alloy on the target typically ranging from 10 to 100 ms, depending on substrate material, solder alloy and
bumping parameters. Currently bumping frequencies up to 10 Hz can be reached which is usually much faster than the
positioning movement of the bumping capillary.
An application that shows the performance of solder bumping is the accurate alignment and fixation of a collimating
aspherical Fast Axis Collimator (FAC) in front of a laser diode bar as described in [2]. FAC lenses create a parallelized
beam with regard to the fast axis from the divergent propagating laser beam. Due to its short focal length the FAC
has to be mounted very close to the laser bar and needs to be aligned with an accuracy of about 0.5 m or better. During
complete processing of FAC lenses including handling, adjustment and joining a misalignment of -0.6 m with a
measured reproducibility in the range of 0.2 m was reported. The good value of reproducibility allows for the increase
of joining accuracy due to a possible compensation of the expected misalignment.

3. POSITION ACCURACY
3.1 Test assembly and design of experiments
Complex assembly environments with a high level of integration require the creation of solder joints in locations difficult
to reach. One objective of solder bumping is to increase the bump distance as much as possible, gaining flexibility for the
placement and orientation of the capillary (length beyond bond head about 15 mm, diameter < 3 mm with a tapered tip)
with respect to the joining geometries. Fig. 2 shows the setup used to determine the influence of process parameters on
targeting accuracy that appears as a displacement between the targeted position and the actual placement of the solder
bump. Metalized microscopy slides with fs-Ti:Saphir laser structured arrays of cross lines for referencing the targeted
positions were used as targets. The metallization system with an overall thickness of 500 nm consists of a Ti-layer as
adhesion promoter, a Pt-layer as diffusion barrier and a wettable non-oxidizing Au-layer necessary for flux-free pro-
cessing. The target substrate is mounted on a precision rotation stage placed beneath the robot manipulated solder jet
bond head. Aiming and positioning of the solder jet capillary is then accomplished using both the pilot laser and a side
mounted camera with a LabView based image capturing and processing software.

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 Rump apillary

Q.

2
z
L:\'
Targetiiig sample

Fig. 2. Metalized microscopy slice used for accuracy test and detail view of a 400 m solder bump placed with
reference to laser structured reticule (left), schematics of targeting bump capillary relative to substrate.
An orthogonal central composite design of experiments with a second order model for the response variable the radial
displacement between targeted point and actual position is selected considering the five system parameters: laser pulse
current, laser pulse duration, distance of capillary to target, angle of incidence and nitrogen pressure. The design consists
of three separate sets of experimental runs: 1st) a fractional factorial design, each factor having two levels, 2nd) a center
point with the value of each factor set to the respective median of the values used in the factorial design and 3rd) the set
of axial points that provide two values below and above the factorial levels for each factor. The complete design is
grouped to one block, randomizing the sequence of experimental runs leading to a total number of experimental runs of
27. Each combination of parameters is replicated 16 times to allow for estimation and reduction of the standard deviation
as well as the elimination of outliers. Both creation of the experimental plan and the analysis of experimental data were
carried out using the commercial DoE software DesignExpert.

3.2 Experimental data and results

The experiments were conducted using Sn96.5Ag3.0Cu0.5 solder spheres with diameters of 400 m and 760 m, the
later with a reduced subset of parameter variation to reflect results of the experiments with a diameter of 400 m. Prior
experiments define constraints to the parametric levels to investigate. Laser pulse width and energy are restricted to an
upper limit due to possible mechanical damage of the target substrate or component and due to wetting of the solder to
the capillary and to a lower limit for providing sufficient energy for reflow of the solder spheres to be jetted out of the
capillary. The Bond level, i.e. the distance of capillary to target, and angle of incidence are delimited by geometrical
considerations of typical components and joining geometries.
The measurement of the radial displacement is realized by taking light-optical micrographs of the soldered samples using
an Olympus BX51 with attached camera DP12 and the calculation of the shift between the central point of the circular
solder bump and the provided cross hair target structure. These micrographs also allow for a rating of the solder bumps
concerning deviation of shape and damaging of the substrate material. Fig. 2 depicts the position of a solder bump with
reference to the reticules. As preprocessing technique to provide sufficiently normal-distribution-like set of data for
further statistical analysis a square root transformation, i.e. the selected power transformation, is applied to the data and
outliers are eliminated using an externally studentized residual plot. This set of data is used to calculate the regression
coefficients and to do the test of significance.
Fig. 3 shows the laser pulse energy as a function of both laser current and pulse duration. Since different combinations of
the parameters can result in the same pulse energy the independent system parameters of laser current and pulse duration
are used as factors in the DoE to avoid ambiguities. The laser pulse energy was measured at the tip of the capillary not
accounting for any losses during fibre transmission and coupling optics.

