The crack generation energy U₁ and the crack progress energy U₂ of eutectic Sn–37 mass%Pb solder ball and Sn–36 mass%Pb–2 mass%Ag one were surveyed by the shear test. Both balls were bonded at various reflow cooling rates (10–200 K/min). The shear test was carried out under the condition of two kinds of the shear height, Z=0 \\micron and Z=200 \\micron. U₁ and U₂ were calculated by multiplying the shear strength by the shear distance. Though U₂ was independent on the cooling rate, the ball composition and the shear height, U₁ changed depending on these parameters. Only U₁ of Sn–36 mass%Pb–2 mass%Ag ball bonding cooled at 200 K/min dropped sharply though U₁ of both ball bonding was almost the same and increased with the faster cooling rates in case of Z=0 \\micron. U₁ of Sn–36 mass%Pb–2 mass%Ag ball bonding was higher than that of the eutectic ball at each cooling rate as a result of the shear test at Z=200 \\micron. The needle shape Ag₃Sn intermetallic compound in Sn–36 mass%Pb–2 mass%Ag ball and near the interface contributed mainly to the lower U₁ at Z=0 \\micron because Ni₃Sn₄ reaction layer formed at 200 K/min was thin. The higher U₁ at Z=200 \\micron was due to the fine lamellar structure (Sn phase/Pb phase) in Sn–36 mass%Pb–2 mass%Ag ball. The shear property of the same ball depended on the shear height in the present study.