Dynamic Mechanical Analysis

CALCE employs a wide range of equipment to assess the mechanical properties of materials used in electronic packaging:

1. The RHEOMETRICS Solids Analzyer (RSA II) is able to characterize dynamic mechanical properties, such as modulus, viscosity, creep, stress relaxation, and stress/strain behavior, over a temperature range of -100oC to 500oC.

2. The CALCE Thermo-Mechanical Microstructural Analyzer (TMMA) test apparatus was developed by CALCE for characterizing various solder compositions as well as other materials (e.g. die attaches, conductive adhesives, underfills). A solid-state actuator allows displacements with a resolution of less than 10nm and load resolution of less than 0.05N. The test frame allows for in-situ microstructural observations, which are an important part of understanding the root cause mechanisms which contribute to failure.

3. The ISTHMUS Thin Film Analyzer (TFA) is a computer-controlled system designed to measure strength, strain, stiffness, creep, and dimensional stability of electronic laminate materials. Its unique design allows testing of mechanical properties over a range of humid environments.

4. The MTS Dynamic Testing System is able to measure material properties such as elastic modulus, yield strength, shear strength, and stress relaxation while performing various mechanical testing procedures, such as stress-strain, fatigue, and creep. With the additional flexibility of a MTS Environmental Chamber, this system is more than capable of characterizing material responses to stresses in a wide range of operating temperatures and loads.

Specifications of the MTS Environmental Chamber