Data Sheet
Datasheet SHT20 
www.sensirion.com  Version 3 – December 2011  4/14
2  Application Information 
2.1  Soldering Instructions 
The  DFN’s  die  pad  (centre  pad)  and  perimeter  I/O  pads 
are  fabricated  from  a  planar  copper  lead-frame  by  over-
molding  leaving the  die pad  and I/O  pads exposed  for 
mechanical  and  electrical  connection.  Both  the  I/O  pads 
and  die  pad  should  be  soldered  to  the  PCB.  In  order  to 
prevent oxidation and optimize soldering, the bottom side 
of the sensor pads is plated with Ni/Pd/Au. 
On the PCB the I/O lands
8
 should be 0.2mm longer than 
the package I/O pads. Inward corners may be rounded to 
match the I/O pad shape. The I/O land width should match 
the DFN-package I/O-pads width 1:1 and the land for the 
die  pad  should  match  1:1  with  the  DFN  package  –  see 
Figure 8. 
The solder mask
9
 design for the land pattern preferably is 
of  type  Non-Solder  Mask  Defined  (NSMD)  with  solder 
mask openings  larger than metal pads. For NSMD pads, 
the  solder  mask  opening  should  be  about  120μm  to 
150μm larger than the pad size, providing a 60μm to 75μm 
design  clearance  between  the  copper  pad  and  solder 
mask. Rounded portions  of package pads should have a 
matching rounded solder mask-opening shape to minimize 
the risk of solder bridging. For the actual pad dimensions, 
each  pad  on  the  PCB  should  have  its  own  solder  mask 
opening  with a  web  of solder  mask between  adjacent 
pads. 
Figure 8 Recommended metal land pattern for SHT2x. Values 
in mm. Die pad (centre pad) may be left floating or be connected 
to ground, NC pads  shall be  left floating. The outer  dotted line 
represents the outer dimension of the DFN package. 
For solder paste printing a laser-cut, stainless steel stencil 
with electro-polished trapezoidal walls and with 0.125mm 
stencil  thickness  is  recommended.  For  the  I/O  pads  the 
stencil apertures should be 0.1mm longer than PCB pads 
and positioned with 0.1mm offset away from the centre of 
the package. The die pad aperture should cover about 70 
– 90%  of the pad area  – say up to  1.4mm x 2.3mm 
8
 The land pattern is understood to be the metal layer on the PCB, onto which 
the DFN pads are soldered to. 
9
 The solder mask is  understood to be the insulating layer  on  top of the PCB 
covering the connecting lines. 
centered on the thermal land area. It can also be split in 
two openings. 
Due  to  the  low  mounted  height  of  the  DFN,  “no  clean”  
type 3 solder paste
10
 is recommended as well as Nitrogen 
purge during reflow. 
Figure 9  Soldering profile according to JEDEC standard. T
P
 <= 
260°C and t
P
 < 30sec for Pb-free assembly. T
L
 < 220°C and t
L
 < 
150sec. Ramp-up/down speeds shall be < 5°C/sec. 
It is important to note that the diced edge or side faces of 
the I/O pads may oxidise over time, therefore a solder fillet 
may  or  may  not  form.  Hence  there  is  no  guarantee  for 
solder joint fillet heights of any kind. 
For soldering SHT2x, standard reflow soldering ovens may 
be  used. The  sensor is  qualified  to withstand  soldering 
profile  according  to  IPC/JEDEC  J-STD-020  with  peak 
temperatures at 260°C during up  to 30sec for  Pb-free 
assembly in IR/Convection reflow ovens (see Figure 9).  
For  manual  soldering  contact  time  must  be  limited  to  5 
seconds at up to 350°C. 
IMPORTANT:  After  soldering,  the  devices  should  be 
stored  at  >75%RH  for  at  least  12h  to  allow  the sensor 
element to re-hydrate. Otherwise the sensor may read an 
offset  that  slowly  disappears  if  exposed  to  ambient 
conditions. Alternatively the  re-hydration  process  may be 
performed  at  ambient  conditions  (>40%RH)  during  more 
than 5 days. 
In  no  case,  neither  after  manual  nor  reflow  soldering,  a 
board wash shall be applied. Therefore, and as mentioned 
above, it is strongly recommended to use “no-clean” solder 
paste. In case of applications with exposure of the sensor 
to corrosive gases or condensed water (i.e. environments 
with  high relative  humidity)  the soldering  pads shall  be 
sealed (e.g. conformal coating) to  prevent loose contacts 
or short cuts. 
2.2  Storage Conditions and Handling Instructions 
Moisture  Sensitivity  Level  (MSL)  is  1,  according  to 
IPC/JEDEC  J-STD-020.  At  the  same  time,  it  is 
10
 Solder types are related to the solder particle size in the paste: Type 3 covers 
the size range of 25 – 45 µm (powder type 42). 
1.0 
1.0 
0.3 
0.4 
1.5 
0.4 
0.7 
0.2 
0.2 
2.4 
Temperature 
Time 
t
P
T
P
T
L
T
S 
(max) 
t
L
preheating 
critical zone 










