Sample records for au-sn solder joints

  1. Anomalous creep in Sn-rich solder joints

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Song, Ho Geon; Morris Jr., John W.; Hua, Fay

    2002-03-15

    This paper discusses the creep behavior of example Sn-rich solders that have become candidates for use in Pb-free solder joints. The specific solders discussed are Sn-3.5Ag, Sn-3Ag-0.5Cu, Sn-0.7Cu and Sn-10In-3.1Ag, used in thin joints between Cu and Ni-Au metallized pads.

  2. The Shear Strength and Fracture Behavior of Sn-Ag- xSb Solder Joints with Au/Ni-P/Cu UBM

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lee, Hwa-Teng; Hu, Shuen-Yuan; Hong, Ting-Fu; Chen, Yin-Fa

    2008-06-01

    This study investigates the effects of Sb addition on the shear strength and fracture behavior of Sn-Ag-based solders with Au/Ni-P/Cu underbump metallization (UBM) substrates. Sn-3Ag- xSb ternary alloy solder joints were prepared by adding 0 wt.% to 10 wt.% Sb to a Sn-3.5Ag alloy and joining them with Au/Ni-P/Cu UBM substrates. The solder joints were isothermally stored at 150°C for up to 625 h to study their microstructure and interfacial reaction with the UBM. Single-lap shear tests were conducted to evaluate the mechanical properties, thermal resistance, and failure behavior. The results show that UBM effectively suppressed intermetallic compound (IMC) formation and growth during isothermal storage. The Sb addition helped to refine the Ag3Sn compounds, further improving the shear strength and thermal resistance of the solders. The fracture behavior evolved from solder mode toward the mixed mode and finally to the IMC mode with increasing added Sb and isothermal storage time. However, SnSb compounds were found in the solder with 10 wt.% Sb; they may cause mechanical degradation of the solder after long-term isothermal storage.

  3. Effect of the Silver Content of SnAgCu Solder on the Interfacial Reaction and on the Reliability of Angle Joints Fabricated by Laser-Jet Soldering

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ji, Hongjun; Ma, Yuyou; Li, Mingyu; Wang, Chunqing

    2015-02-01

    The silver content of lead-free solders affects their microstructure, the interfacial reaction, and the performance of the joints in reliability tests. In this study, Sn3.0Ag0.5Cu (wt.%, SAC305) and Sn1.0Ag0.5Cu (wt.%, SAC105) solder balls of diameter 55 μm were reflowed on gold surface pads by laser-jet soldering. It was found that four types of layered intermetallic compound (IMC) were formed at the interfaces; these were Au5Sn/AuSn, AuSn, AuSn2, and AuSn4 from the pad side to the solder matrix. The Au5Sn/AuSn eutectic region, thickness 400 nm, formed because of the high cooling rate induced by the laser-jet soldering. During high-temperature storage tests, the silver became segregated at the interfaces between the Au-Sn IMC and the solder matrix, resulting in inhibition of IMC growth in SAC305 joints, the shear strengths of which were higher than those of SAC105 joints. In mechanical drop tests, however, percentage failure of the SAC305 joints was twice that of the SAC105 joints.

  4. Interaction of intermetallic compound formation in Cu/SnAgCu/NiAu sandwich solder joints

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Xia, Yanghua; Lu, Chuanyan; Chang, Junling; Xie, Xiaoming

    2006-05-01

    The interaction between Cu/solder interface and solder/Ni interface at a Cu/SnAgCu/NiAu sandwich solder joint with various surface finishes and solder heights was investigated. The interfacial microstructure and composition of intermetallic compounds (IMCs) were characterized by a scanning electron microscope (SEM) equipped with energy-dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (EDX). The phase structure of IMC was identified by x-ray diffraction (XRD). It is found that ternary (Cu,Ni)6Sn5 IMCs form at both interfaces. The composition, thickness, and morphology of the ternary IMCs depend not only on the interface itself, but also on the opposite interface. That is to say, strong coupling effects exist between the two interfaces. Lattice parameters of (Cu,Ni)6Sn5 shrink with increasing Ni content, in agreement with Vegard’s law. The mechanism of ternary IMC formation and interface coupling effects are discussed in this paper.

  5. Study of Sn and SnAgCu Solders Wetting Reaction on Ni/Pd/Au Substrates

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Liu, C. Y.; Wei, Y. S.; Lin, E. J.; Hsu, Y. C.; Tang, Y. K.

    2016-12-01

    Wetting reactions of pure Sn and Sn-Ag-Cu solder balls on Au(100 Å and 1000 Å)/Pd(500 Å)/Ni substrates were investigated. The (Au, Pd)Sn4 phase formed in the initial interfacial reaction between pure Sn and Au(100 Å and 1000 Å)/Pd(500 Å)/Ni substrates. Then, the initially formed (Au, Pd)Sn4 compound layer either dissolved or spalled into the molten Sn solder with 3 s of reflowing. The exposed Ni under-layer reacted with Sn solder and formed an interfacial Ni3Sn4 compound. We did not observe spalling compound in the Sn-Ag-Cu case, either on the thin Au (100 Å) or the thick Au (1000 Å) substrates. This implies that the Cu content in the Sn-Ag-Cu solder can efficiently suppress the spalling effect and really stabilize the interfacial layer. Sn-Ag-Cu solder has a better wetting than that of the pure Sn solder, regardless of the Au thickness of the Au/Pd/Ni substrate. For both cases of pure Sn and Sn-Ag-Cu, the initial wetting (<3-s reflowing) on the thin Au (100 Å) substrate is better than that of the thick Au (1000 Å) substrate. Over 3-s reflowing, the wetting on the thicker Au layer (1000 Å) substrate becomes better than the wetting on the thinner Au layer (100 Å) substrate.

  6. Interfacial Reaction and Mechanical Properties of Sn-Bi Solder joints

    PubMed Central

    Huang, Ying; Zhang, Zhijie

    2017-01-01

    Sn-Bi solder with different Bi content can realize a low-to-medium-to-high soldering process. To obtain the effect of Bi content in Sn-Bi solder on the microstructure of solder, interfacial behaviors in solder joints with Cu and the joints strength, five Sn-Bi solders including Sn-5Bi and Sn-15Bi solid solution, Sn-30Bi and Sn-45Bi hypoeutectic and Sn-58Bi eutectic were selected in this work. The microstructure, interfacial reaction under soldering and subsequent aging and the shear properties of Sn-Bi solder joints were studied. Bi content in Sn-Bi solder had an obvious effect on the microstructure and the distribution of Bi phases. Solid solution Sn-Bi solder was composed of the β-Sn phases embedded with fine Bi particles, while hypoeutectic Sn-Bi solder was composed of the primary β-Sn phases and Sn-Bi eutectic structure from networked Sn and Bi phases, and eutectic Sn-Bi solder was mainly composed of a eutectic structure from short striped Sn and Bi phases. During soldering with Cu, the increase on Bi content in Sn-Bi solder slightly increased the interfacial Cu6Sn5 intermetallic compound (IMC)thickness, gradually flattened the IMC morphology, and promoted the accumulation of more Bi atoms to interfacial Cu6Sn5 IMC. During the subsequent aging, the growth rate of the IMC layer at the interface of Sn-Bi solder/Cu rapidly increased from solid solution Sn-Bi solder to hypoeutectic Sn-Bi solder, and then slightly decreased for Sn-58Bi solder joints. The accumulation of Bi atoms at the interface promoted the rapid growth of interfacial Cu6Sn5 IMC layer in hypoeutectic or eutectic Sn-Bi solder through blocking the formation of Cu6Sn5 in solder matrix and the transition from Cu6Sn5 to Cu3Sn. Ball shear tests on Sn-Bi as-soldered joints showed that the increase of Bi content in Sn-Bi deteriorated the shear strength of solder joints. The addition of Bi into Sn solder was also inclined to produce brittle morphology with interfacial fracture, which suggests that the

  7. Nanoindentation on SnAgCu lead-free solder joints and analysis

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Xu, Luhua; Pang, John H. L.

    2006-12-01

    The lead-free SnAgCu (SAC) solder joint on copper pad with organic solderability preservative (Cu-OSP) and electroless nickel and immersion gold (ENIG) subjected to thermal testing leads to intermetallic growth. It causes corresponding reliability concerns at the interface. Nanoindentation characterization on SnAgCu solder alloy, intermetallic compounds (IMCs), and the substrates subjected to thermal aging is reported. The modulus and hardness of thin IMC layers were measured by nanoindentation continuous stiffness measurement (CSM) from planar IMC surface. When SAC/Ni(Au) solder joints were subject to thermal aging, the Young’s modulus of the NiCuSn IMC at the SAC/ENIG specimen changed from 207 GPa to 146 GPa with different aging times up to 500 h. The hardness decreased from 10.0 GPa to 7.3 GPa. For the SAC/Cu-OSP reaction couple, the Young’s modulus of Cu6Sn5 stayed constant at 97.0 GPa and hardness about 5.7 GPa. Electron-probe microanalysis (EPMA) was used to thermal aging. The creep effect on the measured result was analyzed when measuring SnAgCu solder; it was found that the indentation penetration, and thus the hardness, is loading rate dependent. With the proposed constant P/P experiment, a constant indentation strain rate h/h and hardness could be achieved. The log-log plot of indentation strain rate versus hardness for the data from the constant P/P experiments yields a slope of 7.52. With the optimized test method and CSM Technique, the Modulus of SAC387 solder alloy and all the layers in a solder joint were investigated.

  8. Wetting properties of Au/Sn solders for microelectronics

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Peterson, K. A.; Williams, C. B.

    Hermetic sealing of microelectronic packages with Au/Sn solder is critically dependent upon good wetting. In studying specific problems in hermetic sealing, a solderability test based on ASTM standard F-357-78 has proven useful. The test has helped isolate and quantify the effects of contamination due to epoxy die attach and related handling, thermal preconditioning of packages, gold plating thickness, time and temperature during sealing, and solder alloy composition as they affect wetting. Some differences in hardware have been documented between manufacturing lots, but the overriding factors have been contamination which occurs during packaging process flows and thermal preconditioning during processing. The paper includes a review of metallurgical aspects of soldering to a non-inert surface and an examination of microstructural differences in seal joints. The results also quantify the conventional wisdom that alloys which are on the tin-rich side of the eutectic composition offer superior wetting properties.

  9. Effect of Sn-Ag-Cu on the Improvement of Electromigration Behavior in Sn-58Bi Solder Joint

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wang, Fengjiang; Zhou, Lili; Zhang, Zhijie; Wang, Jiheng; Wang, Xiaojing; Wu, Mingfang

    2017-10-01

    Reliability issues caused by the formation of a Bi-rich layer at the anode interface usually occurs in the Sn-58Bi eutectic solder joint during electromigration (EM). To improve the EM performance of a Sn-58Bi solder joint, Sn-3.0Ag-0.5Cu solder was introduced into it to produce SnBi-SnAgCu structural or compositional composite joints, and their EM behaviors were investigated with the current density of 1.0 × 104 A/cm2 for different stressing times. The structure of the compositional composite solder joint was obtained by the occurrence of partial or full mixing between Sn-Bi and Sn-Ag-Cu solder with a suitable soldering temperature. In the structural composite joint, melted Sn-Bi was partially mixed with Sn-Ag-Cu solder to produce a Cu/Sn-Bi/Sn-Ag-Cu/Sn-Bi/Cu structure. In the compositional composite joint, full melting and mixing between these two solders occurred to produce a Cu/Sn-Ag-Cu-Bi/Cu structure, in which the solder matrix was a homogeneous structure including Sn, Bi phases, Cu6Sn5 and Ag3Sn IMCs. After current stressing, the EM performance of Sn-Bi solder was obviously improved with the structural or the compositional composite joint. In Sn-58Bi joints, a thick Bi-rich layer was easily produced at the anode interface, and obviously increased with stressing time. However, after current stressing on the structural composite joints, the existence of s Sn-3.0Ag-0.5Cu interlayer between the two Sn-58Bi solders effectively acted as a diffusion barrier and significantly slowed the formation of the Bi-rich layer at the anode side and the IMC thicknesses at the interfaces.

  10. Aspects of the structural evolution of lead-free solder joints

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zribi, A.; Kinyanjui, R.; Borgesen, P.; Zavalij, L.; Cotts, E. J.

    2002-06-01

    Studies of the formation of intermetallic compounds at some lead-free solder/metallization interfaces are briefly reviewed in this article. SnAgCu/Ni and SnAgCu/Cu interfaces are examined in particular. It has been found that (Cu,Ni)6Sn5 forms at SnAgCu/Ni interfaces until copper is depleted from the solder matrix. This article also contrasts the formation of (Au,Ni)Sn4 and related compounds in PbSn/Ni solder joints and lead-free solder joints.

  11. Real-time wetting dynamics and interfacial chemistry in low-melting 57Bi-42Sn-1Ag solder paste on Ni-Au

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bozack, M. J.

    2004-11-01

    We report the observation of real-time, in situ, wetting and spreading dynamics for 57Bi-42Sn-1Ag solder paste on Ni-Au surfaces during melting in a scanning electron microscope. The 57Bi-42Sn-1Ag is a low melting (139 °C) Pb-free eutectic alloy currently under consideration by automobile manufacturers for use in instrument displays. We find that, while there is excellent wetting of 57Bi-42Sn-1Ag solder paste on Ni-Au, there is almost no spreading. A large amount of Bi segregates to the surface of 57Bi-42Sn-1Ag solder balls during the sintering process. At melting, excessive flux outgassing and pooling are observed, several melted solder balls float on top of the flux, and substantial elemental segregation occurs during the first minutes of wetting. Neither Ni nor Au fully intermixes throughout the alloy at the interface within seconds of wetting. Bi does not move outward with the expanding alloy front. This combination of detrimental effects forms voids in the solder paste, contributes to low reliability of solder joints, and complicates the materials science at the solder-substrate interface as shown by Auger electron spectroscopy. Reliability work in progress (3000 cycles) shows that 57Bi-42Sn-1Ag on Ni-Au is less reliable than eutectic Sn-37Pb on Ni-Au for 2512 chip resistors cycled from -40 to 125 °C.

  12. Sn-Ag-Cu Nanosolders: Solder Joints Integrity and Strength

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Roshanghias, Ali; Khatibi, Golta; Yakymovych, Andriy; Bernardi, Johannes; Ipser, Herbert

    2016-08-01

    Although considerable research has been dedicated to the synthesis and characterization of lead-free nanoparticle solder alloys, only very little has been reported on the reliability of the respective joints. In fact, the merit of nanoparticle solders with depressed melting temperatures close to the Sn-Pb eutectic temperature has always been challenged when compared with conventional solder joints, especially in terms of inferior solderability due to the oxide shell commonly present on the nanoparticles, as well as due to compatibility problems with common fluxing agents. Correspondingly, in the current study, Sn-Ag-Cu (SAC) nanoparticle alloys were combined with a proper fluxing vehicle to produce prototype nanosolder pastes. The reliability of the solder joints was successively investigated by means of electron microscopy and mechanical tests. As a result, the optimized condition for employing nanoparticles as a competent nanopaste and a novel procedure for surface treatment of the SAC nanoparticles to diminish the oxide shell prior to soldering are being proposed.

  13. Creep properties of Pb-free solder joints

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Song, H.G.; Morris Jr., J.W.; Hua, F.

    2002-04-01

    Describes the creep behavior of three Sn-rich solders that have become candidates for use in Pb-free solder joints: Sn-3.5Ag, Sn-3Ag-0.5Cu and Sn-0.7Cu. The three solders show the same general behavior when tested in thin joints between Cu and Ni/Au metallized pads at temperatures between 60 and 130 C. Their steady-state creep rates are separated into two regimes with different stress exponents(n). The low-stress exponents range from {approx}3-6, while the high-stress exponents are anomalously high (7-12). Strikingly, the high-stress exponent has a strong temperature dependence near room temperature, increasing significantly as the temperature drops from 95 to 60 C. The anomalousmore » creep behavior of the solders appears to be due to the dominant Sn constituent. Joints of pure Sn have stress exponents, n, that change with stress and temperature almost exactly like those of the Sn-rich solder joints. Research on creep in bulk samples of pure Sn suggests that the anomalous temperature dependence of the stress exponent may show a change in the dominant mechanism of creep. Whatever its source, it has the consequence that conventional constitutive relations for steady-state creep must be used with caution in treating Sn-rich solder joints, and qualification tests that are intended to verify performance should be carefully designed.« less

  14. Wetting reaction of Sn-Ag based solder systems on Cu substrates plated with Au and/or Pd layer

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Liu, C. Y.; Li, Jian; Vandentop, G. J.; Choi, W. J.; Tu, K. N.

    2001-05-01

    The wetting behavior of SnAg based Pb-free solders on Cu and Cu substrates plated with Au, Pd, and Au/Pd thin films have been studied. The wetting angle and kinetics of interfacial reaction were measured. The Au-plated substrates exhibit better wetting than the Pd-plated substrates. In the case of SnAg on Pd-plated Cu, SEM observation revealed that the solder cap was surrounded by an innerring of Cu-Sn compound and an outer ring of Pd-Sn compound. This implies that the molten SnAg solder had removed the Pd and wetted the Cu directly in the equilibrium state. The effects of pre-doping Cu in the SnAg solder on wetting behavior were also investigated. We found that wettability decreases with increasing Cu content in the solder. We also observed that the SnAgCu solders have a lower Cu consumption rate than the SnAg solder.

  15. Nucleation rates of Sn in undercooled Sn-Ag-Cu flip-chip solder joints

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Arfaei, B.; Benedict, M.; Cotts, E. J.

    2013-11-01

    The nucleation of Sn from the melt in commercial SnAgCu flip chip solder joints was monitored at a number of different temperatures. Nucleation rates were estimated from measurements of nucleation times for 440 solder balls after one reflow and were found to be well epitomized by the expression I = 2 × 109 exp[(-1.6 × 105)/(T × (ΔT)2)] m-3 s-1, as per classical nucleation theory. After an additional reflow, the nucleation rates of the same 440 samples were observed to increase to I = 2 × 109 exp[(-8.9 × 104)/(T × (ΔT)2)] m-3 s-1. Thus it was shown that the expressions of classical nucleation theory well characterize nucleation kinetics for this system. These changes in nucleation kinetics were correlated with continued dissolution of Al and Ni in to the SnAgCu melt. Such increases in nucleation rates meant increases in the average solidification temperatures of the solder balls after reflow. Variations in the Sn grain morphology of the solder joints were correlated with these changes in solidification temperature, with larger Sn grains (beach ball Sn grain morphology) observed at higher solidification temperatures.

  16. Effects of Grain Orientation on Cu6Sn5 Growth Behavior in Cu6Sn5-Reinforced Composite Solder Joints During Electromigration

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Han, Jing; Wang, Yan; Tan, Shihai; Guo, Fu

    2018-02-01

    Electromigration is a major reliability problem in composite solder joints. Due to the anisotropy of the β-Sn crystal structure, the Sn grain orientations present in the solder matrix dominate the principal failure mechanism in solder joints under electric current stressing. In this work, the Cu6Sn5 growth behavior in Cu6Sn5-reinforced composite solder joints with three different Sn grain orientations was investigated at current density of 104 A/cm2 at room temperature. Micron-sized Cu particles were added to Sn-3.5Ag solder at 2% volume fraction using an in situ method. After current stressing for 528 h, the polarity effect in the composite solder joint was greatest for an angle ( θ) between the c-axis and electron flow direction of 30°, resulting in higher growth rate of Cu6Sn5 in the solder matrix compared with composite solder joints with θ of 60° or 90°. There were no noticeable changes in the composite solder joint with θ of 90°. The growth behavior of Cu6Sn5, Cu atomic motion, and Cu diffusivity in the composite solder joints with different Sn grain orientations were analyzed in detail.

  17. Electromigration in solder joints and solder lines

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gan, H.; Choi, W. J.; Xu, G.; Tu, K. N.

    2002-06-01

    Electromigration may affect the reliability of flip-chip solder joints. Eutectic solder is a two-phase alloy, so its electromigration behavior is different from that in aluminum or copper interconnects. In addition, a flipchip solder joint has a built-in currentcrowding configuration to enhance electromigration failure. To better understand electromigration in SnPb and lead-free solder alloys, the authors prepared solder lines in v-grooves etched on Si (001). This article discusses the results of those tests and compares the electromigration failure modes of eutectic SnPb and SnAgCu flip-chip solder joints along with the mean-timeto-failure.

  18. Subgrain Rotation Behavior in Sn3.0Ag0.5Cu-Sn37Pb Solder Joints During Thermal Shock

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Han, Jing; Tan, Shihai; Guo, Fu

    2018-01-01

    Ball grid array (BGA) samples were soldered on a printed circuit board with Sn37Pb solder paste to investigate the recrystallization induced by subgrain rotation during thermal shock. The composition of the solder balls was Sn3.0Ag0.5Cu-Sn37Pb, which comprised mixed solder joints. The BGA component was cross-sectioned before thermal shock. The microstructure and grain orientations were obtained by a scanning electron microscope equipped with an electron back-scattered diffraction system. Two mixed solder joints at corners of the BGA component were selected as the subjects. The results showed that recrystallization occurred at the corner of the solder joints after 200 thermal shock cycles. The recrystallized subgrains had various new grain orientations. The newly generated grain orientations were closely related to the initial grain orientations, which indicated that different subgrain rotation behaviors could occur in one mixed solder joint with the same initial grain orientation. When the misorientation angles were very small, the rotation axes were about Sn [100], [010] and [001], as shown by analyzing the misorientation angles and subgrain rotation axes, while the subgrain rotation behavior with large misorientation angles in the solder joints was much more complicated. As Pb was contained in the solder joints and the stress was concentrated on the corner of the mixed solder joints, concaves and cracks were formed. When the adjacent recrystallized subgrains were separated, and the process of the continuous recrystallization was limited.

  19. Effect of Solder-Joint Geometry on the Low-Cycle Fatigue Behavior of Sn- xAg-0.7Cu

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lee, Hwa-Teng; Huang, Kuo-Chen

    2016-12-01

    Low-cycle fatigue tests of Sn-Ag-Cu (SAC) Pb-free solder joints under fixed displacement were performed to evaluate the influence of Ag content (0-3 wt.%) and solder-joint geometry (barrel and hourglass types) on solder-joint fatigue behavior and reliability. The solder joints were composed of fine particles of Ag3Sn and Cu6Sn5, which aggregated as an eutectic constituent at grain boundaries of the primary β-Sn phase and formed a dense network structure. A decrease in the Ag content resulted in coarsening of the β-Sn and eutectic phases, which, in turn, decreased the strength of the joint and caused earlier failure. Solder joints in the hourglass form exhibited better fatigue performance with longer life than barrel-type joints. The sharp contact angle formed between the solder and the Cu substrate by the barrel-type joints concentrated stress, which compromised fatigue reliability. The addition of Ag to the solder, however, enhanced fatigue performance because of strengthening caused by Ag3Sn formation. The cracks of the barrel-type SAC solder joints originated mostly at the contact corner and propagated along the interfacial layer between the interfacial intermetallic compound (IMC) and solder matrix. Hourglass-type solder joints, however, demonstrated both crack initiation and propagation in the solder matrix (solder mode). The addition of 1.5-2.0 wt.% Ag to SAC solder appears to enhance the fatigue performance of solder joints while maintaining sufficient strength.

  20. Mechanical Reliability of the Epoxy Sn-58wt.%Bi Solder Joints with Different Surface Finishes Under Thermal Shock

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sung, Yong-Gue; Myung, Woo-Ram; Jeong, Haksan; Ko, Min-Kwan; Moon, Jeonghoon; Jung, Seung-Boo

    2018-04-01

    The effect of thermal shock on the mechanical reliability of epoxy Sn-58wt.%Bi composite (epoxy Sn-58wt.%Bi) solder joints was investigated with different surface-finished substrates. Sn-58wt.%Bi-based solder has been considered as a promising candidate for low-temperature solder among various lead-free solders. However, Sn-58wt.%Bi solder joints can be easily broken under impact conditions such as mechanical shock, drop tests, and bending tests because of their poor ductility. Therefore, previous researchers have tried to improve the mechanical property of Sn-58wt.%Bi solder by additional elements and mixtures of metal powder and epoxy resin. Epoxy Sn-58wt.%Bi solder paste was fabricated by mixing epoxy resin and Sn-58wt.%Bi solder powder to enhance the mechanical reliability of Sn-58wt.%Bi solder joints. The epoxy Sn-58wt.%Bi solder paste was screen-printed onto various printed circuit board surfaces finished with organic solder preservatives (OSP), electroless nickel immersion gold (ENIG), and electroless nickel electroless palladium immersion gold (ENEPIG). The test components were prepared by a reflow process at a peak temperature of 190°C. The thermal shock test was carried out under the temperature range of - 40 to 125°C to evaluate the reliability of Sn-58wt.%Bi and epoxy Sn-58wt.%Bi solder joints. The OSP-finished sample showed a relatively higher mechanical property than those of ENIG and ENEPIG after thermal shock. The average number of cycles for epoxy Sn-58wt.%Bi solder with the OSP surface finish were 6 times higher than that for Sn-58wt.%Bi solder with the same finish. The microstructures of the solder joints were investigated by scanning electron microscopy, and the composition of the intermetallic compound (IMC) layer was analyzed by using energy dispersive spectrometry. Cu6Sn5 IMC was formed by the reaction between Sn-58wt.%Bi solder and a OSP surface-finished Cu after the reflow process. Ni3Sn4 IMC and (Ni, Pd)3Sn4 IMC were formed at the solder

  1. Mechanical Reliability of the Epoxy Sn-58wt.%Bi Solder Joints with Different Surface Finishes Under Thermal Shock

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sung, Yong-Gue; Myung, Woo-Ram; Jeong, Haksan; Ko, Min-Kwan; Moon, Jeonghoon; Jung, Seung-Boo

    2018-07-01

    The effect of thermal shock on the mechanical reliability of epoxy Sn-58wt.%Bi composite (epoxy Sn-58wt.%Bi) solder joints was investigated with different surface-finished substrates. Sn-58wt.%Bi-based solder has been considered as a promising candidate for low-temperature solder among various lead-free solders. However, Sn-58wt.%Bi solder joints can be easily broken under impact conditions such as mechanical shock, drop tests, and bending tests because of their poor ductility. Therefore, previous researchers have tried to improve the mechanical property of Sn-58wt.%Bi solder by additional elements and mixtures of metal powder and epoxy resin. Epoxy Sn-58wt.%Bi solder paste was fabricated by mixing epoxy resin and Sn-58wt.%Bi solder powder to enhance the mechanical reliability of Sn-58wt.%Bi solder joints. The epoxy Sn-58wt.%Bi solder paste was screen-printed onto various printed circuit board surfaces finished with organic solder preservatives (OSP), electroless nickel immersion gold (ENIG), and electroless nickel electroless palladium immersion gold (ENEPIG). The test components were prepared by a reflow process at a peak temperature of 190°C. The thermal shock test was carried out under the temperature range of - 40 to 125°C to evaluate the reliability of Sn-58wt.%Bi and epoxy Sn-58wt.%Bi solder joints. The OSP-finished sample showed a relatively higher mechanical property than those of ENIG and ENEPIG after thermal shock. The average number of cycles for epoxy Sn-58wt.%Bi solder with the OSP surface finish were 6 times higher than that for Sn-58wt.%Bi solder with the same finish. The microstructures of the solder joints were investigated by scanning electron microscopy, and the composition of the intermetallic compound (IMC) layer was analyzed by using energy dispersive spectrometry. Cu6Sn5 IMC was formed by the reaction between Sn-58wt.%Bi solder and a OSP surface-finished Cu after the reflow process. Ni3Sn4 IMC and (Ni, Pd)3Sn4 IMC were formed at the solder

  2. Microstructural evolution and IMCs growth behavior of Sn-58Bi-0.25Mo solder joint during aging treatment

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yang, Li; Zhu, Lu; Zhang, Yaocheng; Zhou, Shiyuan; Xiong, Yifeng; Wu, Pengcheng

    2018-02-01

    The microstructural evolution and IMCs growth behavior of Sn-58Bi and Sn-58Bi-0.25Mo solder joints were investigated. The results showed that the microstructure is coarsened, the IMCs layer thickness is increased and the tensile strength of Sn-58Bi and Sn-58Bi-0.25Mo solder joints is decreased with increasing aging time and temperature. Aging temperature is the key factor that causes the excessive IMCs growth of the solder joint compared with aging time, and the activation energy of IMCs layer growth of Sn-58Bi and Sn-58Bi-0.25Mo solder joints is 48.94 kJ mol-1 and 53.79 kJ mol-1, respectively. During the aging treatment, the microstructure of Sn-58Bi solder joint is refined by adding Mo nanoparticles, and the appropriate IMCs layer thickness and improved mechanical properties are obtained by Sn-58Bi-0.25Mo solder joint.

  3. Enhancement of Sn-Bi-Ag Solder Joints with ENEPIG Surface Finish for Low-Temperature Interconnection

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Pun, Kelvin P. L.; Islam, M. N.; Rotanson, Jason; Cheung, Chee-wah; Chan, Alan H. S.

    2018-05-01

    Low-temperature soldering constitutes a promising solution in interconnect technology with the increasing trend of heat-sensitive materials in integrated circuit packaging. Experimental work was carried out to investigate the effect of electroless Ni/electroless Pd/immersion gold (ENEPIG) layer thicknesses on Sn-Bi-Ag solder joint integrity during extended reflow at peak temperatures as low as 175°C. Optimizations are proposed to obtain reliable solder joints through analysis of interfacial microstructure with the resulting joint integrity under extended reflow time. A thin Ni(P) layer with thin Pd led to diffusion of Cu onto the interface resulting in Ni3Sn4 intermetallic compound (IMC) spalling with the formation of thin interfacial (Ni,Cu)3Sn4 IMCs which enhance the robustness of the solder after extended reflow, while thick Ni(P) with thin Pd resulted in weakened solder joints with reflow time due to thick interfacial Ni3Sn4 IMCs with the entrapped brittle Bi-phase. With a suitable thin Ni(P), the Pd thickness has to be optimized to prevent excessive Ni-P consumption and early Cu outward diffusion to enhance the solder joint during extended reflow. Based on these findings, suitable Ni(P) and Pd thicknesses of ENEPIG are recommended for the formation of robust low-temperature solder joints.

  4. Al and Si Alloying Effect on Solder Joint Reliability in Sn-0.5Cu for Automotive Electronics

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hong, Won Sik; Oh, Chulmin; Kim, Mi-Song; Lee, Young Woo; Kim, Hui Joong; Hong, Sung Jae; Moon, Jeong Tak

    2016-12-01

    To suppress the bonding strength degradation of solder joints in automotive electronics, we proposed a mid-temperature quaternary Pb-free Sn-0.5Cu solder alloy with minor Pd, Al, Si and Ge alloying elements. We manufactured powders and solder pastes of Sn-0.5Cu-(0.01,0.03)Al-0.005Si-(0.006-0.007)Ge alloys ( T m = 230°C), and vehicle electronic control units used for a flame-retardant-4 printed circuit board with an organic solderability preservative finish were assembled by a reflow soldering process. To investigate the degradation properties of solder joints used in engine compartments, thermal cycling tests were conducted from -40°C to 125°C (10 min dwell) for 1500 cycles. We also measured the shear strength of the solder joints in various components and observed the microstructural evolution of the solder joints. Based on these results, intermetallic compound (IMC) growth at the solder joints was suppressed by minor Pd, Al and Si additions to the Sn-0.5Cu alloy. After 1500 thermal cycles, IMC layers thicknesses for 100 parts per million (ppm) and 300 ppm Al alloy additions were 6.7 μm and 10 μm, compared to the as-reflowed bonding thicknesses of 6 μm and 7 μm, respectively. Furthermore, shear strength degradation rates for 100 ppm and 300 ppm Al(Si) alloy additions were at least 19.5%-26.2%. The cause of the improvement in thermal cycling reliability was analyzed using the (Al,Cu)-Sn, Si-Sn and Al-Sn phases dispersed around the Cu6Sn5 intermetallic at the solder matrix and bonding interfaces. From these results, we propose the possibility of a mid-temperature Sn-0.5Cu(Pd)-Al(Si)-Ge Pb-free solder for automotive engine compartment electronics.

  5. Fast formation and growth of high-density Sn whiskers in Mg/Sn-based solder/Mg joints by ultrasonic-assisted soldering: Phenomena, mechanism and prevention.

    PubMed

    Li, M Y; Yang, H F; Zhang, Z H; Gu, J H; Yang, S H

    2016-06-08

    A universally applicable method for promoting the fast formation and growth of high-density Sn whiskers on solders was developed by fabricating Mg/Sn-based solder/Mg joints using ultrasonic-assisted soldering at 250 °C for 6 s and then subjected to thermal aging at 25 °C for 7 d. The results showed that the use of the ultrasonic-assisted soldering could produce the supersaturated dissolution of Mg in the liquid Sn and lead to the existence of two forms of Mg in Sn after solidification. Moreover, the formation and growth of the high-density whiskers were facilitated by the specific contributions of both of the Mg forms in the solid Sn. Specifically, interstitial Mg can provide the persistent driving force for Sn whisker growth, whereas the Mg2Sn phase can increase the formation probability of Sn whiskers. In addition, we presented that the formation and growth of Sn whiskers in the Sn-based solders can be significantly restricted by a small amount of Zn addition (≥3 wt.%), and the prevention mechanisms are attributed to the segregation of Zn atoms at grain or phase boundaries and the formation of the lamellar-type Zn-rich structures in the solder.

  6. Fast formation and growth of high-density Sn whiskers in Mg/Sn-based solder/Mg joints by ultrasonic-assisted soldering: Phenomena, mechanism and prevention

    PubMed Central

    Li, M. Y.; Yang, H. F.; Zhang, Z. H.; Gu, J. H.; Yang, S. H.

    2016-01-01

    A universally applicable method for promoting the fast formation and growth of high-density Sn whiskers on solders was developed by fabricating Mg/Sn-based solder/Mg joints using ultrasonic-assisted soldering at 250 °C for 6 s and then subjected to thermal aging at 25 °C for 7 d. The results showed that the use of the ultrasonic-assisted soldering could produce the supersaturated dissolution of Mg in the liquid Sn and lead to the existence of two forms of Mg in Sn after solidification. Moreover, the formation and growth of the high-density whiskers were facilitated by the specific contributions of both of the Mg forms in the solid Sn. Specifically, interstitial Mg can provide the persistent driving force for Sn whisker growth, whereas the Mg2Sn phase can increase the formation probability of Sn whiskers. In addition, we presented that the formation and growth of Sn whiskers in the Sn-based solders can be significantly restricted by a small amount of Zn addition (≥3 wt.%), and the prevention mechanisms are attributed to the segregation of Zn atoms at grain or phase boundaries and the formation of the lamellar-type Zn-rich structures in the solder. PMID:27273421

  7. Ultrasonic-assisted soldering of fine-grained 7034 aluminum alloy using Sn-Zn solders below 300°C.

    PubMed

    Guo, Weibing; Luan, Tianmin; He, Jingshan; Yan, Jiuchun

    2018-01-01

    The fine-grained Al alloys prefer to be soldered at as low as temperature to keep their mechanical properties. Solders of Sn-4Zn, Sn-9Zn, and Sn-20Zn alloys were used to solder fine-grained 7034 Al alloy pieces by ultrasonic-assisted soldering below 300°C in air. The joint using Sn-4Zn solder had the highest tensile strength of 201MPa and the fractures occurred in both β-Sn and Sn-Zn eutectic phases. Such joint was much stronger than the 1060 Al joint using Sn-4Zn solder, and its strength had approached the strength of 7034 Al joint using Zn-5Al solder. The strength of the joints using Sn-9Zn and Sn-20Zn solders dropped to∼160MPa due to the appearance of weak interfaces between η-Zn and eutectic phases in the bond layers. All the joints using Sn-Zn solders had very strong interfacial bonding, and alumina interlayers were identified at all the interfaces. Al dissolved in the bond layer reacted with the O rapidly to form alumina interlayers at the interfaces under the ultrasonic action. Zn segregated at the interface and formed strong bonds with both the Al terminated surface of alumina and the bond layer, resulting in strong interfacial bonding between Sn-Zn solders and Al alloys. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  8. Controlling intermetallic compound growth in SnAgCu/Ni-P solder joints by nanosized Cu6Sn5 addition

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kao, Szu-Tsung; Lin, Yung-Chi; Duh, Jenq-Gong

    2006-03-01

    Nanosized Cu6Sn5 dispersoids were incorporated into Sn and Ag powders and milled together to form Sn-3Ag-0.5Cu composite solders by a mechanical alloying process. The aim of this study was to investigate the interfacial reaction between SnAgCu composite solder and electroless Ni-P/Cu UBM after heating for 15 min. at 240°C. The growth of the IMCs formed at the composite solder/EN interface was retarded as compared to the commercial Sn3Ag0.5Cu solder joints. With the aid of the elemental distribution by x-ray color mapping in electron probe microanalysis (EPMA), it was revealed that the SnAgCu composite solder exhibited a refined structure. It is proposed that the Cu6Sn5 additives were pinned on the grain boundary of Sn after heat treatment, which thus retarded the movement of Cu toward the solder/EN interface to form interfacial compounds. In addition, wetting is an essential prerequisite for soldering to ensure good bonding between solder and substrate. It was demonstrated that the contact angles of composite solder paste was <25°, and good wettability was thus assured.

  9. Comparative Study of ENIG and ENEPIG as Surface Finishes for a Sn-Ag-Cu Solder Joint

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yoon, Jeong-Won; Noh, Bo-In; Jung, Seung-Boo

    2011-09-01

    Interfacial reactions and joint reliability of Sn-3.0Ag-0.5Cu solder with two different surface finishes, electroless nickel-immersion gold (ENIG) and electroless nickel-electroless palladium-immersion gold (ENEPIG), were evaluated during a reflow process. We first compared the interfacial reactions of the two solder joints and also successfully revealed a connection between the interfacial reaction behavior and mechanical reliability. The Sn-Ag-Cu/ENIG joint exhibited a higher intermetallic compound (IMC) growth rate and a higher consumption rate of the Ni(P) layer than the Sn-Ag-Cu/ENEPIG joint. The presence of the Pd layer in the ENEPIG suppressed the growth of the interfacial IMC layer and the consumption of the Ni(P) layer, resulting in the superior interfacial stability of the solder joint. The shear test results show that the ENIG joint fractured along the interface, exhibiting indications of brittle failure possibly due to the brittle IMC layer. In contrast, the failure of the ENEPIG joint only went through the bulk solder, supporting the idea that the interface is mechanically reliable. The results from this study confirm that the Sn-Ag-Cu/ENEPIG solder joint is mechanically robust and, thus, the combination is a viable option for a Pb-free package system.