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 3,0
2,8
ims
2,6 2ms
2,4 A 5ms I
2,2 v lOms
2,0 I l5ms
2Oms
V
25ms 'I V

.1
1,2 'V
1,0 'V
V
0,8 ._4 V
90 - A -
A

:ZO
0,0
10 20
It'll. .
30 40 50
o ;
60 70 80 90 100

I [A]

Fig. 3: Laser pulse energy for 400 m capillary in dependence of laser current und pulse duration the system parameters
used in the DoE.
As shown in Table 1 the factors nitrogen pressure, bond level and the angle of incidence can be considered significant in
terms of the response variable. All coefficients are positive, thus minimizing the values within the boundaries given by
the design of experiments will minimize the displacement. Both laser pulse current and duration are not significant. By
exclusion of the non-significant regression coefficients the reduced regression equation is composed and checked against
the model of the design using the lack-of-fit test. The second order model and the resulting data do not sufficiently match
in the lack-of-fit test, i.e. there are disturbance variables yet unaccounted for and statistical spread has to be reduced.
Regardless of the insufficient fit an optimization of the reduced regression equation is calculated. This optimization
provides the parameters as shown in Table 2 and predicts a minimized radial displacement of (5510) m.

Table 1. Correlation coefficients between factors and response variable.

Factor Laser pulse current Laser pulse width Nitrogen pressure Bond level Angle of incidence
Correlation 0.087 0.024 0.178 0.256 0.248
coefficient

The optimized set of parameters (Table 2) has been verified in experiments and the radial displacement was observed to
be 54 m with a standard deviation of 34 m. As shown in Fig. 4 no global minimum point of the displacement is
located within the parametric range but the trend of parameters to favor is clearly observable and it has to be noticed that
the influence of the parameters on bond strength and boundaries set by specific applications needs to be taken into
account, too.

Table 2. Optimized processing parameters and respective laser pulse energy for minimizing radial displacement of solder
bumps (400 m).
Factor Laser pulse current Laser pulse width Nitrogen pressure Bond level Angle of incidence
Optimized 55 A 23 ms 24 mbar 1.53 mm 5.3
parameter
Pulse energy: 1.54 J

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 Design-Expert Software
Radial diaplacement
096

I296
1203

Xl Diatance
X2 = Angle

Actual Factors
Laaer current = 54.93 A
Pulae width = 23 ma
N2 preaaure = 24 mbar

Fig. 4. Response-surface plot of radial displacement vs. distance and angle of incidence, laser current, laser pulse width and
nitrogen pressure are constant at optimized levels.
For comparison two factorial designs with center point for the angle of incidence of 0 and 15 and the constant distance
of 1.5 mm have been realized with a solder sphere diameter of 760 m. Application geometry enforced the restriction to
the realized constant bond level. Optimized processing parameters are shown in Table 3 and have been experimentally
verified. These parameter settings are valid for glass substrates only and cannot be applied to thermally higher
conducting materials such as ceramics and metal heat sinks.

Table 3. Optimized processing parameters and respective laser pulse energy for minimizing radial displacement of solder
bumps (760 m).
Factor Laser pulse Laser pulse Nitrogen Bond level Angle of Radial
current width pressure incidence displacement
Optimized 50 A 25 ms 25 mbar 1.5 mm 0 42 m
parameter
Pulse energy: 2.25 J
Optimized 50 A 15 ms 20 mbar 1.5 mm 15 91 m
parameter
Pulse energy: 1.44 J

4. BOND STRENGTH
4.1 Test vehicles and experimental setup
To provide a test vehicle for shear force measurements optical dummy cuboid prisms with the dimensions of
4 x 4 x 2.7 mm made of Borofloat BF33 glass were soldered to ceramics platforms. The Borofloat cuboids are metalized
using a sputtering process to apply the Ti-layer as adhesion promoter, a Pt-layer as diffusion barrier and an Au-layer with
an overall thickness of 500 nm. Both LTCC and alumina were processed to provide rectangular ceramics platforms with
the dimensions of 56.5 x 52 mm and 48 evenly distributed cross shaped land patterns made of Au and AgPd thick film
metallization. The LTCC multilayer test substrates were manufactured by using Du Pont 951-AX tape and a standard co-
firing profile of 850C. Ten layers of blank tape are used to provide a sufficient mechanical strength for the substrate
resulting in a total substrate thickness of 2 mm. Except for the top layer with screen printed and co-fired metallization the
LTCC layers do not contain any vias, cavities or metallization; features that can however provide additional functionality
and structures for passive alignment for hybrid integration of optical, mechanical and electronic components. The
alumina platforms are made of a monolayer of sintered Al2O3 with an overall thickness of 1 mm and a screen printed
metallization.

