A model for low-cycle fatigue of surface mount solder joints

A phenomenological model is developed to describe the effect of system compliance on the low-cycle fatigue behavior of surface mount solder joints under conditions of constant displacement range. The model is consistent with fatigue data obtained under conditions of constant plastic strain range. System compliance is found to produce a substantial increase in the sensitivity of fatigue life to displacement range. Features of the model are identified where further development could result in merging the model with viscoplastic constitutive descriptions for solder deformation and failure criteria based on phenomenological models such as the one described by M.C. Shine and L.R. Fox (1985)