  10. Effect of the Angle Between Sn Grain c-Axis and Electron Flow Direction on Cu-Reinforced Composite Solder Joints Under Current Stressing

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wang, Yan; Han, Jing; Wang, Yishu; Ma, Limin; Guo, Fu

    2018-01-01

    With a body-centered tetragonal crystal structure, Sn grains were demonstrated to have highly anisotropic behaviors in various properties. The electromigration behavior of lead-free solder was impacted by the grain orientations. In this paper, the angle between the c-axis and the electron flow direction in composite solder joints (angle θ) was proven to be an important factor during electromigration. The effects of angle θ on the electromigration of composite solder joints were investigated in this paper. Cu particle-reinforced Sn3.5Ag solder joints were stressed under a current density of 104 A/cm2 at room temperature. After 336 h current stressing time, different electromigration phenomena occurred at the two sides of the grain boundary in the composite solder joint which contained two Sn grains with different angle θ. The Sn grains with the larger angle θ had a smaller growth rate of Cu6Sn5. In addition, a composite solder joint with a single Sn grain was set as the contrast and its angle θ was smaller than that of the composite solder joint with two Sn grains. The growth rate of Cu6Sn5 in the composite solder joint with a single grain was faster than that of the composite solder joint with two Sn grains.

  11. Microstructure and mechanical behavior of low-melting point Bi-Sn-In solder joints

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Nguyen, Van Luong; Kim, Sang Hoon; Jeong, Jae Won; Lim, Tae-Soo; Yang, Dong-Yeol; Kim, Ki Bong; Kim, Young Ja; Lee, Jun Hong; Kim, Yong-Jin; Yang, Sangsun

    2017-09-01

    Ternary Bi-31.5Sn-25.0In solder has been proposed and studied for application in temperature-sensitive electronic components. In a Bi-31.5Sn- 25.0In solder joint, In was detected in an intermetallic compound (IMC) layer formed at the solder/Cu substrate interface with a thickness of 4.8 μm. The microstructure of the bulk solder consisted of Sn-rich phases distributed in Bi-rich phases with dispersion of In in both phases. Meanwhile, the nanomechanical properties of the Bi-31.5Sn-25.0In solder showed great strain rate sensitivity. To be specific, hardness increased from 9.91 MPa to 56.84 MPa as the strain rate increased in the range of (0.0005-0.125) s-1. The strain-rate sensitivity exponent ( m) was found to be 0.28, indicating that the excellent ductility was shown for the solder tested under the present conditions. [Figure not available: see fulltext.

  12. A Comparative Study on the Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of Cu6Sn5 and Cu3Sn Joints Formed by TLP Soldering With/Without the Assistance of Ultrasonic Waves

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhao, H. Y.; Liu, J. H.; Li, Z. L.; Song, X. G.; Zhao, Y. X.; Niu, H. W.; Tian, H.; Dong, H. J.; Feng, J. C.

    2018-07-01

    In this study, the microstructure and mechanical properties of Cu6Sn5 and Cu3Sn intermetallic joints, formed by the transient liquid phase (TLP) soldering process with and without the assistance of ultrasonic waves (USWs), were compared. After the application of USWs in the TLP soldering process, Cu-Sn intermetallic compounds (IMCs) exhibited a novel noninterfacial growth pattern in the molten solder interlayer. The resulting Cu6Sn5 and Cu3Sn joints consisted of refined equiaxed IMC grains with average sizes of 3 and 2.3 µm, respectively. The Cu6Sn5 grains in the ultrasonically soldered intermetallic joints demonstrated uniform mechanical properties with elastic modulus and hardness values of 123.0 and 5.98 GPa, respectively, while those of Cu3Sn grains were 133.9 and 5.08 GPa, respectively. The shear strengths of ultrasonically soldered Cu6Sn5 and Cu3Sn joints were measured to be 60 and 65 MPa, respectively, higher than that for reflow-soldered intermetallic joints. Ultrasonically soldered Cu6Sn5 and Cu3Sn joints both exhibited a combination of transgranular and intergranular fractures during shear testing.

  13. A Comparative Study on the Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of Cu6Sn5 and Cu3Sn Joints Formed by TLP Soldering With/Without the Assistance of Ultrasonic Waves

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhao, H. Y.; Liu, J. H.; Li, Z. L.; Song, X. G.; Zhao, Y. X.; Niu, H. W.; Tian, H.; Dong, H. J.; Feng, J. C.

    2018-05-01

    In this study, the microstructure and mechanical properties of Cu6Sn5 and Cu3Sn intermetallic joints, formed by the transient liquid phase (TLP) soldering process with and without the assistance of ultrasonic waves (USWs), were compared. After the application of USWs in the TLP soldering process, Cu-Sn intermetallic compounds (IMCs) exhibited a novel noninterfacial growth pattern in the molten solder interlayer. The resulting Cu6Sn5 and Cu3Sn joints consisted of refined equiaxed IMC grains with average sizes of 3 and 2.3 µm, respectively. The Cu6Sn5 grains in the ultrasonically soldered intermetallic joints demonstrated uniform mechanical properties with elastic modulus and hardness values of 123.0 and 5.98 GPa, respectively, while those of Cu3Sn grains were 133.9 and 5.08 GPa, respectively. The shear strengths of ultrasonically soldered Cu6Sn5 and Cu3Sn joints were measured to be 60 and 65 MPa, respectively, higher than that for reflow-soldered intermetallic joints. Ultrasonically soldered Cu6Sn5 and Cu3Sn joints both exhibited a combination of transgranular and intergranular fractures during shear testing.

  14. Comparison of Extensive Thermal Cycling Effects on Microstructure Development in Micro-alloyed Sn-Ag-Cu Solder Joints

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Anderson, Iver E.; Boesenberg, Adam; Harringa, Joel

    2011-09-28

    Pb-free solder alloys based on the Sn-Ag-Cu (SAC) ternary eutectic have promise for widespread adoption across assembly conditions and operating environments, but enhanced microstructural control is needed. Micro-alloying with elements such as Zn was demonstrated for promoting a preferred solidification path and joint microstructure earlier in simple (Cu/Cu) solder joints studies for different cooling rates. This beneficial behavior now has been verified in reworked ball grid array (BGA) joints, using dissimilar SAC305 (Sn-3.0Ag-0.5Cu, wt.%) solder paste. After industrial assembly, BGA components joined with Sn-3.5Ag-0.74Cu-0.21Zn solder were tested in thermal cycling (-55 C/+125 C) along with baseline SAC305 BGA joints beyondmore » 3000 cycles with continuous failure monitoring. Weibull analysis of the results demonstrated that BGA components joined with SAC + Zn/SAC305 have less joint integrity than SAC305 joints, but their lifetime is sufficient for severe applications in consumer, defense, and avionics electronic product field environments. Failure analysis of the BGA joints revealed that cracking did not deviate from the typical top area (BGA component side) of each joint, in spite of different Ag3Sn blade content. Thus, SAC + Zn solder has not shown any advantage over SAC305 solder in these thermal cycling trials, but other characteristics of SAC + Zn solder may make it more attractive for use across the full range of harsh conditions of avionics or defense applications.« less

  15. The failure models of Sn-based solder joints under coupling effects of electromigration and thermal cycling

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ma, Limin; Zuo, Yong; Liu, Sihan; Guo, Fu; Wang, Xitao

    2013-01-01

    Currently, the main concerns of Pb-free solder joints are focusing on electromigration (EM) and thermomechanical fatigue (TMF) problems. Many models have been established to understand the failure mechanisms of the joint under such single test conditions. Based on the fact that almost all microelectronic devices serve in combination conditions of fluctuated temperature and electric current stressing, the coupling effects of EM and TMF on evolution of microstructure and resistance of solder joint had been investigated. The failure models of binary SnBi alloy and ternary SnAgCu (SAC) solder under the coupling stressing were divided into four and three different stages, respectively. The failure mechanisms were dominant by the relationship of phase segregation, polarity effect, phase coarsening, and the coefficient of thermal expansion mismatch. Cracks tend to form and propagate along the interface between intermetallic compound layers and solder matrix in SAC solder. However, grain boundary was considered as the nucleation sites for microcracks in SnBi solder. High current density alleviates the deterioration of solder at the beginning stage of coupling stressing through Joule heating effect. An abrupt jump of resistance could be observed before the failure of the joint. The failure molds were determined by interactions of EM behaviors and TMF damages.

  16. Three Dimensional Characterization of Tin Crystallography and Cu6Sn5 Intermetallics in Solder Joints by Multiscale Tomography

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kirubanandham, A.; Lujan-Regalado, I.; Vallabhaneni, R.; Chawla, N.

    2016-11-01

    Decreasing pitch size in electronic packaging has resulted in a drastic decrease in solder volumes. The Sn grain crystallography and fraction of intermetallic compounds (IMCs) in small-scale solder joints evolve much differently at the smaller length scales. A cross-sectional study limits the morphological analysis of microstructural features to two dimensions. This study utilizes serial sectioning technique in conjunction with electron backscatter diffraction to investigate the crystallographic orientation of both Sn grains and Cu6Sn5 IMCs in Cu/Pure Sn/Cu solder joints in three dimensional (3D). Quantification of grain aspect ratio is affected by local cooling rate differences within the solder volume. Backscatter electron imaging and focused ion beam serial sectioning enabled the visualization of morphology of both nanosized Cu6Sn5 IMCs and the hollow hexagonal morphology type Cu6Sn5 IMCs in 3D. Quantification and visualization of microstructural features in 3D thus enable us to better understand the microstructure and deformation mechanics within these small scale solder joints.

  17. Influence of multi-walled carbon nanotubes on melting temperature and microstructural evolution of Pb-free Sn-5Sb/Cu solder joint

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Dele-Afolabi, T. T.; Azmah Hanim, M. A.; Norkhairunnisa, M.; Suraya, M. T.; Yusoff, H. M.

    2017-09-01

    In this study, the effects of multi-walled carbon nanotubes on the melting temperature and microstructural evolution of the Sn-5Sb/Cu joints are evaluated. Plain and carbon nanotubes (CNTs) reinforced Sn-5Sb solder systems with solder formulations Sn-5Sb, Sn-5Sb-0.01CNT, Sn-5Sb-0.05CNT and Sn-5Sb-0.1CNT were prepared through the powder metallurgy route and thereafter samples were subjected to thermal and microstructural evaluation. As retrieved from the DSC scans, a slight decline in the peak temperature was observed in the composite solders which is indicative of the CNTs role in exciting surface instability in the host Sn matrix. In order to prepare the solder joints and analyze the interfacial intermetallic compound (IMC) evolution, respective solder systems were placed on copper (Cu) substrate and subjected to both reflow soldering and isothermal aging (170°C) conditions. From the IMC thickness result, considerable retardation in the IMC layer growth was observed in the CNTs reinforced solder joints, especially the 0.05wt.% CNTs solder system owing to the inhibition of Sn atoms diffusion by reinforcement material.

  18. Characterization of Low-Melting-Point Sn-Bi-In Lead-Free Solders

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Li, Qin; Ma, Ninshu; Lei, YongPing; Lin, Jian; Fu, HanGuang; Gu, Jian

    2016-11-01

    Development of lead-free solders with low melting temperature is important for substitution of Pb-based solders to reduce direct risks to human health and the environment. In the present work, Sn-Bi-In solders were studied for different ratios of Bi and Sn to obtain solders with low melting temperature. The microstructure, thermal properties, wettability, mechanical properties, and reliability of joints with Cu have been investigated. The results show that the microstructures of the Sn-Bi-In solders were composed of β-Sn, Bi, and InBi phases. The intermetallic compound (IMC) layer was mainly composed of Cu6Sn5, and its thickness increased slightly as the Bi content was increased. The melting temperature of the solders was around 100°C to 104°C. However, when the Sn content exceeded 50 wt.%, the melting range became larger and the wettability became worse. The tensile strength of the solder alloys and solder joints declined with increasing Bi content. Two fracture modes (IMC layer fracture and solder/IMC mixed fracture) were found in solder joints. The fracture mechanism of solder joints was brittle fracture. In addition, cleavage steps on the fracture surface and coarse grains in the fracture structure were comparatively apparent for higher Bi content, resulting in decreased elongation for both solder alloys and solder joints.

  19. Study on Joint Interface and Mechanical Properties of Cu/Pb-Sn/Cu Lap Joint Produced by Friction Stir Soldering Process

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sarkari Khorrami, Mahmoud; Kokabi, Amir Hossein; Movahedi, Mojtaba

    2015-05-01

    In this work, friction stir soldering (FSS) as a new approach for fabrication of copper/copper lap joints was introduced. This process is principally based on the friction stir processing (FSP) that can be performed using FSP tools with and without pin on the top sheet. In the present study, Pb-Sn foil was used as a solder which would be melted and then extruded in the area between the copper sheets during FSS process. This process was carried out using tools with and without pin at various rotation speeds of 1200, 1400, and 1600 rpm and traverse speed of 32 mm/min. Also, the same joint was fabricated using furnace soldering to compare the mechanical properties obtained with FSS and furnace soldering processes. It was observed that FSS possesses some advantages over the conventional furnace soldering process including the formation of more bond area at the interface corresponding to the higher fracture load of FSS joints compared with furnace soldering one. Moreover, it was concluded that the thickness of intermetallic compounds (IMCs) and the formation of voids at the joint interface were the predominant factor determining the mechanical properties of the FSS joints produced by FSS tool with and without pin, respectively. The microstructural examinations revealed that Cu-Sn IMCs of Cu3Sn and Cu6Sn5 were formed at the joint interface. It was observed that the FSS joint produced by tool with pin experienced the more peak temperature in comparison with that produced by pin-free tool. This may lead to the formation of thicker IMCs at the interface. Of course, the thickness of IMCs can be controlled by choosing proper FSS parameters, especially the rotation speed of the tool.

  20. Effect of Strain Rate on Joint Strength and Failure Mode of Lead-Free Solder Joints

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lin, Jian; Lei, Yongping; Fu, Hanguang; Guo, Fu

    2018-03-01

    In surface mount technology, the Sn-3.0Ag-0.5Cu solder joint has a shorter impact lifetime than a traditional lead-tin solder joint. In order to improve the impact property of SnAgCu lead-free solder joints and identify the effect of silver content on tensile strength and impact property, impact experiments were conducted at various strain rates on three selected SnAgCu based solder joints. It was found that joint failure mainly occurred in the solder material with large plastic deformation under low strain rate, while joint failure occurred at the brittle intermetallic compound layer without any plastic deformation at a high strain rate. Joint strength increased with the silver content in SnAgCu alloys in static tensile tests, while the impact property of the solder joint decreased with increasing silver content. When the strain rate was low, plastic deformation occurred with failure and the tensile strength of the Sn-3.0Ag-0.5Cu solder joint was higher than that of Sn-0.3Ag-0.7Cu; when the strain rate was high, joint failure mainly occurred at the brittle interface layer and the Sn-0.3Ag-0.7Cu solder joint had a better impact resistance with a thinner intermetallic compound layer.

  1. Homogeneous (Cu, Ni)6Sn5 intermetallic compound joints rapidly formed in asymmetrical Ni/Sn/Cu system using ultrasound-induced transient liquid phase soldering process.

    PubMed

    Li, Z L; Dong, H J; Song, X G; Zhao, H Y; Tian, H; Liu, J H; Feng, J C; Yan, J C

    2018-04-01

    Homogeneous (Cu, Ni) 6 Sn 5 intermetallic compound (IMC) joints were rapidly formed in asymmetrical Ni/Sn/Cu system by an ultrasound-induced transient liquid phase (TLP) soldering process. In the traditional TLP soldering process, the intermetallic joints formed in Ni/Sn/Cu system consisted of major (Cu, Ni) 6 Sn 5 and minor Cu 3 Sn IMCs, and the grain morphology of (Cu, Ni) 6 Sn 5 IMCs subsequently exhibited fine rounded, needlelike and coarse rounded shapes from the Ni side to the Cu side, which was highly in accordance with the Ni concentration gradient across the joints. However, in the ultrasound-induced TLP soldering process, the intermetallic joints formed in Ni/Sn/Cu system only consisted of the (Cu, Ni) 6 Sn 5 IMCs which exhibited an uniform grain morphology of rounded shape with a remarkably narrowed Ni concentration gradient. The ultrasound-induced homogeneous intermetallic joints exhibited higher shear strength (61.6 MPa) than the traditional heterogeneous intermetallic joints (49.8 MPa). Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  2. Ultrasonic soldering of Cu alloy using Ni-foam/Sn composite interlayer.

    PubMed

    Xiao, Yong; Wang, Qiwei; Wang, Ling; Zeng, Xian; Li, Mingyu; Wang, Ziqi; Zhang, Xingyi; Zhu, Xiaomeng

    2018-07-01

    In this study, Cu alloy joints were fabricated with a Ni-foam reinforced Sn-based composite solder with the assistance of ultrasonic vibration. Effects of ultrasonic soldering time on the microstructure and mechanical properties of Cu/Ni-Sn/Cu joints were investigated. Results showed that exceptional metallurgic bonding could be acquired with the assistance of ultrasonic vibration using a self-developed Ni-foam/Sn composite solder. For joint soldered for 5 s, a (Cu,Ni) 6 Sn 5 intermetallic compound (IMC) layer was formed on the Cu substrate surface, Ni skeletons distributed randomly in the soldering seam and a serrated (Ni,Cu) 3 Sn 4 IMC layer was formed on the Ni skeleton surface. Increasing the soldering time to 20 s, the (Ni,Cu) 3 Sn 4 IMC layer grew significantly and exhibited a loose porous structure on the Ni skeleton surface. Further increase the soldering time to 30 s, Ni skeletons were largely dissolved in the Sn base solder, and micro-sized (Ni,Cu) 3 Sn 4 particles were formed and dispersed homogeneously in the soldering seam. The formation of (Ni,Cu) 3 Sn 4 particles was mainly ascribed to acoustic cavitations induced erosion and grain refining effects. The joint soldered for 30 s exhibited the highest shear strength of 64.9 ± 3.3 MPa, and the shearing failure mainly occurred at the soldering seam/Cu substrate interface. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  3. Study on the Tensile Creep Behavior of Carbon Nanotubes-Reinforced Sn-58Bi Solder Joints

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yang, Li; Liu, Haixiang; Zhang, Yaocheng

    2018-01-01

    The microstructure and tensile creep behavior of plain Sn-58Bi solder and carbon nanotubes (CNTs)-reinforced composite solder joints were investigated. The stress exponent n under different stresses and the creep activation energy Q c under different temperatures of solder joints were obtained by an empirical equation. The results reveal that the microstructure of the composite solder joint is refined and the tensile creep resistance is improved by CNTs. The improvement of creep behavior is due to the microstructural change of the composite solder joints, since the CNTs could provide more obstacles for dislocation pile-up, which enhances the values of the stress exponent and the creep activation energy. The steady-state tensile creep rates of plain solder and composite solder joints are increased with increasing temperature and applied stress. The tensile creep constitutive equations of plain solder and composite solder joints are written as \\dot{ɛ }_{s1} = 14.94( {σ /G} )^{3.7} \\exp ( { - 81444/RT} ) and \\dot{ɛ }_{s2} = 2.5( {σ /G} )^{4.38} \\exp ( { - 101582/RT} ) , respectively. The tensile creep mechanism of the solder joints is the effects of lattice diffusion determined by dislocation climbing.

  4. Refinement of the β-Sn Grains in Ni-Doped Sn-3.0Ag-0.5Cu Solder Joints with Cu-Based and Ni-Based Substrates

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chou, Tzu-Ting; Chen, Wei-Yu; Fleshman, Collin Jordon; Duh, Jenq-Gong

    2018-03-01

    A fine-grain structure with random orientations of lead-free solder joints was successfully obtained in this study. The Sn-Ag-Cu solder alloys doped with minor Ni were reflowed with Ni-based or Cu-based substrates to fabricate the joints containing different Ni content. Adding 0.1 wt.% Ni into the solder effectively promoted the formation of fine Sn grains, and reflowing with Ni-based substrates further enhanced the effects of β-Sn grain refinement. The crystallographic characteristics and the microstructures were analyzed to identify the solidification mechanism of different types of microstructure in the joints. The phase precipitating order in the joint altered as the solder composition were modified by elemental doping and changing substrate, which significantly affected the efficiency of grain refinement and the final grain structure. The formation mechanism of fine β-Sn grains in the Ni-doped joint with a Ni-based substrate is attributable to the heterogeneous nucleation by Ni, whereas the Ni in the joint using ChouCu-based substrate is consumed to form an intermetallic compound and thus retard the effect of grain refining.

  5. Determination of Anand parameters for SnAgCuCe solder

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhang, Liang; Xue, Songbai; Gao, Lili; Zeng, Guang; Sheng, Zhong; Chen, Yan; Yu, Shenglin

    2009-10-01

    A unified viscoplastic constitutive model, Anand equations, was used to represent the inelastic deformation behavior for Sn3.8Ag0.7Cu/Sn3.8Ag0.7 Cu0.03Ce solders in surface mount technology. The Anand parameters of the constitutive equations for the SnAgCu and SnAgCuCe solders were determined from separated constitutive relations and experimental results. Non-linear least-squares fitting was selected to determine the model constants. Comparisons were then made with experimental measurements of the stress-inelastic strain curves: excellent agreement was found. The model accurately predicted the overall trend of steady-state stress-strain behavior of SnAgCu and SnAgCuCe solders for the temperature ranges from -55 to 125 °C and for the strain rate range from 1% s-1 to 0.01% s-1. It is concluded that the Anand model can be applied to represent the inelastic deformation behavior of solders at high homologous temperatures and can be recommended for finite element simulation of the stress-strain response of lead-free soldered joints. Based on the Anand model, the investigations of thermo-mechanical behavior of SnAgCu and SnAgCuCe soldered joints in fine pitch quad flat package by the finite element code have been done under thermal cyclic loading, and it is found that the reliability of the SnAgCuCe soldered joints is better than that of the SnAgCu soldered joints.

  6. Mechanistic Prediction of the Effect of Microstructural Coarsening on Creep Response of SnAgCu Solder Joints

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mukherjee, S.; Chauhan, P.; Osterman, M.; Dasgupta, A.; Pecht, M.

    2016-07-01

    Mechanistic microstructural models have been developed to capture the effect of isothermal aging on time dependent viscoplastic response of Sn3.0Ag0.5Cu (SAC305) solders. SnAgCu (SAC) solders undergo continuous microstructural coarsening during both storage and service because of their high homologous temperature. The microstructures of these low melting point alloys continuously evolve during service. This results in evolution of creep properties of the joint over time, thereby influencing the long term reliability of microelectronic packages. It is well documented that isothermal aging degrades the creep resistance of SAC solder. SAC305 alloy is aged for (24-1000) h at (25-100)°C (~0.6-0.8 × T melt). Cross-sectioning and image processing techniques were used to periodically quantify the effect of isothermal aging on phase coarsening and evolution. The parameters monitored during isothermal aging include size, area fraction, and inter-particle spacing of nanoscale Ag3Sn intermetallic compounds (IMCs) and the volume fraction of micronscale Cu6Sn5 IMCs, as well as the area fraction of pure tin dendrites. Effects of microstructural evolution on secondary creep constitutive response of SAC305 solder joints were then modeled using a mechanistic multiscale creep model. The mechanistic phenomena modeled include: (1) dispersion strengthening by coarsened nanoscale Ag3Sn IMCs in the eutectic phase; and (2) load sharing between pro-eutectic Sn dendrites and the surrounding coarsened eutectic Sn-Ag phase and microscale Cu6Sn5 IMCs. The coarse-grained polycrystalline Sn microstructure in SAC305 solder was not captured in the above model because isothermal aging does not cause any significant change in the initial grain size and orientation of SAC305 solder joints. The above mechanistic model can successfully capture the drop in creep resistance due to the influence of isothermal aging on SAC305 single crystals. Contribution of grain boundary sliding to the creep strain of

  7. Nanocomposite SAC Solders: The Effect of Adding Ni and Ni-Sn Nanoparticles on Morphology and Mechanical Properties of Sn-3.0Ag-0.5Cu Solders

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yakymovych, A.; Švec, P.; Orovcik, L.; Bajana, O.; Ipser, H.

    2018-01-01

    This study investigates the effect of minor additions of Ni, Ni3Sn or Ni3Sn2 nanoparticles on the microstructure and mechanical properties of Cu/solder/Cu joints. The nanocomposite Sn-3.0Ag-0.5Cu (SAC305) solders with 0.5, 1.0 and 2.0 wt.% metallic nanoparticles were prepared through a paste mixing method. The employed Ni and Ni-Sn nanoparticles were produced via a chemical reduction method. The microstructure of as-solidified Cu/solder/Cu joints was studied by x-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy. The results showed that additions of Ni and Ni-Sn nanoparticles to the SAC305 solder paste lead initially to a decrease in the average thickness of the intermetallic compound layer in the interface between solder and substrate, while further additions up to 2.0 wt.% did not induce any significant changes. In addition, shear strength and microhardness tests were performed to investigate the relationship between microstructure and mechanical properties of the investigated solder joints. The results indicated an increase in both of these properties which was most significant for the solder joints using SAC305 with 0.5 wt.% Ni or Ni-Sn nanoparticles.

  8. Undercooling Behavior and Intermetallic Compound Coalescence in Microscale Sn-3.0Ag-0.5Cu Solder Balls and Sn-3.0Ag-0.5Cu/Cu Joints

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhou, M. B.; Ma, X.; Zhang, X. P.

    2012-11-01

    The microstructure of microscale solder interconnects and soldering defects have long been known to have a significant influence on the reliability of electronic packaging, and both are directly related to the solidification behavior of the undercooled solder. In this study, the undercooling behavior and solidification microstructural evolution of Sn-3.0Ag-0.5Cu solder balls with different diameters (0.76 mm, 0.50 mm, and 0.30 mm) and the joints formed by soldering these balls on Cu open pads of two diameters (0.48 mm and 0.32 mm) on a printed circuit board (PCB) substrate were characterized by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) incorporated into the reflow process. Results show that the decrease in diameter of the solder balls leads to an obvious increase in the undercooling of the balls, while the undercooling of the solder joints shows a dependence on both the diameter of the solder balls and the diameter ratio of solder ball to Cu pad (i.e., D s/ D p), and the diameter of the solder balls has a stronger influence on the undercooling of the joints than the dimension of the Cu pad. Coarse primary intermetallic compound (IMC) solidification phases were formed in the smaller solder balls and joints. The bulk Ag3Sn IMC is the primary solidification phase in the as-reflowed solder balls. Due to the interfacial reaction and dissolution of Cu atoms into the solder matrix, the primary Ag3Sn phase can be suppressed and the bulk Cu6Sn5 IMC is the only primary solidification phase in the as-reflowed solder joints.

  9. Morphology and Shear Strength of Lead-Free Solder Joints with Sn3.0Ag0.5Cu Solder Paste Reinforced with Ceramic Nanoparticles

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yakymovych, A.; Plevachuk, Yu.; Švec, P.; Švec, P.; Janičkovič, D.; Šebo, P.; Beronská, N.; Roshanghias, A.; Ipser, H.

    2016-12-01

    To date, additions of different oxide nanoparticles is one of the most widespread procedures to improve the mechanical properties of metals and metal alloys. This research deals with the effect of minor ceramic nanoparticle additions (SiO2, TiO2 and ZrO2) on the microstructure and mechanical properties of Cu/solder/Cu joints. The reinforced Sn3.0Ag0.5Cu (SAC305) solder alloy with 0.5 wt.% and 1.0 wt.% of ceramic nanoparticles was prepared through mechanically stirring. The microstructure of as-solidified Cu/solder/Cu joints was studied using scanning electron microscopy. The additions of ceramic nanoparticles suppressed the growth of the intermetallic compound layer Cu6Sn5 at the interface solder/Cu and improved the microstructure of the joints. Furthermore, measurements of mechanical properties showed improved shear strength of Cu/composite solder/Cu joints compared to joints with unreinforced solder. This fact related to all investigated ceramic nanoinclusions and should be attributed to the adsorption of nanoparticles on the grain surface during solidification. However, this effect is less pronounced on increasing the nanoinclusion content from 0.5 wt.% to 1.0 wt.% due to agglomeration of nanoparticles. Moreover, a comparison analysis showed that the most beneficial influence was obtained by minor additions of SiO2 nanoparticles into the SAC305 solder alloy.

  10. Ultrasonic-assisted soldering of Cu/Ti joints

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Cui, Wei; Wang, Chunyu; Li, Yuhang; Zhong, Tongtong; Yang, Jianguo; Bao, Yefeng

    2018-03-01

    Cu/Ti joints are expected to be used in various applications, while reliable joining method is still to be developed. It is commonly not possible to solder Ti alloys using Sn-based solder alloys because of their poor wettability. In this study, Sn-Ag-Cu soldering filler metal was used to joining TC4 titanium alloy and pure copper using ultrasonic-assisted soldering. The influence of different temperature and different ultrasonic time on the welded joint is studied and explored. Microstructure of the joints was investigated. Shear strength of the joints reached the maximum value, i.e. 38.2MPa. Relationship between the sonication parameters and the microstructure and strength of the joints was discussed. Thus, it is verified that dissimilar metal brazing of TC4 and copper is suitable for low temperature soldering.

  11. Microstructures and fatigue life of SnAgCu solder joints bearing Nano-Al particles in QFP devices

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhang, Liang; Fan, Xi-ying; Guo, Yong-huan; He, Cheng-wen

    2014-05-01

    Microstructures and fatigue life of SnAgCu and SnAgCu bearing nano-Al particles in QFP (Quad flat package) devices were investigated, respectively. Results show that the addition of nano-Al particles into SnAgCu solder can refine the microstructures of matrix microstructure. Moreover, the nano-Al particles present in the solder matrix, act as obstacles which can create a back stress, resisting the motion of dislocations. In QFP device, it is found that the addition of nano-Al particles can increase the fatigue life by 32% compared with the SnAgCu solder joints during thermal cycling loading.

  12. Characterization and modeling of microstructural evolution of near-eutectic tin-silver-copper solder joints

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zbrzezny, Adam R.

    Near-eutectic Sn-Ag-Cu (SAC) solders are currently considered as major lead-free replacement candidates for Sn-Pb eutectic alloys in microelectronics applications. In this thesis, the microstructural thermal stability including recrystallization, grain growth behavior, Pb and Au contamination effects and interaction of the SAC solder with Cu and Ni substrates were investigated. The true eutectic composition of the Sn-Ag-Cu alloy was verified to be Sn3.5Ag0.9Cu wt.%, and the eutectic melting temperature was determined to be 217.4 +/- 0.8°C. The system was classified as belonging to faceting (Cu6Sn5)-faceting (Ag3Sn)-nonfaceting (Sn matrix) ternary eutectic. The most significant consequence of Pb contamination was the formation of a quaternary eutectic phase (Sn-Ag-Cu-Pb) with a melting point at 176°C. Similarly, the presence of gold in the SAC alloy led to a development of a new quaternary phase (Sn-Ag-Cu-Au) melting at 204°C. Prolonged aging of SAC-4 wt.% Au on nickel resulted in the deposition of a new, previously unreported, intermetallic (IMC) layer, ((Au1-xCUx)6Sn 5, 15 wt.% of Au) on top of the existing (Cu1-yNi y)6Sn5 layer. The interfacial products that formed during soldering to copper were Cu6Sn5 and Cu3Sn. Soldering to nickel resulted in the formation of one layer, (Cu1-yNiy) 6Sn5, which was different from the expected Ni3Sn 4 layer. A small copper content in the SAC solder (0.7 wt.%) was sufficient to promote this thermodynamic shift. Intermetallic growth on Cu during solid state aging was established to be bulk diffusion controlled. The IMC layers in the SAC system grew at a slower rate than in the Sn-Pb system. It was found that the reliability of SAC solder joints on copper was considerably better than on nickel due to copper enrichment during reflow and subsequent Cu6Sn5 intermetallic precipitation. Enhanced copper and silver diffusion followed by tin recrystallization and grain growth, cavity nucleation and subsequent micro-crack linkage formed

  13. Computer simulation of solder joint failure

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Burchett, S.N.; Frear, D.R.; Rashid, M.M.

    The thermomechanical fatigue failure of solder joints is increasingly becoming an important reliability issue for electronic packages. The purpose of this Laboratory Directed Research and Development (LDRD) project was to develop computational tools for simulating the behavior of solder joints under strain and temperature cycling, taking into account the microstructural heterogeneities that exist in as-solidified near eutectic Sn-Pb joints, as well as subsequent microstructural evolution. The authors present two computational constitutive models, a two-phase model and a single-phase model, that were developed to predict the behavior of near eutectic Sn-Pb solder joints under fatigue conditions. Unique metallurgical tests provide themore » fundamental input for the constitutive relations. The two-phase model mathematically predicts the heterogeneous coarsening behavior of near eutectic Sn-Pb solder. The finite element simulations with this model agree qualitatively with experimental thermomechanical fatigue tests. The simulations show that the presence of an initial heterogeneity in the solder microstructure could significantly degrade the fatigue lifetime. The single-phase model was developed to predict solder joint behavior using materials data for constitutive relation constants that could be determined through straightforward metallurgical experiments. Special thermomechanical fatigue tests were developed to give fundamental materials input to the models, and an in situ SEM thermomechanical fatigue test system was developed to characterize microstructural evolution and the mechanical behavior of solder joints during the test. A shear/torsion test sample was developed to impose strain in two different orientations. Materials constants were derived from these tests. The simulation results from the two-phase model showed good fit to the experimental test results.« less

  14. The Influence of Processing on Strengthening Mechanisms in Pb-Free Solder Joints

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mutuku, Francis; Arfaei, Babak; Cotts, Eric J.

    2017-04-01

    The number, and the spacing, of Ag3Sn precipitates in Sn-Ag-Cu/Cu solder joints were related to separate processing parameters. The mechanical properties of an individual solder joint were directly related to the resulting distribution of different dispersoids in the joint. As the number of Ag3Sn precipitates increased, so did solder joint strength and shear fatigue lifetime. The room-temperature shear fatigue lifetime was inversely correlated with the separation between Ag3Sn precipitates. Bi and Sb solid solution strengthening was found to result in significantly larger values of shear strength and shear fatigue lifetime for one Pb-free solder. Room-temperature shear fatigue lifetime tests were identified as a relatively straightforward, yet sensitive means to gain insight into the reliability of Sn-Ag-Cu (SAC) solder joints.

  15. Electromigration and Thermomechanical Fatigue Behavior of Sn0.3Ag0.7Cu Solder Joints

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zuo, Yong; Bieler, Thomas R.; Zhou, Quan; Ma, Limin; Guo, Fu

    2017-12-01

    The anisotropy of Sn crystal structures greatly affects the electromigration (EM) and thermomechanical fatigue (TMF) of solder joints. The size of solder joint shrinkage in electronic systems further makes EM and TMF an inseparably coupled issue. To obtain a better understanding of failure under combined moderately high (2000 A/cm2) current density and 10-150°C/1 h thermal cycling, analysis of separate, sequential, and concurrent EM and thermal cycling (TC) was imposed on single shear lap joints, and the microstructure and crystal orientations were incrementally characterized using electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) mapping. First, it was determined that EM did not significantly change the crystal orientation, but the formation of Cu6Sn5 depended on the crystal orientation, and this degraded subsequent TMF behavior. Secondly, TC causes changes in crystal orientation. Concurrent EM and TC led to significant changes in crystal orientation by discontinuous recrystallization, which is facilitated by Cu6Sn5 particle formation. The newly formed Cu6Sn5 often showed its c-axis close to the direction of electron flow.

  16. Electromigration and Thermomechanical Fatigue Behavior of Sn0.3Ag0.7Cu Solder Joints

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zuo, Yong; Bieler, Thomas R.; Zhou, Quan; Ma, Limin; Guo, Fu

    2018-03-01

    The anisotropy of Sn crystal structures greatly affects the electromigration (EM) and thermomechanical fatigue (TMF) of solder joints. The size of solder joint shrinkage in electronic systems further makes EM and TMF an inseparably coupled issue. To obtain a better understanding of failure under combined moderately high (2000 A/cm2) current density and 10-150°C/1 h thermal cycling, analysis of separate, sequential, and concurrent EM and thermal cycling (TC) was imposed on single shear lap joints, and the microstructure and crystal orientations were incrementally characterized using electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) mapping. First, it was determined that EM did not significantly change the crystal orientation, but the formation of Cu6Sn5 depended on the crystal orientation, and this degraded subsequent TMF behavior. Secondly, TC causes changes in crystal orientation. Concurrent EM and TC led to significant changes in crystal orientation by discontinuous recrystallization, which is facilitated by Cu6Sn5 particle formation. The newly formed Cu6Sn5 often showed its c-axis close to the direction of electron flow.

  17. Microstructure and opto-electronic properties of Sn-rich Au-Sn diffusive solders

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rerek, T.; Skowronski, L.; Kobierski, M.; Naparty, M. K.; Derkowska-Zielinska, B.

    2018-09-01

    Microstructural and opto-electronic properties of AuSn and SnAu bilayers, obtained by sequential evaporating of metals on the Si substrate, were investigated by means of atomic force microscopy, X-ray diffraction and spectroscopic ellipsometry. Thicknesses of individual films were established to obtain the atomic ratio of Au:Sn atoms 1:1, 1:2 and 1:4, which were favor the formation of AuSn, AuSn2 and AuSn4, respectively. However, the produced intermatallic compounds were detected as AuSn and AuSn2. Additionally, the unbounded Sn was found. The sequence of deposition of Au and Sn films as well as their thickness strongly affect on the composition, microstructure, optical and electrical properties of the produced layers. The AuSn (Sn on the top) layers were more smooth than SnAu (Au on the top) films. Generally, the AuSn layers exhibit a better electrical and optical properties than SnAu films. The optical parameters: plasma energy, free-carrier damping, mean relaxation time of conduction electrons and optical resistivity were determined from the effective complex dielectric function of the formed Au, Sn and Au-Sn films. The optical resistivity values are in the range from 17.8 μΩ cm to 85.1 μΩ cm and from 29.6 μΩ cm to 113.3 μΩ cm for AuSn and SnAu layers, respectively.

