Soldering method and apparatus.

摘要

While process gas is fed from a gas supply means (31) to a plasma generating means (21) in a vacuum chamber (12), hydrogen-containing plasma is generated by the plasma generating means (21) under a low pressure. A soft solder alloy on the surface of a workpiece (11) supported by a workpiece exposing means (15) is exposed to the hydrogen-containing plasma so that the soft solder alloy is exposed with the hydrogen-containing plasma. Either simultaneously with or immediately after the plasma exposure, the soft solder alloy undergoes reflow treatment in a vacuum by a heating means (36). As no flux is used, there is no need of a washing process, and the bump-shaped electrode terminals produced by using the inexpensive soft solder alloy on the surface of the workpiece (11) have great reliability.