Conductive epoxy instead of Solder?

Question

Has anyone used conductive expoxy instead of solder to assemble a PCB? I currently apply Pb/Sn solder paste, then pop the board into my trusty $29 toaster oven for a couple minutes. But now I am trying to mount some BGAs with lead-free solder balls. My toaster oven doesn't get hot enough to melt the lead-free solder. I could go back to Walmart and buy a better toaster oven, but I would still have no way to check the integrity of the solder joints. So I am thinking of trying conductive epoxy. This would be for prototyping, not production. If anyone has any experience (good or bad) or can recommend a brand of conductive epoxy that works well, please let me know.

Here are some links:

jcomeau_ictx · Accepted Answer

I haven't tried conductive epoxy yet, but have you checked out thislink? It looks pretty well-researched.

Mike Harrison · Answer

You could take it to your local vet or dentist to X-ray it..!

JeffM · Answer

If this was a good idea, you would see it done all the time.

whit3rd · Answer

There's lots of solders available; Indium Co. makes low melting point variants that can work with your toaster (and this is NOT a production issue, it's prototyping; don't worry about lead-free issues).

Conductive epoxy has its uses, but it isn't intended for this and is likely to cause bridges or other unreliable connections.

Conductive epoxy instead of Solder?

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