  18. Effects of limited cu supply on soldering reactions between SnAgCu and Ni

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ho, C. E.; Lin, Y. W.; Yang, S. C.; Kao, C. R.; Jiang, D. S.

    2006-05-01

    The volume difference between the various types of solder joints in electronic devices can be enormous. For example, the volume difference between a 760-µm ball grid array solder joint and a 75-µm flip-chip solder joint is as high as 1000 times. Such a big difference in volume produces a pronounced solder volume effect. This volume effect on the soldering reactions between the Sn3AgxCu (x=0.4, 0.5, or 0.6 wt.%) solders and Ni was investigated. Three different sizes of solder spheres (300, 500, and 760 µm in diameter) were soldered onto Ni soldering pads. Both the Cu concentration and the solder volume had a strong effect on the type of the reaction products formed. In addition, (Cu,Ni)6Sn5 massively spalled from the interface under certain conditions, including smaller joints and those with lower Cu concentration. We attributed the massive spalling of (Cu,Ni)6Sn5 to the decrease of the available Cu in the solders. The results of this study suggest that Cu-rich SnAgCu solders can be used to prevent this massive spalling.

  19. Anand constitutive model of lead-free solder joints in 3D IC device

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhang, Liang; Liu, Zhi-quan; Ji, Yu-tong

    2016-08-01

    Anand constitutive relation of SnAgCu and SnAgCu-nano Al solders were studied under uniaxial tension, and the constitutive model was used in the finite element simulation to analyze the stress-strain response of lead-free solder joints in 3D IC devices. The results showed that the nine parameters of the Anand model can be determined from separated constitutive relations and experimental results. Based on Anand model, the finite element method was selected to calculate the stress-strain response of lead-free solder joints, it was found that in the 3D IC device the maximum stress-strain concentrated in the concern solder joints, the stress-strain of SnAgCu-nano Al solder joints was lower than that of SnAgCu solder joints, which represented that the addition of nano Al particles can enhance the reliability of lead-free solder joints in 3D IC devices.

  20. The failure analysis and lifetime prediction for the solder joint of the magnetic head

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Xiao, Xianghui; Peng, Minfang; Cardoso, Jaime S.; Tang, Rongjun; Zhou, YingLiang

    2015-02-01

    Micro-solder joint (MSJ) lifetime prediction methodology and failure analysis (FA) are to assess reliability by fatigue model with a series of theoretical calculations, numerical simulation and experimental method. Due to shortened time of solder joints on high-temperature, high-frequency sampling error that is not allowed in productions may exist in various models, including round-off error. Combining intermetallic compound (IMC) growth theory and the FA technology for the magnetic head in actual production, this thesis puts forward a new growth model to predict life expectancy for solder joint of the magnetic head. And the impact of IMC, generating from interface reaction between slider (magnetic head, usually be called slider) and bonding pad, on mechanical performance during aging process is analyzed in it. By further researching on FA of solder ball bonding, thesis chooses AuSn4 growth model that affects least to solder joint mechanical property to indicate that the IMC methodology is suitable to forecast the solder lifetime. And the diffusion constant under work condition 60 °C is 0.015354; the solder lifetime t is 14.46 years.

  1. The effects of additives to SnAgCu alloys on microstructure and drop impact reliability of solder joints

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Liu, Weiping; Lee, Ning-Cheng

    2007-07-01

    The impact reliability of solder joints in electronic packages is critical to the lifetime of electronic products, especially those portable devices using area array packages such as ball-grid array (BGA) and chip-scale packages (CSP). Currently, SnAgCu (SAC) solders are most widely used for lead-free applications. However, BGA and CSP solder joints using SAC alloys are fragile and prone to premature interfacial failure, especially under shock loading. To further enhance impact reliability, a family of SAC alloys doped with a small amount of additives such as Mn, Ce, Ti, Bi, and Y was developed. The effects of doping elements on drop test performance, creep resistance, and microstructure of the solder joints were investigated, and the solder joints made with the modified alloys exhibited significantly higher impact reliability.

  2. Recrystallization Behavior in Mixed Solder Joints of BGA Components during Thermal Shock

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tan, Shihai; Han, Jing; Guo, Fu

    2018-03-01

    Sn-37Pb and Sn-3.0Ag-0.5Cu solder pastes printed onto a board were attached to ball grid array (BGA) samples using Sn-3.0Ag-0.5Cu solder balls. Before thermal shock, the initial grain orientations on the cross-section were obtained by scanning electron microscopy equipped with an electron backscattered diffraction system. Three mixed solder joints (two from the corner and another from the middle of the BGA component) and three lead-free solder joints (at the same positions) were selected to investigate the recrystallization behavior under thermal shock (TS) cycling conditions. All of the mixed and lead-free solder joints were initially single crystal. The results showed that recrystallization occurred in both the mixed and lead-free solder joints after 200 TS. For the mixed solder joints, more recrystallization was observed and the location of samples had a significant influence on their recrystallization behavior, while location was not as important for the lead-free samples after 200 TS in this study. Both the mixed and lead-free solder joints at the corner of BGA components showed the poorest reliability. According to misorientation distribution maps and subgrain rotation behaviors, the reliability of mixed solder joints was much poorer than that of lead-free solder joints.

  3. Effect of Mn Nanoparticles on Interfacial Intermetallic Compound Growth in Low-Ag Sn-0.3Ag-0.7Cu- xMn Solder Joints

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tang, Y.; Luo, S. M.; Li, G. Y.; Yang, Z.; Chen, R.; Han, Y.; Hou, C. J.

    2018-02-01

    Interfacial intermetallic compound (IMC) growth between Cu substrates and low-Ag Sn-0.3Ag-0.7Cu- xMn ( x = 0 wt.%, 0.02 wt.%, 0.05 wt.%, 0.1 wt.%, and 0.15 wt.%) (SAC0307- xMn) solders was investigated under different isothermal aging temperatures of 100°C, 150°C, and 190°C. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was employed to observe the microstructural evolution of the solder joints and measure the IMC layer thickness. The IMC phases were identified by energy-dispersive x-ray spectroscopy and x-ray diffraction. The results showed that a Cu6Sn5 IMC layer formed in the as-soldered solder joints, while a duplex structure consisting of a Cu6Sn5 IMC layer near the solder matrix and a Cu3Sn IMC layer was observed after isothermal aging. A considerable drop in the IMC layer thickness was observed when 0.1 wt.% Mn nanoparticles were added. Beyond this amount, the thickness of the IMC layer only slightly increases. Adding Mn nanoparticles can increase the activation energy and thus reduce the interdiffusion rates of the Sn and Cu atoms, which suppresses excessive IMC growth. The solder joint containing 0.1 wt.% Mn nanoparticles has the highest activation energy. SEM images revealed that the number of small particles precipitated in the channels between the Cu6Sn5 IMC layers increases with an increasing proportion of Mn nanoparticles. Based on the microstructural evolution of the solder joints, this study revealed that grain boundary pinning is one of the most important mechanisms for IMC growth inhibition when Mn nanoparticles are added.

  4. Toward a mechanistic understanding of the damage evolution of SnAgCu solder joints in accelerated thermal cycling test

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mahin Shirazi, Sam

    Accelerated thermal cycling (ATC) tests are the most commonly used tests for the thermo-mechanical performance assessment of microelectronics assemblies. Currently used reliability models have failed to incorporate the microstructural dependency of lead free solder joint behavior and its microstructure evolution during cycling. Thus, it is essential to have a mechanistic understanding of the effect of cycling parameters on damage evolution and failure of lead free solder joints in ATC. Recrystallization has been identified as the damage rate controlling mechanism in ATC. Usually it takes 1/3 of life for completion of recrystallization regardless of cycling parameters. Thus, the life of the solder joints can be predicted by estimating global recrystallization. The objective of the first part of the study was to examine whether the damage scenario applies in service is the same as the harsh thermal cycling tests (i.e. 0/100 °C and -40/125 °C) commonly used in industry. Microstructure analysis results on a variety of lead free solder SnAgCu assemblies subjected to the both harsh (0/100 °C) and mild (20/80 °C) ATC confirmed similar failure mechanism under the both testing conditions. Sn grain morphology (interlaced versus beach ball) has a significant effect on the thermo-mechanical performance (and thus the model) of the lead free solder joints. The longer thermal cycling lifetime observed in the interlaced solder joints subjected to the ATC compared to the beach ball structure was correlated to the different initial microstructure and the microstructure evolution during cycling. For the modeling proposes, the present study was focused on Sn-Ag-Cu solder joints with either a single Sn grain or beach ball structure. Microstructural analysis results of the simulated thermal cycling experiment revealed that, the life can be approximated as determined by the accumulation of a certain amount of work during the high temperature dwells. Finally the effect of precipitates

  5. The Melting Characteristics and Interfacial Reactions of Sn-ball/Sn-3.0Ag-0.5Cu-paste/Cu Joints During Reflow Soldering

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Huang, J. Q.; Zhou, M. B.; Zhang, X. P.

    2017-03-01

    In this work, the melting characteristics and interfacial reactions of Sn-ball/Sn-3.0Ag-0.5Cu-paste/Cu (Sn/SAC305-paste/Cu) structure joints were studied using differential scanning calorimetry, in order to gain a deeper and broader understanding of the interfacial behavior and metallurgical combination among the substrate (under-bump metallization), solder ball and solder paste in a board-level ball grid array (BGA) assembly process, which is often seen as a mixed assembly using solder balls and solder pastes. Results show that at the SAC305 melting temperature of 217°C, neither the SAC305-paste nor the Sn-ball coalesce, while an interfacial reaction occurs between the SAC305-paste and Cu. A slight increase in reflow temperature (from 217°C to 218°C) results in the coalescence of the SAC305-paste with the Sn-ball. The Sn-ball exhibits premelting behavior at reflow temperatures below its melting temperature, and the premelting direction is from the bottom to the top of the Sn-ball. Remarkably, at 227°C, which is nearly 5°C lower than the melting point of pure Sn, the Sn-ball melts completely, resulting from two eutectic reactions, i.e., the reaction between Sn and Cu and that between Sn and Ag. Furthermore, a large amount of bulk Cu6Sn5 phase forms in the solder due to the quick dissolution of Cu substrate when the reflow temperature is increased to 245°C. In addition, the growth of the interfacial Cu6Sn5 layer at the SAC305-paste/Cu interface is controlled mainly by grain boundary diffusion, while the growth of the interfacial Cu3Sn layer is controlled mainly by bulk diffusion.

  6. Rate dependent strengths of some solder joints

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Williamson, D. M.; Field, J. E.; Palmer, S. J. P.; Siviour, C. R.

    2007-08-01

    The shear strengths of three lead-free solder joints have been measured over the range of loading rates 10-3 to ~105 mm min-1. Binary (SnAg), ternary (SnAgCu) and quaternary (Castin: SnAgCuSb) alloys have been compared to a conventional binary SnPb solder alloy. Results show that at loading rates from 10-3 to 102 mm min-1, all four materials exhibit a linear relationship between the shear strength and the loading rate when the data are plotted on a log-log plot. At the highest loading rate of 105 mm min-1, the strengths of the binary alloys were in agreement with extrapolations made from the lower loading rate data. In contrast, the strengths of the higher order alloys were found to be significantly lower than those predicted by extrapolation. This is explained by a change in failure mechanism on the part of the higher order alloys. Similar behaviour was found in measurements of the tensile strengths of solder joints using a novel high-rate loading tensile test. Optical and electron microscopy were used to examine the microstructures of interest in conjunction with energy dispersive x-ray analysis for elemental identification. The effect of artificial aging and reflow of the solder joints is also reported.

  7. Effect of ultrasonic vibration time on the Cu/Sn-Ag-Cu/Cu joint soldered by low-power-high-frequency ultrasonic-assisted reflow soldering.

    PubMed

    Tan, Ai Ting; Tan, Ai Wen; Yusof, Farazila

    2017-01-01

    Techniques to improve solder joint reliability have been the recent research focus in the electronic packaging industry. In this study, Cu/SAC305/Cu solder joints were fabricated using a low-power high-frequency ultrasonic-assisted reflow soldering approach where non-ultrasonic-treated samples were served as control sample. The effect of ultrasonic vibration (USV) time (within 6s) on the solder joint properties was characterized systematically. Results showed that the solder matrix microstructure was refined at 1.5s of USV, but coarsen when the USV time reached 3s and above. The solder matrix hardness increased when the solder matrix was refined, but decreased when the solder matrix coarsened. The interfacial intermetallic compound (IMC) layer thickness was found to decrease with increasing USV time, except for the USV-treated sample with 1.5s. This is attributed to the insufficient USV time during the reflow stage and consequently accelerated the Cu dissolution at the joint interface during the post-ultrasonic reflow stage. All the USV-treated samples possessed higher shear strength than the control sample due to the USV-induced-degassing effect. The shear strength of the USV-treated sample with 6s was the lowest among the USV-treated samples due to the formation of plate-like Ag 3 Sn that may act as the crack initiation site. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  8. The effect of intermetallic compound morphology on Cu diffusion in Sn-Ag and Sn-Pb solder bump on the Ni/Cu Under-bump metallization

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jang, Guh-Yaw; Duh, Jenq-Gong

    2005-01-01

    The eutectic Sn-Ag solder alloy is one of the candidates for the Pb-free solder, and Sn-Pb solder alloys are still widely used in today’s electronic packages. In this tudy, the interfacial reaction in the eutectic Sn-Ag and Sn-Pb solder joints was investigated with an assembly of a solder/Ni/Cu/Ti/Si3N4/Si multilayer structures. In the Sn-3.5Ag solder joints reflowed at 260°C, only the (Ni1-x,Cux)3Sn4 intermetallic compound (IMC) formed at the solder/Ni interface. For the Sn-37Pb solder reflowed at 225°C for one to ten cycles, only the (Ni1-x,Cux)3Sn4 IMC formed between the solder and the Ni/Cu under-bump metallization (UBM). Nevertheless, the (Cu1-y,Niy)6Sn5 IMC was observed in joints reflowed at 245°C after five cycles and at 265°C after three cycles. With the aid of microstructure evolution, quantitative analysis, and elemental distribution between the solder and Ni/Cu UBM, it was revealed that Cu content in the solder near the solder/IMC interface played an important role in the formation of the (Cu1-y,Niy)6Sn5 IMC. In addition, the diffusion behavior of Cu in eutectic Sn-Ag and Sn-Pb solders with the Ni/Cu UBM were probed and discussed. The atomic flux of Cu diffused through Ni was evaluated by detailed quantitative analysis in an electron probe microanalyzer (EPMA). During reflow, the atomic flux of Cu was on the order of 1016-1017 atoms/cm2sec in both the eutectic Sn-Ag and Sn-Pb systems.

  9. Electromigration induced high fraction of compound formation in SnAgCu flip chip solder joints with copper column

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Xu, Luhua; Han, Jung-Kyu; Liang, Jarrett Jun; Tu, K. N.; Lai, Yi-Shao

    2008-06-01

    To overcome the effect of current crowding on electromigration-induced pancake-type void formation in flip chip solder joints, two types of Cu column in 90μm flip chip SnAgCu solder joints have been studied. They were (1) the solder contacts the Cu column at bottom and side walls and (2) the solder wets only the bottom surface of the copper column. With a current density of 1.6×104A/cm2 at 135°C, no failure was detected after 1290h. However, the resistance increased by about 10% due to the formation of a large fraction of intermetallic compounds. We found that electromigration has accelerated the consumption rate of copper column and converted almost the entire solder joint into intermetallic compound. Mechanically, drop impact test indicates a brittle fracture failure in the intermetallic. The electromigration critical product for the intermetallic is discussed.

  10. Constitutive Behavior of Mixed Sn-Pb/Sn-3.0Ag-0.5Cu Solder Alloys

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tucker, J. P.; Chan, D. K.; Subbarayan, G.; Handwerker, C. A.

    2012-03-01

    During the transition from Pb-containing solders to Pb-free solders, joints composed of a mixture of Sn-Pb and Sn-Ag-Cu often result from either mixed assemblies or rework. Comprehensive characterization of the mechanical behavior of these mixed solder alloys resulting in a deformationally complete constitutive description is necessary to predict failure of mixed alloy solder joints. Three alloys with 1 wt.%, 5 wt.%, and 20 wt.% Pb were selected so as to represent reasonable ranges of Pb contamination expected from different 63Sn-37Pb components mixed with Sn-3.0Ag-0.5Cu. Creep and displacement-controlled tests were performed on specially designed assemblies at temperatures of 25°C, 75°C, and 125°C using a double lap shear test setup that ensures a nearly homogeneous state of plastic strain at the joint interface. The observed changes in creep and tensile behavior with Pb additions were related to phase equilibria and microstructure differences observed through differential scanning calorimetric and scanning electron microscopic cross-sectional analysis. As Pb content increased, the steady-state creep strain rates increased, and primary creep decreased. Even 1 wt.% Pb addition was sufficient to induce substantially large creep strains relative to the Sn-3.0Ag-0.5Cu alloy. We describe rate-dependent constitutive models for Pb-contaminated Sn-Ag-Cu solder alloys, ranging from the traditional time-hardening creep model to the viscoplastic Anand model. We illustrate the utility of these constitutive models by examining the inelastic response of a chip-scale package (CSP) under thermomechanical loading through finite-element analysis. The models predict that, as Pb content increases, total inelastic dissipation decreases.

  11. Effect of Electromigration on the Type of Drop Failure of Sn-3.0Ag-0.5Cu Solder Joints in PBGA Packages

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Huang, M. L.; Zhao, N.

    2015-10-01

    Board-level drop tests of plastic ball grid array (PBGA) packages were performed in accordance with the Joint Electron Devices Engineering Council standard to investigate the effect of electromigration (EM) on the drop reliability of Sn-3.0Ag-0.5Cu solder joints with two substrate surface finishes, organic solderability preservative (OSP) and electroless nickel electroless palladium immersion gold (ENEPIG). In the as-soldered state, drop failures occurred at the substrate sides only, with cracks propagating within the interfacial intermetallic compound (IMC) layer for OSP solder joints and along the IMC/Ni-P interface for ENEPIG solder joints. The drop lifetime of OSP solder joints was approximately twice that of ENEPIG joints. EM had an important effect on crack formation and drop lifetime of the PBGA solder joints. ENEPIG solder joints performed better in drop reliability tests after EM, that is, the drop lifetime of ENEPIG joints decreased by 43% whereas that of OSP solder joints decreased by 91%, compared with the as-soldered cases. The more serious polarity effect, i.e., excessive growth of the interfacial IMC at the anode, was responsible for the sharper decrease in drop lifetime. The different types of drop failure of PBGA solder joints before and after EM, including the position of initiation and the propagation path of cracks, are discussed on the basis of the growth behavior of interfacial IMC.

  12. Soldering-induced Cu diffusion and intermetallic compound formation between Ni/Cu under bump metallization and SnPb flip-chip solder bumps

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Huang, Chien-Sheng; Jang, Guh-Yaw; Duh, Jenq-Gong

    2004-04-01

    Nickel-based under bump metallization (UBM) has been widely used as a diffusion barrier to prevent the rapid reaction between the Cu conductor and Sn-based solders. In this study, joints with and without solder after heat treatments were employed to evaluate the diffusion behavior of Cu in the 63Sn-37Pb/Ni/Cu/Ti/Si3N4/Si multilayer structure. The atomic flux of Cu diffused through Ni was evaluated from the concentration profiles of Cu in solder joints. During reflow, the atomic flux of Cu was on the order of 1015-1016 atoms/cm2s. However, in the assembly without solder, no Cu was detected on the surface of Ni even after ten cycles of reflow. The diffusion behavior of Cu during heat treatments was studied, and the soldering-process-induced Cu diffusion through Ni metallization was characterized. In addition, the effect of Cu content in the solder near the solder/intermetallic compound (IMC) interface on interfacial reactions between the solder and the Ni/Cu UBM was also discussed. It is evident that the (Cu,Ni)6Sn5 IMC might form as the concentration of Cu in the Sn-Cu-Ni alloy exceeds 0.6 wt.%.

  13. The intermetallic formation and growth kinetics at the interface of near eutectic tin-silver-copper solder alloys and gold/nickel metallization

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gao, Mao

    The formation of a one micron thick layer of an intermetallic compound between a solder alloy and a metallic substrate generally constitutes a good solder joint in an electronic device. However, if the compound grows too thick, and/or if multiple intermetallic compounds form, poor solder joint reliability may result. Thus significant interest has been focused on intermetallic compound phase selection and growth kinetics at such solder/metal interfaces. The present study focuses on one such specific problem, the formation and growth of intermetallic compounds at near eutectic Sn-Ag-Cu solder alloy/Ni interfaces. Sn-3.0Ag-0.5Cu solder was reflowed on Au/Ni substrates, resulting in the initial formation and growth of (CuNi)6Sn 5 at Sn-3.0Ag-0.5Cu /Ni interfaces. (NiCu)3Sn4 formed between the (CuNi)6Sn5 and the Ni substrate when the concentration of Cu in the liquid SnAgCu solder decreased to a critical value which depended upon temperature: 0.37, 0.31 and 0.3(wt.%) at reflow temperatures of 260°C, 245°C and 230°C respectively. The growth rate of (CuNi)6Sn5 was found to be consistent with extrapolations of a diffusion limited growth model formulated for lower temperature, solid state diffusion couples. The long range diffusion of Cu did not limit growth rates. The spalling of (CuNiAu)6Sn5 from (NiCu)3 Sn4 surfaces during reflow was also examined. When the Cu concentration in the solder decreased to approximately 0.28wt.%, the (Cu,Ni,Au) 6Sn5 was observed to spall. Compressive stress in (CuNiAu) 6Sn5 and weak adhesion between (CuNiAu)6Sn 5 and (NiCu)3Sn4 was found to cause this effect.

  14. Wetting Behavior of Ternary Au-Ge-X (X = Sb, Sn) Alloys on Cu and Ni

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jin, S.; Valenza, F.; Novakovic, R.; Leinenbach, C.

    2013-06-01

    Au-Ge-based alloys are potential substitutes for Pb-rich solders currently used for high-temperature applications. In the present work, the wetting behavior of two Au-Ge-X (X = Sb, Sn) ternary alloys, i.e., Au-15Ge-17Sb and Au-13.7 Ge-15.3Sn (at.%), in contact with Cu and Ni substrates has been investigated. Au-13.7Ge-15.3Sn alloy showed complete wetting on both Cu and Ni substrates. Total spreading of Au-15Ge-17Sb alloy on Cu was also observed, while the final contact angle of this alloy on Ni was about 29°. Pronounced dissolution of Cu substrates into the solder alloys investigated was detected, while the formation of Ni-Ge intermetallic compounds at the interface of both solder/Ni systems suppressed the dissolution of Ni into the solder.

  15. Failure Mechanisms of SAC/Fe-Ni Solder Joints During Thermal Cycling

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gao, Li-Yin; Liu, Zhi-Quan; Li, Cai-Fu

    2017-08-01

    Thermal cycling tests have been conducted on Sn-Ag-Cu/Fe- xNi ( x = 73 wt.% or 45 wt.%) and Sn-Ag-Cu/Cu solder joints according to the Joint Electron Device Engineering Council industrial standard to study their interfacial reliability under thermal stress. The interfacial intermetallic compounds formed for solder joints on Cu, Fe-73Ni, and Fe-45Ni were 4.5 μm, 1.7 μm, and 1.4 μm thick, respectively, after 3000 cycles, demonstrating excellent diffusion barrier effect of Fe-Ni under bump metallization (UBM). Also, two deformation modes, viz. solder extrusion and fatigue crack formation, were observed by scanning electron microscopy and three-dimensional x-ray microscopy. Solder extrusion dominated for solder joints on Cu, while fatigue cracks dominated for solder joints on Fe-45Ni and both modes were detected for those on Fe-73Ni. Solder joints on Fe-Ni presented inferior reliability during thermal cycling compared with those on Cu, with characteristic lifetime of 3441 h, 3190 h, and 1247 h for Cu, Fe-73Ni, and Fe-45Ni UBM, respectively. This degradation of the interfacial reliability for solder joints on Fe-Ni is attributed to the mismatch in coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) at interconnection level. The CTE mismatch at microstructure level was also analyzed by electron backscatter diffraction for clearer identification of recrystallization-related deformation mechanisms.

  16. Cu-Sn Intermetallic Compound Joints for High-Temperature Power Electronics Applications

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lee, Byung-Suk; Yoon, Jeong-Won

    2018-01-01

    Cu-Sn solid-liquid interdiffusion (SLID) bonded joints were fabricated using a Sn-Cu solder paste and Cu for high-temperature power electronics applications. The interfacial reaction behaviors and the mechanical properties of Cu6Sn5 and Cu3Sn SLID-bonded joints were compared. The intermetallic compounds formed at the interfaces in the Cu-Sn SLID-bonded joints significantly affected the die shear strength of the joint. In terms of thermal and mechanical properties, the Cu3Sn SLID-bonded joint was superior to the conventional solder and the Cu6Sn5 SLID-bonded joints.

  17. A Mechanistic Thermal Fatigue Model for SnAgCu Solder Joints

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Borgesen, Peter; Wentlent, Luke; Hamasha, Sa'd.; Khasawneh, Saif; Shirazi, Sam; Schmitz, Debora; Alghoul, Thaer; Greene, Chris; Yin, Liang

    2018-02-01

    The present work offers both a complete, quantitative model and a conservative acceleration factor expression for the life span of SnAgCu solder joints in thermal cycling. A broad range of thermal cycling experiments, conducted over many years, has revealed a series of systematic trends that are not compatible with common damage functions or constitutive relations. Complementary mechanical testing and systematic studies of the evolution of the microstructure and damage have led to a fundamental understanding of the progression of thermal fatigue and failure. A special experiment was developed to allow the effective deconstruction of conventional thermal cycling experiments and the finalization of our model. According to this model, the evolution of damage and failure in thermal cycling is controlled by a continuous recrystallization process which is dominated by the coalescence and rotation of dislocation cell structures continuously added to during the high-temperature dwell. The dominance of this dynamic recrystallization contribution is not consistent with the common assumption of a correlation between the number of cycles to failure and the total work done on the solder joint in question in each cycle. It is, however, consistent with an apparent dependence on the work done during the high-temperature dwell. Importantly, the onset of this recrystallization is delayed by pinning on the Ag3Sn precipitates until these have coarsened sufficiently, leading to a model with two terms where one tends to dominate in service and the other in accelerated thermal cycling tests. Accumulation of damage under realistic service conditions with varying dwell temperatures and times is also addressed.

  18. Effect of Epoxy on Mechanical Property of SAC305 Solder Joint with Various Surface Finishes Under 3-Point Bend Test.

    PubMed

    Jeong, Haksan; Myung, Woo-Ram; Sung, Yong-Gue; Kim, Kyung-Yeol; Jung, Seung-Boo

    2018-09-01

    Microstructures and mechanical property of Sn-3.0Ag-0.5Cu (SAC305) and epoxy Sn-3.0Ag-0.5Cu (epoxy SAC) solder joints were investigated with various surface finishes; organic solderability preservative (OSP), electroless nickel immersion gold (ENIG) and electroless nickel electroless palladium immersion gold (ENEPIG). Bending property of solder joints was evaluated by 3-point bend test method. Microstructure and chemical composition of solder joints was characterized by scanning electron microscope (SEM) and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), respectively. Epoxy did not effect on intermetallic compound (IMC) morphology. Scalloped shaped Cu6Sn5 IMC was observed at OSP surface finish. Chunky-like shaped and needle-like shaped (Ni,Cu)6Sn5 IMC were observed at the solder/ENIG joint and solder/ENEPIG joint, respectively. The bending cycles of SAC305/OSP joint, SAC305/ENIG joints and SAC305/ENEPIG joints were 720, 440 and 481 cycle numbers. The bending cycles of epoxy SAC and three types surface finished solder joints were over 1000 bending cycles. Under OSP surface finish, bending cycles of epoxy SAC solder was approximately 1.5 times higher than those of SAC305 solder joint. Bending cycles of epoxy SAC solder was over twice times higher than those of SAC305 solder with ENIG and ENEPIG surface finishes. The bending property of epoxy solder joint was enhanced due to epoxy fillet held the solder joint.

  19. Viscoplastic Creep Response and Microstructure of As-Fabricated Microscale Sn-3.0Ag-0.5Cu Solder Interconnects

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Cuddalorepatta, Gayatri; Williams, Maureen; Dasgupta, Abhijit

    2010-10-01

    The viscoplastic behavior of as-fabricated, undamaged, microscale Sn-3.0 Ag-0.5Cu (SAC305) Pb-free solder is investigated and compared with that of eutectic Sn-37Pb solder and near-eutectic Sn-3.8Ag-0.7Cu (SAC387) solder from prior studies. Creep measurements of microscale SAC305 solder shear specimens show significant piece-to-piece variability under identical loading. Orientation imaging microscopy reveals that these specimens contain only a few, highly anisotropic Sn grains across the entire joint. For the studied loads, the coarse-grained Sn microstructure has a more significant impact on the scatter in primary creep compared to that in the secondary creep. The observed lack of statistical homogeneity (microstructure) and joint-dependent mechanical behavior of microscale SAC305 joints are consistent with those observed for functional microelectronics interconnects. Compared with SAC305 joints, microscale Sn-37Pb shear specimens exhibit more homogenous behavior and microstructure with a large number of small Sn (and Pb) grains. Creep damage in the Pb-free joint is predominantly concentrated at highly misoriented Sn grain boundaries. The coarse-grained Sn microstructure recrystallizes into new grains with high misorientation angles under creep loading. In spite of the observed joint-dependent behavior, as-fabricated SAC305 is significantly more creep resistant than Sn-37Pb solder and slightly less creep resistant than near-eutectic SAC387 solder. Average model constants for primary and secondary creep of SAC305 are presented. Since the viscoplastic measurements are averaged over a wide range of grain configurations, the creep model constants represent the effective continuum behavior in an average sense. The average secondary creep behavior suggests that the dominant creep mechanism is dislocation climb assisted by dislocation pipe diffusion.

  20. The Failure Models of Lead Free Sn-3.0Ag-0.5Cu Solder Joint Reliability Under Low-G and High-G Drop Impact

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gu, Jian; Lei, YongPing; Lin, Jian; Fu, HanGuang; Wu, Zhongwei

    2017-02-01

    The reliability of Sn-3.0Ag-0.5Cu (SAC 305) solder joint under a broad level of drop impacts was studied. The failure performance of solder joint, failure probability and failure position were analyzed under two shock test conditions, i.e., 1000 g for 1 ms and 300 g for 2 ms. The stress distribution on the solder joint was calculated by ABAQUS. The results revealed that the dominant reason was the tension due to the difference in stiffness between the print circuit board and ball grid array, and the maximum tension of 121.1 MPa and 31.1 MPa, respectively, under both 1000 g or 300 g drop impact, was focused on the corner of the solder joint which was located in the outmost corner of the solder ball row. The failure modes were summarized into the following four modes: initiation and propagation through the (1) intermetallic compound layer, (2) Ni layer, (3) Cu pad, or (4) Sn-matrix. The outmost corner of the solder ball row had a high failure probability under both 1000 g and 300 g drop impact. The number of failures of solder ball under the 300 g drop impact was higher than that under the 1000 g drop impact. The characteristic drop values for failure were 41 and 15,199, respectively, following the statistics.

  1. Effect of surface finish on the failure mechanisms of flip-chip solder joints under electromigration

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lin, Y. L.; Lai, Y. S.; Tsai, C. M.; Kao, C. R.

    2006-12-01

    Two substrate surface finishes, Au/Ni and organic solderable preservative (OSP), were used to study the effect of the surface finish on the reliability of flip-chip solder joints under electromigration at 150°C ambient temperature. The solder used was eutectic PbSn, and the applied current density was 5×103 A/cm2 at the contact window of the chip. The under bump metallurgy (UBM) on the chip was sputtered Cu/Ni. It was found that the mean-time-to-failure (MTTF) of the OSP joints was six times better than that of the Au/Ni joints (3080 h vs. 500 h). Microstructure examinations uncovered that the combined effect of current crowding and the accompanying local Joule heating accelerated the local Ni UBM consumption near the point of electron entrance. Once Ni was depleted at a certain region, this region became nonconductive, and the flow of the electrons was diverted to the neighboring region. This neighboring region then became the place where electrons entered the joint, and the local Ni UBM consumption was accelerated. This process repeated itself, and the Ni-depleted region extended further on, creating an ever-larger nonconductive region. The solder joint eventually, failed when the nonconductive region became too large, making the effective current density very high. Accordingly, the key factor determining the MTTF was the Ni consumption rate. The joints with the OSP surface finish had a longer MTTF because Cu released from the substrate was able to reduce the Ni consumption rate.

  2. Effect of Joint Scale and Processing on the Fracture of Sn-3Ag-0.5Cu Solder Joints: Application to Micro-bumps in 3D Packages

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Talebanpour, B.; Huang, Z.; Chen, Z.; Dutta, I.

    2016-01-01

    In 3-dimensional (3D) packages, a stack of dies is vertically connected to each other using through-silicon vias and very thin solder micro-bumps. The thinness of the micro-bumps results in joints with a very high volumetric proportion of intermetallic compounds (IMCs), rendering them much more brittle compared to conventional joints. Because of this, the reliability of micro-bumps, and the dependence thereof on the proportion of IMC in the joint, is of substantial concern. In this paper, the growth kinetics of IMCs in thin Sn-3Ag-0.5Cu joints attached to Cu substrates were analyzed, and empirical kinetic laws for the growth of Cu6Sn5 and Cu3Sn in thin joints were obtained. Modified compact mixed mode fracture mechanics samples, with adhesive solder joints between massive Cu substrates, having similar thickness and IMC content as actual micro-bumps, were produced. The effects of IMC proportion and strain rate on fracture toughness and mechanisms were investigated. It was found that the fracture toughness G C decreased with decreasing joint thickness ( h Joint). In addition, the fracture toughness decreased with increasing strain rate. Aging also promoted alternation of the crack path between the two joint-substrate interfaces, possibly proffering a mechanism to enhance fracture toughness.

  3. Electromigration and thermomigration in lead-free tin-silver-copper and eutectic tin-lead flip chip solder joints

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ou Yang, Fan-Yi

    Phase separation and microstructure change of eutectic SnPb and SnAgCu flip chip solder joint were investigated under thermomigration, electromigration, stressmigration and the combination of these effects. Different morphological behaviors under DC and AC electromigration were seen. Phase separation with Pb rich phase migration to the anode was observed when current density is below 1.6 x 104 A/cm2 at 100°C. For some cases, phase separation of Pb-rich phase and Su-rich phase as well as refinement of lamellar microstructure has also been observed. We propose that the refinement is due to recrystallization. On the other hand, time-dependent melting of eutectic SnPb flip chip solder joints has been observed to occur frequently with current density above 1.6 x 104 A/cm 2at 100°C. It has been found that it is due to joule heating of the on-chip Al interconnects. We found that electromigration has especially generated voids at the anode of the Al. This damage has greatly increased the resistance of the Al, which produces the heat needed to melt the solder joint. Owing to the line-to-bump configuration in flip chip solder joints, current crowding occurs when electrons enters into or exits from the solder bump. At the cathode contact, current crowding induced pancake-type void formation was observed widely. Furthermore, at the anode contact, we note that hillock or whisker forms. The cross-sectioned surface in SnPb showed dimple and bulge after electromigration, while that of SnAgCu remained flat. The difference is due to a larger back stress in the SnAgCu, consequently electromigration in SnAgCu is slower than that in SnPb. For thermomigration in eutectic SnPb flip chip solder joints, phase separation of Sn and Pb occurred, with Pb moving to the cold end. Both Sn and Pb have a stepwise concentration profile across solder bump. Refinement of lamellar microstructure was observed, indicating recrystallization. Also, thermomigration in eutectic SnAgCu flip chip solder

  4. Recrystallization Behavior in SAC305 and SAC305 + 3.0POSS Solder Joints Under Thermal Shock

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Han, Jing; Gu, Penghao; Ma, Limin; Guo, Fu; Liu, Jianping

    2018-04-01

    Sn-3.0Ag-0.5Cu (SAC305) and SAC305 + 3.0 polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxanes (POSS) ball grid array (BGA) assemblies have been prepared, observed, and subjected to thermal shock. The microstructure and grain orientation evolution of the solder joints located at the same position of the package were characterized by scanning electron microscopy and electron backscattering diffraction, respectively. The results showed that the microstructure of the solder joints was refined by addition of POSS particles. In addition, compared with the single-grained or tricrystal joints normally observed in SAC305 BGA solder joints, the frequency of single-grained as-reflowed SAC305 + 3.0POSS BGA joints was greatly reduced, and the solder joints were typically composed of multicrystals with orientations separated by high-angle grain boundaries. These multicrystal joints appear to be obtained by dominant tricrystals or double tricrystals with deviation of the preferred [110] and [1\\bar{1}0] growth directions of Sn dendrites in Sn-Ag-based solder alloys during solidification from the melt. After 928 thermal shock cycles, the SAC305 solder joint had large-area recrystallization and cracks in contrast to the SAC305 + 3.0POSS solder joint located at the same position of the package, indicating that addition of POSS to SAC305 solder joints may contribute to postponement of recrystallization and subsequent crack initiation and propagation along recrystallized grain boundaries by pinning grain boundaries and movement of dislocations. This finding also confirms the double tricrystal solidification twinning nucleation behavior in Pb-free solder joints.

  5. Mean-time-to-failure study of flip chip solder joints on Cu/Ni(V)/Al thin-film under-bump-metallization

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Choi, W. J.; Yeh, E. C. C.; Tu, K. N.

    2003-11-01

    Electromigration of eutectic SnPb flip chip solder joints and their mean-time-to-failure (MTTF) have been studied in the temperature range of 100 to 140 °C with current densities of 1.9 to 2.75×104 A/cm2. In these joints, the under-bump-metallization (UBM) on the chip side is a multilayer thin film of Al/Ni(V)/Cu, and the metallic bond-pad on the substrate side is a very thick, electroless Ni layer covered with 30 nm of Au. When stressed at the higher current densities, the MTTF was found to decrease much faster than what is expected from the published Black's equation. The failure occurred by interfacial void propagation at the cathode side, and it is due to current crowding near the contact interface between the solder bump and the thin-film UBM. The current crowding is confirmed by a simulation of current distribution in the solder joint. Besides the interfacial void formation, the intermetallic compounds formed on the UBM as well as the Ni(V) film in the UBM have been found to dissolve completely into the solder bump during electromigration. Therefore, the electromigation failure is a combination of the interfacial void formation and the loss of UBM. Similar findings in eutectic SnAgCu flip chip solder joints have also been obtained and compared.

