X-Ray Inspection Services

X-Ray Inspection for
Hidden Solder Joint Defects

Non-destructive 2D and 3D CT imaging reveals what optical inspection cannot — voids, bridging and open joints hidden beneath BGA, CSP, QFN and LGA packages.

2D & 3D CT X-Ray Micro-Focus Imaging IPC-A-610 Void Analysis BGA / CSP / QFN Coverage
from 2%
Void detection threshold
2000x
Maximum magnification
6+
X-ray systems in operation
50k+
Joints inspected per day
2M+
BGA joints inspected annually
3D
CT reconstruction available
24h
Standard report turnaround
IPC
A-610 void acceptance criteria
Defects & Issues We Catch

What our X-ray systems
are built to reveal

Non-destructive imaging into every joint and structure that's invisible to the naked eye. Hover to explore.

01

BGA / CSP Voiding

Quantifies void percentage inside BGA and CSP solder balls against IPC-A-610 acceptance thresholds — critical for thermal and mechanical joint reliability.

02

Head-in-Pillow

Detects the characteristic non-wetted junction between solder ball and paste that AOI cannot see, common on BGA reflow with coplanarity issues.

03

Hidden Solder Bridging

Reveals solder bridges forming underneath fine-pitch BGA and QFN packages, invisible to any optical inspection method.

04

PTH Barrel Voids

Cross-sectional imaging of plated through-hole barrels identifies voiding and incomplete fill that can compromise via reliability under thermal cycling.

05

Microvia Defects

High-magnification imaging inspects microvia fill quality and annular ring integrity on HDI boards, catching voids before they cause field failures.

06

Layer Misregistration

3D CT reconstruction verifies internal layer alignment on multilayer PCBs, confirming registration accuracy that cannot be checked from the surface.

07

Counterfeit Component Verification

Internal die and lead-frame imaging confirms component authenticity against known-good references, flagging remarked or re-balled counterfeit parts.

08

Insufficient Solder Fill

Verifies thermal pad and ground-plane solder fill on QFN and LGA packages, where poor coverage directly impacts thermal performance and reliability.

Our Inspection Process

How every hidden joint
gets imaged and verified

A calibrated, repeatable sequence that quantifies defects against IPC-A-610 criteria — not a subjective visual pass/fail.

01

Board Load & Tube Calibration

The board is loaded and positioned on the manipulator stage. The micro-focus X-ray tube and detector are calibrated for the target package type and board thickness before any imaging begins.

Manipulator stage · micro-focus tube · calibrated per package
02

2D Real-Time Scan of Target Joints

Real-time 2D imaging scans the target solder joints, PTH barrels or via structures at magnification tuned to the feature size — the fast first pass for standard voiding and bridging checks.

Real-time 2D imaging · variable magnification · rapid screening
03

3D CT Reconstruction for Complex Packages

For BGA, CSP and multilayer structures where 2D imaging cannot fully separate overlapping features, the board is rotated through a full CT scan and reconstructed into a 3D volumetric model.

Computed tomography · full rotational scan · 3D volumetric model
04

Void Quantification, Sign-off & Reporting

Software measures void area as a percentage of joint area and compares it against IPC-A-610 acceptance limits. An inspection engineer signs off borderline cases before a full report is generated.

Void % quantification · IPC-A-610 criteria · engineering sign-off
Equipment & Technology

The X-ray platforms behind
every hidden-joint inspection

All imaging is performed in-house on production-grade equipment — nothing is outsourced.

Rapid Screening

2D Real-Time X-Ray Systems

High-speed 2D imaging for first-pass screening of solder joints, PTH barrels and via structures. Fast enough for high-volume production sampling while still resolving voids and bridging within standard acceptance criteria.

real-time imaging high-volume screening rapid void detection
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BGA · CSP · QFN · Multilayer

3D CT X-Ray / Computed Tomography

Full rotational computed tomography reconstructs a complete 3D volumetric model of the board — essential for separating overlapping BGA solder balls, verifying internal layer registration and confirming microvia integrity that 2D imaging alone cannot resolve.

full rotational scan 3D volumetric reconstruction layer registration check
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High-Magnification Imaging

Micro-Focus X-Ray Tube

A micro-focus X-ray source with a sub-micron focal spot enables magnification up to 2000x — resolving individual solder ball voids, fine microvia structures and die-level detail for counterfeit component verification.

sub-micron focal spot up to 2000x magnification die-level resolution
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Technical Specifications

X-ray capability
at a glance.

Every parameter below reflects our production X-ray line, verified against IPC-A-610 void acceptance criteria. Void analysis reports and images ship with every relevant assembly order.

  • 2000x
    Maximum magnification
  • 2%
    Void detection sensitivity
  • 10mm
    Max board thickness
  • 30s
    Typical 2D scan time per board
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ParameterX-Ray CapabilityStatus
Magnification RangeUp to 2000x, micro-focus tubeAvailable
Void Detection SensitivityDown to 2% of joint areaAvailable
Max Board ThicknessUp to 10 mmAvailable
Max Board SizeUp to 460 x 610 mmAvailable
Tube Power90 kV micro-focus sourceAvailable
Scan Time (2D)~30 seconds per boardAvailable
3D CT ReconstructionAvailable on requestAvailable
PTH Barrel InspectionCross-sectional void imagingAvailable
IPC-A-610 ComplianceClass 2 / 3 void acceptance criteriaAvailable
Quality & Compliance

Certified inspection processes your quality team can audit.

X-ray void analysis is documented against IPC-A-610 acceptance criteria for every relevant package. Our calibration records and inspection procedures are available for customer audit on request.

