We recommend a thickness of 100 µm or more for the metal mask.
We have evaluated boards mounted with the ECAS series in a solder thickness range of 60 µm to 200 µm. That evaluation confirmed that there is no difference in the solder adhesion strength, impact resistance, and vibration resistance. However, if the metal mask is thinner than 100 µm, it may be affected by the terminal condition and the board resist material thickness.
Accordingly, we recommend a thickness of 100 µm or more for the metal mask.
Supplementary Information
There is a trend for the solder thickness (solder paste printing thickness; in other words, the metal mask thickness) to become thinner as components become smaller.
You will need to grasp the impact of the solder thickness taking into consideration the size of the components mounted in the surroundings when using our ECAS series.
We believe the solder thickness is generally 80 to 120 µm for notebooks, servers, and switches/routers where ECAS is used. However, as mentioned above, if the metal mask is thinner than 100 µm, it may be affected by the terminal condition and the board resist material thickness. Therefore, we recommend a thickness of 100 µm or more for the metal mask.
Click here for the results of our investigation on the solder thickness impact → Solder Thickness Impact Investigation