  6. Effect of electromigration-induced back stress gradient on nanoindentation marker movement in SnAgCu solder joints

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Xu, Luhua; Pang, John H. L.; Tu, K. N.

    2006-11-01

    The electromigration-induced back stress in Pb-free SnAgCu solder was studied by an area array of nanoindentation markers on the cross section of a solder joint. The marker movements driven by combined electron wind force and electromigration-induced back stress gradient were measured at different locations. The back stress gradient was determined from the observation of marker motion using the proposed model. With the applied current density of 104A/cm2 at 125°C, the stress gradient near the anode is 97kPa/μm.

  7. Characteristics of solder joints under fatigue loads using piezomechanical actuation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Shim, Dong-Jin; Spearing, S. Mark

    2003-07-01

    Crack initiation and growth characteristics of solder joints under fatigue loads are investigated using piezomechanical actuation. Cracks in solder joints, which can cause failure in microelectronics components, are induced via piezoelectricity in piezo-ceramic bonded joints. Lead-zirconate-titanate ceramic plates and eutectic Sn-Pb solder bonded in a double-lap shear configuration are used in the investigation. Electric field across each piezo-ceramic plate is applied such that shear stresses/strains are induced in the solder joints. The experiments show that cracks initiate in the solder joints around defects such as voids and grow in length until they coalesce with other cracks from adjacent voids. These observations are compared with the similar thermal cycling tests from the literature to show feasibility and validity of the current method in investigating the fatigue characteristics of solder joints. In some specimens, cracks in the piezo-ceramic plates are observed, and failure in the specimens generally occurred due to piezo-ceramic plate fracture. The issues encountered in implementing this methodology such as low actuation and high processing temperatures are further discussed.

  8. The growth of intermetallic compounds at Sn-Ag-Cu solder/Cu and Sn-Ag-Cu solder/Ni interfaces and the associated evolution of the solder microstructure

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zribi, A.; Clark, A.; Zavalij, L.; Borgesen, P.; Cotts, E. J.

    2001-09-01

    The evolution of intermetallics at and near SnAgCu/Cu and SnAgCu/Ni interfaces was examined, and compared to the behavior, near PbSn/metal and Sn/metal interfaces. Two different solder compositions were considered, Sn93.6Ag4.7Cu1.7 and Sn95.5Ag3.5Cu1.0 (Sn91.8Ag5.1 Cu3.1 and Sn94.35Ag3.8Cu1.85 in atomic percent). In both cases, phase formation and growth at interfaces with Cu were very similar to those commonly observed for eutectic SnPb solder. However, the evolution of intermetallics at SnAgCu/Ni interfaces proved much more complex. The presence of the Cu in the solder dramatically altered the phase selectivity at the solder/Ni interface and affected the growth kinetics of intermetallics. As long as sufficient Cu was available, it would combine with Ni and Sn to form (Cu,Ni)6)Sn5 which grew instead of the Ni3Sn4 usually observed in PbSn/Ni and Sn/Ni diffusion couples. This growing phase would, however, eventually consume essentially all of the available Cu in the solder. Because the mechanical properties of Sn-Ag-Cu alloys, depend upon the Cu content, this consumption can be expected to alter the mechanical properties of these Pb-free solderjoints. After depletion of the Cu from the solder, further annealing then gradually transformed the (Cu,Ni)6Sn5 phase into a (Ni,Cu)3Sn4 phase.

  9. Predicting the Drop Performance of Solder Joints by Evaluating the Elastic Strain Energy from High-Speed Ball Pull Tests

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    You, Taehoon; Kim, Yunsung; Kim, Jina; Lee, Jaehong; Jung, Byungwook; Moon, Jungtak; Choe, Heeman

    2009-03-01

    Despite being expensive and time consuming, board-level drop testing has been widely used to assess the drop or impact resistance of the solder joints in handheld microelectronic devices, such as cellphones and personal digital assistants (PDAs). In this study, a new test method, which is much simpler and quicker, is proposed. The method involves evaluating the elastic strain energy and relating it to the impact resistance of the solder joint by considering the Young’s modulus of the bulk solder and the fracture stress of the solder joint during a ball pull test at high strain rates. The results show that solder joints can be ranked in order of descending elastic strain energy as follows: Sn-37Pb, Sn-1Ag-0.5Cu, Sn-3Ag-0.5Cu, and Sn-4Ag-0.5Cu. This order is consistent with the actual drop performances of the samples.

  10. Effect of current crowding on whisker growth at the anode in flip chip solder joints

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ouyang, Fan-Yi; Chen, Kai; Tu, K. N.; Lai, Yi-Shao

    2007-12-01

    Owing to the line-to-bump configuration in flip chip solder joints, current crowding occurs when electrons enter into or exit from the solder bump. At the cathode contact, where electrons enter into the bump, current crowding induced pancake-type void formation has now been observed widely. At the anode contact, where electrons exit from the bump, we report here that whisker is formed. Results of both eutectic SnPb and SnAgCu solder joints are presented and compared. The cross-sectioned surface in SnPb showed dimple and bulge after electromigration, while that of SnAgCu remained flat. The difference is due to a larger back stress in the SnAgCu, consequently, electromigration in SnAgCu is slower than that in SnPb. Nanoindentation markers were used to measure the combined atomic fluxes of back stress and electromigration.

  11. Electromigration and solid state aging of flip chip solder joints and analysis of tin whisker on lead-frame

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lee, Taekyeong

    Electromigration and solid state aging in flip chip joint, and whisker on lead frame of Pb-containing (eutectic SnPb) and Pb-free solders (SnAg 3.5, SnAg3.8Cu0.7, and SnCu0.7), have been studied systematically, using Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Energy Dispersive X-ray Analysis (EDX), and synchrotron radiation. The high current density in flip chip joint drives the diffusion of atoms of eutectic SnPb and SnAgCu. A marker is used to measure the diffusion flux in a half cross-sectioned solder joint. SnAgCu shows higher resistance against electromigration than eutectic SnPb. In the half cross-sectioned solder joint, void growth is the dominant failure mechanism. However, the whole solder balls in the underfill show that the failure mechanism is a result from the dissolution of electroless Ni under bump metallization (UBM) of about 10 mum thickness. The growth rate between intermetallic compounds in molten and solid solders differed by four orders of magnitude. In liquid solder, the growth rate is about 1 mum/min; the growth rate in solid solder is only about 10 -4 mum/min. The difference is not resulting from factors of thermodynamics, which is the change of Gibbs free energy before and after intermetallic compound formation, but from kinetic factors, which is the rate of change of Gibbs free energy. Even though the difference in growth rate between eutectic SnPb and Pb-free solders during solid state aging was found, the reason behind such difference shown is unclear. The orientation and stress levels of whiskers are measured by white X-ray of synchrotron radiation. The growth direction is nearly parallel to one of the principal axes of tin. The compressive stress level is quite low because the residual stress is relaxed by the whisker growth.

  12. A microstructurally based model of solder joints under conditions of thermomechanical fatigue

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Frear, D. R.; Burchett, S. N.; Rashid, M. M.

    The thermomechanical fatigue failure of solder joints is increasingly becoming an important reliability issue. We present two computational methodologies that have been developed to predict the behavior of near eutectic Sn-Pb solder joints under fatigue conditions that are based on metallurgical tests as fundamental input for constitutive relations. The two-phase model mathematically predicts the heterogeneous coarsening behavior of near eutectic Sn-Pb solder. The finite element simulations from this model agree well with experimental thermomechanical fatigue tests. The simulations show that the presence of an initial heterogeneity in the solder microstructure could significantly degrade the fatigue lifetime. The single phase model is a computational technique that was developed to predict solder joint behavior using materials data for constitutive relation constants that could be determined through straightforward metallurgical experiments. A shear/torsion test sample was developed to impose strain in two different orientations. Materials constants were derived from these tests and the results showed an adequate fit to experimental results. The single-phase model could be very useful for conditions where microstructural evolution is not a dominant factor in fatigue.

  13. The effects of nucleation and solidification mechanisms on the microstructure and thermomechanical response of tin silver copper solder joints

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Arfaei, Babak

    This work examines the nucleation mechanism of Sn in SnAgCu alloys and its effect on the microstructure of those solder joints. The nucleation rate of Sn in a SAC alloy was obtained by simultaneous calorimetric examination of the isothermal solidification of 88 flip chip Sn-Ag-Cu solder joints. Qualitative agreement with classic nucleation theory was observed, although it was concluded that the spherical cap model cannot be applied to explain the structure of nucleus. It was shown that the solidification temperature significantly affects the microstructure; samples that undercooled less than approximately 40oC revealed one or three large Sn grains, while interlaced twinning was observed in the samples that solidified at lower temperatures. In order to better understand the effect of microstructure on the thermomechanical properties of solder joints, a study of the dependence of room temperature shear fatigue lifetime on Sn grain number and orientation was conducted. This study examined the correlations of variations in fatigue life of solder balls with the microstructure of Sn-Ag-Cu solder. The mean fatigue lifetime was found to be significantly longer for samples with multiple Sn grains than for samples with single Sn grains. For single grain samples, correlations between Sn grain orientation (with respect to the loading direction) and lifetime were observed, providing insight on early failures in SnAgCu solder joints. Correlations between the lifetimes of single Sn grained, SAC205 solder joints with differences in Ag3Sn and Cu6Sn5 precipitate microstructures were investigated. It was found that Ag3Sn precipitates were highly segregated from Cu6Sn 5 precipitates on a length scale of approximately twenty microns. Furthermore, large (factor of two) variations of the Sn dendrite arm size were observed within given samples. Such variations in values of dendrite arm size within a single sample were much larger than observed variations of this parameter between

  14. Ductile fracture mechanism of low-temperature In-48Sn alloy joint under high strain rate loading.

    PubMed

    Kim, Jong-Woong; Jung, Seung-Boo

    2012-04-01

    The failure behaviors of In-48Sn solder ball joints under various strain rate loadings were investigated with both experimental and finite element modeling study. The bonding force of In-48Sn solder on an Ni plated Cu pad increased with increasing shear speed, mainly due to the high strain-rate sensitivity of the solder alloy. In contrast to the cases of Sn-based Pb-free solder joints, the transition of the fracture mode from a ductile mode to a brittle mode was not observed in this solder joint system due to the soft nature of the In-48Sn alloy. This result is discussed in terms of the relationship between the strain-rate of the solder alloy, the work-hardening effect and the resulting stress concentration at the interfacial regions.

  15. A modified constitutive model for creep of Sn-3.5Ag-0.7Cu solder joints

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Han, Y. D.; Jing, H. Y.; Nai, S. M. L.; Tan, C. M.; Wei, J.; Xu, L. Y.; Zhang, S. R.

    2009-06-01

    In this study, the constitutive behaviour for creep performance of 95.8Sn-3.5Ag-0.7Cu lead-free solder joints was investigated. It was observed that the stress exponent (n) can be well defined into two stress regimes: low stress and high stress. A new, improved constitutive model, which considered back stress, was proposed to describe the creep behaviour of SnAgCu solder joints. In this model, the back stress, which is a function of the applied shear stress in the low stress regime (LSR) and a function of the particle size, volume fraction and coarsening of IMC particles in the high stress regime (HSR), was introduced to construct the relationship between the creep strain rate and the shear stress. The creep mechanism in these two stress regimes was studied in detail. In the LSR, dislocations passed through the matrix by climbing over the intermetallic particles, while in the HSR, the dislocations were glide-controlled. According to the different creep mechanisms in both the stress regimes, the back stress was calculated, respectively, and then incorporated into the Arrhenius power-law creep model. It was demonstrated that the predicted strain rate-shear stress behaviour employing the modified creep constitutive model which considered back stress, was in good agreement with the experimental results.

  16. Lead-free solder

    DOEpatents

    Anderson, Iver E.; Terpstra, Robert L.

    2001-05-15

    A Sn--Ag--Cu eutectic alloy is modified with one or more low level and low cost alloy additions to enhance high temperature microstructural stability and thermal-mechanical fatigue strength without decreasing solderability. Purposeful fourth or fifth element additions in the collective amount not exceeding about 1 weight % (wt. %) are added to Sn--Ag--Cu eutectic solder alloy based on the ternary eutectic Sn--4.7%Ag--1.7%Cu (wt. %) and are selected from the group consisting essentially of Ni, Fe, and like-acting elements as modifiers of the intermetallic interface between the solder and substrate to improve high temperature solder joint microstructural stability and solder joint thermal-mechanical fatigue strength.

  17. Robust solder joint attachment of coaxial cable leads to piezoelectric ceramic electrodes.

    PubMed

    Vianco, P T

    1993-01-01

    A technique was developed for the solder attachment of coaxial cable leads to silver-bearing thick-film electrodes on piezoelectric ceramics. Soldering the cable leads directly to the thick film caused bonds with low mechanical strength due to poor solder joint geometry. A barrier coating of 1.5 mum Cu/1.5 mum Ni/1.0 mum Sn deposited on the thick-film layer improved the strength of the solder joints by eliminating the adsorption of Ag from the thick film, which was responsible for the improper solder joint geometry. The procedure does not require special preparation of the electrode surface and is cost effective due to the use of nonprecious metal films and the batch processing capabilities of the electron beam deposition technique.

  18. Survivability of soldered leadless chip carriers after temperature cycling

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Zawicki, L.R.; Lenhardt, B.W.; Smith, F.R.

    Temperature cycling evaluations were conducted on leadless chip carriers (LCCs) soldered to thick film networks (TKNs). Various temperature ranges, rates of change, cycle times, number of cycles, and sizes of LCCs were used. The TKNs were attached to metal backing plates with 63Sn/37Pb solder preforms using an infrared vacuum soldering process. The LCCs were attached to Pt/Au TKNs with 63Sn/37Pb solder paste using a belt reflow process. Visual examination and cross-sectional analysis were used to evaluate the survivability. Results were also correlated with finite elemental analysis. Considering the initial results, possible solutions included changing the solder from 63Sn/37Pb to 50Pb/50In,more » deleting the metal backplate, changing the rate of change in the temperature cycle, and/or adding leads to the large LCCs. Because of a system requirement, the rate of change in the temperature cycle could not be changed. Since there was no long term reliability information on the Pt/Au TKN with 50Pb/50In solder, this option was also dropped. Additional evaluations showed little difference in the survivability of large LCC solder joints with or without the metal backing plate. The final results indicated that LCCs beyond a certain physical size required compliant leads to survive the temperature cycle requirements.« less

  19. A microstructurally based model of solder joints under conditions of thermomechanical fatigue

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Frear, D.R.; Burchett, S.N.; Rashid, M.M.

    The thermomechanical fatigue failure of solder joints in increasingly becoming an important reliability issue. In this paper we present two computational methodologies that have been developed to predict the behavior of near eutectic Sn-Pb solder joints under fatigue conditions that are based on metallurgical tests as fundamental input for constitutive relations. The two-phase model mathematically predicts the heterogeneous coarsening behavior of near eutectic Sn-Pb solder. The finite element simulations from this model agree well with experimental thermomechanical fatigue tests. The simulations show that the presence of an initial heterogeneity in the solder microstructure could significantly degrade the fatigue lifetime. Themore » single phase model is a computational technique that was developed to predict solder joint behavior using materials data for constitutive relation constants that could be determined through straightforward metallurgical experiments. A shear/torsion test sample was developed to impose strain in two different orientations. Materials constants were derived from these tests and the results showed an adequate fit to experimental results. The single-phase model could be very useful for conditions where microstructural evolution is not a dominant factor in fatigue.« less

  20. Microstructural characterization and mechanical property of active soldering anodized 6061 Al alloy using Sn-3.5Ag-xTi active solders

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Wang, Wei-Lin, E-mail: wangwl77@gmail.com; Tsai, Yi-Chia, E-mail: tij@itri.org.tw

    2012-06-15

    Active solders Sn-3.5Ag-xTi varied from x = 0 to 6 wt.% Ti addition were prepared by vacuum arc re-melting and the resultant phase formation and variation of microstructure with titanium concentration were analyzed using X-ray diffraction, optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. The Sn-3.5Ag-xTi active solders are used as metallic filler to join with anodized 6061 Al alloy for potential applications of providing a higher heat conduction path. Their joints and mechanical properties were characterized and evaluated in terms of titanium content. The mechanical property of joints was measured by shear testing. The joint strength was very dependent on themore » titanium content. Solder with a 0.5 wt.% Ti addition can successfully wet and bond to the anodized aluminum oxide layers of Al alloy and posses a shear strength of 16.28 {+-} 0.64 MPa. The maximum bonding strength reached 22.24 {+-} 0.70 MPa at a 3 wt.% Ti addition. Interfacial reaction phase and chemical composition were identified by a transmission electron microscope with energy dispersive spectrometer. Results showed that the Ti element reacts with anodized aluminum oxide to form Al{sub 3}Ti-rich and Al{sub 3}Ti phases at the joint interfaces. - Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Active solder joining of anodized Al alloy needs 0.5 wt.% Ti addition for Sn-3.5Ag. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The maximum bonding strength occurs at 3 wt.% Ti addition. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The Ti reacts with anodized Al oxide to form Al{sub 3}Ti-rich and Al{sub 3}Ti at joint interface.« less

  1. Root Cause Investigation of Lead-Free Solder Joint Interfacial Failures After Multiple Reflows

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Li, Yan; Hatch, Olen; Liu, Pilin; Goyal, Deepak

    2017-03-01

    Solder joint interconnects in three-dimensional (3D) packages with package stacking configurations typically must undergo multiple reflow cycles during the assembly process. In this work, interfacial open joint failures between the bulk solder and the intermetallic compound (IMC) layer were found in Sn-Ag-Cu (SAC) solder joints connecting a small package to a large package after multiple reflow reliability tests. Systematic progressive 3D x-ray computed tomography experiments were performed on both incoming and assembled parts to reveal the initiation and evolution of the open failures in the same solder joints before and after the reliability tests. Characterization studies, including focused ion beam cross-sections, scanning electron microscopy, and energy-dispersive x-ray spectroscopy, were conducted to determine the correlation between IMC phase transformation and failure initiation in the solder joints. A comprehensive failure mechanism, along with solution paths for the solder joint interfacial failures after multiple reflow cycles, is discussed in detail.

  2. Evolution of the Deformation Behavior of Sn-Rich Solders during Cyclic Fatigue

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wentlent, Luke Arthur

    Continuous developments in the electronics industry have provided a critical need for a quantitative, fundamental understanding of the behavior of SnAgCu (SAC) solders in both isothermal and thermal fatigue conditions. This study examines the damage behavior of Sn-based solders in a constant amplitude and variable amplitude environment. In addition, damage properties are correlated with crystal orientation and slip behavior. Select solder joints were continuously characterized and tested repeatedly in order to eliminate the joint to joint variation due to the anisotropy of beta-Sn. Characterization was partitioned into three different categories: effective properties and slip behavior, creep mechanisms and crystal morphology development, and atomic behavior and evolution. Active slip systems were correlated with measured properties. Characterization of the mechanical behavior was performed by the calculation and extrapolation of the elastic modulus, work, effective stiffness, Schmid factors, and time-dependent plasticity (creep). Electron microscopy based characterization methods included Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Electron Backscattering Diffraction (EBSD), and Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM). Testing showed a clear evolution of the steady-state creep mechanism when the cycling amplitudes were varied, from dislocation controlled to diffusion controlled creep. Dislocation behavior was examined and shown to evolve differently in single amplitude vs. variable amplitude testing. Finally, the mechanism of the recrystallization behavior of the beta-Sn was observed. This work fills a gap in the literature, providing a systematic study which identifies how the damage behavior in Sn-alloys depends upon the previous damage. A link is made between the observed creep behavior and the dislocation observations, providing a unified picture. Information developed in this work lays a stepping stone to future fundamental analyses as well as clarifying aspects of the

  3. Ultrasonic semi-solid coating soldering 6061 aluminum alloys with Sn-Pb-Zn alloys.

    PubMed

    Yu, Xin-ye; Xing, Wen-qing; Ding, Min

    2016-07-01

    In this paper, 6061 aluminum alloys were soldered without a flux by the ultrasonic semi-solid coating soldering at a low temperature. According to the analyses, it could be obtained that the following results. The effect of ultrasound on the coating which promoted processes of metallurgical reaction between the components of the solder and 6061 aluminum alloys due to the thermal effect. Al2Zn3 was obtained near the interface. When the solder was in semi-solid state, the connection was completed. Ultimately, the interlayer mainly composed of three kinds of microstructure zones: α-Pb solid solution phases, β-Sn phases and Sn-Pb eutectic phases. The strength of the joints was improved significantly with the minimum shear strength approaching 101MPa. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier B.V.

  4. Effects of Isothermal Aging on the Thermal Expansion of Several Sn-Based Lead-Free Solder Alloys

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hasnine, M.; Bozack, M. J.

    2018-03-01

    In this paper, effects of high-temperature aging on the thermal expansion behavior of several lead-free alloys SAC305, SAC387, Sn-3.5Ag, SnCu, SN100C (SnCu-Ni-Ge) and SnCu-0.01Ge have been explored. The coefficients of thermal expansion (CTEs) of the alloys have been experimentally determined over the temperature range 30-150 °C after isothermal aging at 125 °C for up to 30 days (720 h). The CTE values of SAC305, SAC387 and Sn-3.5Ag increase by 8-16% after 30 days of aging, while the CTE values of SnCu, SnCu-Ge and SN100C solders increase by only 3-6%. The CTE evolution of lead-free solders can be explained by microstructural changes observed during isothermal aging, which causes coarsening of various phases of the solder. As the phases coarsen, dislocation movement proceeds with a consequent increase in the average interparticle distance. The observation of CTE increases during isothermal aging suggests potential reliability problems for lead-free solder joints subjected to long-term aging exposures at high temperatures.

  5. Effect of Thermal Aging on the Mechanical Properties of Sn3.0Ag0.5Cu/Cu Solder Joints Under High Strain Rate Conditions

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Nguyen, Van Luong; Kim, Ho-Kyung

    2015-07-01

    Shear tests with velocities between 0.5 m/s and 2.5 m/s were conducted to investigate the deformation characteristics of 0.76 mm lead-free Sn-3Ag-0.5Cu solder ball joints after thermal aging at 373 K up to 1000 h. A scanning electron microscope equipped with energy dispersive spectroscopy was then used to examine the fracture surfaces and microstructures of the solder joints. The results showed that the main failure mode of the solder joints was the brittle interfacial fracture mode with cleavage failure in the intermetallic compound (IMC). The maximum shear strength and the fracture toughness ( K C) of the solder joint decreased substantially after aging for the initial aging time, after which they decreased gradually with further aging or an increase in the strain rate. The evolution of the IMC layer when it was thicker and had coarser nodules due to thermal aging was the primary cause of the reduction in the shear strength and fracture toughness in this study.

  6. Microstructure and Sn crystal orientation evolution in Sn-3.5Ag lead-free solders in high temperature packaging applications

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Zhou, Bite; Muralidharan, Govindarajan; Kurumaddali, Nalini Kanth

    2014-01-01

    Understanding the reliability of eutectic Sn-3.5Ag lead-free solders in high temperature packaging applications is of significant interest in power electronics for the next generation electric grid. Large area (2.5mm 2.5mm) Sn-3.5Ag solder joints between silicon dies and direct bonded copper substrates were thermally cycled between 5 C and 200 C. Sn crystal orientation and microstructure evolution during thermal cycling were characterized by electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) in scanning electron microscope (SEM). Comparisons are made between observed initial texture and microstructure and its evolution during thermal cycling. Gradual lattice rotation and grain boundary misorientation evolution suggested the continuous recrystallization mechanism. Recrystallizationmore » behavior was correlated with dislocation slip activities.« less

  7. Microstructural Evolution and Tensile Properties of SnAgCu Mixed with Sn-Pb Solder Alloys (Preprint)

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2009-03-01

    AFRL-RX-WP-TP-2009-4132 MICROSTRUCTURAL EVOLUTION AND TENSILE PROPERTIES OF SnAgCu MIXED WITH Sn-Pb SOLDER ALLOYS (PREPRINT...PROPERTIES OF SnAgCu MIXED WITH Sn-Pb SOLDER ALLOYS (PREPRINT) 5a. CONTRACT NUMBER FA8650-04-C-5704 5b. GRANT NUMBER 5c. PROGRAM ELEMENT...ANSI Std. Z39-18 Microstructural evolution and tensile properties of SnAgCu mixed with Sn-Pb solder alloys Fengjiang Wang,1 Matthew O’Keefe,1,2 and

  8. Intermetallic Compounds Formed in Sn-20In-2.8Ag Solder BGA Packages with Ag/Cu Pads

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jain, C. C.; Wang, S. S.; Huang, K. W.; Chuang, T. H.

    2009-03-01

    The interfacial reactions in a Sn-20In-2.8Ag solder ball grid array (BGA) package with immersion Ag surface finish are investigated. After reflow, the Ag thin film dissolves quickly into the solder matrix, and scallop-shaped intermetallic layers, with compositions of (Cu0.98Ag0.02)6(In0.59Sn0.41)5, appear at the interfaces between Sn-20In-2.8Ag solder ball and Cu pad. No evident growth of the (Cu0.98Ag0.02)6(Sn0.59In0.41)5 intermetallic compounds was observed after prolonged aging at 100 °C. However, the growth accelerated at 150 °C, with more intermetallic scallops floating into the solder matrix. The intermetallic thickness versus the square root of reaction time ( t 1/2) shows a linear relation, indicating that the growth of intermetallic compounds is diffusion-controlled. Ball shear tests show that the strength of Sn-20In-2.8Ag solder joints after reflow is 4.4 N, which increases to 5.18 N and 5.14 N after aging at 100 and 150 °C, respectively.

  9. Morphological and Microstructural Evolution of Phosphorous-Rich Layer in SnAgCu/Ni-P UBM Solder Joint

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lin, Yung-Chi; Shih, Toung-Yi; Tien, Shih-Kang; Duh, Jenq-Gong

    2007-11-01

    Interfacial morphologies and microstructure of Sn-3Ag-0.5Cu/Ni-P under bump metallization (UBM) with various phosphorous contents were investigated by transmission electron microscope (TEM) and field emission electron probe microanalyzer (FE-EPMA). It was revealed that as the Ni-Sn-P compound was formed between the solder matrix and Ni-P UBM, the conventionally so-called phosphorous-rich (P-rich) layer was transformed to a series of layer compounds, including Ni3P, Ni12P5 and Ni2P. The relationship between Ni-Sn-P formation and evolution of P-rich layers was probed by electron microscopic characterization with the aid of the phase diagram of Ni-P. On the basis of the TEM micrograph, the selected area diffraction (SAD) pattern, and the FE-EPMA results, the detailed phase evolution of P-rich layers in the SnAgCu/Ni-P joint was revealed and proposed.

  10. In situ synchrotron study of electromigration induced grain rotations in Sn solder joints

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Shen, Hao; Zhu, Wenxin; Li, Yao; Tamura, Nobumichi; Chen, Kai

    2016-04-01

    Here we report an in situ study of the early stage of microstructure evolution induced by electromigration in a Pb-free β-Sn based solder joint by synchrotron polychromatic X-ray microdiffraction. With this technique, crystal orientation evolution is monitored at intragranular levels with high spatial and angular resolution. During the entire experiment, no crystal growth is detected, and rigid grain rotation is observed only in the two grains within the current crowding region, where high density and divergence of electric current occur. Theoretical calculation indicates that the trend of electrical resistance drop still holds under the present conditions in the grain with high electrical resistivity, while the other grain with low resistivity reorients to align its a-axis more parallel with the ones of its neighboring grains. A detailed study of dislocation densities and subgrain boundaries suggests that grain rotation in β-Sn, unlike grain rotation in high melting temperature metals which undergo displacive deformation, is accomplished via diffusional process mainly, due to the high homologous temperature.

  11. In situ synchrotron study of electromigration induced grain rotations in Sn solder joints

    DOE PAGES

    Shen, Hao; Zhu, Wenxin; Li, Yao; ...

    2016-04-18

    In this paper we report an in situ study of the early stage of microstructure evolution induced by electromigration in a Pb-free β-Sn based solder joint by synchrotron polychromatic X-ray microdiffraction. With this technique, crystal orientation evolution is monitored at intragranular levels with high spatial and angular resolution. During the entire experiment, no crystal growth is detected, and rigid grain rotation is observed only in the two grains within the current crowding region, where high density and divergence of electric current occur. Theoretical calculation indicates that the trend of electrical resistance drop still holds under the present conditions in themore » grain with high electrical resistivity, while the other grain with low resistivity reorients to align its a-axis more parallel with the ones of its neighboring grains. A detailed study of dislocation densities and subgrain boundaries suggests that grain rotation in β-Sn, unlike grain rotation in high melting temperature metals which undergo displacive deformation, is accomplished via diffusional process mainly, due to the high homologous temperature.« less

  12. Electromigration Failure Mechanism in Sn-Cu Solder Alloys with OSP Cu Surface Finish

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chu, Ming-Hui; Liang, S. W.; Chen, Chih; Huang, Annie T.

    2012-09-01

    Organic solderable preservative (OSP) has been adopted as the Cu substrate surface finish in flip-chip solder joints for many years. In this study, the electromigration behavior of lead-free Sn-Cu solder alloys with thin-film under bump metallization and OSP surface finish was investigated. The results showed that severe damage occurred on the substrate side (cathode side), whereas the damage on the chip side (cathode side) was not severe. The damage on the substrate side included void formation, copper dissolution, and formation of intermetallic compounds (IMCs). The OSP Cu interface on the substrate side became the weakest point in the solder joint even when thin-film metallization was used on the chip side. Three-dimensional simulations were employed to investigate the current density distribution in the area between the OSP Cu surface finish and the solder. The results indicated that the current density was higher along the periphery of the bonding area between the solder and the Cu pad, consistent with the area of IMC and void formation in our experimental results.

  13. Effect of Ni-P Plating Temperature on Growth of Interfacial Intermetallic Compound in Electroless Nickel Immersion Gold/Sn-Ag-Cu Solder Joints

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Seo, Wonil; Kim, Kyoung-Ho; Kim, Young-Ho; Yoo, Sehoon

    2018-01-01

    The growth of interfacial intermetallic compound and the brittle fracture behavior of Sn-3.0Ag-0.5-Cu solder (SAC305) joints on electroless nickel immersion gold (ENIG) surface finish have been investigated using Ni-P plating solution at temperatures from 75°C to 85°C and fixed pH of 4.5. SAC305 solder balls with diameter of 450 μm were mounted on the prepared ENIG-finished Cu pads and reflowed with peak temperature of 250°C. The interfacial intermetallic compound (IMC) thickness after reflow decreased with increasing Ni-P plating temperature. After 800 h of thermal aging, the IMC thickness of the sample prepared at 85°C was higher than for that prepared at 75°C. Scanning electron microscopy of the Ni-P surface after removal of the Au layer revealed a nodular structure on the Ni-P surface. The nodule size of the Ni-P decreased with increasing Ni-P plating temperature. The Cu content near the IMC layer increased to 0.6 wt.%, higher than the original Cu content of 0.5 wt.%, indicating that Cu diffused from the Cu pad to the solder ball through the Ni-P layer at a rate depending on the nodule size. The sample prepared at 75°C with thicker interfacial IMC showed greater high-speed shear strength than the sample prepared at 85°C. Brittle fracture increased with decreasing Ni-P plating temperature.

  14. Perpendicular Growth Characteristics of Cu-Sn Intermetallic Compounds at the Surface of 99Sn-1Cu/Cu Solder Interconnects

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chen, Zhiwen; Liu, Changqing; Wu, Yiping; An, Bing

    2015-12-01

    The growth of intermetallic compounds (IMCs) on the free surface of 99Sn-1Cu solder joints perpendicular to the interdiffusion direction has been investigated in this work. The specimens were specifically designed and polished to reveal a flat free surface at the solder/Cu interface for investigation. After aging at 175°C for progressively increased durations, the height of the perpendicular IMCs was examined and found to follow a parabolic law with aging duration that could be expressed as y = 0.11√ t, where t is the aging duration in hours and y is the height of the perpendicular IMCs in μm. For comparison, the planar growth of IMCs along the interdiffusion direction was also investigated in 99Sn-1Cu/Cu solder joints. After prolonged aging at 175°C, the thickness of the planar interfacial IMC layers also increased parabolically with aging duration and could be expressed as h_{{IMC}} = 0.27√ t + 4.6, where h is the thickness in μm and t is the time in hours. It was found that both the planar and perpendicular growth of the IMCs were diffusion-controlled processes, but the perpendicular growth of the IMCs was much slower than their planar growth due to the longer diffusion distance. It is proposed that Cu3Sn forms prior to the formation of Cu6Sn5 in the perpendicular IMCs, being the reverse order compared with the planar IMC growth.

  15. Impact of Isothermal Aging on Long-Term Reliability of Fine-Pitch Ball Grid Array Packages with Sn-Ag-Cu Solder Interconnects: Surface Finish Effects

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lee, Tae-Kyu; Ma, Hongtao; Liu, Kuo-Chuan; Xue, Jie

    2010-12-01

    The interaction between isothermal aging and the long-term reliability of fine-pitch ball grid array (BGA) packages with Sn-3.0Ag-0.5Cu (wt.%) solder ball interconnects was investigated. In this study, 0.4-mm fine-pitch packages with 300- μm-diameter Sn-Ag-Cu solder balls were used. Two different package substrate surface finishes were selected to compare their effects on the final solder composition, especially the effect of Ni, during thermal cycling. To study the impact on thermal performance and long-term reliability, samples were isothermally aged and thermally cycled from 0°C to 100°C with 10 min dwell time. Based on Weibull plots for each aging condition, package lifetime was reduced by approximately 44% by aging at 150°C. Aging at 100°C showed a smaller impact but similar trend. The microstructure evolution was observed during thermal aging and thermal cycling with different phase microstructure transformations between electrolytic Ni/Au and organic solderability preservative (OSP) surface finishes, focusing on the microstructure evolution near the package-side interface. Different mechanisms after aging at various conditions were observed, and their impacts on the fatigue lifetime of solder joints are discussed.

  16. Intermetallic Compound Growth between Electroless Nickel/Electroless Palladium/Immersion Gold Surface Finish and Sn-3.5Ag or Sn-3.0Ag-0.5Cu Solder

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Oda, Yukinori; Fukumuro, Naoki; Yae, Shinji

    2018-04-01

    Using an electroless nickel/electroless palladium/immersion gold (ENEPIG) surface finish with a thick palladium-phosphorus (Pd-P) layer of 1 μm, the intermetallic compound (IMC) growth between the ENEPIG surface finish and lead-free solders Sn-3.5Ag (SA) or Sn-3.0Ag-0.5Cu (SAC) after reflow soldering and during solid-state aging at 150°C was investigated. After reflow soldering, in the SA/ENEPIG and SAC/ENEPIG interfaces, thick PdSn4 layers of about 2 μm to 3 μm formed on the residual Pd-P layers ( 0.5 μm thick). On the SA/ENEPIG interface, Sn was detected on the upper side of the residual Pd-P layer. On the SAC/ENEPIG interface, no Sn was detected in the residual Pd-P layer, and Cu was detected in the interface between the Pd-P and PdSn4 layers. After 300 h of aging at 150°C, the residual Pd-P layers had diffused completely into the solders. In the SA/ENEPIG interface, an IMC layer consisting of Ni3Sn4 and Ni3SnP formed between the PdSn4 layer and the nickel-phosphorus (Ni-P) layer, and a (Pd,Ni)Sn4 layer formed on the lower side of the PdSn4 layer. On the SAC/ENEPIG interface, a much thinner (Pd,Ni)Sn4 layer was observed, and a (Cu,Ni)6Sn5 layer was observed between the PdSn4 and Ni-P layers. These results indicate that Ni diffusion from the Ni-P layer to the PdSn4 layer produced a thick (Pd,Ni)Sn4 layer in the SA solder case, but was prevented by formation of (Cu,Ni)6Sn5 in the SAC solder case. This causes the difference in solder joint reliability between SA/ENEPIG and SAC/ENEPIG interfaces in common, thin Pd-P layer cases.

  17. Finite Element-Assisted Assessment of the Thermo-cyclic Characteristics of Leads Soldered with SnAgCu(+Bi,In) Alloys

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lis, Adrian; Nakanishi, Kohei; Matsuda, Tomoki; Sano, Tomokazu; Minagawa, Madoka; Okamoto, Masahide; Hirose, Akio

    2017-07-01

    Solder joints between leads and printed circuit boards in thin small outline packages were produced with conventional Sn1.0Ag0.7Cu (SAC107) and Sn3.0Ag0.7Cu (SAC305) solders as well as various solder alloys with gradually increasing amounts of Bi (up to 3.0 wt.%) and In (up to 1.0 wt.%) within the SAC107 base solder. The reliability of soldered leads in temperature cycle (TC) tests improved most with solder alloys containing both Bi (1.6 wt.%) and In (0.5 wt.%). Microindentation and electron probe microanalysis mappings revealed that the effect originates from a combination of solution and precipitation strengthening of the initial SAC alloy. The distribution of inelastic strain accumulation (ISA), as a measure for degradation, was determined in the solder joints by finite element calculations. It was shown that defects in the solder proximal to the lead (<60-75 μm) strongly impact the reliability and provoke crack initiation around the defect where the highest ISA is located. In particular, similar TC performance can be expected for defect-free joints and for those whose defects exceed the threshold distance from the lead (>60-75 μm), which was underpinned by similar cracking characteristics along the lead-solder interface. The ISA was confirmed to be lower in SAC+Bi/In alloys owing to their enhanced elasto-plastic properties. Moreover, the addition of a thin Cu coating on the leads could improve the joint reliability, as suggested by the calculation of the ISA and the acceleration factor.

  18. Failure Mechanisms of Thermomechanically Loaded SnAgCu/Plastic Core Solder Ball Composite Joints in Low-Temperature Co-Fired Ceramic/Printed Wiring Board Assemblies

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Nousiainen, O.; Putaala, J.; Kangasvieri, T.; Rautioaho, R.; Vähäkangas, J.