ISO 9001 : 2015
Third-party audited quality management
ISO 13485 : 2016
Medical device quality management
IATF 16949 : 2016
Automotive quality management system
AS9100D
Aerospace quality management system
IPC-A-610 Class 2 / 3
Void & acceptance criteria for solder joints

Complementary Test & Inspection Methods

  • Automated Optical Inspection (AOI)Covers surface-visible defects that complement X-ray coverage
  • Solder Paste Inspection (SPI)Volume & alignment check pre-reflow, upstream of hidden-joint risk
  • In-Circuit Test (ICT)Electrical confirmation of joints imaged and passed by X-ray
  • Flying Probe TestNet-level open/short verification, no fixture required
  • Functional TestEnd-to-end circuit performance verification
  • Microsection & Cross-section AnalysisDestructive confirmation on qualification samples
  • Ion Chromatography — Cleanliness TestIPC-TM-650 compliant ionic testing
  • First Article Inspection (FAI) ReportsFull documentation on first production run
Case Studies

X-ray inspection in practice

Real hidden-joint challenges — and how X-ray imaging caught them before shipment.

Automotive · BMS Module

BGA Void Reduction on EV BMS Board

A battery management BGA package was showing elevated void rates on early production units. 3D CT scanning was used to isolate the root cause in the reflow profile.

18%→6%
Void rate reduced
100%
BGA joints imaged
0ppm
Field escapes since
Outcome

3D CT imaging pinpointed voiding concentrated at the package center, traced to a reflow ramp-rate issue. After profile correction, void rates dropped well within IPC-A-610 limits.

Medical Device · Implantable Sensor

Hidden Defect Catch on QFN Thermal Pad

A Class 3 implantable sensor board required 100% X-ray verification of QFN thermal pad solder fill, invisible to any optical inspection method.

100%
Boards X-rayed
2%
Void threshold applied
3units
Rejected pre-shipment
Outcome

X-ray inspection identified three units with insufficient thermal pad fill before they left the facility, preventing a potential field failure in an implantable device.

Telecom · High-Density Switch Board

Layer Registration Verification on 20-Layer Board

A high-density networking board required internal layer registration verification and microvia integrity confirmation before customer sign-off on a new stack-up.

20L
Layer count verified
3D
CT scan used
100%
Microvias inspected
Outcome

Full CT reconstruction confirmed layer-to-layer registration within tolerance and microvia fill quality across the panel, giving the customer confidence to release the stack-up to production.

Why HanSphere

Why customers trust
our X-ray process.

Hidden defects are the hardest to catch and the most costly to miss. Our X-ray program is built around calibrated equipment, documented criteria and engineers who know what they're looking at.

2%
Void detection sensitivity

Resolving voids well below IPC thresholds

Our micro-focus systems detect voiding down to 2% of joint area — well below typical 25-30% IPC-A-610 rejection thresholds — giving early warning before a joint reaches marginal territory.

2000x
Maximum magnification

Resolution for the smallest hidden features

Micro-focus X-ray tubes with sub-micron focal spots resolve individual solder ball voids and microvia structures that lower-power systems simply cannot image clearly.

100%
Hidden joint coverage

Every BGA, CSP and QFN, imaged

We don't rely on statistical sampling for hidden-joint risk. Every relevant package on every board is X-ray inspected as standard, not held back as a premium add-on.

24h
Report turnaround

Fast, documented void analysis reports

Void percentage reports, defect images and engineering sign-off are delivered within 24 hours of inspection — so production and quality decisions aren't waiting on paperwork.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

Common questions about X-ray inspection and how it fits into your assembly and quality process.

X-ray inspection provides non-destructive imaging of structures hidden from optical view — most importantly, solder joints underneath BGA, CSP, QFN and LGA packages. It's also used to inspect PTH barrel fill, microvia integrity, internal layer registration on multilayer boards, and to verify component authenticity via internal die and lead-frame imaging.

IPC-A-610 acceptance criteria vary by class and joint type, but BGA voiding is commonly evaluated against a 25-30% void area threshold per ball, with tighter limits applied on Class 3 and high-reliability designs. Our systems detect voiding down to 2% of joint area, giving clear margin below rejection thresholds and early warning of process drift.

Yes. With 3D CT reconstruction we can verify internal layer-to-layer registration, inspect PTH barrel and microvia fill quality, and confirm internal via structure on HDI and multilayer boards — independent of any solder joint inspection.

Both. 2D real-time imaging is used as the standard first-pass screen for most solder joint and via checks, since it's fast and covers the majority of defect types. 3D CT reconstruction is applied for complex BGA/CSP packages, layer registration verification, or whenever overlapping features can't be fully separated in a single 2D view.

Micro-focus X-ray imaging at high magnification reveals internal die size, bond wire pattern and lead-frame construction, which can be compared against known-good reference images for a given part number. Inconsistencies — different die size, mismatched bond wire count, re-balled packages — are strong indicators of counterfeit or remarked components.

For boards with BGA, CSP, QFN or LGA packages, we run 100% X-ray inspection on every relevant joint as standard, not statistical sampling. This is included in our assembly process for these package types; for boards without hidden-joint components, X-ray is available as an optional service, for example for counterfeit verification or via inspection.

Get a Quote

Start your assembly
project with confidence.

Our engineering team will review your BOM and package types and return a full quote, including your X-ray inspection plan, within 8 working hours.

  • 100% X-ray coverage on BGA / CSP / QFN packages
  • NDA signed on request — standard practice
  • IPC-A-610 void analysis documentation available
  • Response within 8 working hours
  • No commitment required to get a quote
Request X-Ray Inspection Quote All files encrypted · Max 80MB per upload · NDA available
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