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 Bump capillary Camera
/ Optical component
Bump capHtary
Sup po rt
unit V
Solder joint
Ceramics
k- platform
(leram ics Opt i C a I
platform corn pori erits

Fig. 5. Experimental setup of apparatus to solder optical elements to LTCC and alumina platforms (left), simplified
schematics of solder jet bumping capillary within placement distance to the joining geometry.
Fig. 5 shows the experimental setup used to solder the dummy optical elements to the ceramics platform. Targeting is
accomplished by use of the side mounted camera. The apparatus is designed to passively align six elements at once to a
support unit and mechanically clamp them during the process of solder bumping. Relevant alignment parameters are the
contact to the ceramics platform and the rotation around an axis perpendicular to the surface of the platform. This
provides an adjustment of the edges of the soldered elements with respect to the edge of the platform that leads to
comparable conditions during shear force measurements. The experiments were conducted using Sn96.5Ag3.0Cu0.5
solder spheres with diameters of 400 m. Each testing element is soldered with two bumps at opposing sides of the
prism. Results from measurements of position accuracy of solder bumps as well as considerations concerning the
rectangular joining geometry and the even distribution of wetting on both component and platform are taken into account
to define constraints to the parametric levels. Mechanical damage of the substrate limits the parametric variation of laser
pulse duration. As described before a central composite design of experiments with a second order model is selected. The
designs are grouped and randomized with a replication of six runs for each set of parameters. For both LTCC and
alumina with Au metallization a plan with all five system parameters, laser current, laser pulse duration, distance of
capillary to target, angle of incidence and nitrogen pressure is chosen (Table 4). The AgPd metallization however
showed severe damages due to long pulse widths, thus a reduced plan is selected setting laser pulse duration to the
constant value of 5 ms (Table 4).

Table 4. Parametric levels for soldering optical elements to Au and AgPd metalized LTCC and alumina.
Metallization Laser pulse Laser pulse width Nitrogen pressure Bond level Angle of incidence
current
Au 45..65 A 15..25 ms 18..28 mbar 1..3 mm 15..30
AgPd 45..65 A 5 ms 16..30 mbar 1..3 mm 15..30

4.2 Shear force measurements

Prior to shear force measurements light-optical micrographs were taken of all components to examine for stress related
cracks in the component. Shear force measurements were done using an Instron 4464 Universal Testing Machine at a
speed of 0.2 mm/s and a setup to provide uniform alignment of the ceramics platform and the attached components to the
shear chisel as depicted in Fig. 6. Due to the elements being soldered on two opposing sides shear force measurements
state shear force values of two solder bumps.

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 Fig. 6. LTCC and alumina platforms used as test vehicles with assembled optical elements (left), experimental setup of shear
force measurement (right).

4.3 Results
For LTCC with AgPd metallization laser current and nitrogen pressure were found to be the most significant factors
note that pulse duration is also important but is set constant to 5 ms due to damage to the substrate at higher values. The
reduced regression equation consists of these two main effects, the two-factor-interaction of laser current and nitrogen
pressure and the second order term for the nitrogen pressure. Fig. 7 shows the response plot against the two main effects
at the optimized values for distance and angle of incidence. A local maximum is found at the edge of the parameter space
evaluated but a further increase of laser current while decreasing the pressure is not feasible due to wetting of the
capillary. As shown in Table 5 the shear force ranges from 11.4 N to 14.3 N over the parameter space. An optimized
shear force of 14.6 N was achieved.
The results for alumina with AgPd metallization are not distributed normal and thus power transformed for further
analysis. For this substrate laser current, nitrogen pressure and distance were found to be significant. Again pulse
duration has to be set to 5 ms to avoid damage to the substrate. The reduced regression equation also contains the two-
factor-interaction of laser current and distance as well as the second order terms of laser current and distance. Table 5
shows the achieved shear forces ranging from 10.2 N to 15.4 N. A local maximum exists at the edge of the parameter
space that leads to an optimized shear force of 15.6 N. The further increase of the laser pulse current is not feasible due
to wetting of solder at the tip of the capillary.

Desi9n-Enperl SotIware LTCC-A9P4 AItfflhla-AgPd

Design-Enpert Sollstle
8601 6orce She&f1ce
I8,65
11764
9.144 5.844

Xl = Les g.srent (A) Xl = Lena csrrent (A)

X2 = Prenare (lrt&) X2 = Distance 9111.)

Actual Factcen Actual Factcen

Distance = 2.38 sen 112 pressnre = 28 nea
Angle 22r Angle = 22.5=

Fig. 7. Response-surface plot of shear force vs. laser current and pressure for AgPd metallization on LTCC (left),
Response-surface plot of shear force vs. laser current and distance for AgPd metallization on alumina (right).

