Compare Reliability of BGA Packages with Different Soldering Processes Reflow Soldering vs IPL Soldering

ABSTRACT Semiconductor industry energy consumption grew by 125% between 2015 and 2023, while direct greenhouse gas emissions rose by 23% over the same period, according to the European think tank Interface, which analyzed corporate social responsibility reports from 28 global chip manufacturers. The semiconductor energy landscape can be framed as a joint crisis in both manufacturing and use-phase power demand, with projections indicating that total electricity consumption could roughly double by 2030 if current trends persist. This motivates a systematic examination of where and how energy is used across the semiconductor ecosystem, from fab operations to AI- and data-centric deployments. Recent analyses by environmental and industry organizations highlight that semiconductor manufacturing is already one of the most energy-intensive industrial activities, driven by long, complex process flows and rapidly expanding wafer capacity. Idle and process power in fabrication plants account for a dominant share of total electricity use, and global chip manufacturing alone is projected to consume on the order of hundreds of terawatt-hours (TWh) annually by 2030. Countries in which semiconductor fabrication and advanced packaging are core industries, such as the United States, South Korea, Taiwan and Japan, are therefore expected to experience particularly strong growth in electricity demand from this sector. For leading foundries and memory manufacturers, individual megafabs can already draw power comparable to that of a mid-sized city, underscoring the urgency of improving fab-level energy efficiency and securing low-carbon electricity sources. Moreover, device scaling continues to push the limits of patterning technology, accelerating the migration from deep ultraviolet (DUV) lithography toward extreme ultraviolet (EUV) and even more advanced EUV exposure platforms. These next-generation lithography systems require significantly higher source and laser powers, and several reports indicate that their electricity consumption can increase by up to an order of magnitude compared with conventional tools as output power is scaled for higher throughput. As previously noted, semiconductor manufacturing accounts for a substantial share of global carbon emissions. To achieve the internationally adopted net-zero-by-2050 goal, the development and implementation of immediate, effective energy-saving technologies are essential not only in highly energy-intensive semiconductor fabrication operations but also in emerging semiconductor packaging technologies, such as high-bandwidth memory (HBM). Traditional reflow soldering dominates soldering production lines and plays a critical role in fabricating fine-pitch wafer bumps or solder-capped Cu pillars for 3D-stacked HBM. The proposed IPL soldering process utilizes short light pulses to enable rapid, large-area heating while requiring only one-third the footprint of conventional convection reflow soldering equipment, thereby significantly reducing cleanroom space requirements.