    2007-03-01

    The thermal fatigue endurance of completely lead-free 95.5Sn4Ag0.7Cu/plastic core solder ball (PCSB) composite joint structures in low-temperature Co-fired ceramic/printed wiring board (LTCC/PWB) assemblies was investigated using thermal cycling tests over the temperature ranges of -40°C 125°C and 0°C 100°C. Two separate creep/fatigue failures initiated and propagated in the joints during the tests: (1) a crack along the intermetallic compound (IMC)/solder interface on the LTCC side of the joint, which formed at the high-temperature extremes; and (2) a crack in the solder near the LTCC solder land, which formed at the low-temperature extremes. Moreover, localized recrystallization was detected at the outer edge of the joints that were tested in the harsh (-40°C 125°C) test conditions. The failure mechanism was creep/fatigue-induced mixed intergranular and transgranular cracking in the recrystallized zone, but it was dominated by transgranular thermal fatigue failure beyond the recrystallized zone. The change in the failure mechanism increased the rate of crack growth. When the lower temperature extreme was raised from -40°C to 0°C, no recrystallized zone was detected and the failure was due to intergranular cracks.

  19. Rapid Solidification of Sn-Cu-Al Alloys for High-Reliability, Lead-Free Solder: Part II. Intermetallic Coarsening Behavior of Rapidly Solidified Solders After Multiple Reflows

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Reeve, Kathlene N.; Choquette, Stephanie M.; Anderson, Iver E.; Handwerker, Carol A.

    2016-12-01

    Controlling the size, dispersion, and stability of intermetallic compounds in lead-free solder alloys is vital to creating reliable solder joints regardless of how many times the solder joints are melted and resolidified (reflowed) during circuit board assembly. In this article, the coarsening behavior of Cu x Al y and Cu6Sn5 in two Sn-Cu-Al alloys, a Sn-2.59Cu-0.43Al at. pct alloy produced via drip atomization and a Sn-5.39Cu-1.69Al at. pct alloy produced via melt spinning at a 5-m/s wheel speed, was characterized after multiple (1-5) reflow cycles via differential scanning calorimetry between the temperatures of 293 K and 523 K (20 °C and 250 °C). Little-to-no coarsening of the Cu x Al y particles was observed for either composition; however, clustering of Cu x Al y particles was observed. For Cu6Sn5 particle growth, a bimodal size distribution was observed for the drip atomized alloy, with large, faceted growth of Cu6Sn5 observed, while in the melt spun alloy, Cu6Sn5 particles displayed no significant increase in the average particle size, with irregularly shaped, nonfaceted Cu6Sn5 particles observed after reflow, which is consistent with shapes observed in the as-solidified alloys. The link between original alloy composition, reflow undercooling, and subsequent intermetallic coarsening behavior was discussed by using calculated solidification paths. The reflowed microstructures suggested that the heteroepitaxial relationship previously observed between the Cu x Al y and the Cu6Sn5 was maintained for both alloys.

  20. Rapid Solidification of Sn-Cu-Al Alloys for High-Reliability, Lead-Free Solder: Part II. Intermetallic Coarsening Behavior of Rapidly Solidified Solders After Multiple Reflows

    DOE PAGES

    Reeve, Kathlene N.; Choquette, Stephanie M.; Anderson, Iver E.; ...

    2016-10-06

    Controlling the size, dispersion, and stability of intermetallic compounds in lead-free solder alloys is vital to creating reliable solder joints regardless of how many times the solder joints are melted and resolidified (reflowed) during circuit board assembly. In this article, the coarsening behavior of Cu x Al y and Cu 6Sn 5 in two Sn-Cu-Al alloys, a Sn-2.59Cu-0.43Al at. pct alloy produced via drip atomization and a Sn-5.39Cu-1.69Al at. pct alloy produced via melt spinning at a 5-m/s wheel speed, was characterized after multiple (1-5) reflow cycles via differential scanning calorimetry between the temperatures of 293 K and 523 Kmore » (20 °C and 250 °C). Little-to-no coarsening of the Cu x Al y particles was observed for either composition; however, clustering of Cu x Al y particles was observed. For Cu 6Sn 5 particle growth, a bimodal size distribution was observed for the drip atomized alloy, with large, faceted growth of Cu 6Sn 5 observed, while in the melt spun alloy, Cu 6Sn 5 particles displayed no significant increase in the average particle size, with irregularly shaped, nonfaceted Cu 6Sn 5 particles observed after reflow, which is consistent with shapes observed in the as-solidified alloys. The link between original alloy composition, reflow undercooling, and subsequent intermetallic coarsening behavior was discussed by using calculated solidification paths. As a result, the reflowed microstructures suggested that the heteroepitaxial relationship previously observed between the Cu x Al y and the Cu 6Sn 5 was maintained for both alloys.« less

  1. Incorporation of Interfacial Intermetallic Morphology in Fracture Mechanism Map for Sn-Ag-Cu Solder Joints

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Huang, Z.; Kumar, P.; Dutta, I.; Sidhu, R.; Renavikar, M.; Mahajan, R.

    2014-01-01

    A fracture mechanism map (FMM) is a powerful tool which correlates the fracture behavior of a material to its microstructural characteristics in an explicit and convenient way. In the FMM for solder joints, an effective thickness of the interfacial intermetallic compound (IMC) layer ( t eff) and the solder yield strength ( σ ys,eff) are used as abscissa and ordinate axes, respectively, as these two predominantly affect the fracture behavior of solder joints. Earlier, a definition of t eff, based on the uniform thickness of IMC ( t u) and the average height of the IMC scallops ( t s), was proposed and shown to aptly explain the fracture behavior of solder joints on Cu. This paper presents a more general definition of t eff that is more widely applicable to a range of metallizations, including Cu and electroless nickel immersion gold (ENIG). Using this new definition of t eff, mode I FMM for SAC387/Cu joints has been updated and its validity was confirmed. A preliminary FMM for SAC387/Cu joints with ENIG metallization is also presented.

  2. Interfacial reactions and compound formation of Sn-Ag-Cu solders by mechanical alloying on electroless Ni-P/Cu under bump metallization

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kao, Szu-Tsung; Duh, Jenq-Gong

    2005-08-01

    Electroless Ni-P under bump metallization (UBM) has been widely used in electronic interconnections due to the good diffusion barrier between Cu and solder. In this study, the mechanical alloying (MA) process was applied to produce the SnAgCu lead-free solder pastes. Solder joints after annealing at 240°C for 15 min were employed to investigate the evolution of interfacial reaction between electroless Ni-P/Cu UBM and SnAgCu solder with various Cu concentrations ranging from 0.2 to 1.0 wt.%. After detailed quantitative analysis with an electron probe microanalyzer, the effect of Cu content on the formation of intermetallic compounds (IMCs) at SnAgCu solder/electroless Ni-P interface was evaluated. When the Cu concentration in the solder was 0.2 wt.%, only one (Ni, Cu)3Sn4 layer was observed at the solder/electroless Ni-P interface. As the Cu content increased to 0.5 wt.%, (Cu, Ni)6Sn5 formed along with (Ni, Cu)3Sn4. However, only one (Cu, Ni)6Sn5 layer was revealed, if the Cu content was up to 1 wt.%. With the aid of microstructure evolution, quantitative analysis, and elemental distribution by x-ray color mapping, the presence of the Ni-Sn-P phase and P-rich layer was evidenced.

  3. Thermal Fatigue Evaluation of Pb-Free Solder Joints: Results, Lessons Learned, and Future Trends

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Coyle, Richard J.; Sweatman, Keith; Arfaei, Babak

    2015-09-01

    Thermal fatigue is a major source of failure of solder joints in surface mount electronic components and it is critically important in high reliability applications such as telecommunication, military, and aeronautics. The electronic packaging industry has seen an increase in the number of Pb-free solder alloy choices beyond the common near-eutectic Sn-Ag-Cu alloys first established as replacements for eutectic SnPb. This paper discusses the results from Pb-free solder joint reliability programs sponsored by two industry consortia. The characteristic life in accelerated thermal cycling is reported for 12 different Pb-free solder alloys and a SnPb control in 9 different accelerated thermal cycling test profiles in terms of the effects of component type, accelerated thermal cycling profile and dwell time. Microstructural analysis on assembled and failed samples was performed to investigate the effect of initial microstructure and its evolution during accelerated thermal cycling test. A significant finding from the study is that the beneficial effect of Ag on accelerated thermal cycling reliability (measured by characteristic lifetime) diminishes as the severity of the accelerated thermal cycling, defined by greater ΔT, higher peak temperature, and longer dwell time increases. The results also indicate that all the Pb-free solders are more reliable in accelerated thermal cycling than the SnPb alloy they have replaced. Suggestions are made for future work, particularly with respect to the continued evolution of alloy development for emerging application requirements and the value of using advanced analytical methods to provide a better understanding of the effect of microstructure and its evolution on accelerated thermal cycling performance.

  4. Corrosion Behaviour of Sn-based Lead-Free Solders in Acidic Solution

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Nordarina, J.; Mohd, H. Z.; Ahmad, A. M.; Muhammad, F. M. N.

    2018-03-01

    The corrosion properties of Sn-9(5Al-Zn), Sn-Cu and SAC305 were studied via potentiodynamic polarization method in an acidic solution of 1 M hydrochloric acid (HCl). Sn-9(5Al-Zn) produced different polarization profile compared with Sn-Cu and SAC305. The morphological analysis showed that small, deep grooves shaped of corrosion product formed on top of Sn-9(5Al-Zn) solder while two distinctive structures of closely packed and loosely packed corrosion product formed on top of Sn-Cu and SAC305 solder alloys. Phase analysis revealed the formations of various corrosion products such as SnO and SnO2 mainly dominant on surface of solder alloys after potentiodynamic polarization in 1 M hydrochloric acid (HCl).

  5. An evaluation of the spring finger solder joints on SA1358-10 and SA2052-4 connector assemblies (MC3617,W87).

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Kilgo, Alice C.; Vianco, Paul Thomas; Hlava, Paul Frank

    2006-08-01

    The SA1358-10 and SA2052-4 circular JT Type plug connectors are used on a number of nuclear weapons and Joint Test Assembly (JTA) systems. Prototype units were evaluated for the following specific defects associated with the 95Sn-5Sb (Sn-Sb, wt.%) solder joint used to attach the beryllium-copper (BeCu) spring fingers to the aluminum (Al) connector shell: (1) extended cracking within the fillet; (2) remelting of the solder joint during the follow-on, soldering step that attached the EMR adapter ring to the connector shell (and/or soldering the EMR shell to the adapter ring) that used the lower melting temperature 63Sn-37Pb (Sn-Pb) alloy; andmore » (3) spalling of the Cd (Cr) layer overplating layer from the fillet surface. Several pedigrees of connectors were evaluated, which represented older fielded units as well as those assemblies that were recently constructed at Kansas City Plant. The solder joints were evaluated that were in place on connectors made with the current soldering process as well as an alternative induction soldering process for attaching the EMR adapter ring to the shell. Very similar observations were made, which crossed the different pedigrees of parts and processes. The extent of cracking in the top side fillets varied between the different connector samples and likely the EMR adapter ring to the shell. Very similar observations were made, which crossed the different pedigrees of parts and processes. The extent of cracking in the top side fillets varied between the different connector samples and likely reflected the different extents to which the connector was mated to its counterpart assembly. In all cases, the spring finger solder joints on the SA1358-10 connectors were remelted as a result of the subsequent EMR adapter ring attachment process. Spalling of the Cd (Cr) overplating layer was also observed for these connectors, which was a consequence of the remelting activity. On the other hand, the SA2052-4 connector did not exhibit

  6. Polarity effect of electromigration on mechanical properties of lead-free solder joints

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ren, Fei

    The trend of electronic packaging is to package the chips and the associated interconnections in a compact way that allows high speed operation; that allows for sufficient heat removal; that can withstand the thermal cycling associated with the turning on and turning off of the circuits; and that protects the circuits from environmental attack. These goals require that flip chip solder joints have higher resistance to electromigration, stronger mechanical property to sustain thermal mechanical stress, and are lead-free materials to satisfy environment and health concern. With lots of work on chemical reaction, electromigration and mechanical study in flip chip solder joints, however, the interaction between different driving forces is still little known. As a matter of fact, the combination study of chemical, electrical and mechanical is more and more significant to the understanding of the behavior of flip chip solder joints. In this dissertation, I developed one dimensional Cu (wire)-eutectic SnAgCu(ball)-Cu(wire) structure to investigate the interaction between electrical and mechanical force in lead-free solder joints. Electromigration was first conducted. The mechanical behaviors of solder joints before, after, and during electromigration were examined. Electrical current and mechanical stress were applied either in serial or in parallel to the solder joints. Tensile, creep, and drop tests, combined with different electrical current densities (1˜5x10 3A/cm2) and different stressing time (3˜144 hours), have been performed to study the effect of electromigration on the mechanical behavior of solder joints. Nano-indentation test was conducted to study the localized mechanical property of IMC at both interfaces in nanometer scale. Fracture images help analyze the failure mechanism of solder joints driven by both electrical and mechanical forces. The combination study shows a strain build-up during electromigration. Furthermore, a ductile-to-brittle transition in

  7. The Effect of Copper Addition on the Properties of Sn-0.7Cu Solder Paste

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Said, R. M.; Mohamad Johari, F. H.; Salleh, M. A. A. Mohd; Sandu, A. V.

    2018-03-01

    The effect of copper addition on the properties of Sn-Cu based solder paste were investigate through this study. The Sn-0.7Cu solder paste doped with different concentration of Cu were prepared using solder paste mixture. The bulk solder microstructure of assolidified solder paste was studied. Besides that, intermetallic compound (IMC) formation on Cu substrate and hardness of all solder paste also being investigated. Results shows that increasing Cu concentration cause formation of large Cu6Sn5 IMC at bulk solder and the size of the IMC grew larger at high temperature. In addition, β-Sn area reduce when Cu concentration was high. The IMC morphology for all solder paste almost remain unchanged. However, there are large Cu6Sn5 IMC form near the interfacial IMC in Sn-Cu solder paste with high amount of Cu (Sn-10Cu). The hardness value was decrease when processing temperature at 250 °C due to present of small void in the microstructure while hardness of solder material increased at high temperature.

  8. Thermomechanical behavior of tin-rich (lead-free) solders

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sidhu, Rajen Singh

    In order to adequately characterize the behavior of ball-grid-array (BGA) Pb-free solder spheres in electronic devices, the microstructure and thermomechanical behavior need to be studied. Microstructure characterization of pure Sn, Sn-0.7Cu, Sn-3.5Ag, and Sn-3.9Ag-0.7Cu alloys was conducted using optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, image analysis, and a novel serial sectioning 3D reconstruction process. Microstructure-based finite-element method (FEM) modeling of deformation in Sn-3.5Ag alloy was conducted, and it will be shown that this technique is more accurate when compared to traditional unit cell models for simulating and understanding material behavior. The effect of cooling rate on microstructure and creep behavior of bulk Sn-rich solders was studied. The creep behavior was evaluated at 25, 95, and 120°C. Faster cooling rates were found to increase the creep strength of the solders due to refinement of the solder microstructure. The creep behavior of Sn-rich single solder spheres reflowed on Cu substrates was studied at 25, 60, 95, and 130°C. Testing was conducted using a microforce testing system, with lap-shear geometry samples. The solder joints displayed two distinct creep behaviors: (a) precipitation-strengthening (Sn-3.5Ag and Sn-3.9Ag-0.7Cu) and (b) power law creep accommodated by grain boundary sliding (GBS) (Sn and Sn-0.7Cu). The relationship between microstructural features (i.e. intermetallic particle size and spacing), stress exponents, threshold stress, and activation energies are discussed. The relationship between small-length scale creep behavior and bulk behavior is also addressed. To better understand the damage evolution in Sn-rich solder joints during thermal fatigue, the local damage will be correlated to the cyclic hysteresis behavior and crystal orientations present in the Sn phase of solder joints. FEM modeling will also be utilized to better understand the macroscopic and local

  9. Solder/Substrate Interfacial Reactions in the Sn-Cu-Ni Interconnection System

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yu, H.; Vuorinen, V.; Kivilahti, J. K.

    2007-02-01

    In order to obtain a better understanding of the effects of interconnection microstructures on the reliability of soldered assemblies, one of the most important ternary systems used in electronics, the Sn-Cu-Ni system, has been assessed thermodynamically. Based on the data obtained, some recent experimental observations related to the formation of interfacial intermetallic compounds in solder interconnections have been studied analytically. First, the effect of Cu content on the formation of the interfacial intermetallic compounds between the SnAgCu solder alloys and Ni substrate was investigated. The critical Cu content for (Cu,Ni)6Sn5 formation was evaluated as a function of temperature. Second, we analyzed how the Ni dissolved in the Cu6Sn5 compound affects the driving forces for the diffusion of components and hence the growth kinetics of (Cu,Ni)6Sn5 and (Cu,Ni)3Sn reaction layers. With the thermodynamic description, other experimental observations related to the Sn-Cu-Ni system can be rationalized as well. The system can be used also as a subsystem for industrially important higher order solder systems.

  10. Electrical characteristics for Sn-Ag-Cu solder bump with Ti/Ni/Cu under-bump metallization after temperature cycling tests

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Shih, T. I.; Lin, Y. C.; Duh, J. G.; Hsu, Tom

    2006-10-01

    Lead-free solder bumps have been widely used in current flip-chip technology (FCT) due to environmental issues. Solder joints after temperature cycling tests were employed to investigate the interfacial reaction between the Ti/Ni/Cu under-bump metallization and Sn-Ag-Cu solders. The interfacial morphology and quantitative analysis of the intermetallic compounds (IMCs) were obtained by electron probe microanalysis (EPMA) and field emission electron probe microanalysis (FE-EPMA). Various types of IMCs such as (Cu1-x,Agx)6Sn5, (Cu1-y,Agy)3Sn, and (Ag1-z,Cuz)3Sn were observed. In addition to conventional I-V measurements by a special sample preparation technique, a scanning electron microscope (SEM) internal probing system was introduced to evaluate the electrical characteristics in the IMCs after various test conditions. The electrical data would be correlated to microstructural evolution due to the interfacial reaction between the solder and under-bump metallurgy (UBM). This study demonstrated the successful employment of an internal nanoprobing approach, which would help further understanding of the electrical behavior within an IMC layer in the solder/UBM assembly.

  11. Effect of Isothermal Aging and Thermal Cycling on Interfacial IMC Growth and Fracture Behavior of SnAgCu/Cu Joints

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Li, Xiaoyan; Li, Fenghui; Guo, Fu; Shi, Yaowu

    2011-01-01

    The growth behavior of interfacial intermetallic compounds (IMCs) of SnAgCu/Cu soldered joints was investigated during the reflow process, isothermal aging, and thermal cycling with a focus on the influence of these parameters on growth kinetics. The SnAgCu/Cu soldered joints were isothermally aged at 125°C, 150°C, and 175°C while the thermal cycling was performed within the temperature ranges from -25°C to 125°C and -40°C to 125°C. It was observed that a Cu6Sn5 layer formed, followed by rapid coarsening at the solder/Cu interface during reflowing. The grain size of the interfacial Cu6Sn5 was found to increase with aging time, and the morphology evolved from scallop-like to needle-like to rod-like and finally to particles. The rod-like Ag3Sn phase was formed on the solder side in front of the previously formed Cu6Sn5 layer. However, when subject to an increase of the aging time, the Cu3Sn phase was formed at the interface of the Cu6Sn5 layer and Cu substrate. The IMC growth rate increased with aging temperature for isothermally aged joints. During thermal cycling, the thickness of the IMC layer was found to increase with the number of thermal cycles, although the growth rate was slower than that for isothermal aging. The dwell time at the high-temperature end of the thermal cycles was found to significantly influence the growth rate of the IMCs. The growth of the IMCs, for both isothermal aging and thermal cycling, was found to be Arrhenius with aging temperature, and the corresponding diffusion factor and activation energy were obtained by data fitting. The tensile strength of the soldered joints decreased with increasing aging time. Consequently, the fracture site of the soldered joints migrated from the solder matrix to the interfacial Cu6Sn5 layer. Finally, the shear strength of the joints was found to decrease with both an increase in the number of thermal cycles and a decrease in the dwell temperature at the low end of the thermal cycle.

  12. Effects of CuZnAl Particles on Properties and Microstructure of Sn-58Bi Solder

    PubMed Central

    Yang, Fan; Zhang, Liang; Liu, Zhi-quan; Zhong, Su Juan; Ma, Jia; Bao, Li

    2017-01-01

    With the purpose of improving the properties of the Sn-58Bi lead-free solder, micro-CuZnAl particles ranging from 0 to 0.4 wt % were added into the low temperature eutectic Sn-58Bi lead-free solder. After the experimental testing of micro-CuZnAl particles on the properties and microstructure of the Sn-58Bi solders, it was found that the wettability of the Sn-58Bi solders was obviously improved with addition of CuZnAl particles. When the addition of CuZnAl particles was 0.2 wt %, the wettability of the Sn-58Bi solder performed best. At the same time, excessive addition of CuZnAl particles led to poor wettability. However, the results showed that CuZnAl particles changed the melting point of the Sn-58Bi solder slightly. The microstructure of the Sn-58Bi solder was refined by adding CuZnAl particles. When the content of CuZnAl addition was between 0.1 and 0.2 wt %, the refinement was great. In addition, the interfacial IMC layer between new composite solder and Cu substrate was thinner than that between the Sn-58Bi solder and Cu substrate. PMID:28772917

  13. Crystal plasticity finite element analysis of deformation behaviour in SAC305 solder joint

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Darbandi, Payam

    Due to the awareness of the potential health hazards associated with the toxicity of lead (Pb), actions have been taken to eliminate or reduce the use of Pb in consumer products. Among those, tin (Sn) solders have been used for the assembly of electronic systems. Anisotropy is of significant importance in all structural metals, but this characteristic is unusually strong in Sn, making Sn based solder joints one of the best examples of the influence of anisotropy. The effect of anisotropy arising from the crystal structure of tin and large grain microstructure on the microstructure and the evolution of constitutive responses of microscale SAC305 solder joints is investigated. Insights into the effects of key microstructural features and dominant plastic deformation mechanisms influencing the measured relative activity of slip systems in SAC305 are obtained from a combination of optical microscopy, orientation imaging microscopy (OIM), slip plane trace analysis and crystal plasticity finite element (CPFE) modeling. Package level SAC305 specimens were subjected to shear deformation in sequential steps and characterized using optical microscopy and OIM to identify the activity of slip systems. X-ray micro Laue diffraction and high energy monochromatic X-ray beam were employed to characterize the joint scale tensile samples to provide necessary information to be able to compare and validate the CPFE model. A CPFE model was developed that can account for relative ease of activating slip systems in SAC305 solder based upon the statistical estimation based on correlation between the critical resolved shear stress and the probability of activating various slip systems. The results from simulations show that the CPFE model developed using the statistical analysis of activity of slip system not only can satisfy the requirements associated with kinematic of plastic deformation in crystal coordinate systems (activity of slip systems) and global coordinate system (shape changes

  14. Effect of Sn Grain Orientation on the Cu6Sn5 Formation in a Sn-Based Solder Under Current Stressing

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lin, Chih-Fan; Lee, Shang-Hua; Chen, Chih-Ming

    2012-08-01

    A SnAgCu-based solder stripe between two Cu electrodes is current stressed with a density of 5 × 104 A/cm2 at 393 K (120 °C). After current stressing for 24 hours, electromigration induces the Cu dissolution from the cathode-side Cu electrode, leading to the Cu6Sn5 formation in the solder stripe. Very interestingly, the Cu6Sn5 phase is selectively formed within a specific Sn grain. Electron backscattering diffraction analysis indicates the crystallographic orientations of Sn grains play an important role in the selective Cu6Sn5 formation.

  15. An analysis of the pull strength behaviors of fine-pitch, flip chip solder interconnections using a Au-Pt-Pd thick film conductor on Low-Temperature, Co-fired Ceramic (LTCC) substrates.

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Uribe, Fernando R.; Kilgo, Alice C.; Grazier, John Mark

    2008-09-01

    The assembly of the BDYE detector requires the attachment of sixteen silicon (Si) processor dice (eight on the top side; eight on the bottom side) onto a low-temperature, co-fired ceramic (LTCC) substrate using 63Sn-37Pb (wt.%, Sn-Pb) in a double-reflow soldering process (nitrogen). There are 132 solder joints per die. The bond pads were gold-platinum-palladium (71Au-26Pt-3Pd, wt.%) thick film layers fired onto the LTCC in a post-process sequence. The pull strength and failure modes provided the quality metrics for the Sn-Pb solder joints. Pull strengths were measured in both the as-fabricated condition and after exposure to thermal cycling (-55/125 C; 15more » min hold times; 20 cycles). Extremely low pull strengths--referred to as the low pull strength phenomenon--were observed intermittently throughout the product build, resulting in added program costs, schedule delays, and a long-term reliability concern for the detector. There was no statistically significant correlation between the low pull strength phenomenon and (1) the LTCC 'sub-floor' lot; (2) grit blasting the LTCC surfaces prior to the post-process steps; (3) the post-process parameters; (4) the conductor pad height (thickness); (5) the dice soldering assembly sequence; or (5) the dice pull test sequence. Formation of an intermetallic compound (IMC)/LTCC interface caused by thick film consumption during either the soldering process or by solid-state IMC formation was not directly responsible for the low-strength phenomenon. Metallographic cross sections of solder joints from dice that exhibited the low pull strength behavior, revealed the presence of a reaction layer resulting from an interaction between Sn from the molten Sn-Pb and the glassy phase at the TKN/LTCC interface. The thick film porosity did not contribute, explicitly, to the occurrence of reaction layer. Rather, the process of printing the very thin conductor pads was too sensitive to minor thixotropic changes to ink, which resulted in

  16. Electromigration analysis of solder joints under ac load: A mean time to failure model

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yao, Wei; Basaran, Cemal

    2012-03-01

    In this study, alternating current (ac) electromigration (EM) degradation simulations were carried out for Sn95.5%Ag4.0%Cu0.5 (SAC405- by weight) solder joints. Mass transport analysis was conducted with viscoplastic material properties for quantifying damage mechanism in solder joints. Square, sine, and triangle current wave forms ac were used as input signals. dc and pulsed dc (PDC) electromigration analysis were conducted for comparison purposes. The maximum current density ranged from 2.2×106A/cm2 to 5.0×106A/cm2, frequency ranged from 0.05 Hz to 5 Hz with ambient temperature varying from 350 K to 450 K. Because the room temperature is nearly two-thirds of SAC solder joint's melting point on absolute temperature scale (494.15 K), viscoplastic material model is essential. Entropy based damage evolution model was used to investigate mean time to failure (MTF) behavior of solder joints subjected to ac stressing. It was observed that MTF was inversely proportional to ambient temperature T1.1 in Celsius and also inversely proportional to current density j0.27 in A/cm2. Higher frequency will lead to a shorter lifetime with in the frequency range we studied, and a relationship is proposed as MTF∝f-0.41. Lifetime of a solder joint subjected to ac is longer compared with dc and PDC loading conditions. By introducing frequency, ambient temperature and current density dependency terms, a modified MTTF equation was proposed for solder joints subjected to ac current stressing.

  17. Effect of Interfacial Microstructures on the Bonding Strength of Sn-3.0Ag-0.5Cu Pb-Free Solder Bump

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kim, Jae-Myeong; Jeong, Myeong-Hyeok; Yoo, Sehoon; Park, Young-Bae

    2012-05-01

    The effect of interfacial microstructures on the bonding strength of Sn-3.0Ag-0.5Cu Pb-free solder bumps with respect to the loading speed, annealing time, and surface finish was investigated. The shear strength increased and the ductility decreased with increasing shear speed, primarily because of the time-independent plastic hardening and time-dependent strain-rate sensitivity of the solder alloy. The shear strength and toughness decreased for all surface finishes under the high-speed shear test of 500 mm/s as a result of increasing intermetallic compound (IMC) growth and pad interface weakness associated with increased annealing time. The immersion Sn and organic solderability preservative (OSP) finishes showed lower shear strength compared to the electroless nickel immersion gold (ENIG) finish. With increasing annealing time, the ENIG finish exhibited the pad open fracture mode, whereas the immersion Sn and OSP finishes exhibited the brittle fracture mode. In addition, the shear strength of the solder joints was correlated with each fracture mode.

  18. Systematics of Structural, Phase Stability, and Cohesive Properties of η'-Cu6(Sn,In)5 Compounds Occurring in In-Sn/Cu Solder Joints

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ramos, S. B.; González Lemus, N. V.; Deluque Toro, C. E.; Cabeza, G. F.; Fernández Guillermet, A.

    2017-07-01

    Motivated by the high solubility of In in ( mC44) η'-Cu6Sn5 compound as well as the occurrence of an In-doped η'-intermetallic in the microstructure of Cu/In-Sn/Cu solder joints, a theoretical study has been carried out to investigate the various physical effects of incorporating In at Sn Wyckoff sites of the binary η'-phase. Systematic ab initio calculations using the projected augmented wave method and Vienna Ab initio Simulation Package were used to determine the composition dependence of the structural and cohesive properties of η'-Cu6(Sn,In)5 compounds, compared with those expected from the binary end-member compounds Cu6Sn5 and Cu6In5. The molar volume shows significant deviations from Vegard's law. The predicted composition dependence of the cohesive properties is discussed using two complementary approaches, viz. a valence-electron density approach as well as a bond-number approach, both accounting for the roughly linear dependence of the cohesive energy on the In content. A microscopic interpretation for this general trend is given in terms of the key contributions to chemical bonding in this class of compounds, namely Cu d-electron overlap and hybridization of Cu d-states with In and Sn p-electron states. Moreover, a crystallographic site approach is developed to accurately establish the phase-stabilizing effect of incorporating In at specific Wyckoff positions of the ( mC44) η'-Cu6Sn5 structure.

  19. Study on Subgrain Rotation Behavior at Different Interfaces of a Solder Joint During Thermal Shock

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Han, Jing; Tan, Shihai; Guo, Fu

    2016-12-01

    In order to investigate subgrain rotation behavior in the recrystallized region of lead-free solder joints, a ball grid array (BGA) specimen with a cross-sectioned edge row was thermally shocked. Electron backscattered diffraction (EBSD) was used to obtain the microstructure and orientations of Sn grains or subgrains in as-reflowed and thermally shocked conditions. Orientation imaging microscopy (OIM) showed that several subgrains were formed at the tilted twin grain boundaries, near the chip side and near the printed circuit board (PCB) side after 200 thermal shocks due to a highly mismatched coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) of twin grains. Also, subgrains formed at the chip side and PCB side in the solder joint were selected to research the grain rotation behavior in lead-free solder joints. The analysis of subgrain rotation also indicated that the rotation behavior of subgrains was different between the chip side and PCB side. It was closely related with the large different crystal orientations between the chip side and PCB side. Furthermore, electron backscattered patterns (EBSPs) at several parts of the joint were not obtained after 300 thermal shocks due to the serious deformation caused by mismatched CTE during thermal shock. But 4 subgrains were selected and compared with that of the initial state and 200-thermal shock conditions. The results showed that the subgrains at the chip side were also rotated around the Sn [101] and [001] axes and the subgrains at the PCB side were also rotated around the Sn [100] axis, which indicated a continuous process of subgrain rotation.

  20. Evaluation of Electroplated Co-P Film as Diffusion Barrier Between In-48Sn Solder and SiC-Dispersed Bi2Te3 Thermoelectric Material

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Li, Siyang; Yang, Donghua; Tan, Qing; Li, Liangliang

    2015-06-01

    The diffusion barrier property of Co-P film as a buffer layer between SiC-dispersed Bi2Te3 bulk material and In-48Sn solder was investigated. A Co-P film with thickness of ~6 µm was electroplated on SiC-dispersed Bi2Te3 substrate, joined with In-48Sn solder by a reflow process, and annealed at 100°C for up to 625 h. The formation and growth kinetics of intermetallic compounds (IMCs) at the interface between the In-48Sn and substrate were studied using transmission electron microscopy and scanning electron microscopy with energy-dispersive x-ray spectroscopy. The results showed that crystalline Co(In,Sn)3 formed as an irregular layer adjacent to the solder side at the solder/Co-P interface due to diffusion of Co towards the solder, and a small amount of amorphous Co45P13In12Sn30 appeared at the Co-P side because of diffusion of In and Sn into Co-P. The growth of Co(In,Sn)3 and Co45P13In12Sn30 during solid-state aging was slow, being controlled by interfacial reaction and diffusion, respectively. For comparison, In-48Sn/Bi2Te3-SiC joints were prepared and the IMCs in the joints analyzed. Without a diffusion barrier, In penetrated rapidly into the substrate, which led to the formation of amorphous In x Bi y phase in crystalline In4Te3 matrix. These IMCs grew quickly with prolongation of the annealing time, and their growth was governed by volume diffusion of elements. The experimental data demonstrate that electroplated Co-P film is an effective diffusion barrier for use in Bi2Te3-based thermoelectric modules.

  1. Time And Temperature Dependent Micromechanical Properties Of Solder Joints For 3D-Package Integration

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Roellig, Mike; Meier, Karsten; Metasch, Rene

    2010-11-01

    The recent development of 3D-integrated electronic packages is characterized by the need to increase the diversity of functions and to miniaturize. Currently many 3D-integration concepts are being developed and all of them demand new materials, new designs and new processing technologies. The combination of simulation and experimental investigation becomes increasingly accepted since simulations help to shorten the R&D cycle time and reduce costs. Numerical calculations like the Finite-Element-Method are strong tools to calculate stress conditions in electronic packages resulting from thermal strains due to the manufacturing process and environmental loads. It is essential for the application of numerical calculations that the material data is accurate and describes sufficiently the physical behaviour. The developed machine allows the measurement of time and temperature dependent micromechanical properties of solder joints. Solder joints, which are used to mechanically and electrically connect different packages, are physically measured as they leave the process. This allows accounting for process influences, which may change material properties. Additionally, joint sizes and metallurgical interactions between solder and under bump metallization can be respected by this particular measurement. The measurement allows the determination of material properties within a temperature range of 20° C-200° C. Further, the time dependent creep deformation can be measured within a strain-rate range of 10-31/s-10-81/s. Solder alloys based on Sn-Ag/Sn-Ag-Cu with additionally impurities and joint sizes down to O/ 200 μm were investigated. To finish the material characterization process the material model coefficient were extracted by FEM-Simulation to increase the accuracy of data.

  2. Interfacial reaction and microstructure between the Sn3Ag0.5Cu solder and Cu-Co dual-phase substrate

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Li, Chao; Hu, Xiaowu; Jiang, Xiongxin; Li, Yulong

    2018-07-01

    In this study, interfacial reactions and microstructures of the Sn3Ag0.5Cu (SAC305)/Cu- xCo ( x = 0, 30 and 50 wt%) systems were investigated during reflowing at 290 °C and solid-state aging at 150 °C for various time. The effects of different contents of Co in substrate on interfacial reaction in SAC305/Cu- xCo system were discussed. It was found that the addition of Co into pure copper substrate to achieve alloying would effectively inhibit the growth of IMC layers. Comparison among the thickness of the intermetallic compound (IMC) in three kinds of SAC305/Cu-Co systems indicated that the IMC layer of SAC305/Cu joint was thicker than that of the other two types of solder joints. The composition of the SAC305/Cu IMC layers was Cu6Sn5 and Cu3Sn. Three kinds of reaction phases (Cu,Co)6Sn5, (Cu,Co)Sn2 and (Cu,Co)3Sn were found at the interfaces of the SAC305/Cu-30Co and SAC305/Cu-50Co joints. Remarkably the (Cu,Co)Sn2 phase was found adjacent to the Co-rich phase after soldering and eliminated after the aging treatment. While the (Cu,Co)3Sn phase accumulated increasingly adjacent to the substrate with the increased aging time. The results suggested that the Co content increased from 30 to 50 wt% in substrate lead to significant restraint of the growth of interfacial IMC. In addition, the thickness of the interfacial IMC layer was linear with the square root of the aging time during the aging process. The reaction rate between Sn atoms in solder and Cu, Co atoms in substrate was quite different, which lead to the fact that the interface of SAC305/Cu-Co is uneven on the side of substrate after reflowing and aging.

  3. Intermetallic Growth Induced Large-Scale Void Growth and Cracking Failure in Line-Type Cu/Solder/Cu Joints Under Current Stressing

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chen, Zhuo; Tian, Wenya; Li, Junhui; Zhu, Wenhui

    2018-04-01

    In order to study the electromigration (EM) behavior of solder joints in electronics packaging, especially under high-current and high-temperature working conditions, line-type Cu/solder/Cu butting samples were prepared to observe the microstructural evolution under 1.0 × 104 A/cm2 current stressing. A prominent polarity effect was found such that the Cu6Sn5 intermetallic compound (IMC) layer at the anode side, which thickened linearly with time, was much thicker than that at the cathode side. Compared to the samples subjected to thermal aging at the same temperature of 180°C, EM enhanced the Cu3Sn growth at both the anode and the cathode. Two distinct types of damage were observed after extended duration of current stressing. Back-flow of Cu into Cu3Sn was found at the Cu3Sn/Cu6Sn5 interface of the anode side, causing large voids, while strip cracks developed at the cathode solder/Cu6Sn5 interface, causing a significant increase of joint electrical resistance. With the mass transport characteristics that determine the IMC growth and vacancy accumulation analyzed in detail at each interface, formation mechanisms of the two types of damages are discussed.

  4. Soldering Characteristics and Mechanical Properties of Sn-1.0Ag-0.5Cu Solder with Minor Aluminum Addition

    PubMed Central

    Leong, Yee Mei; Haseeb, A.S.M.A.