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 For LTCC with Au metalliziation laser current, pulse width and nitrogen pressure were found to be significant factors.
These three main effects and the two-factor-interaction of laser current and pulse width form the reduced linear
regression equation. Fig. 8 shows the response plot against pulse width and laser current for a selected nitrogen pressure.
The shear force ranges from 10.4 N to 17.2 N (Table 5) and a local maximum is found at the maximum laser current and
pulse width evaluated. An optimized shear force of 17.3 N is achieved at the maximum while a further increase of laser
current and pulse width are not suitable due to increased wetting of the capillary.

11CC-Itt, AILfn 16-Au

D6og.Eapct Software Desc.E9pretA Software
Sheu force Sheforoe
2064 17.59

I 4982 '334
Xl = Lusor cerrent (t Xl = Lucre cwrrent (D
X2 = PuTse wih (nw) X2 = Distance 91114

Actual Factors Actual Factors

Di560nen 2.66 rren Pulsetr=17rns
112 pressln = 20 rnt& 112 prescore = 20 rnt&
Angle = 22.5= Angle 22.5=

Fig. 8. Response-surface plot of shear force vs. laser current and pulse width for Au metallization on LTCC (left),
Response-surface plot of shear force vs. laser current and distance for Au metallization on alumina (right).

The results for alumina with Au metallization are power transformed to achieve a normal distribution for analysis. Pulse
width, laser current and distance are the significant main factors. With the two-factor-interaction of laser current and
laser pulse width the reduced linear regression equation is formed. Fig. 8 depicts the response function against distance
and laser current for a selected pulse width. A high variation in shear force is observed ranging from 6.2 N to 15.6 N
(Table 5). The local maximum located at high values of laser current and distance lead to an optimized shear force of
15.4 N and no further increase of laser current is recommended to avoid wetting of the capillary whereas an increase of
the distance is not feasible in terms of positioning accuracy or increased wetting of the capillary.

Table 5. Results of shear force measurements over the evaluated parameter space, calculated optimized parameter sets, and
resulting experimentally verified optimized shear force values.
Substrate/ Shear force Laser pulse Laser pulse Nitrogen Bond level Angle of Optimized
metallization range current width pressure incidence shear force
LTCC-AgPd 11.4..14.3 N 62 A 5 ms 18 mbar 2.38 mm 22.5 14.6 N
Pulse energy: 0.5 J
Al2O3-AgPd 10.2..15.4 N 62 A 5 ms 28 mbar 2.38 mm 22.5 15.6 N
Pulse energy: 0.5 J
LTCC-Au 10.4..17.2 N 61 A 23 ms 20 mbar 2.65 mm 22.5 17.3 N
Pulse energy: 1.87 J
Al2O3-Au 6.2..15.6 N 61 A 17 ms 20 mbar 2.65 mm 22.5 15.4 N
Pulse energy: 1.46 J

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 5. CONCLUSION
The influence of system parameters on position accuracy and bond strength has been evaluated using statistical methods.
Both the laser pulse current and laser pulse duration being the dominating influences on the thermal energy stored in the
liquid solder spheres were found to be significant for wetting behavior and achievable shear force. The increase of
distance found to increase bond strength for all substrates but the LTCC with AgPd metallization leads to a deterioration
in position accuracy due to its competing influences on this property thus a compromise between bond strength and
repeatability has to be found. Statistical analysis verified that solder bumping provides an increased repeatability and
accuracy compared to conventional flux-free laser beam soldering techniques [1]. The method of experimental design
allows for optimization of solder bumping parameters with respect to specific designs and materials. LTCC and alumina
substrates with both Au and AgPd metallization provide comparable bond strengths with LTCC-Au yielding the highest
bond strength achieved. Next to already demonstrated joining accuracy the results presented show the potential of solder
bumping for a fast and highly precise joining technique for assembly of micro-optical and hybrid micro systems.

ACKNOWLEGDEMENTS

The work presented in this paper was partially funded by the german Federal Ministry of Education and Research within
the Optische Technologien framework program (Funding call BrioLas, subproject BriMo, FKZ 13N8612). Other parts
of this work is funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) within the Framework
Concept Research for Tomorrows Production (FKZ 02PC2063) and managed by the Project Management Agency
Forschungszentrum Karlsruhe (PTKA), Production and Manufacturing Technologies Division (PFT). The authors would
like to thank W. Stckl, G. Leibeling and A. Joswig for sample preparation.

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[4]
Keranen, K., Makinen, J.-T., Kautio, K. T., et al., Fiber pigtailed multimode laser module based on passive device
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