What is a Cold Solder Joint and How to Fix or Prevent It

Introduction

Cold solder joints are also known as pseudo-soldering. They are a bad solder joint that is produced during PCBA or SMT. The solder joint is unreliable because it lacks good intermetallic compound (IMC) formation. This can cause serious line failures.

1. Cold Solder Joint and Why it Should Be Avoided

A cold solder joint forms when solder fails to melt completely (preventing proper joint formation); it has a rough, rigid, uneven surface, and is prone to cracking, failure, and increased electrical resistance–ultimately reducing the reliability of electronic assemblies.

A close-up of a defective cold solder joint on a circuit board.

Symptoms of Cold Solder Joints:

  1. dull or grainy joint
  2. lumpy or blob-like joint
  3. weak or brittle connection
  4. circular cracks
  5. bulging solder point
  6. concave-shaped joint


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