    2016-01-01

    Driven by the trends towards miniaturization in lead free electronic products, researchers are putting immense efforts to improve the properties and reliabilities of Sn based solders. Recently, much interest has been shown on low silver (Ag) content solder SAC105 (Sn-1.0Ag-0.5Cu) because of economic reasons and improvement of impact resistance as compared to SAC305 (Sn-3.0Ag-0.5Cu. The present work investigates the effect of minor aluminum (Al) addition (0.1–0.5 wt.%) to SAC105 on the interfacial structure between solder and copper substrate during reflow. The addition of minor Al promoted formation of small, equiaxed Cu-Al particle, which are identified as Cu3Al2. Cu3Al2 resided at the near surface/edges of the solder and exhibited higher hardness and modulus. Results show that the minor addition of Al does not alter the morphology of the interfacial intermetallic compounds, but they substantially suppress the growth of the interfacial Cu6Sn5 intermetallic compound (IMC) after reflow. During isothermal aging, minor alloying Al has reduced the thickness of interfacial Cu6Sn5 IMC but has no significant effect on the thickness of Cu3Sn. It is suggested that of atoms of Al exert their influence by hindering the flow of reacting species at the interface. PMID:28773645

  5. A Study on the Effect of Ageing and Intermetallic Compound Growth on the Shear Strength of Surface Mount Technology Solder Joints

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Nath, Jyotishman; Mallik, Sabuj; Borah, Anil

    2015-04-01

    The effect of ageing and intermetallic compound formation on the surface mount solder joints and its shear strength behavior under extreme mechanical and thermal conditions have been discussed in this paper. The specimens used are solder paste (Sn3.8Ag0.7Cu), bench marker II printed circuit boards (PCB), resistors 1206 and the fabrication of solder joints makes use of conventional surface mount technology (SMT). Reflow process was carried out at a peak temperature of 250 °C and the test samples were exposed to isothermal ageing at a constant temperature of 150 °C for a period of 600 h. Shear test was conducted on the PCB's. The shear strength of the solder joints rapidly increased during isothermal ageing to a certain time period and then started decreasing. Field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) micrograph of the solder joint and energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) was performed on the solder sample to verify the formation of intermetallic compounds.

  6. Effect of Zn addition on bulk microstructure of lead-free solder SN100C

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Nur Nadirah M., K.; Nurulakmal M., S.

    2017-12-01

    This paper reports the effect of adding Zn (0.5 wt% Zn, 1.0 wt% Zn) to the bulk microstructure and intermetallic compound (IMC) formation of commercial SN100C (Sn-0.7Cu-0.05Ni+Ge) lead-free solder alloy. Solder alloys were prepared by melting SN100C ingot and Zn shots, and subsequently casted into steel mold. Samples were ground and polished for XRF, and polished samples were then etched for microstructure analysis. Microstructure of bulk solder and the IMC were observed using SEM equipped with EDX. SEM result showed the addition of 0.5 wt% Zn resulted in increased grain size of β-Sn matrix but further addition of Zn (1 wt%) reduced the size of β-Sn dendrites in the bulk solder. Several intermetallic compounds (IMCs) were observed distributed in the Sn matrix; Cu-Zn, Ni-Zn and Cu-Zn-Ni IMC but in relatively small percentage compared to Cu-Zn and Ni-Zn. These particles could be considered as effective nucleating agent that led to finer β-Sn grains. It is expected that the finer β-Sn will contribute towards higher solder strength and the various IMCs present could act as suppressant for Sn diffusion which will then tend to reduce the IMC growth during thermal aging.

  7. Electromigration effect on intermetallic growth and Young's modulus in SAC solder joint

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Xu, Luhua; Pang, John H. L.; Ren, Fei; Tu, K. N.

    2006-12-01

    Solid-state intermetallic compound (IMC) growth behavior plays and important role in solder joint reliability of electronic packaging assemblies. The directional impact of electromigration (EM) on the growth of interfacial IMCs in Ni/SAC/Ni, Cu/SAC/Ni single BGA ball solder joint, and fine pitch ball-grid-array (FPBGA) at the anode and cathode sides is reported in this study. When the solder joint was subjected to a current density of 5,000 A/cm2 at 125°C or 150°C, IMC layer growth on the anode interface was faster than that on the cathode interface, and both were faster than isothermal aging due to the Joule heating effect. The EM affects the IMC growth rate, as well as the composition and mechanical properties. The Young’s modulus and hardness were measured by the nanoindentation continuous stiffness measurement (CSM) from planar IMC surfaces after EM exposure. Different values were observed at the anode and cathode. The energy-dispersive x-ray (EDX) line scan analysis was conducted at the interface from the cathode to anode to study the presence of species; Ni was found in the anode IMC at SAC/Cu in the Ni/SAC/Cu joint, but not detected when the current was reverse. Electron-probe microanalysis (EPMA) measurement on the Ni/SAC/Ni specimen also confirmed the polarized Ni and Cu distributions in cathode and anode IMCs, which were (Ni0.57Cu0.43)3Sn4 and (Cu0.73Ni0.27)6Sn5, respectively. Thus, the Young’s moduli of the IMC are 141 and 175 GPa, respectively.

  8. Simulation of thermomechanical fatigue in solder joints

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Fang, H.E.; Porter, V.L.; Fye, R.M.

    1997-12-31

    Thermomechanical fatigue (TMF) is a very complex phenomenon in electronic component systems and has been identified as one prominent degradation mechanism for surface mount solder joints in the stockpile. In order to precisely predict the TMF-related effects on the reliability of electronic components in weapons, a multi-level simulation methodology is being developed at Sandia National Laboratories. This methodology links simulation codes of continuum mechanics (JAS3D), microstructural mechanics (GLAD), and microstructural evolution (PARGRAIN) to treat the disparate length scales that exist between the macroscopic response of the component and the microstructural changes occurring in its constituent materials. JAS3D is used tomore » predict strain/temperature distributions in the component due to environmental variable fluctuations. GLAD identifies damage initiation and accumulation in detail based on the spatial information provided by JAS3D. PARGRAIN simulates the changes of material microstructure, such as the heterogeneous coarsening in Sn-Pb solder, when the component`s service environment varies.« less

  9. Size effects in tin-based lead-free solder joints: Kinetics of bond formation and mechanical characteristics

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Abdelhadi, Ousama Mohamed Omer

    Continuous miniaturization of microelectronic interconnects demands smaller joints with comparable microstructural and structural sizes. As the size of joints become smaller, the volume of intermetallics (IMCs) becomes comparable with the joint size. As a result, the kinetics of bond formation changes and the types and thicknesses of IMC phases that form within the constrained region of the bond varies. This dissertation focuses on investigating combination effects of process parameters and size on kinetics of bond formation, resulting microstructure and the mechanical properties of joints that are formed under structurally constrained conditions. An experiment is designed where several process parameters such as time of bonding, temperature, and pressure, and bond thickness as structural chracteristic, are varied at multiple levels. The experiment is then implemented on the process. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) is then utilized to determine the bond thickness, IMC phases and their thicknesses, and morphology of the bonds. Electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) is used to determine the grain size in different regions, including the bulk solder, and different IMC phases. Physics-based analytical models have been developed for growth kinetics of IMC compounds and are verified using the experimental results. Nanoindentation is used to determine the mechanical behavior of IMC phases in joints in different scales. Four-point bending notched multilayer specimen and four-point bending technique were used to determine fracture toughness of the bonds containing IMCs. Analytical modeling of peeling and shear stresses and fracture toughness in tri-layer four-point bend specimen containing intermetallic layer was developed and was verified and validated using finite element simulation and experimental results. The experiment is used in conjunction with the model to calculate and verify the fracture toughness of Cu6Sn5 IMC materials. As expected two different IMC phases

  10. Properties of ternary Sn-Ag-Bi solder alloys. Part 2: Wettability and mechanical properties analyses

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Vianco, P.T.; Rejent, J.A.

    1999-10-01

    Bismuth additions of 1% to 10% were made to the 96.5Sn-3.5Ag (wt.%) alloy in a study to develop a Sn-Ag-Bi ternary composition. Thermal properties and microstructural analyses of selected alloy compositions were reported in Part 1. Wettability and mechanical properties are described in this paper. Contact angle measurements demonstrated that Bi additions improved wetting/spreading performance on Cu; a minimum contact angle of 31 {+-} 4{degree} was observed with 4.83 wt.% Bi addition. Increasing the Bi content of the ternary alloy raised the Cu/solder/Cu solder joint shear strength to 81 MPa as determined by the ring-and-plug tests. TEM analysis of themore » 91.84Sn-3.33Ag-4.83Bi composition presented in Part 1 indicated that the strength improvement was attributed to solid-solution and precipitation strengthening effects by the Bi addition residing in the Sn-rich phase. Microhardness measurements of the Sn-Ag-Bi alloy, as a function of Bi content, reached maximum values of 30 (Knoop, 50 g) and 110 (Knoop, 5g) for Bi contents greater than approximately 4--5 wt.%.« less

  11. Effect of Cu concentration on morphology of Sn-Ag-Cu solders by mechanical alloying

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kao, Szu-Tsung; Duh, Jenq-Gong

    2004-12-01

    The mechanical alloying (MA) process is considered an alternative approach to produce solder materials. In this study, the effect of Cu concentration in the ternary Sn-3.5Ag-xCu (x=0.2, 0.7, and 1) solder by MA was investigated. The (Cu,Sn) solid solution was precipitated as the Cu6Sn5 intermetallic compound (IMC), which was distributed nonuniformly through the microstructure. The Cu6Sn5 IMC, which was present in the SnAgCu solder with high Cu composition, causes the as-milled MA particle to fracture to a smaller size. Appreciable distinction on morphology of as-milled MA powders with different Cu content was revealed. When the Cu concentration was low (x=0.2), MA particle aggregated to a spherical ingot with large particle size. For higher Cu concentration (x=0.7 and x=1), the MA particle turned to flakes with smaller particle size. The distinction of the milling mechanism of Sn-3.5Ag-xCu (x=0.2, 0.7, and 1) solder by the MA process was discussed. An effective approach was developed to reduce the particle size of the SnAgCu solder from 1 mm down to 10-100 µm by doping the Cu6Sn5 nanoparticle during the MA process. In addition, the differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) results also ensure the compatibility to apply the solder material for the reflow process.

  12. Effects of Sn Layer Orientation on the Evolution of Cu/Sn Interfaces

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sun, Menglong; Zhao, Zhangjian; Hu, Fengtian; Hu, Anmin; Li, Ming; Ling, Huiqin; Hang, Tao

    2018-03-01

    The effects of Sn layer orientation on the evolution of Cu/Sn joint interfaces were investigated. Three Sn layers possessing (112), (321) and (420) orientations were electroplated on polycrystalline Cu substrates respectively. The orientations of Sn layer preserved during reflowing at 250 °C for 10 s. After aging at 150 °C for different time, the interfacial microstructures were observed from the cross-section and top-view. The alignment between the c-axis of Sn and Cu diffusion direction significantly sped up the Cu diffusion, leading to the thickest intermetallic compound layer formed in (112) joint. Two types of voids, namely, intracrystalline voids and grain islanding caused intercrystalline voids generated at Cu/Cu3Sn interfaces due to the different interdiffusion coefficients of Cu and Sn (112) oriented Sn/Cu joint produced many more voids than (321) joint, and no voids were detected in (420) joint. Therefore, to enhance the reliability of solder joints, using (420) oriented Sn as solder layer could be an efficient way.

  13. Soldering Characteristics and Mechanical Properties of Sn-1.0Ag-0.5Cu Solder with Minor Aluminum Addition.

    PubMed

    Leong, Yee Mei; Haseeb, A S M A

    2016-06-28

    Driven by the trends towards miniaturization in lead free electronic products, researchers are putting immense efforts to improve the properties and reliabilities of Sn based solders. Recently, much interest has been shown on low silver (Ag) content solder SAC105 (Sn-1.0Ag-0.5Cu) because of economic reasons and improvement of impact resistance as compared to SAC305 (Sn-3.0Ag-0.5Cu. The present work investigates the effect of minor aluminum (Al) addition (0.1-0.5 wt.%) to SAC105 on the interfacial structure between solder and copper substrate during reflow. The addition of minor Al promoted formation of small, equiaxed Cu-Al particle, which are identified as Cu₃Al₂. Cu₃Al₂ resided at the near surface/edges of the solder and exhibited higher hardness and modulus. Results show that the minor addition of Al does not alter the morphology of the interfacial intermetallic compounds, but they substantially suppress the growth of the interfacial Cu₆Sn₅ intermetallic compound (IMC) after reflow. During isothermal aging, minor alloying Al has reduced the thickness of interfacial Cu₆Sn₅ IMC but has no significant effect on the thickness of Cu₃Sn. It is suggested that of atoms of Al exert their influence by hindering the flow of reacting species at the interface.

  14. Direct-soldering 6061 aluminum alloys with ultrasonic coating.

    PubMed

    Ding, Min; Zhang, Pei-lei; Zhang, Zhen-yu; Yao, Shun

    2010-02-01

    In this study, the authors applied furnace soldering with ultrasonic coating method to solder 6061 aluminum alloy and investigated the effects of both coating time and soldering temperature on its properties. The following results were obtained: firstly, the solder region mainly composed of four kinds of microstructure zones: rich Sn zone, rich-Pb zone, Sn-Pb eutectic phase and rich Al zone. Meanwhile, the microanalysis identified a continuous reaction product at the alumina-solder interface as a rich-Pb zone. Therefore, the joint strength changed with soldering time and soldering temperature. Secondly, the tensile data had significantly greater variability, with values ranging from 13.99MPa to 24.74MPa. The highest value was obtained for the samples coated with Sn-Pb-Zn alloy for 45s. Fractures occurred along the solder-alumina interface for the 6061 aluminum alloy with its surface including hybrid tough fracture of dimple and tear ridge. The interface could initially strip at the rich Bi zone with the effect of shear stress.

  15. Relationship between morphologies and orientations of Cu{sub 6}Sn{sub 5} grains in Sn3.0Ag0.5Cu solder joints on different Cu pads

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Tian, Yanhong, E-mail: tianyh@hit.edu.cn; Zhang, Rui; Hang, Chunjin

    2014-02-15

    The morphologies and orientations of Cu{sub 6}Sn{sub 5} intermetallic compounds in the Sn3.0Ag0.5Cu solder joints both on polycrystalline and single crystal Cu pads under different peak reflow temperatures and times above liquids were investigated. The relationship between Cu{sub 6}Sn{sub 5} grain orientations and morphologies was clarified. At the interface of Sn3.0Ag0.5Cu/polycrystalline Cu pad, scalloped Cu{sub 6}Sn{sub 5} intermetallic compounds formed at 250 °C and roof shape Cu{sub 6}Sn{sub 5} formed at 300 °C. Both scalloped Cu{sub 6}Sn{sub 5} and roof shape Cu{sub 6}Sn{sub 5} had a preferred orientation of (0001) plane being parallel to polycrystalline Cu pad surface. Besides, themore » percentage of large angle grain boundaries increased as the peak reflow temperature rose. At the interface of Sn3.0Ag0.5Cu/(111) single crystal Cu pad, the Cu{sub 6}Sn{sub 5} intermetallic compounds were mainly scallop-type at 250 °C and were prism type at 300 °C. The prismatic Cu{sub 6}Sn{sub 5} grains grew along the three preferred directions with the inter-angles of 60° on (111) single crystal Cu pad while along two perpendicular directions on (100) single crystal Cu pad. The orientation relationship between Cu{sub 6}Sn{sub 5} grains and the single crystal Cu pads was investigated by electron backscatter diffraction technology. In addition, two types of hollowed Cu{sub 6}Sn{sub 5} intermetallic compounds were found inside the joints of polycrystalline Cu pads. The long hexagonal Cu{sub 6}Sn{sub 5} strips were observed in the joints reflowing at 250 °C while the hollowed Cu{sub 6}Sn{sub 5} strips with the ‘▪’ shape cross-sections appeared at 300 °C, which was attributed to the different grain growth rates of different Cu{sub 6}Sn{sub 5} crystal faces. - Highlights: • The orientation of interfacial Cu{sub 6}Sn{sub 5} grains was obtained by EBSD technology. • Two types of hollowed Cu{sub 6}Sn{sub 5} strips were found at different temperatures. • The

  16. Properties of Sn3.8Ag0.7Cu Solder Alloy with Trace Rare Earth Element Y Additions

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hao, H.; Tian, J.; Shi, Y. W.; Lei, Y. P.; Xia, Z. D.

    2007-07-01

    In the current research, trace rare earth (RE) element Y was incorporated into a promising lead-free solder, Sn3.8Ag0.7Cu, in an effort to improve the comprehensive properties of Sn3.8Ag0.7Cu solder. The range of Y content in Sn3.8Ag0.7Cu solder alloys varied from 0 wt.% to 1.0 wt.%. As an illustration of the advantage of Y doping, the melting temperature, wettability, mechanical properties, and microstructures of Sn3.8Ag0.7CuY solder were studied. Trace Y additions had little influence on the melting behavior, but the solder showed better wettability and mechanical properties, as well as finer microstructures, than found in Y-free Sn3.8Ag0.7Cu solder. The Sn3.8Ag0.7Cu0.15Y solder alloy exhibited the best comprehensive properties compared to other solders with different Y content. Furthermore, interfacial and microstructural studies were conducted on Sn3.8Ag0.7Cu0.15Y solder alloys, and notable changes in microstructure were found compared to the Y-free alloy. The thickness of an intermetallic compound layer (IML) was decreased during soldering, and the growth of the IML was suppressed during aging. At the same time, the growth of intermetallic compounds (IMCs) inside the solder was reduced. In particular, some bigger IMC plates were replaced by fine, granular IMCs.

  17. Combined Thermodynamic-Kinetic Analysis of the Interfacial Reactions between Ni Metallization and Various Lead-Free Solders

    PubMed Central

    Laurila, Tomi; Vuorinen, Vesa

    2009-01-01

    In this paper we will demonstrate how a thermodynamic-kinetic method can be utilized to rationalize a wide range of interfacial phenomena between Sn-based lead-free solders and Ni metallizations. First, the effect of P on the interfacial reactions, and thus on the reliability, between Sn-based solders and electroless Ni/immersion Au (ENIG) metallizations, will be discussed. Next, the effect of small amounts of Cu in Sn-based solders on the intermetallic compound (IMC), which forms first on top of Ni metallization, will be covered. With the help of thermodynamic arguments a so called critical Cu concentration for the formation of (Cu,Ni)6Sn5 can be determined as a function of temperature. Then the important phenomenon of redeposition of (Au,Ni)Sn4 layer on top of Ni3Sn4 IMC will be discussed in detail. The reasons leading to this behaviour will be rationalized with the help of thermodynamic information and an explanation of why this phenomenon does not occur when an appropriate amount of Cu is present in the soldering system will be given. Finally, interfacial reaction issues related to low temperature Sn-Zn and Sn-Bi based solders and Ni metallization will be discussed.

  18. Effect of Plasma Surface Finish on Wettability and Mechanical Properties of SAC305 Solder Joints

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kim, Kyoung-Ho; Koike, Junichi; Yoon, Jeong-Won; Yoo, Sehoon

    2016-12-01

    The wetting behavior, interfacial reactions, and mechanical reliability of Sn-Ag-Cu solder on a plasma-coated printed circuit board (PCB) substrate were evaluated under multiple heat-treatments. Conventional organic solderability preservative (OSP) finished PCBs were used as a reference. The plasma process created a dense and highly cross-linked polymer coating on the Cu substrates. The plasma finished samples had higher wetting forces and shorter zero-cross times than those with OSP surface finish. The OSP sample was degraded after sequential multiple heat treatments and reflow processes, whereas the solderability of the plasma finished sample was retained after multiple heat treatments. After the soldering process, similar microstructures were observed at the interfaces of the two solder joints, where the development of intermetallic compounds was observed. From ball shear tests, it was found that the shear force for the plasma substrate was consistently higher than that for the OSP substrate. Deterioration of the OSP surface finish was observed after multiple heat treatments. Overall, the plasma surface finish was superior to the conventional OSP finish with respect to wettability and joint reliability, indicating that it is a suitable material for the fabrication of complex electronic devices.

  19. Estimation of the Viscosities of Liquid Sn-Based Binary Lead-Free Solder Alloys

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wu, Min; Li, Jinquan

    2018-01-01

    The viscosity of a binary Sn-based lead-free solder alloy was calculated by combining the predicted model with the Miedema model. The viscosity factor was proposed and the relationship between the viscosity and surface tension was analyzed as well. The investigation result shows that the viscosity of Sn-based lead-free solders predicted from the predicted model shows excellent agreement with the reported values. The viscosity factor is determined by three physical parameters: atomic volume, electronic density, and electro-negativity. In addition, the apparent correlation between the surface tension and viscosity of the binary Sn-based Pb-free solder was obtained based on the predicted model.

  20. Mechanical Deformation Behavior of Sn-Ag-Cu Solders with Minor Addition of 0.05 wt.% Ni

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hammad, A. E.; El-Taher, A. M.

    2014-11-01

    The aim of the present work is to develop a comparative evaluation of the microstructural and mechanical deformation behavior of Sn-Ag-Cu (SAC) solders with the minor addition of 0.05 wt.% Ni. Test results showed that, by adding 0.05Ni element into SAC solders, generated mainly small rod-shaped (Cu,Ni)6Sn5 intermetallic compounds (IMCs) inside the β-Sn phase. Moreover, increasing the Ag content and adding Ni could result in the change of the shape and size of the IMC precipitate. Hence, a significant improvement is observed in the mechanical properties of SAC solders with increasing Ag content and Ni addition. On the other hand, the tensile results of Ni-doped SAC solders showed that both the yield stress and ultimate tensile strengths decrease with increasing temperature and with decreasing strain rate. This behavior was attributed to the competing effects of work hardening and dynamic recovery processes. The Sn-2.0Ag-0.5Cu-0.05Ni solder displayed the highest mechanical properties due to the formation of hard (Cu,Ni)6Sn5 IMCs. Based on the obtained stress exponents and activation energies, it is suggested that the dominant deformation mechanism in SAC (205)-, SAC (0505)- and SAC (0505)-0.05Ni solders is pipe diffusion, and lattice self-diffusion in SAC (205)-0.05Ni solder. In view of these results, the Sn-2.0Ag-0.5Cu-0.05Ni alloy is a more reliable solder alloy with improved properties compared with other solder alloys tested in the present work.

  1. Isothermal Ageing of SnAgCu Solder Alloys: Three-Dimensional Morphometry Analysis of Microstructural Evolution and Its Effects on Mechanical Response

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Maleki, Milad; Cugnoni, Joë; Botsis, John

    2014-04-01

    Due to the high homologous temperature and fast cooling rates, the microstructures of SnAgCu (SAC) solders are in a meta-stable state in most applications, which is the cause of significant microstructural evolution and continuous variation in the mechanical behavior of the joints during service. The link between microstructures evolution and deformation behavior of Sn-4.0Ag-0.5Cu solder during isothermal ageing is investigated. The evolution of the microstructures in SAC solders are visualized at different scales in 3D by using a combination of synchrotron x-ray and focused ion beam/scanning electron microscopy tomography techniques at different states of ageing. The results show that, although the grain structure, morphology of dendrites, and overall volume fraction of intermetallics remain almost constant during ageing, considerable coarsening occurs in the Ag3Sn and Cu6Sn5 phases to lower the interfacial energy. The change in the morphometrics of sub-micron intermetallics is quantified by 3D statistical analyses and the kinetic of coarsening is discussed. The mechanical behavior of SAC solders is experimentally measured and shows a continuous reduction in the yield resistance of solder during ageing. For comparison, the mechanical properties and grain structure of β-tin are evaluated at different annealing conditions. Finally, the strengthening effect due to the intermetallics at different ageing states is evaluated by comparing the deformation behaviors of SAC solder and β-tin with similar grain size and composition. The relationship between the morphology and the strengthening effect due to intermetallics particles is discussed and the causes for the strength degradation in SAC solder during ageing are identified.

  2. Aging Effects on Microstructure and Creep in Sn-3.8Ag-0.7Cu Solder

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2007-09-01

    demonstrated that the primary creep data for ball joints can be fitted well to exponential law. Fit parameters for the tests accomplished at 250C...MICROSTRUCTURE AND CREEP IN Sn-3.8Ag-0.7Cu SOLDER by Orlando Cornejo September 2007 Thesis Advisor: Indranath Dutta THIS PAGE...collection of information, including suggestions for reducing this burden, to Washington headquarters Services , Directorate for Information

  3. Testing of printed circuit board solder joints by optical correlation

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Espy, P. N.

    1975-01-01

    An optical correlation technique for the nondestructive evaluation of printed circuit board solder joints was evaluated. Reliable indications of induced stress levels in solder joint lead wires are achievable. Definite relations between the inherent strength of a solder joint, with its associated ability to survive stress, are demonstrable.

  4. Effects of Metallic Nanoparticles on Interfacial Intermetallic Compounds in Tin-Based Solders for Microelectronic Packaging

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Haseeb, A. S. M. A.; Arafat, M. M.; Tay, S. L.; Leong, Y. M.

    2017-10-01

    Tin (Sn)-based solders have established themselves as the main alternative to the traditional lead (Pb)-based solders in many applications. However, the reliability of the Sn-based solders continues to be a concern. In order to make Sn-based solders microstructurally more stable and hence more reliable, researchers are showing great interest in investigating the effects of the incorporation of different nanoparticles into them. This paper gives an overview of the influence of metallic nanoparticles on the characteristics of interfacial intermetallic compounds (IMCs) in Sn-based solder joints on copper substrates during reflow and thermal aging. Nanocomposite solders were prepared by mechanically blending nanoparticles of nickel (Ni), cobalt (Co), zinc (Zn), molybdenum (Mo), manganese (Mn) and titanium (Ti) with Sn-3.8Ag-0.7Cu and Sn-3.5Ag solder pastes. The composite solders were then reflowed and their wetting characteristics and interfacial microstructural evolution were investigated. Through the paste mixing route, Ni, Co, Zn and Mo nanoparticles alter the morphology and thickness of the IMCs in beneficial ways for the performance of solder joints. The thickness of Cu3Sn IMC is decreased with the addition of Ni, Co and Zn nanoparticles. The thickness of total IMC layer is decreased with the addition of Zn and Mo nanoparticles in the solder. The metallic nanoparticles can be divided into two groups. Ni, Co, and Zn nanoparticles undergo reactive dissolution during solder reflow, causing in situ alloying and therefore offering an alternative route of alloy additions to solders. Mo nanoparticles remain intact during reflow and impart their influence as discrete particles. Mechanisms of interactions between different types of metallic nanoparticles and solder are discussed.

  5. Solder Joint Health Monitoring Testbed

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Delaney, Michael M.; Flynn, James; Browder, Mark

    2009-01-01

    A method of monitoring the health of selected solder joints, called SJ-BIST, has been developed by Ridgetop Group Inc. under a Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR) contract. The primary goal of this research program is to test and validate this method in a flight environment using realistically seeded faults in selected solder joints. An additional objective is to gather environmental data for future development of physics-based and data-driven prognostics algorithms. A test board is being designed using a Xilinx FPGA. These boards will be tested both in flight and on the ground using a shaker table and an altitude chamber.

  6. Cu6Sn5 Whiskers Precipitated in Sn3.0Ag0.5Cu/Cu Interconnection in Concentrator Silicon Solar Cells Solder Layer

    PubMed Central

    Zhang, Liang; Liu, Zhi-quan; Yang, Fan; Zhong, Su-juan

    2017-01-01

    Cu6Sn5 whiskers precipitated in Sn3.0Ag0.5Cu/Cu interconnection in concentrator silicon solar cells solder layer were found and investigated after reflow soldering and during aging. Ag3Sn fibers can be observed around Cu6Sn5 whiskers in the matrix microstructure, which can play an active effect on the reliability of interconnection. Different morphologies of Cu6Sn5 whiskers can be observed, and hexagonal rod structure is the main morphology of Cu6Sn5 whiskers. A hollow structure can be observed in hexagonal Cu6Sn5 whiskers, and a screw dislocation mechanism was used to represent the Cu6Sn5 growth. Based on mechanical property testing and finite element simulation, Cu6Sn5 whiskers were regarded as having a negative effect on the durability of Sn3.0Ag0.5Cu/Cu interconnection in concentrator silicon solar cells solder layer. PMID:28772686

  7. Control Al/Mg intermetallic compound formation during ultrasonic-assisted soldering Mg to Al.

    PubMed

    Xu, Zhiwu; Li, Zhengwei; Li, Jiaqi; Ma, Zhipeng; Yan, Jiuchun

    2018-09-01

    To prevent the formation of Al/Mg intermetallic compounds (IMCs) of Al 3 Mg 2 and Al 12 Mg 17 , dissimilar Al/Mg were ultrasonic-assisted soldered using Sn-based filler metals. A new IMC of Mg 2 Sn formed in the soldered joints during this process and it was prone to crack at large thickness. The thickness of Mg 2 Sn was reduced to 22 μm at 285 °C when using Sn-3Cu as the filler metal. Cracks were still observed inside the blocky Mg 2 Sn. The thickness of Mg 2 Sn was significantly reduced when using Sn-9Zn as the filler metal. A 17 μm Mg 2 Sn layer without crack was obtained at a temperature of 200 °C, ultrasonic power of Mode I, and ultrasonic time of 2 s. The shear strengths of the joints using Sn-9Zn was much higher than those using Sn-3Cu because of the thinner Mg 2 Sn layer in the former joints. Sn whiskers were prevented by using Sn-9Zn. A cavitation model during ultrasonic assisted soldering was proposed. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  8. Effects of In and Ni Addition on Microstructure of Sn-58Bi Solder Joint

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mokhtari, Omid; Nishikawa, Hiroshi

    2014-11-01

    In this study, the effect of adding 0.5 wt.% and 1 wt.% In and Ni to Sn-58Bi solder on intermetallic compound (IMC) layers at the interface and the microstructure of the solder alloys were investigated during reflow and thermal aging by scanning electron microscopy and electron probe micro-analysis. The results showed that the addition of minor elements was not effective in suppressing the IMC growth during the reflow; however, the addition of 0.5 wt.% In and Ni was effective in suppressing the IMC layer growth during thermal aging. The thickening kinetics of the total IMC layer was analyzed by plotting the mean thickness versus the aging time on log-log coordinates, and the results showed the transition point from grain boundary diffusion control to a volume diffusion control mechanism. The results also showed that the minor addition of In can significantly suppress the coarsening of the Bi phase.

  9. Microstructural evolution and mechanical properties of SnAgCu alloys

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Fouassier, O.; Heintz, J.-M.; Chazelas, J.; Geffroy, P.-M.; Silvain, J.-F.

    2006-08-01

    Lead containing solder paste is now considered as an environmental threat. In order to eliminate this undesirable environmental impact associated to their production, a family of lead-free solder joint, Sn-3.8Ag-0.7Cu, is proposed. Microstructural and mechanical data of this solder joint have been acquired and compared with the most common used SnPb solder paste. The evolution of the microstructure as well as the failure mode and the mechanical properties of SnAgCu solder joint are discussed as a function of strain rate, annealing treatments, and testing temperature. Tensile tests have been performed, at temperatures ranging from -50to+150°C, on bulk samples. Changes of the mechanical properties of bulk tested samples are actually correlated with microstructural changes, as shown by transmission electronic microscopy investigations.

  10. Fabrication of Cu-Ni mixed phase layer using DC electroplating and suppression of Kirkendall voids in Sn-Ag-Cu solder joints

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chee, Sang-Soo; Lee, Jong-Hyun

    2014-05-01

    A solderable layer concurrently containing Cu-rich and Ni-rich phases (mixed-phase layer, MPL) was fabricated by direct current electroplating under varying process conditions. Current density was considered as the main parameter to adjust the microstructure and composition of MPL during the electroplating process, and deposit thickness were evaluated as functions of plating time. As a result, it was observed that the coral-like structure that consisted of Cu-rich and Ni-rich phases grew in the thickness direction. The most desirable microstructure was obtained at a relatively low current density of 0.4 mA/cm2. In other words, the surface was the smoothest and defect-free at this current density. The electroplating rate was slightly enhanced with an increase in current density. Investigations of its solid-state reaction properties, including the formation of Kirkendall voids, were also carried out after reflow soldering with Sn-3.0 Ag-0.5 Cu solder balls. In the solid-state aging experiment at 125°C, Kirkendall voids at the normal Sn-3.0 Ag-0.5 Cu solder/Cu interface were easily formed after just 240 h. Meanwhile, the presence of an intermetallic compound (IMC) layer created in the solder/MPL interface indicated a slightly lower growth rate, and no Kirkendall voids were observed in the IMC layer even after 720 h.

  11. Asymmetrical interfacial reactions of Ni/SAC101(NiIn)/Ni solder joint induced by current stressing

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lin, Chen-Yi; Chiu, Tsung-Chieh; Lin, Kwang-Lung

    2018-03-01

    An electric current can asymmetrically trigger either atomic migration or interfacial reactions between a cathode and an anode. The present study investigated the dissolution of metallization and formation of an interfacial intermetallic compound (IMC) in the Cu/Ni/Sn1.0Ag0.1Cu0.02Ni0.05In/Ni/Cu solder joint at various current densities in the order of 103 A/cm2 at temperatures ranging from 100 °C to 150 °C. The polarization behavior of Ni dissolution and IMC formation under current stressing were systematically investigated. The asymmetrical interfacial reactions of the solder joint were found to be greatly influenced by ambient temperature. The dissolution of Ni and its effect on interfacial IMC formation were also discussed.

  12. Thermal Cycling Life Prediction of Sn-3.0Ag-0.5Cu Solder Joint Using Type-I Censored Data

    PubMed Central

    Mi, Jinhua; Yang, Yuan-Jian; Huang, Hong-Zhong

    2014-01-01

    Because solder joint interconnections are the weaknesses of microelectronic packaging, their reliability has great influence on the reliability of the entire packaging structure. Based on an accelerated life test the reliability assessment and life prediction of lead-free solder joints using Weibull distribution are investigated. The type-I interval censored lifetime data were collected from a thermal cycling test, which was implemented on microelectronic packaging with lead-free ball grid array (BGA) and fine-pitch ball grid array (FBGA) interconnection structures. The number of cycles to failure of lead-free solder joints is predicted by using a modified Engelmaier fatigue life model and a type-I censored data processing method. Then, the Pan model is employed to calculate the acceleration factor of this test. A comparison of life predictions between the proposed method and the ones calculated directly by Matlab and Minitab is conducted to demonstrate the practicability and effectiveness of the proposed method. At last, failure analysis and microstructure evolution of lead-free solders are carried out to provide useful guidance for the regular maintenance, replacement of substructure, and subsequent processing of electronic products. PMID:25121138

  13. A dislocation density based micromechanical constitutive model for Sn-Ag-Cu solder alloys

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Liu, Lu; Yao, Yao; Zeng, Tao; Keer, Leon M.

    2017-10-01

    Based on the dislocation density hardening law, a micromechanical model considering the effects of precipitates is developed for Sn-Ag-Cu solder alloys. According to the microstructure of the Sn-3.0Ag-0.5Cu thin films, intermetallic compounds (IMCs) are assumed as sphere particles embedded in the polycrystalline β-Sn matrix. The mechanical behavior of polycrystalline β-Sn matrix is determined by the elastic-plastic self-consistent method. The existence of IMCs not only impedes the motion of dislocations but also increases the overall stiffness. Thus, a dislocation density based hardening law considering non-shearable precipitates is adopted locally for single β-Sn crystal, and the Mori-Tanaka scheme is applied to describe the overall viscoplastic behavior of solder alloys. The proposed model is incorporated into finite element analysis and the corresponding numerical implementation method is presented. The model can describe the mechanical behavior of Sn-3.0Ag-0.5Cu and Sn-1.0Ag-0.5Cu alloys under high strain rates at a wide range of temperatures. Furthermore, the overall Young’s modulus changes due to different contents of IMCs is predicted and compared with experimental data. Results show that the proposed model can describe both elastic and inelastic behavior of solder alloys with reasonable accuracy.

  14. Soldering of Mg Joints Using Zn-Al Solders

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gancarz, Tomasz; Berent, Katarzyna; Skuza, Wojciech; Janik, Katarzyna

    2018-07-01

    Magnesium has applications in the automotive and aerospace industries that can significantly contribute to greater fuel economy and environmental conservation. The Mg alloys used in the automotive industry could reduce mass by up to 70 pct, providing energy savings. However, alongside the advantages there are limitations and technological barriers to use Mg alloys. One of the advantages concerns phenomena occurring at the interface when joining materials investigated in this study, in regard to the effect of temperature and soldering time for pure Mg joints. Eutectic Zn-Al and Zn-Al alloys with 0.05 (wt pct) Li and 0.2 (wt pct) Na were used in the soldering process. The process was performed for 3, 5, and 8 minutes of contact, at temperatures of 425 °C, 450 °C, 475 °C, and 500 °C. Selected, solidified solder-substrate couples were cross-sectioned, and their interfacial microstructures were investigated by scanning electron microscopy. The experiment was designed to demonstrate the effect of time, temperature, and the addition of Li and Na on the kinetics of the dissolving Mg substrate. The addition of Li and Na to eutectic Zn-Al caused to improve mechanical properties. Higher temperatures led to reduced joint strength, which is caused by increased interfacial reaction.

  15. Soldering of Mg Joints Using Zn-Al Solders

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gancarz, Tomasz; Berent, Katarzyna; Skuza, Wojciech; Janik, Katarzyna

    2018-04-01

    Magnesium has applications in the automotive and aerospace industries that can significantly contribute to greater fuel economy and environmental conservation. The Mg alloys used in the automotive industry could reduce mass by up to 70 pct, providing energy savings. However, alongside the advantages there are limitations and technological barriers to use Mg alloys. One of the advantages concerns phenomena occurring at the interface when joining materials investigated in this study, in regard to the effect of temperature and soldering time for pure Mg joints. Eutectic Zn-Al and Zn-Al alloys with 0.05 (wt pct) Li and 0.2 (wt pct) Na were used in the soldering process. The process was performed for 3, 5, and 8 minutes of contact, at temperatures of 425 °C, 450 °C, 475 °C, and 500 °C. Selected, solidified solder-substrate couples were cross-sectioned, and their interfacial microstructures were investigated by scanning electron microscopy. The experiment was designed to demonstrate the effect of time, temperature, and the addition of Li and Na on the kinetics of the dissolving Mg substrate. The addition of Li and Na to eutectic Zn-Al caused to improve mechanical properties. Higher temperatures led to reduced joint strength, which is caused by increased interfacial reaction.

  16. Thermo-Mechanical Response of Monolithic and NiTi Shape Memory Alloy Fiber Reinforced Sn-3.8Ag-0.7Cu Solder

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2005-09-01

    novel adaptive Tin-Silver-Copper ( SnAgCu ) solder reinforced with NiTi shape-memory alloy (particles or fiber) developed. An experimental...to meet the demands of miniaturization and enhanced performance in severe environments, a novel adaptive Tin-Silver-Copper ( SnAgCu ) solder...4. Crack region of SnAgCu solder after TMF, from reference [1] ............. 5 Figure 5. Phase diagram of 95.5Sn-3.8Ag-0.7Cu solder, from reference

  17. A Study on the Physical Properties and Interfacial Reactions with Cu Substrate of Rapidly Solidified Sn-3.5Ag Lead-Free Solder

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ma, Hai-Tao; Wang, Jie; Qu, Lin; Zhao, Ning; Kunwar, A.

