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How to Prevent the Tombstone during

the SMT Reflow Process

The tombstone effect, also known as tombstoning or Manhattaning, is a

common soldering defect that can occur during the surface mount technology

(SMT) reflow process. It refers to when one side of a surface mount component

lifts from the PCB pad during reflow, resembling a tombstone. Tombstones can

lead to open solder joints, reduced reliability, and rework - so it's important to

understand why tombstoning happens and how to prevent it.

What Causes Tombstoning During Reflow

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There are several potential root causes of tombstoning defects:

Uneven Solder Paste Volume or Deposition

If there is more solder paste under one pad than another for a particular

component, the pad with more solder will pull the component towards it

during reflow. Common causes include:

 Uneven stencil aperture volumes

 Clogged stencil apertures or poor paste release
 Misalignment between the stencil and PCB

Poor Wetting on One Pad

If one pad has a surface contamination that reduces solder wetting, the other

pad will pull the component towards it during reflow. This is common with

NiPdAu surface finishes if the Au layer is too thick.

Differential Heating

If one pad heats up faster than the other, it can begin melting the solder first

and pull the component. This may happen with large thermal masses under

one pad, different pad sizes or thermal properties, or uneven heating during

reflow.

Component or PCB Warpage

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Warped components or PCBs can cause one pad to lose contact before the

other during reflow. There will be a weaker solder joint on the pad that lost

contact.

Other Factors

Component orientation, large/heavy components, moisture absorption, poor

pad design, vibration during reflow, and other factors can also contribute to

tombstoning.

How to Prevent Tombstones During SMT Assembly

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There are strategies both in design and in manufacturing to reduce the risk

of tombstoning:

1. Symmetrical PCB Land Pattern Design

 Use same size/shape pads

 Equal thermal mass under each pad
 Minimal warpage

2. Qualify Processes and Materials

 Solder paste (match to process)

 Stencil quality and aperture volumes
 Appropriate reflow profile
 Surface finish compatibility with solder

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3. Control Solder Paste Volume and Deformation

 Proper storage conditions

 Validate stencil quality and alignment
 Use solder balls/beads for larger components

4. Symmetrical Solder Paste Deposition

 100% area print design

 Nanocoating on stencil apertures
 Clean stencil regularly
 Use high quality stencils

5. Control Differential Heating During Reflow

 Optimize convection reflow profile

 Turret reflow for optimal heat transfer
 Shield large ground planes if needed

6. Consider Adhesives on Tombstone-prone Components

 Edge glues
 Tacking points
 Selective epoxy dots

Root Cause Analysis for Tombstoning Failures

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When tombstoning issues occur, a systematic root cause analysis should be

conducted:

Step 1: Visually Inspect the Board and Affected Components

 Document exact location and direction of tombstones

 Note if issue is isolated or widespread
 Look for uneven solder fillets as evidence

Step 2: Review Soldering Process Parameters

 Solder paste type, age, open time

 Stencil quality, aperture volumes
 PCB surface finish compatibility
 Reflow profile details
 Other notable process changes

Step 3: Analyze PCB Land Pattern Design

 Compare pad sizes and spacing under component

 Check for symmetry of land pattern
 Identify large thermal planes, etc.

Step 4: Verify Stencil Printing Quality

 Solder paste volume and release

 Particle counts for microvoiding
 Stencil-to-PCB alignment analysis

Step 5: Validate Component Properties

 Check for warpage/twisting

 Note orientation of polarized components
 Consider weight and thermal mass

By methodically investigating these areas, the factors contributing to

tombstoning can usually be identified.

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Solutions by Tombstone Failure Mode

Here are some targeted solutions based on the suspected failure mechanism:

Uneven Solder Paste Deposition

 Adjust stencil aperture volumes

 Use nanocoating in stencil apertures
 Improve stencil cleaning & maintenance
 Reshape large apertures into tiles or hats
 Use 100% print area under large components

Differential Heating in Reflow

 Optimize convection reflow profile

 Use shadow mask or shielding
 Turret reflow for direct bottom-side heating
 Reduce ground plane area size if localized

Poor Wetting on One Pad

 Change PCB surface finish

 Increase peak reflow temperature

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 Use flux-cored solder wire to assist wetting

 Plasma clean or use tacky flux on pads

Warped Component

 Change component orientation

 Switch to newer date code of part
 Apply edge gluing dots before placement
 Reduce placement pressure

By matching the solution to the failure mechanism, tombstoning defects

during reflow can usually be eliminated.

h2>Best Practices For Preventing Tombstones

Here is a summary checklist of best practices to prevent tombstones:

 Symmetric land pattern under components

 100% paste coverage under large parts
 Qualify PCB surface finish with paste
 Nanocoat or tune stencil apertures
 Shield nearby thermal planes if needed
 Glue back edges before placement
 Refine reflow profile with experiments
 Improve stencil cleaning maintenance
 Visually inspect paste print quality

Implementing these guidelines, and responding quickly when any tombstones

do appear, will enable minimizing this common defect. With attention to

design, process, inspection, and continuous improvement, tombstones can be

prevented and assembly yields improved.

FAQs:

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What is the tombstone effect?

The tombstone effect refers to when a surface mount component lifts up on

one side during reflow, resembling a fallen tombstone. It is caused by uneven

forces during solder liquefaction, resulting in one pad having a weaker solder

joint.

How do you know if you have a tombstoning problem?

Visible signs of tombstoning include components lifting up at an angle,

Evidence in x-ray inspection shows less solder connection on one side. Testing

may reveal intermittencies from the bad solder joints.

What angle do tombstoned components lift to?

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Components exhibiting the tombstone defect will lift from 1 to 45 degrees

typically. The more parallel to the board, the less solder paste was likely

deposited underneath.

Can tombstoned components be saved?

In some cases, yes. If the lifted solder joints did not crack entirely, the

component may sometimes be gently pressed back down following reflow to

reestablish connection. However, cracked joints often require rework.

What is the easiest way to prevent SMT tombstones?

The easiest design solution is to ensure the PCB land pattern is symmetrical

underneath the part's two termination points. Equal pad sizes and thermal

pads will help balance forces during reflow to avoid tombstones.

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