Case 992 ยท Public preview
A BGA Fracture Surface Can Reveal a Weak ENIG Interface
A BGA device separated from a board, leaving several fractured joints at the pad side. The examination sought the fracture path and its likely process significance.
Optical microscopySEM fractographyEDSSeparated-ball comparison
What the evidence preview establishes
The joints fractured brittly near the electroless-nickel/solder intermetallic interface. Elevated phosphorus on the fracture surface strongly supports a weak ENIG-related interface, often termed black pad, although the classic deep nickel grain-boundary hyper-etching feature was not observed.
Why this case matters
When BGA joints separate at the board pad, examine both sides of the fracture and measure the chemistry of the actual fracture face. Phosphorus enrichment is important evidence, but report absent diagnostic features and possible loading contributors as well.
Full evidence reserved for MEMBER and STOREThe complete case includes the evidence sequence, 4 interpreted figures, alternative explanations, limitations, and practical application guidance.