    2013-08-01

    A rapidly solidified Sn-3.5Ag eutectic alloy produced by the melt-spinning technique was used as a sample in this research to investigate the microstructure, thermal properties, solder wettability, and inhibitory effect of Ag3Sn on Cu6Sn5 intermetallic compound (IMC). In addition, an as-cast Sn-3.5Ag solder was prepared as a reference. Rapidly solidified and as-cast Sn-3.5Ag alloys of the same size were soldered at 250°C for 1 s to observe their instant melting characteristics and for 3 s with different cooling methods to study the inhibitory effect of Ag3Sn on Cu6Sn5 IMC. Experimental techniques such as scanning electron microscopy, differential scanning calorimetry, and energy-dispersive spectrometry were used to observe and analyze the results of the study. It was found that rapidly solidified Sn-3.5Ag solder has more uniform microstructure, better wettability, and higher melting rate as compared with the as-cast material; Ag3Sn nanoparticles that formed in the rapidly solidified Sn-3.5Ag solder inhibited the growth of Cu6Sn5 IMC during aging significantly much strongly than in the as-cast material because their number in the rapidly solidified Sn-3.5Ag solder was greater than in the as-cast material with the same soldering process before aging. Among the various alternative lead-free solders, this study focused on comparison between rapidly solidified and as-cast solder alloys, with the former being observed to have better properties.

  18. The Reliability of Microalloyed Sn-Ag-Cu Solder Interconnections Under Cyclic Thermal and Mechanical Shock Loading

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mattila, Toni T.; Hokka, Jussi; Paulasto-Kröckel, Mervi

    2014-11-01

    In this study, the performance of three microalloyed Sn-Ag-Cu solder interconnection compositions (Sn-3.1Ag-0.52Cu, Sn-3.0Ag-0.52Cu-0.24Bi, and Sn-1.1Ag-0.52Cu-0.1Ni) was compared under mechanical shock loading (JESD22-B111 standard) and cyclic thermal loading (40 ± 125°C, 42 min cycle) conditions. In the drop tests, the component boards with the low-silver nickel-containing composition (Sn-Ag-Cu-Ni) showed the highest average number of drops-to-failure, while those with the bismuth-containing alloy (Sn-Ag-Cu-Bi) showed the lowest. Results of the thermal cycling tests showed that boards with Sn-Ag-Cu-Bi interconnections performed the best, while those with Sn-Ag-Cu-Ni performed the worst. Sn-Ag-Cu was placed in the middle in both tests. In this paper, we demonstrate that solder strength is an essential reliability factor and that higher strength can be beneficial for thermal cycling reliability but detrimental to drop reliability. We discuss these findings from the perspective of the microstructures and mechanical properties of the three solder interconnection compositions and, based on a comprehensive literature review, investigate how the differences in the solder compositions influence the mechanical properties of the interconnections and discuss how the differences are reflected in the failure mechanisms under both loading conditions.

  19. Influence of solder joint length to the mechanical aspect during the thermal stress analysis

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tan, J. S.; Khor, C. Y.; Rahim, Wan Mohd Faizal Wan Abd; Ishak, Muhammad Ikman; Rosli, M. U.; Jamalludin, Mohd Riduan; Zakaria, M. S.; Nawi, M. A. M.; Aziz, M. S. Abdul; Ani, F. Che

    2017-09-01

    Solder joint is an important interconnector in surface mount technology (SMT) assembly process. The real time stress, strain and displacement of the solder joint is difficult to observe and assess the experiment. To tackle these problems, simulation analysis was employed to study the von Mises stress, strain and displacement in the thermal stress analysis by using Finite element based software. In this study, a model of leadless electronic package was considered. The thermal stress analysis was performed to investigate the effect of the solder length to those mechanical aspects. The simulation results revealed that solder length gives significant effect to the maximum von Mises stress to the solder joint. Besides, changes in solder length also influence the displacement of the solder joint in the thermal environment. The increment of the solder length significantly reduces the von Mises stress and strain on the solder joint. Thus, the understanding of the physical parameter for solder joint is important for engineer prior to designing the solder joint of the electronic component.

  20. Solderability study of RABiTS-based YBCO coated conductors

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhang, Yifei; Duckworth, Robert C.; Ha, Tam T.; Gouge, Michael J.

    2011-08-01

    The solderability of commercially available YBa2Cu3O7-x (YBCO) coated conductors that were made from Rolling Assisted Biaxially Textured Substrates (RABiTS)-based templates was studied. The coated conductors, also known as second-generation (2G) high temperature superconductor (HTS) wires (in the geometry of flat tapes about 4 mm wide), were laminated with copper, brass, or stainless steel strips as stabilizers. To understand the factors that influence their solderability, surface profilometry and scanning electron microscopy were used to characterize the wire surfaces. The solderability of three solders, 52In48Sn, 67Bi33In, and 100In (wt.%), was evaluated using a standard test (IPC/ECA J-STD-002) and with two different commercial fluxes. It was found that the solderability varied with the solder and flux but the three different wires showed similar solderability for a fixed combination of solder and flux. Solder joints of the 2G wires were fabricated using the tools and the procedures recommended by the HTS wire manufacturer. The solder joints were made in a lap-joint geometry and with the superconducting sides of the two wires face-to-face. The electrical resistances of the solder joints were measured at 77 K, and the results were analyzed to qualify the soldering materials and evaluate the soldering process. It was concluded that although the selection of soldering materials affected the resistance of a solder joint, the resistivity of the stabilizer was the dominant factor.

  1. Flip-chip assembly and reliability using gold/tin solder bumps

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Oppermann, Hermann; Hutter, Matthias; Klein, Matthias; Reichl, Herbert

    2004-09-01

    Au/Sn solder bumps are commonly used for flip chip assembly of optoelectronic and RF devices. They allow a fluxless assembly which is required to avoid contamination at optical interfaces. Flip chip assembly experiments were carried out using as plated Au/Sn bumps without prior bump reflow. An RF and reliability test vehicles comprise a GaAs chip which was flip chip soldered on a silicon substrate. Temperature cycling tests with and without underfiller were performed and the results are presented. The different failure modes for underfilled and non-underfilled samples were discussed and compared. Additional reliability tests were performed with flip chip bonding by gold thermocompression for comparison. The test results and the failure modes are discussed in detail.

  2. Understanding the reliability of solder joints used in advanced structural and electronics applications: Part 1 - Filler metal properties and the soldering process

    DOE PAGES

    Vianco, Paul T.

    2017-02-01

    Soldering technology has made tremendous strides in the past half-century. Whether structural or electronic, all solder joints must provide a level of reliability that is required by the application. This Part 1 report examines the effects of filler metal properties and soldering process on joint reliability. Solder alloy composition must have the appropriate melting and mechanical properties that suit the product's assembly process(es) and use environment. The filler metal must also optimize solderability (wetting-and-spreading) to realize the proper joint geometry. Here, the soldering process also affects joint reliability. The choice of flux and thermal profile support the solderability performance ofmore » the molten filler metal to successfully fill the gap and complete the fillet.« less

  3. Pb-free Sn-Ag-Cu ternary eutectic solder

    DOEpatents

    Anderson, Iver E.; Yost, Frederick G.; Smith, John F.; Miller, Chad M.; Terpstra, Robert L.

    1996-06-18

    A Pb-free solder includes a ternary eutectic composition consisting essentially of about 93.6 weight % Sn-about 4.7 weight % Ag-about 1.7 weight % Cu having a eutectic melting temperature of about 217.degree. C. and variants of the ternary composition wherein the relative concentrations of Sn, Ag, and Cu deviate from the ternary eutectic composition to provide a controlled melting temperature range (liquid-solid "mushy" zone) relative to the eutectic melting temperature (e.g. up to 15.degree. C. above the eutectic melting temperature).

  4. Pb-free Sn-Ag-Cu ternary eutectic solder

    DOEpatents

    Anderson, I.E.; Yost, F.G.; Smith, J.F.; Miller, C.M.; Terpstra, R.L.

    1996-06-18

    A Pb-free solder includes a ternary eutectic composition consisting essentially of about 93.6 weight % Sn-about 4.7 weight % Ag-about 1.7 weight % Cu having a eutectic melting temperature of about 217 C and variants of the ternary composition wherein the relative concentrations of Sn, Ag, and Cu deviate from the ternary eutectic composition to provide a controlled melting temperature range (liquid-solid ``mushy`` zone) relative to the eutectic melting temperature (e.g. up to 15 C above the eutectic melting temperature). 5 figs.

  5. Effects of PCB Pad Metal Finishes on the Cu-Pillar/Sn-Ag Micro Bump Joint Reliability of Chip-on-Board (COB) Assembly

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kim, Youngsoon; Lee, Seyong; Shin, Ji-won; Paik, Kyung-Wook

    2016-06-01

    While solder bumps have been used as the bump structure to form the interconnection during the last few decades, the continuing scaling down of devices has led to a change in the bump structure to Cu-pillar/Sn-Ag micro-bumps. Cu-pillar/Sn-Ag micro-bump interconnections differ from conventional solder bump interconnections in terms of their assembly processing and reliability. A thermo-compression bonding method with pre-applied b-stage non-conductive films has been adopted to form solder joints between Cu pillar/Sn-Ag micro bumps and printed circuit board vehicles, using various pad metal finishes. As a result, various interfacial inter-metallic compounds (IMCs) reactions and stress concentrations occur at the Cu pillar/Sn-Ag micro bumps joints. Therefore, it is necessary to investigate the influence of pad metal finishes on the structural reliability of fine pitch Cu pillar/Sn-Ag micro bumps flip chip packaging. In this study, four different pad surface finishes (Thin Ni ENEPIG, OSP, ENEPIG, ENIG) were evaluated in terms of their interconnection reliability by thermal cycle (T/C) test up to 2000 cycles at temperatures ranging from -55°C to 125°C and high-temperature storage test up to 1000 h at 150°C. The contact resistances of the Cu pillar/Sn-Ag micro bump showed significant differences after the T/C reliability test in the following order: thin Ni ENEPIG > OSP > ENEPIG where the thin Ni ENEPIG pad metal finish provided the best Cu pillar/Sn-Ag micro bump interconnection in terms of bump joint reliability. Various IMCs formed between the bump joint areas can account for the main failure mechanism.

  6. Solderability Study of RABiTS-Based YBCO Coated Conductors

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Zhang, Yifei; Duckworth, Robert C; Ha, Tam T

    2011-01-01

    The solderability of commercially available YBa{sub 2}Cu{sub 3}O{sub 7-x} (YBCO) coated conductors that were made from Rolling Assisted Biaxially Textured Substrates (RABiTS)-based templates was studied. The coated conductors, also known as second-generation (2G) high temperature superconductor (HTS) wires (in the geometry of flat tapes about 4 mm wide), were laminated with copper, brass, or stainless steel strips as stabilizers. To understand the factors that influence their solderability, surface profilometry and scanning electron microscopy were used to characterize the wire surfaces. The solderability of three solders, 52In48Sn, 67Bi33In, and 100In (wt.%), was evaluated using a standard test (IPC/ECA J-STD-002) and withmore » two different commercial fluxes. It was found that the solderability varied with the solder and flux but the three different wires showed similar solderability for a fixed combination of solder and flux. Solder joints of the 2G wires were fabricated using the tools and the procedures recommended by the HTS wire manufacturer. The solder joints were made in a lap-joint geometry and with the superconducting sides of the two wires face-to-face. The electrical resistances of the solder joints were measured at 77 K, and the results were analyzed to qualify the soldering materials and evaluate the soldering process. It was concluded that although the selection of soldering materials affected the resistance of a solder joint, the resistivity of the stabilizer was the dominant factor.« less

  7. Investigation of gold embrittlement in connector solder joints

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Lane, F. L.

    1972-01-01

    An investigation was performed to determine to what extent typical flight connector solder joints may be embrittled by the presence of gold. In addition to mapping of gold content in connector solder joints by an electron microprobe analyzer, metallographic examinations and mechanical tests (thermal shock, vibration, impact and tensile strength) were also conducted. A description of the specimens and tests, a discussion of the data, and some conclusions are presented.

  8. Growth of Interfacial Intermetallic Compound Layer in Diffusion-Bonded SAC-Cu Solder Joints During Different Types of Thermomechanical Excursion

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kanjilal, Anwesha; Kumar, Praveen

    2018-01-01

    The effects of mechanical strain on the growth kinetics of interfacial intermetallic compounds (IMCs) sandwiched between Cu substrate and Sn-1.0 wt.%Ag-0.5 wt.%Cu (SAC105) solder have been investigated. Isothermal aging (IA) at 70°C and 125°C, and thermal cycling (TC) as well as thermomechanical cycling (TMC) with shear strain of 12.8% per cycle between -25°C and 125°C were applied to diffusion-bonded solder joints to study the growth behavior of the interfacial IMC layer under various types of thermomechanical excursion (TME). The microstructure of the solder joint tested under each TME was observed at regular intervals. It was observed that the growth rate of the IMC layer was higher in the case of TMC compared with TC or IA. This increased growth rate of the IMC layer in the presence of mechanical strain suggests an additional driving force that enhances the growth kinetics of the IMC. Finite element analysis was performed to gain insight into the effect of TC and TMC on the stress field in the solder joint, especially near the interface between the solder and the substrate. Finally, an analytical model was developed to quantify the effect of strain on the effective diffusivity and express the growth kinetics for all three types of TME using a single expression.

  9. Fluxless eutectic bonding of GaAs-on-Si by using Ag/Sn solder

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Eo, Sung-Hwa; Kim, Dae-Seon; Jeong, Ho-Jung; Jang, Jae-Hyung

    2013-11-01

    Fluxless GaAs-on-Si wafer bonding using Ag/Sn solder was investigated to realize uniform and void-free heterogeneous material integration. The effects of the diffusion barrier, Ag/Sn thickness, and Ar plasma treatment were studied to achieve the optimal fluxless bonding process. Pt on a GaAs wafer and Mo on a Si wafer act as diffusion barriers by preventing the flow of Ag/Sn solder into both the wafers. The bonding strength is closely related to the Ag/Sn thickness and Ar plasma treatment. A shear strength test was carried out to investigate the bonding strength. Under identical bonding conditions, the Ag/Sn thickness was optimized to achieve higher bonding strength and to avoid the formation of voids due to thermal stress. An Ar plasma pretreatment process improved the bonding strength because the Ar plasma removed carbon contaminants and metal-oxide bonds from the metal surface.

  10. Electrochemical Behavior of Sn-9Zn-xTi Lead-Free Solders in Neutral 0.5M NaCl Solution

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wang, Zhenghong; Chen, Chuantong; Jiu, Jinting; Nagao, Shijo; Nogi, Masaya; Koga, Hirotaka; Zhang, Hao; Zhang, Gong; Suganuma, Katsuaki

    2018-03-01

    Electrochemical techniques were employed to study the electrochemical corrosion behavior of Sn-9Zn-xTi (x = 0, 0.05, 0.1, 0.2 wt.%) lead-free solders in neutral 0.5M NaCl solution, aiming to figure out the effect of Ti content on the corrosion properties of Sn-9Zn, providing information for the composition design of Sn-Zn-based lead-free solders from the perspective of corrosion. EIS results reveal that Ti addition was involved in the corrosion product layer and changed electrochemical interface behavior from charge transfer control process to diffusion control process. The trace amount of Ti addition (0.05 wt.%) can refine the microstructure and improve the corrosion resistance of Sn-9Zn solder, evidenced by much lower corrosion current density (i corr) and much higher total resistance (R t). Excess Ti addition (over 0.1 wt.%) led to the formation of Ti-containing IMCs, which were confirmed as Sn3Ti2 and Sn5Ti6, deteriorating the corrosion resistance of Sn-9Zn-xTi solders. The main corrosion products were confirmed as Sn3O(OH)2Cl2 mixed with small amount of chlorine/oxide Sn compounds.

  11. Electrochemical Behavior of Sn-9Zn- xTi Lead-Free Solders in Neutral 0.5M NaCl Solution

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wang, Zhenghong; Chen, Chuantong; Jiu, Jinting; Nagao, Shijo; Nogi, Masaya; Koga, Hirotaka; Zhang, Hao; Zhang, Gong; Suganuma, Katsuaki

    2018-05-01

    Electrochemical techniques were employed to study the electrochemical corrosion behavior of Sn-9Zn- xTi ( x = 0, 0.05, 0.1, 0.2 wt.%) lead-free solders in neutral 0.5M NaCl solution, aiming to figure out the effect of Ti content on the corrosion properties of Sn-9Zn, providing information for the composition design of Sn-Zn-based lead-free solders from the perspective of corrosion. EIS results reveal that Ti addition was involved in the corrosion product layer and changed electrochemical interface behavior from charge transfer control process to diffusion control process. The trace amount of Ti addition (0.05 wt.%) can refine the microstructure and improve the corrosion resistance of Sn-9Zn solder, evidenced by much lower corrosion current density ( i corr) and much higher total resistance ( R t). Excess Ti addition (over 0.1 wt.%) led to the formation of Ti-containing IMCs, which were confirmed as Sn3Ti2 and Sn5Ti6, deteriorating the corrosion resistance of Sn-9Zn- xTi solders. The main corrosion products were confirmed as Sn3O(OH)2Cl2 mixed with small amount of chlorine/oxide Sn compounds.

  12. Size effect model on kinetics of interfacial reaction between Sn-xAg-yCu solders and Cu substrate

    PubMed Central

    Huang, M. L.; Yang, F.

    2014-01-01

    The downsizing of solder balls results in larger interfacial intermetallic compound (IMC) grains and less Cu substrate consumption in lead-free soldering on Cu substrates. This size effect on the interfacial reaction is experimentally demonstrated and theoretically analyzed using Sn-3.0Ag-0.5Cu and Sn-3.5Ag solder balls. The interfacial reaction between the Sn-xAg-yCu solders and Cu substrates is a dynamic response to a combination of effects of interfacial IMC growth, Cu substrate consumption and composition variation in the interface zone. A concentration gradient controlled (CGC) kinetics model is proposed to explain the combined effects. The concentration gradient of Cu at the interface, which is a function of solder volume, initial Cu concentration and reaction time, is the root cause of the size effect. We found that a larger Cu concentration gradient results in smaller Cu6Sn5 grains and more consumption of Cu substrate. According to our model, the growth kinetics of interfacial Cu6Sn5 obeys a t1/3 law when the molten solder has approached the solution saturation, and will be slower otherwise due to the interfering dissolution mechanism. The size effect introduced in this model is supported by a good agreement between theoretical and experimental results. Finally, the scope of application of this model is discussed. PMID:25408359

  13. Thermophysical Properties of Sn-Ag-Cu Based Pb-Free Solders

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kim, Sok Won; Lee, Jaeran; Jeon, Bo-Min; Jung, Eun; Lee, Sang Hyun; Kang, Kweon Ho; Lim, Kwon Taek

    2009-06-01

    Lead-tin (Pb-Sn) alloys are the dominant solders used for electronic packaging because of their low cost and superior properties required for interconnecting electronic components. However, increasing environmental and health concerns over the toxicity of lead, combined with global legislation to limit the use of Pb in manufactured products, have led to extensive research and development studies of lead-free solders. The Sn-Ag-Cu ternary eutectic alloy is considered to be one of the promising alternatives. Except for thermal properties, much research on several properties of Sn-Ag-Cu alloy has been performed. In this study, five Sn-xAg-0.5Cu alloys with variations of Ag content x of 1.0 mass%, 2.5 mass%, 3.0 mass%, 3.5 mass%, and 4.0 mass% were prepared, and their thermal diffusivity and specific heat were measured from room temperature to 150 °C, and the thermal conductivity was calculated using the measured thermal diffusivity, specific heat, and density values. Also, the linear thermal expansion was measured from room temperature to 170 °C. The results show that Sn-3.5Ag-0.5Cu is the best candidate because it has a maximum thermal conductivity and a low thermal expansion, which are the ideal conditions to be a proper packaging alloy for effective cooling and thermostability.

  14. Influence of the volume-contact area ratio on the growth behavior of the Cu-Sn intermetallic phase

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Giddaluri, Venkatakamakshi Supraja

    Solder Joints play a very important role in electronic packaging industry by serving as mechanical support and provides integrity to the device. The increasing demand for high performance, environmental and economic feasibility and miniaturization led to the development of high density interconnects. With the reduction in the size/standoff height of the solder reliability issues in the surface mount assemblies and packaging structures under various rigorous environments are becoming significant. One of the most important impact factors that affect the solder joint reliability is the growth rate IMC formed between the solder and substrate with reduction in joint size. IMC formation is required to ensure good bonding and connectivity of the device in packaging. However excess IMC growth rate is detrimental to the device from mechanical aspects due to its brittle nature. Thus there is a need to study effect the IMC growth rate behavior with the solder joint size/standoff height. In this present study, two solder joints of different standoff heights and same composition (pure Sn solder) are used subjected to reflow process at 270°C for 1--7 min to study solid liquid interfacial reaction on joint size and the same experiment is repeated with SAC alloy of composition (96.5% Sn, 3.0% Ag, 0.5% Cu) to investigate the effect of joint size and initial copper concentration on IMC growth rate. The IMC thickness of the Sn 15microm solder joint at 1 min and 7 min is found to be 1.52microm and 2.86microm respectively while that of Sn 150microm solder joint is 1.31microm and 3.16 microm. The thickness is high in low standoff height sample at the early stage of reaction with decrease in IMC growth rate as the time of reflow increases. In case of 25microm SAC alloy solder joint the IMC thickness from 1 and 7 min is found to be 2.1microm and 3.5microm while that of 250microm SAC alloy solder joint its 1.43microm and3.235microm. Similar trend is observed but the IMC thickness is more

  15. Effect of Multiple Reflow Cycles and Al2O3 Nanoparticles Reinforcement on Performance of SAC305 Lead-Free Solder Alloy

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tikale, Sanjay; Prabhu, K. Narayan

    2018-05-01

    The effect of Al2O3 nanoparticles reinforcement on melting behavior, microstructure evolution at the interface and joint shear strength of 96.5Sn3Ag0.5Cu (SAC305) lead-free solder alloy subjected to multiple reflow cycles was investigated. The reinforced SAC305 solder alloy compositions were prepared by adding Al2O3 nanoparticles in different weight fractions (0.05, 0.1, 0.3 and 0.5 wt.%) through mechanical dispersion. Cu/solder/Cu micro-lap-shear solder joint specimens were used to assess the shear strength of the solder joint. Differential scanning calorimetry was used to investigate the melting behavior of SAC305 solder nanocomposites. The solder joint interfacial microstructure was studied using scanning electron microscopy. The results showed that the increase in melting temperature (T L) and melting temperature range of the SAC305 solder alloy by addition of Al2O3 nanoparticles were not significant. In comparison with unreinforced SAC305 solder alloy, the reinforcement of 0.05-0.5 wt.% of Al2O3 nanoparticles improved the solder wettability. The addition of nanoparticles in minor quantity effectively suppressed the Cu6Sn5 IMC growth, improved the solder joint shear strength and ductility under multiple reflow cycles. However, the improvement in solder properties was less pronounced on increasing the nanoparticle content above 0.1 wt.% of the solder alloy.

  16. Derivation of mechanical characteristics for Ni/Au intermetallic surface with SAC305 solder

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kim, Jong-Min; Lee, Hyun-Boo; Chang, Yoon-Suk; Choi, Jae-Boong

    2013-03-01

    Many surface finish methods are used to connect a substrate with the electric components of IT products in the micro-packaging process, and various types of lead-free solder have been developed as alternative materials to lead-based solder to reduce environmental contamination. However, there has been little research on the mechanical properties of the inter-metallic surface which is generated in the bumping process between the lead-free solder and surface films such as Ni/Au. The present work is to derive the material properties of a Ni/Au inter-metallic surface with SAC305 solder. A series of indentation tests were carried out by changing four nano-scale indentation depths and two strain rates. Also, a reverse algorithm method was adopted to determine the elastic-plastic stress-strain curve based on the load-displacement curve from the indentation test data. As a result of the material characterization effort, the mean elastic modulus, yield strength and strain hardening exponent of IMC with Ni/Au finish were determined.

  17. Microstructural effects on constitutive and fatigue fracture behavior of TinSilverCopper solder

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tucker, Jonathon P.

    As microelectronic package construction becomes more diverse and complex, the need for accurate, geometry-independent material constitutive and failure models increases. Evaluations of packages based on accelerated environmental tests (such as accelerated thermal cycling or power cycling) only provide package-dependent reliability information. In addition, extrapolations of such test data to life predictions under field conditions are often empirical. Besides geometry, accelerated environmental test data must account for microstructural factors such as alloy composition or isothermal aging condition, resulting in expensive experimental variation. In this work, displacement-controlled, creep, and fatigue lap shear tests are conducted on specially designed SnAgCu test specimens with microstructures representative to those found in commercial microelectronic packages. The data are used to develop constitutive and fatigue fracture material models capable of describing deformation and fracture behavior for the relevant temperature and strain rate ranges. Furthermore, insight is provided into the microstructural variation of solder joints and the subsequent effect on material behavior. These models are appropriate for application to packages of any geometrical construction. The first focus of the thesis is on Pb-mixed SnAgCu solder alloys. During the transition from Pb-containing solders to Pb-free solders, joints composed of a mixture of SnPb and SnAgCu often result from either mixed assemblies or rework. Three alloys of 1, 5 and 20 weight percent Pb were selected so as to represent reasonable ranges of Pb contamination expected from different 63Sn37Pb components mixed with Sn3.0Ag0.5Cu. Displacement-controlled (constant strain rate) and creep tests were performed at temperatures of 25°C, 75°C, and 125°C using a double lap shear test setup that ensures a nearly homogeneous state of plastic strain at the joint interface. Rate-dependent constitutive models for Pb

  18. An evaluation of the lap-shear test for Sn-rich solder/Cu couples: Experiments and simulation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chawla, N.; Shen, Y.-L.; Deng, X.; Ege, E. S.

    2004-12-01

    The lap-shear technique is commonly used to evaluate the shear, creep, and thermal fatigue behavior of solder joints. We have conducted a parametric experimental and modeling study, on the effect of testing and geometrical parameters on solder/copper joint response in lap-shear. It was shown that the farfield applied strain is quite different from the actual solder strain (measured optically). Subtraction of the deformation of the Cu substrate provides a reasonable approximation of the solder strain in the elastic regime, but not in the plastic regime. Solder joint thickness has a profound effect on joint response. The solder response moves progressively closer to “true” shear response with increasing joint thickness. Numerical modeling using finite-element analyses were performed to rationalize the experimental findings. The same lap-shear configuration was used in the simulation. The input response for solder was based on the experimental tensile test result on bulk specimens. The calculated shear response, using both the commonly adopted far-field measure and the actual shear strain in solder, was found to be consistent with the trends observed in the lap-shear experiments. The geometric features were further explored to provide physical insight into the problem. Deformation of the substrate was found to greatly influence the shear behavior of the solder.

  19. Electromigration Mechanism of Failure in Flip-Chip Solder Joints Based on Discrete Void Formation.

    PubMed

    Chang, Yuan-Wei; Cheng, Yin; Helfen, Lukas; Xu, Feng; Tian, Tian; Scheel, Mario; Di Michiel, Marco; Chen, Chih; Tu, King-Ning; Baumbach, Tilo

    2017-12-20

    In this investigation, SnAgCu and SN100C solders were electromigration (EM) tested, and the 3D laminography imaging technique was employed for in-situ observation of the microstructure evolution during testing. We found that discrete voids nucleate, grow and coalesce along the intermetallic compound/solder interface during EM testing. A systematic analysis yields quantitative information on the number, volume, and growth rate of voids, and the EM parameter of DZ*. We observe that fast intrinsic diffusion in SnAgCu solder causes void growth and coalescence, while in the SN100C solder this coalescence was not significant. To deduce the current density distribution, finite-element models were constructed on the basis of the laminography images. The discrete voids do not change the global current density distribution, but they induce the local current crowding around the voids: this local current crowding enhances the lateral void growth and coalescence. The correlation between the current density and the probability of void formation indicates that a threshold current density exists for the activation of void formation. There is a significant increase in the probability of void formation when the current density exceeds half of the maximum value.

  20. The Influence of PV Module Materials and Design on Solder Joint Thermal Fatigue Durability

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Bosco, Nick; Silverman, Timothy J.; Kurtz, Sarah

    Finite element model (FEM) simulations have been performed to elucidate the effect of flat plate photovoltaic (PV) module materials and design on PbSn eutectic solder joint thermal fatigue durability. The statistical method of Latin Hypercube sampling was employed to investigate the sensitivity of simulated damage to each input variable. Variables of laminate material properties and their thicknesses were investigated. Using analysis of variance, we determined that the rate of solder fatigue was most sensitive to solder layer thickness, with copper ribbon and silicon thickness being the next two most sensitive variables. By simulating both accelerated thermal cycles (ATCs) and PVmore » cell temperature histories through two characteristic days of service, we determined that the acceleration factor between the ATC and outdoor service was independent of the variables sampled in this study. This result implies that an ATC test will represent a similar time of outdoor exposure for a wide range of module designs. This is an encouraging result for the standard ATC that must be universally applied across all modules.« less

  1. Reliability Study of Solder Paste Alloy for the Improvement of Solder Joint at Surface Mount Fine-Pitch Components.

    PubMed

    Rahman, Mohd Nizam Ab; Zubir, Noor Suhana Mohd; Leuveano, Raden Achmad Chairdino; Ghani, Jaharah A; Mahmood, Wan Mohd Faizal Wan

    2014-12-02

    The significant increase in metal costs has forced the electronics industry to provide new materials and methods to reduce costs, while maintaining customers' high-quality expectations. This paper considers the problem of most electronic industries in reducing costly materials, by introducing a solder paste with alloy composition tin 98.3%, silver 0.3%, and copper 0.7%, used for the construction of the surface mount fine-pitch component on a Printing Wiring Board (PWB). The reliability of the solder joint between electronic components and PWB is evaluated through the dynamic characteristic test, thermal shock test, and Taguchi method after the printing process. After experimenting with the dynamic characteristic test and thermal shock test with 20 boards, the solder paste was still able to provide a high-quality solder joint. In particular, the Taguchi method is used to determine the optimal control parameters and noise factors of the Solder Printer (SP) machine, that affects solder volume and solder height. The control parameters include table separation distance, squeegee speed, squeegee pressure, and table speed of the SP machine. The result shows that the most significant parameter for the solder volume is squeegee pressure (2.0 mm), and the solder height is the table speed of the SP machine (2.5 mm/s).

  2. Reliability Study of Solder Paste Alloy for the Improvement of Solder Joint at Surface Mount Fine-Pitch Components

    PubMed Central

    Rahman, Mohd Nizam Ab.; Zubir, Noor Suhana Mohd; Leuveano, Raden Achmad Chairdino; Ghani, Jaharah A.; Mahmood, Wan Mohd Faizal Wan

    2014-01-01

    The significant increase in metal costs has forced the electronics industry to provide new materials and methods to reduce costs, while maintaining customers’ high-quality expectations. This paper considers the problem of most electronic industries in reducing costly materials, by introducing a solder paste with alloy composition tin 98.3%, silver 0.3%, and copper 0.7%, used for the construction of the surface mount fine-pitch component on a Printing Wiring Board (PWB). The reliability of the solder joint between electronic components and PWB is evaluated through the dynamic characteristic test, thermal shock test, and Taguchi method after the printing process. After experimenting with the dynamic characteristic test and thermal shock test with 20 boards, the solder paste was still able to provide a high-quality solder joint. In particular, the Taguchi method is used to determine the optimal control parameters and noise factors of the Solder Printer (SP) machine, that affects solder volume and solder height. The control parameters include table separation distance, squeegee speed, squeegee pressure, and table speed of the SP machine. The result shows that the most significant parameter for the solder volume is squeegee pressure (2.0 mm), and the solder height is the table speed of the SP machine (2.5 mm/s). PMID:28788270

  3. Microstructure Characterization Of Lead-Free Solders Depending On Alloy Composition

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Panchenko, Iuliana; Mueller, Maik; Wolter, Klaus-Juergen

    2010-11-01

    Fatigue and crack nucleation in solder joints is basically associated with changes in the microstructure. Therefore the microstructure evolution of SnAgCu solder joints during solidification and subsequent application is an important subject for reliability investigations and physics of failure analysis. The scope of this study is a systematic overview of the as-cast microstructures in small sized lead-free SnAgCu solder spheres after solidification. A total of 32 alloy compositions have been investigated with varying Ag content from 0 to 5 wt.% and varying Cu content from 0 to 1.2 wt.%. The solder spheres had a diameter of approx. 270 μm and were all manufactured under the similar conditions. Subsequent cross-sectioning was carried out in order to analyze the microstructure by optical and electron microscopy as well as Electron Backscatter Diffraction and Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy. The results allow a comprehensive overview of the dependence of the as-cast microstructure on the solder composition. It is shown that strong changes in microstructure can be caused by small changes in solder composition. In addition, a solidification phenomenon known as cyclic twinning has been found in the samples. Three different microstructures related to that phenomenon will be presented and detailed characterizations of these structures are given in this study. These microstructures differ in their appearance by solidification morphology, phase distribution as well as grain structure and can be described as follows: 1. large dentritic areas of different grain orientations which are characterized by approx. 60° twin boundaries; 2. areas of small β-Sn cells with approx. 60° twin relation and larger intermetallic precipitates; 3. large grains consisting of a β-Sn matrix with very fine intermetallic precipitates and high angle grain boundaries between adjacent grains.

  4. Analysis of lead free tin-silver-copper and tin-lead solder wetting reactions

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Anson, Scott J.

    Lead free electronics soldering is driven by a combination of health and environmental concerns, international legislation and marketing pressure by lead free electronics manufacturing competitors. Since July 1, 2006, companies that do not comply with the European Union legislation are not able to sell circuit assemblies with lead solder in the European Union. China has developed its own regulations, based on the European Union documents with a compliance date of March 1, 2007. Extensive testing by the electronics community has determined that the Sn - Ag - Cu (SAC) family of alloys is the preferred choice for lead free Surface Mount Technology (SMT) soldering. The 96.5Sn/3.0Ag/0.5Cu alloy was used in this study. Lead free soldering requires an increase in reflow peak temperatures which further aggravates component moisture sensitivity risks and thereby decreases assembly yield. Prior research has revealed an enhanced solder spreading phenomena at lower peak temperature and shorter time above liquidus with 63Sn/37Pb solder. This current research investigated solder wetting reactions in 63Sn/37Pb and 96.5Sn/3.0Ag/0.5Cu (SAC305) using materials and manufacturing systems that are industry relevant. The objective was to advance the knowledge base of metal wetting while developing a reflow assembly process that minimized the component defect rates. The components are damaged during reflow by popcorn delamination, which is the result of moisture absorption and subsequent rapid evaporation. A classical Design Of Experiments (DOE) approach was used, with wetted area as the response variable. Outside of the DOE, substrate dissolution depth, and substrate surface new phase formation (reaction product) distance from the triple line (solder wetting front) and reaction product thickness in the solder joint (under the solder) were also analyzed. The samples were analyzed for correlation of reflow peak temperature, reflow Time Above Liquidus (TAL), wetted area, reaction product

  5. In situ imaging of the soldering reactions in nanoscale Cu/Sn/Cu and Sn/Cu/Sn diffusion couples

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yin, Qiyue; Gao, Fan; Gu, Zhiyong; Wang, Jirui; Stach, Eric A.; Zhou, Guangwen

    2018-01-01

    The soldering reactions of three-segmented Sn/Cu/Sn and Cu/Sn/Cu diffusion couples are monitored by in-situ transmission electron microscopy to reveal the metallurgical reaction mechanism and the associated phase transformation pathway. For Sn/Cu/Sn diffusion couples, there is no ɛ-Cu3Sn formation due to the relatively insufficient Cu as compared to Sn. Kirkendall voids form initially in the Cu segment and then disappear due to the volume expansion associated with the continued intermetallic compound (IMC) formation as the reaction progresses. The incoming Sn atoms react with Cu to form η-Cu6Sn5, and the continuous reaction then transforms the entire nanowire to η-Cu6Sn5 grains with remaining Sn. With continued heating slightly above the melting point of Sn, an Sn-rich liquid phase forms between η-Cu6Sn5 grains. By contrast, the reaction in the Cu/Sn/Cu diffusion couples results in the intermetallic phases of both Cu3Sn and Cu6Sn5 and the development of Cu6Sn5 bulges on Cu3Sn grains. Kirkendall voids form in the two Cu segments, which grow and eventually break the nanowire into multiple segments.

  6. Behavior of Sn-0.7Cu-xZn lead free solder on physical properties and micro structure

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Siahaan, Erwin

    2017-09-01

    The issues to substitute Tin-Lead Solders is concerning the health and environmental hazards that is caused by lead, and also legislative actions around the world regarding lead toxicity, which has prompted the research community to attempt to replace solder alloys for the traditional Sn-Pb alloys lead which has been used by industrial worker throughout history because it is easily extracted and refined at a relatively low energy cost and also has a range of useful properties. Traditional industry lead has been used in soldering materials for electronic applications because it has low melting point and a soft, malleable nature, when combined with tin at the eutectic composition which causes the alloy to flow easily in the liquid state and solidifies over a very small range of temperature. One of the potential candidate to replace tin-lead solder is Sn-Cu-Zn eutectic alloy as it has a lower melting temperature. Consequently, it is of interest to determine what reactions can occur in ternary systems derived from the Sn-Cu-Zn eutectic. One such system is Sn-0.7Cu-xZn. The specimen was elaborated on physical properties. The chemical content was analyzed by using Shimadzu XRD and melting point was analyzed by using Differential Scanning Calorimeter ( DSC ). The results has shown that the highest addition of Zinc content (15%Zn) will decrease the melting temperatur to 189°C compared to Sn-Pb at 183°C Increasing the amount of Zn on Sn0.7Cu-xZn alloys will decrease Cu3Sn intermetallic coumpound.

  7. Non-centrosymmetric Au-SnO2 hybrid nanostructures with strong localization of plasmonic for enhanced photocatalysis application

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wu, Wei; Liao, Lei; Zhang, Shaofeng; Zhou, Juan; Xiao, Xiangheng; Ren, Feng; Sun, Lingling; Dai, Zhigao; Jiang, Changzhong

    2013-05-01

    We present an innovative approach to the production of sub-100 nm hollow Au-SnO2 hybrid nanospheres, employing a low-cost, surfactant-free and environmentally friendly solution-based route. The hollow hybrid nanostructures were synthesized using a seed-mediated hydrothermal method, which can be divided into two stages: (1) formation of multicore-shell Au@SnO2 nanoparticles (NPs) and (2) thermal diffusion and ripening to form hollow Au-SnO2 hybrid NPs. The morphology, optical properties and formation mechanism were determined by a collection of joint techniques. Photocatalytic degradation of Rhodamine B (RhB) in the liquid phase served as a probe reaction to evaluate the activity of the as-prepared hollow hybrid Au-SnO2 NPs under the irradiation of both visible light and ultraviolet light. Significantly, the as-obtained Au-SnO2 hybrid nanostructures exhibited enhanced visible light or UV photocatalytic abilities, remarkably superior to commercial pure SnO2 products and P25 TiO2, mainly owing to the effective electron hole separation at the SnO2-Au interfaces and strong localization of plasmonic near-fields effects.We present an innovative approach to the production of sub-100 nm hollow Au-SnO2 hybrid nanospheres, employing a low-cost, surfactant-free and environmentally friendly solution-based route. The hollow hybrid nanostructures were synthesized using a seed-mediated hydrothermal method, which can be divided into two stages: (1) formation of multicore-shell Au@SnO2 nanoparticles (NPs) and (2) thermal diffusion and ripening to form hollow Au-SnO2 hybrid NPs. The morphology, optical properties and formation mechanism were determined by a collection of joint techniques. Photocatalytic degradation of Rhodamine B (RhB) in the liquid phase served as a probe reaction to evaluate the activity of the as-prepared hollow hybrid Au-SnO2 NPs under the irradiation of both visible light and ultraviolet light. Significantly, the as-obtained Au-SnO2 hybrid nanostructures

  8. Effect of soldering techniques and gap distance on tensile strength of soldered Ni-Cr alloy joint.

    PubMed

    Lee, Sang-Yeob; Lee, Jong-Hyuk

    2010-12-01

    The present study was intended to evaluate the effect of soldering techniques with infrared ray and gas torch under different gap distances (0.3 mm and 0.5 mm) on the tensile strength and surface porosity formation in Ni-Cr base metal alloy. Thirty five dumbbell shaped Ni-Cr alloy specimens were prepared and assigned to 5 groups according to the soldering method and the gap distance. For the soldering methods, gas torch (G group) and infrared ray (IR group) were compared and each group was subdivided by corresponding gap distance (0.3 mm: G3 and IR3, 0.5 mm: G5, IR5). Specimens of the experimental groups were sectioned in the middle with a diamond disk and embedded in solder blocks according to the predetermined distance. As a control group, 7 specimens were prepared without sectioning or soldering. After the soldering procedure, a tensile strength test was performed using universal testing machine at a crosshead speed 1 mm/min. The proportions of porosity on the fractured surface were calculated on the images acquired through the scanning electronic microscope. Every specimen of G3, G5, IR3 and IR5 was fractured on the solder joint area. However, there was no significant difference between the test groups (P > .05). There was a negative correlation between porosity formation and tensile strength in all the specimens in the test groups (P < .05). There was no significant difference in ultimate tensile strength of joints and porosity formations between the gas-oxygen torch soldering and infrared ray soldering technique or between the gap distance of 0.3 mm and 0.5 mm.

  9. Electromigration Critical Product to Measure Effect of Underfill Material in Suppressing Bi Segregation in Sn-58Bi Solder

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhao, Xu; Takaya, Satoshi; Muraoka, Mikio

    2017-08-01

    Recently, we detected length-dependent electromigration (EM) behavior in Sn-58Bi (SB) solder and revealed the existence of Bi back-flow, which retards EM-induced Bi segregation and is dependent on solder length. The cause of the back-flow is attributed to an oxide layer formed on the SB solder. At present, underfill (UF) material is commonly used in flip-chip packaging as filler between chip and substrate to surround solder bumps. In this study, we quantitatively investigated the effect of UF material as a passivation layer on EM in SB solder strips. EM tests on SB solder strips with length of 50 μm, 100 μm, and 150 μm were conducted simultaneously. Some samples were coated with commercial thermosetting epoxy UF material, which acted as a passivation layer on the Cu-SB-Cu interconnections. The value of the critical product for SB solder was estimated to be 38 A/cm to 43 A/cm at 353 K to 373 K without UF coating and 59 A/cm at 373 K with UF coating. The UF material acting as a passivation layer suppressed EM-induced Bi segregation and increased the threshold current density by 37% to 55%. However, at very high current density, this effect became very slight. In addition, Bi atoms can diffuse to the anode side through the Sn phase, hence addition of microelements to the Sn phase to form obstacles, such as intermetallic compounds, may retard Bi segregation in SB solder.

  10. Corrosion Issues in Solder Joint Design and Service

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    VIANCO,PAUL T.

    1999-11-24

    Corrosion is an important consideration in the design of a solder joint. It must be addressed with respect to the service environment or, as in the case of soldered conduit, as the nature of the medium being transported within piping or tubing. Galvanic-assisted corrosion is of particular concern, given the fact that solder joints are comprised of different metals or alloy compositions that are in contact with one-another. The (thermodynamic) potential for corrosion to take place in a particular environment requires the availability of the galvanic series for those conditions and which includes the metals or alloys in question. However,more » the corrosion kinetics, which actually determine the rate of material loss under the specified service conditions, are only available through laboratory evaluations or field data that are found in the existing literature or must be obtained by in-house testing.« less

  11. Effect of soldering techniques and gap distance on tensile strength of soldered Ni-Cr alloy joint

    PubMed Central

    Lee, Sang-Yeob

    2010-01-01

    PURPOSE The present study was intended to evaluate the effect of soldering techniques with infrared ray and gas torch under different gap distances (0.3 mm and 0.5 mm) on the tensile strength and surface porosity formation in Ni-Cr base metal alloy. MATERIALS AND METHODS Thirty five dumbbell shaped Ni-Cr alloy specimens were prepared and assigned to 5 groups according to the soldering method and the gap distance. For the soldering methods, gas torch (G group) and infrared ray (IR group) were compared and each group was subdivided by corresponding gap distance (0.3 mm: G3 and IR3, 0.5 mm: G5, IR5). Specimens of the experimental groups were sectioned in the middle with a diamond disk and embedded in solder blocks according to the predetermined distance. As a control group, 7 specimens were prepared without sectioning or soldering. After the soldering procedure, a tensile strength test was performed using universal testing machine at a crosshead speed 1 mm/min. The proportions of porosity on the fractured surface were calculated on the images acquired through the scanning electronic microscope. RESULTS Every specimen of G3, G5, IR3 and IR5 was fractured on the solder joint area. However, there was no significant difference between the test groups (P > .05). There was a negative correlation between porosity formation and tensile strength in all the specimens in the test groups (P < .05). CONCLUSION There was no significant difference in ultimate tensile strength of joints and porosity formations between the gas-oxygen torch soldering and infrared ray soldering technique or between the gap distance of 0.3 mm and 0.5 mm. PMID:21264189

  12. Prediction of Phase Formation in Nanoscale Sn-Ag-Cu Solder Alloy

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wu, Min; Lv, Bailin

    2016-01-01

    In a dynamic nonequilibrium process, the effective heat of formation allows the heat of formation to be calculated as a function of concentrations of the reacting atoms. In this work, we used the effective heat of formation rule to predict the formation and size of compound phases in a nanoscale Sn-Ag-Cu lead-free solder. We calculated the formation enthalpy and effective formation enthalpy of compounds in the Sn-Ag, Sn-Cu, and Ag-Cu systems by using the Miedema model and effective heat of formation. Our results show that, considering the surface effect of the nanoparticle, the effective heat of formation rule successfully predicts the phase formation and sizes of Ag3Sn and Cu6Sn5 compounds, which agrees well with experimental data.

  13. Thermodynamic assessment of the Sn-Co lead-free solder system

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Liu, Libin; Andersson, Cristina; Liu, Johan

    2004-09-01

    The Sn-Co-Cu eutectic alloy can be a less expensive alternative for the Sn-Ag-Cu alloy. In order to find the eutectic solder composition of the Sn-Co-Cu system, the Sn-Co binary system has been thoroughly assessed with the calculation of phase diagram (CALPHAD) method. The liquid phase, the FCC and HCP Co-rich solid solution, and the BCT Sn-rich solid solution have been described by the Redlich-Kister model. The Hillert-Jarl-Inden model has been used to describe the magnetic contributions to Gibbs energy in FCC and HCP. The CoSn2, CoSn, Co3Sn2_β, and Co3Sn2_α phases have been treated as stoichiometric phases. A series of thermodynamic parameters have been obtained. The calculated phase diagram and thermodynamic properties are in good agreement with the experimental data. The obtained thermodynamic data was used to extrapolate the ternary Sn-Co-Cu phase diagram. The composition of the Sn-rich eutectic point of the Sn-Co-Cu system was found to be 224°C, 0.4% Co, and 0.7% Cu.

  14. Composition of low-strength solder joints in solar-concentrator-cell arrays

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chamberlain, M. B.; Nordstrom, T. V.

    Bond strengths of Cu strips soldered to the backside metallization of solar concentrator cells were found to be unacceptably low. To determine whether contaminants in the cell metallization caused these low strengths, unsoldered cells and soldered cells were characterized by scanning Auger microscopy. The backside metallization consisted of a 5 micrometers Ag conductor layer, a 150 nm Pd diffusion barrier and a 150 nm Ti adhesion layer next to an Al ohmic contact layer on the Si cell. The analysis showed that the Ti layer are partially oxidized during soldering, that Pb from the Pb-5 wt % Sn - 2.5 wt % Ag solder segregated during soldering to the Pd-oxidized Ti interface, and that low strength fractures occurred in this Pb layer at the Pd-oxidized Ti interface. The problem was solved by changing the ambient gas used during soldering from N2 to forming gas (80% N2 + 20% H2).

  15. Experimental Investigation of Solder Joint Defect Formation and Mitigation in Reduced-Gravity Environments

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Watson, J. Kevin; Struk, Peter M.; Pettegrew, RIchard D.; Downs, Robert S.

    2006-01-01

    This paper documents a research effort on reduced gravity soldering of plated through hole joints which was conducted jointly by the National Center for Space Exploration Research, NASA Glenn Research Center, and NASA Johnson Space Center. Significant increases in joint porosity and changes in external geometry were observed in joints produced in reduced gravity as compared to normal gravity. Multiple techniques for mitigating the observed increase in porosity were tried, including several combinations of flux and solder application techniques, and demoisturizing the circuit board prior to soldering. Results were consistent with the hypothesis that the source of the porosity is a combination of both trapped moisture in the circuit board itself, as well as vaporized flux that is trapped in the molten solder. Other topics investigated include correlation of visual inspection results with joint porosity, pore size measurements, limited pressure effects (0.08 MPa - 0.1 MPa) on the size and number of pores, and joint cooling rate.

  16. Effects of Solder Volume and Reflow Conditions on Self-Alignment Accuracy for Fan-Out Package Applications

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Park, Hwan-Pil; Seo, Gwancheol; Kim, Sungchul; Kim, Young-Ho

    2018-01-01

    The effects of solder volume and reaction time between molten solder and a metal pad at the peak temperature of reflow on the self-alignment effect have been investigated in flip chip bonding. A glass die with two different pad designs and a flame retardant-4 (FR-4) organic substrate were used. Sn-3.0Ag-0.5Cu and Sn-3.5Ag solders were formed on Cu-organic solderability preservation (Cu-OSP) and electroless nickel electroless palladium immersion gold (ENEPIG) pads on FR-4 substrates using the stencil printing method. To assess the effect of solder volume, the thickness and opening size of the stencil mask were controlled. Reflow experiments were performed at 250°C with wetting times of 40 s, 55 s, 65 s, and 75 s. After flip chip reflow soldering, the bonding areas were cross-sectioned to inspect the shape of the interconnected solder using scanning electron microscopy. The results revealed that using an insufficient solder volume on the pad was responsible for die shifts larger than 1 μm, while a sufficient solder volume on the pad and a stable solder joint shape could ensure misalignment less than 1 μm. The Sn-3.0Ag-0.5Cu solder showed a lower die shift value than the Sn-3.5Ag solder because the Sn-3.0Ag-0.5Cu solder has stronger surface tension than the Sn-3.5Ag solder. Using a longer wetting time between the solder and the pad at the peak temperature also improved the die shift value because the increased reaction time changed the interconnected solder shape between the die and substrate from concave to convex, moving the die to a more accurate position. Furthermore, the restoring forces on die self-alignment influenced the die shift value. A stronger solder surface tension and a larger volume of solder on the pad produced stronger restoring forces for die self-alignment, thereby improving the die shift value.

  17. Phase Equilibria of the Sn-Ni-Si Ternary System and Interfacial Reactions in Sn-(Cu)/Ni-Si Couples

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Fang, Gu; Chen, Chih-chi

    2015-07-01

    Interfacial reactions in Sn/Ni-4.5 wt.%Si and Sn-Cu/Ni-4.5 wt.%Si couples at 250°C, and Sn-Ni-Si ternary phase equilibria at 250°C were investigated in this study. Ni-Si alloys, which are nonmagnetic, can be regarded as a diffusion barrier layer material in flip chip packaging. Solder/Ni-4.5 wt.%Si interfacial reactions are crucial to the reliability of soldered joints. Phase equilibria information is essential for development of solder/Ni-Si materials. No ternary compound is present in the Sn-Ni-Si ternary system at 250°C. Extended solubility of Si in the phases Ni3Sn2 and Ni3Sn is 3.8 and 6.1 at.%, respectively. As more Si dissolves in these phases their lattice constants decrease. No noticeable ternary solubility is observed for the other intermetallics. Interfacial reactions in solder/Ni-4.5 wt.%Si are similar to those for solder/Ni. Si does not alter the reaction phases. No Si solubility in the reaction phases was detected, although rates of growth of the reaction phases were reduced. Because the alloy Ni-4.5 wt.%Si reacts more slowly with solders than pure Ni, the Ni-4.5 wt.%Si alloy could be a potential new diffusion barrier layer material for flip chip packaging.

  18. Behavior of stress generated in semiconductor chips with high-temperature joints: Influence of mechanical properties of joint materials

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ito, H.; Kuwahara, M.; Ohta, R.; Usui, M.

    2018-04-01

    High-temperature joint materials are indispensable to realizing next-generation power modules with high-output performance. However, crack initiation resulting from stress concentration in semiconductor chips joined with high-temperature joint materials remains a critical problem in high-temperature operation. Therefore, clarifying the quantitative influence of joint materials on the stress generated in chips is essential. This study investigates the stress behavior of chips joined by Ni-Sn solid-liquid interdiffusion (SLID), which results in a high-temperature joint material likely to generate cracks after joining or when under thermal cycling. The results are compared with those fabricated using three types of solders, Pb-10%Sn, Sn-0.7%Cu, and Sn-10%Sb (mass %), which are conventional joint materials with different melting points and mechanical properties. Using Ni-Sn SLID results in the generation of high compressive stress (500 MPa) without stress relaxation after the joining process in contrast to the case of solders in which the compressive stresses are low (<300 MPa) and decrease to still lower levels (<250 MPa). In addition, no stress relaxation occurs during thermal cycling when using Ni-Sn SLID, whereas stress relaxation is clearly observed during heating to 200 °C using solders. Different stress behaviors between Ni-Sn SLID and other joint materials are illustrated by their mechanical strength and resistance against plastic and creep deformation. These results suggest that stress relaxation in a chip is key in suppressing crack initiation in highly reliable modules during high-temperature operation.

  19. A Probabilistic Approach to Predict Thermal Fatigue Life for Ball Grid Array Solder Joints

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wei, Helin; Wang, Kuisheng

    2011-11-01

    Numerous studies of the reliability of solder joints have been performed. Most life prediction models are limited to a deterministic approach. However, manufacturing induces uncertainty in the geometry parameters of solder joints, and the environmental temperature varies widely due to end-user diversity, creating uncertainties in the reliability of solder joints. In this study, a methodology for accounting for variation in the lifetime prediction for lead-free solder joints of ball grid array packages (PBGA) is demonstrated. The key aspects of the solder joint parameters and the cyclic temperature range related to reliability are involved. Probabilistic solutions of the inelastic strain range and thermal fatigue life based on the Engelmaier model are developed to determine the probability of solder joint failure. The results indicate that the standard deviation increases significantly when more random variations are involved. Using the probabilistic method, the influence of each variable on the thermal fatigue life is quantified. This information can be used to optimize product design and process validation acceptance criteria. The probabilistic approach creates the opportunity to identify the root causes of failed samples from product fatigue tests and field returns. The method can be applied to better understand how variation affects parameters of interest in an electronic package design with area array interconnections.

  20. How Many Peripheral Solder Joints in a Surface Mounted Design Experience Inelastic Strains?

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Suhir, E.; Yi, S.; Ghaffarian, R.

    2017-03-01

    It has been established that it is the peripheral solder joints that are the most vulnerable in the ball-grid-array (BGA) and column-grid-array (CGA) designs and most often fail. As far as the long-term reliability of a soldered microelectronics assembly as a whole is concerned, it makes a difference, if just one or more peripheral joints experience inelastic strains. It is clear that the low cycle fatigue lifetime of the solder system is inversely proportional to the number of joints that simultaneously experience inelastic strains. A simple and physically meaningful analytical expression (formula) is obtained for the prediction, at the design stage, of the number of such joints, if any, for the given effective thermal expansion (contraction) mismatch of the package and PCB; materials and geometrical characteristics of the package/PCB assembly; package size; and, of course, the level of the yield stress in the solder material. The suggested formula can be used to determine if the inelastic strains in the solder material could be avoided by the proper selection of the above characteristics and, if not, how many peripheral joints are expected to simultaneously experience inelastic strains. The general concept is illustrated by a numerical example carried out for a typical BGA package. The suggested analytical model (formula) is applicable to any soldered microelectronics assembly. The roles of other important factors, such as, e.g., solder material anisotropy, grain size, and their random orientation within a joint, are viewed in this analysis as less important factors than the level of the interfacial stress. The roles of these factors will be accounted for in future work and considered, in addition to the location of the joint, in a more complicated, more sophisticated, and more comprehensive reliability/fatigue model.

  1. Synthesis, structure, and bonding in K12Au21Sn4. A polar intermetallic compound with dense Au20 and open AuSn4 layers.

    PubMed

    Li, Bin; Kim, Sung-Jin; Miller, Gordon J; Corbett, John D

    2009-12-07

    The new phase K(12)Au(21)Sn(4) has been synthesized by direct reaction of the elements at elevated temperatures. Single crystal X-ray diffraction established its orthorhombic structure, space group Pmmn (No. 59), a = 12.162(2); b = 18.058(4); c = 8.657(2) A, V = 1901.3(7) A(3), and Z = 2. The structure consists of infinite puckered sheets of vertex-sharing gold tetrahedra (Au(20)) that are tied together by thin layers of alternating four-bonded-Sn and -Au atoms (AuSn(4)). Remarkably, the dense but electron-poorer blocks of Au tetrahedra coexist with more open and saturated Au-Sn layers, which are fragments of a zinc blende type structure that maximize tetrahedral heteroatomic bonding outside of the network of gold tetrahedra. LMTO band structure calculations reveal metallic properties and a pseudogap at 256 valence electrons per formula unit, only three electrons fewer than in the title compound and at a point at which strong Au-Sn bonding is optimized. Additionally, the tight coordination of the Au framework atoms by K plays an important bonding role: each Au tetrahedra has 10 K neighbors and each K atom has 8-12 Au contacts. The appreciably different role of the p element Sn in this structure from that in the triel members in K(3)Au(5)In and Rb(2)Au(3)Tl appears to arise from its higher electron count which leads to better p-bonding (valence electron concentrations = 1.32 versus 1.22).

  2. Thermal fatigue life evaluation of SnAgCu solder joints in a multi-chip power module

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Barbagallo, C.; Malgioglio, G. L.; Petrone, G.; Cammarata, G.

    2017-05-01

    For power devices, the reliability of thermal fatigue induced by thermal cycling has been prioritized as an important concern. The main target of this work is to apply a numerical procedure to assess the fatigue life for lead-free solder joints, that represent, in general, the weakest part of the electronic modules. Starting from a real multi-chip power module, FE-based models were built-up by considering different conditions in model implementation in order to simulate, from one hand, the worst working condition for the module and, from another one, the module standing into a climatic test room performing thermal cycles. Simulations were carried-out both in steady and transient conditions in order to estimate the module thermal maps, the stress-strain distributions, the effective plastic strain distributions and finally to assess the number of cycles to failure of the constitutive solder layers.

  3. Whisker Formation on SAC305 Soldered Assemblies

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Meschter, S.; Snugovsky, P.; Bagheri, Z.; Kosiba, E.; Romansky, M.; Kennedy, J.; Snugovsky, L.; Perovic, D.

    2014-11-01

    This article describes the results of a whisker formation study on SAC305 assemblies, evaluating the effects of lead-frame materials and cleanliness in different environments: low-stress simulated power cycling (50-85°C thermal cycling), thermal shock (-55°C to 85°C), and high temperature/high humidity (85°C/85% RH). Cleaned and contaminated small outline transistors, large leaded quad flat packs (QFP), plastic leaded chip carrier packages, and solder balls with and without rare earth elements (REE) were soldered to custom designed test boards with Sn3Ag0.5Cu (SAC305) solder. After assembly, all the boards were cleaned, and half of them were recontaminated (1.56 µg/cm2 Cl-). Whisker length, diameter, and density were measured. Detailed metallurgical analysis on components before assembly and on solder joints before and after testing was performed. It was found that whiskers grow from solder joint fillets, where the thickness is less than 25 µm, unless REE was present. The influence of lead-frame and solder ball material, microstructure, cleanliness, and environment on whisker characteristics is discussed. This article provides detailed metallurgical observations and select whisker length data obtained during this multiyear testing program.

  4. Understanding the Reliability of Solder Joints Used in Advanced Structural and Electronics Applications: Part 2 - Reliability Performance.

    DOE PAGES

    Vianco, Paul T.

    2017-03-01

    Whether structural or electronic, all solder joints must provide the necessary level of reliability for the application. The Part 1 report examined the effects of filler metal properties and the soldering process on joint reliability. Filler metal solderability and mechanical properties, as well as the extents of base material dissolution and interface reaction that occur during the soldering process, were shown to affect reliability performance. The continuation of this discussion is presented in this Part 2 report, which highlights those factors that directly affect solder joint reliability. There is the growth of an intermetallic compound (IMC) reaction layer at themore » solder/base material interface by means of solid-state diffusion processes. In terms of mechanical response by the solder joint, fatigue remains as the foremost concern for long-term performance. Thermal mechanical fatigue (TMF), a form of low-cycle fatigue (LCF), occurs when temperature cycling is combined with mismatched values of the coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) between materials comprising the solder joint “system.” Vibration environments give rise to high-cycle fatigue (HCF) degradation. Although accelerated aging studies provide valuable empirical data, too many variants of filler metals, base materials, joint geometries, and service environments are forcing design engineers to embrace computational modeling to predict the long-term reliability of solder joints.« less

  5. Miniaturization of Micro-Solder Bumps and Effect of IMC on Stress Distribution

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Choudhury, Soud Farhan; Ladani, Leila

    2016-07-01

    As the joints become smaller in more advanced packages and devices, intermetallic (IMCs) volume ratio increases, which significantly impacts the overall mechanical behavior of joints. The existence of only a few grains of Sn (Tin) and IMC materials results in anisotropic elastic and plastic behavior which is not detectable using conventional finite element (FE) simulation with average properties for polycrystalline material. In this study, crystal plasticity finite element (CPFE) simulation is used to model the whole joint including copper, Sn solder and Cu6Sn5 IMC material. Experimental lap-shear test results for solder joints from the literature were used to validate the models. A comparative analysis between traditional FE, CPFE and experiments was conducted. The CPFE model was able to correlate the experiments more closely compared to traditional FE analysis because of its ability to capture micro-mechanical anisotropic behavior. Further analysis was conducted to evaluate the effect of IMC thickness on stress distribution in micro-bumps using a systematic numerical experiment with IMC thickness ranging from 0% to 80%. The analysis was conducted on micro-bumps with single crystal Sn and bicrystal Sn. The overall stress distribution and shear deformation changes as the IMC thickness increases. The model with higher IMC thickness shows a stiffer shear response, and provides a higher shear yield strength.

  6. Reduced impedance and superconductivity of SnAgCu solder alloy at high frequency

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yao, Wei; Basaran, Cemal

    2012-10-01

    Skin effect of lead-free solder joints is investigated over a wide frequency band. Contrary to common believe that `effective impedance of solder alloys increases with frequency', resistance tends to saturate when frequency reaches a critical value, 10 MHz for SAC solder alloys. Negative surface impedance growth rate is observed when employs square waveform AC current loading at high current density. Further increased frequency causes a dramatic reduction of effective resistance. At 11 MHz with current density of 106 A/cm2, effective resistance of solder alloy drops to near zero value.

  7. Ab initio surface properties of Ag-Sn alloys: implications for lead-free soldering.

    PubMed

    Saleh, Gabriele; Xu, Chen; Sanvito, Stefano

    2018-02-07

    Ag and Sn are the major components of solder alloys adopted to assemble printed circuit boards. The qualities that make them the alloys of choice for the modern electronic industry are related to their physical and chemical properties. For corrosion resistance and solderability, surface properties are particularly important. Yet, atomic-level information about the surfaces of these alloys is not known. Here we fill this gap by presenting an extensive ab initio investigation of composition, energetics, structure and reactivity of Ag-Sn alloy surfaces. The structure and stability of various surfaces is evaluated, and the main factors determining the energetics of surface formation are uncovered. Oxygen and sulphur chemisorptions are studied and discussed in the framework of corrosion tendency, an important issue for printed circuit boards. Adsorption energy trends are rationalized based on the analysis of structural and electronic features.

  8. The Effect of Bi Contamination on the Solidification Behavior of Sn-Pb Solders

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Moon, Kil-Won; Kattner, Ursula R.; Handwerker, Carol A.

    2007-06-01

    This paper presents experimental results and theoretical calculations that evaluate the effects of Bi contamination on the solidification behavior of Sn-Pb alloys. The pasty (mushy) range, the type of solidification path, and the microstructure of the solidified alloys are described. The experimental results are obtained from thermal analysis and metallography, and the solidification calculations are performed using the lever rule and Scheil assumptions. The experimental results show that the solidification behavior of the contaminated solder at cooling rates of 5°C/min and 23°C/min is closer to the predictions of the lever rule calculations than those of the Scheil calculations. Although the freezing range of Bi-contaminated Sn-Pb solders is increased, formation of a ternary eutectic reaction at 95°C is not observed for contamination levels below the Bi mass fraction of 6%.

  9. NTF: Soldering Technology Development for Cryogenics

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Hall, E. T., Jr.

    1985-01-01

    The advent of the National Transonic Facility (NTF) brought about a new application for an old joining method, soldering. Soldering for use at cryogenic temperatures requires that solders remain ductile and free from tin-pest (grey tin), have toughness to withstand aerodynamic loads associated with flight research, and maintain their surface finishes. Solders are used to attach 347 Stainless-Steel tubing in surface grooves of models. The solder must fill up the gap and metallurgically bound to the tubing and model. Cryogenic temperatures require that only specific materials for models can be used, including: Vasco Max 200 CVM, lescalloy A-286 Vac Arc, pH 13-8 Mo. Solders identified for testing at this time are: 50% Sn - 49.5% Pb - 0.5% Sb, 95% Sn - 5% Sb, 50% In 50% Pb, and 37.5% Sn - 37.5% Pb - 25% In. With these materials and solders, it is necessary to determine their solderability. After solderability is determined, tube/groove specimens are fabricated and stressed under cryogenic temperatures. Compatible solders are then used for acutual models.

  10. Thermomechanical fatigue life prediction for several solders

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wen, Shengmin

    Since solder connections operate at high homologous temperature, solders are high temperature materials. This feature makes their mechanical behavior and fatigue phenomena unique. Based on experimental findings, a physical damage mechanism is introduced for solders. The mechanism views the damage process as a series of independent local damage events characterized by the failure of individual grains, while the structural damage is the eventual percolation result of such local events. Fine's dislocation energy density concept and Mura's microcrack initiation theory are adopted to derive the fatigue formula for an individual grain. A physical damage metric is introduced to describe the material with damage. A unified creep and plasticity constitutive model is adopted to simulate the mechanical behavior of solders. The model is cast into a continuum damage mechanics framework to simulate material with damage. The model gives good agreement with the experimental results of 96.5Pb-3.5Sn and 96.5Sn-3.5Ag solders under uniaxial strain-controlled cyclic loading. The model is convenient for implementation into commercial computational packages. Also presented is a fatigue theory with its failure criterion for solders based on physical damage mechanism. By introducing grain orientation into the fatigue formula, an m-N curve (m is Schmid factor) at constant loading condition is suggested for fatigue of grains with different orientations. A solder structure is defined as fatigued when the damage metric reaches a critical threshold, since at this threshold the failed grains may form a cluster and percolate through the structure according to percolation theory. Fatigue data of 96.5Pb-3.5Sn solder bulk specimens under various uniaxial tension tests were analyzed. Results show that the theory gives consistent predictions under broad conditions, while inelastic strain theory does not. The theory is anisotropic with no size limitation to its application, which could be suitable for

  11. Imaging and Analysis of Void-defects in Solder Joints Formed in Reduced Gravity using High-Resolution Computed Tomography

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Easton, John W.; Struk, Peter M.; Rotella, Anthony

    2008-01-01

    As a part of efforts to develop an electronics repair capability for long duration space missions, techniques and materials for soldering components on a circuit board in reduced gravity must be developed. This paper presents results from testing solder joint formation in low gravity on a NASA Reduced Gravity Research Aircraft. The results presented include joints formed using eutectic tin-lead solder and one of the following fluxes: (1) a no-clean flux core, (2) a rosin flux core, and (3) a solid solder wire with external liquid no-clean flux. The solder joints are analyzed with a computed tomography (CT) technique which imaged the interior of the entire solder joint. This replaced an earlier technique that required the solder joint to be destructively ground down revealing a single plane which was subsequently analyzed. The CT analysis technique is described and results presented with implications for future testing as well as implications for the overall electronics repair effort discussed.

  12. The Mechanical and Microstructural Changes of Sn-Ag-Bi Solders with Cooling Rate and Bi Content Variations

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Abd El-Rehim, A. F.; Zahran, H. Y.; AlFaify, S.

    2018-02-01

    The purpose of this study is to investigate the influence of cooling rate and Bi addition on the microstructure evolution and mechanical properties of Sn-3.5Ag alloy. A series of Sn-3.5Ag-xBi solders has been fabricated with Bi content in the range of 0.5-3.5 wt.%. After solution heat treatment at 170 °C for 24 h and subsequent aging heat treatment at 100 °C for 2 h, samples were divided into two groups. One group was rapidly quenched into iced water (water quenching) for the fast cooling rate (20 °C/s), while the second group was slowly cooled (furnace cooling) in the furnace for the slow cooling rate (0.2 °C/s) after the furnace reflow. The microstructural evolutions of the present solders have been investigated using x-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy. The microhardness was measured to correlate the mechanical properties to alloy compositions and cooling rate. It was found that the microhardness of Sn-3.5Ag-xBi solders increased with increasing cooling rate. The indentation creep curves have been evaluated from the obtained microhardness values. Results revealed the steady-state creep rate decreased with increasing Bi content exhibiting an anomalous behavior at 2.5Bi. The reason for improved creep resistance of Sn-3.5Ag-xBi solders is the result of the combination of the solid solution strengthening and precipitation strengthening of Bi. The mean values of stress exponent indicated that the operative creep mechanism is dislocation climb.

  13. Development of Stable, Low Resistance Solder Joints for a Space-Flight HTS Lead Assemblies

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Canavan, Edgar R.; Chiao, Meng; Panashchenko, Lyudmyla; Sampson, Michael

    2017-01-01

    The solder joints in spaceflight high temperature superconductor (HTS) lead assemblies for certain astrophysics missions have strict constraints on size and power dissipation. In addition, the joints must tolerate years of storage at room temperature, many thermal cycles, and several vibration tests between their manufacture and their final operation on orbit. As reported previously, solder joints between REBCO coated conductors and normal metal traces for the Astro-H mission showed low temperature joint resistance that grew approximately as log time over the course of months. Although the assemblies worked without issue in orbit, for the upcoming X-ray Astrophysics Recovery Mission we are attempting to improve our solder process to give lower, more stable, and more consistent joint resistance. We produce numerous sample joints and measure time- and thermal cycle-dependent resistance, and characterize the joints using x-ray and other analysis tools. For a subset of the joints, we use SEMEDS to try to understand the physical and chemical processes that effect joint behavior.

  14. The Effect of Gap Angle on Tensile Strength of Preceramic Base Metal Solder Joints.

    PubMed

    Fattahi, Farnaz; Hashemi Ardakani, Zahra; Hashemi Ardakani, Maryam

    2015-12-01

    Soldering is a process commonly used in fabricating dental prosthesis. Since most soldered prosthesis fail at the solder joints; the joint strength is of utmost importance. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of gap angle on the tensile strength of base metal solder joints. A total number of 40 Ni-Cr samples were fabricated according to ADA/ISO 9693 specifications for tensile test. Samples were cut at the midpoint of the bar, and were placed at the considered angles by employing an explicitly designed device. They were divided into 4 groups regarding the gap angle; Group C (control group) with parallel gap on steady distance of 0.2mm, Group 1: 10°, Group 2: 20°, and Group3: 30° gap angles. When soldered, the specimens were all tested for tensile strength using a universal testing machine at a cross-head speed of 0.5 mm/min with a preload of 10N. Kruskal-Wallis H test was used to compare tensile strength among the groups (p< 0.05). The mean tensile strength values obtained from the study groups were respectively 307.84, 391.50, 365.18, and 368.86 MPa. The tensile strength was not statistically different among the four groups in general (p≤ 0.490). Making the gap angular at the solder joints and the subsequent unsteady increase of the gap distance would not change the tensile strength of the joint.

  15. Thermal Cycling Fatigue in DIPs Mounted with Eutectic Tin-Lead Solder Joints in Stub and Gullwing Geometries

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Winslow, J. W.; Silveira, C. de

    1993-01-01

    It has long been known that solder joints under mechanical stress are subject to failure. In early electronic systems, such failures were avoided primarily by avoiding the use of solder as a mechanical structural component. The rule was first to make sound wire connections that did not depend mechanically on solder, and only then to solder them. Careful design and miniaturization in modern electronic systems limits the mechanical stresses exerted on solder joints to values less than their yield points, and these joints have become integral parts of the mechanical structures. Unfortunately, while these joints are strong enough when new, they have proven vulnerable to fatigue failures as they age. Details of the fatigue process are poorly understood, making predictions of expected lifetimes difficult.

  16. Kinetics of Isothermal Reactive Diffusion Between Solid Cu and Liquid Sn

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    O, M.; Suzuki, T.; Kajihara, M.

    2018-01-01

    The Cu/Sn system is one of the most fundamental and important metallic systems for solder joints in electric devices. To realize reliable solder joints, information on reactive diffusion at the solder joint is very important. In the present study, we experimentally investigated the kinetics of the reactive diffusion between solid Cu and liquid Sn using semi-infinite Cu/Sn diffusion couples prepared by an isothermal bonding technique. Isothermal annealing of the diffusion couple was conducted in the temperature range of 533-603 K for various times up to 172.8 ks (48 h). Using annealing, an intermetallic layer composed of Cu6Sn5 with scallop morphology and Cu3Sn with rather uniform thickness is formed at the original Cu/Sn interface in the diffusion couple. The growth of the Cu6Sn5 scallop occurs much more quickly than that of the Cu3Sn layer and thus predominates in the overall growth of the intermetallic layer. This tendency becomes more remarkable at lower annealing temperatures. The total thickness of the intermetallic layer is proportional to a power function of the annealing time, and the exponent of the power function is close to unity at all the annealing temperatures. This means that volume diffusion controls the intermetallic growth and the morphology of the Cu6Sn5/Sn interface influences the rate-controlling process. Adopting a mean value of 0.99 for the exponent, we obtain a value of 26 kJ/mol for the activation enthalpy of the intermetallic growth.

  17. Climate specific thermomechanical fatigue of flat plate photovoltaic module solder joints

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Bosco, Nick; Silverman, Timothy J.; Kurtz, Sarah

    FEM simulations of PbSn solder fatigue damage are used to evaluate seven cities that represent a variety of climatic zones. It is shown that the rate of solder fatigue damage is not ranked with the cities' climate designations. For an accurate ranking, the mean maximum daily temperature, daily temperature change and a characteristic of clouding events are all required. A physics-based empirical equation is presented that accurately calculates solder fatigue damage according to these three factors. An FEM comparison of solder damage accumulated through service and thermal cycling demonstrates the number of cycles required for an equivalent exposure. For anmore » equivalent 25-year exposure, the number of thermal cycles (-40 degrees C to 85 degrees C) required ranged from roughly 100 to 630 for the cities examined. It is demonstrated that increasing the maximum cycle temperature may significantly reduce the number of thermal cycles required for an equivalent exposure.« less

  18. Effect of gap distance on tensile strength of preceramic base metal solder joints.

    PubMed

    Fattahi, Farnaz; Motamedi, Milad

    2011-01-01

    In order to fabricate prostheses with high accuracy and durability, soldering techniques have been introduced to clinical dentistry. However, these prostheses always fail at their solder joints. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of gap distance on the tensile strength of base metal solder joints. Based on ADA/ISO 9693 specifications for tensile test, 40 specimens were fabricated from a Ni-Cr alloy and cut at the midpoint of 3-mm diameter bar and placed at desired positions by a specially designed device. The specimens were divided into four groups of 10 samples according to the desired solder gap distance: Group1: 0.1mm; Group2: 0.25mm; Group3: 0.5mm; and Group4: 0.75mm. After soldering, specimens were tested for tensile strength by a universal testing machine at a cross-head speed of 0.5mm/min with a preload of 10N. The mean tensile strength values of the groups were 162, 307.8, 206.1 and 336.7 MPa, respectively. The group with 0.75-mm gap had the highest and the group with 0.1-mm gap had the lowest tensile strength. Bonferroni test showed that Group1 and Group4 had statistically different values (P=0.023), but the differences between other groups were not sig-nificant at a significance level of 0.05. There was no direct relationship between increasing soldering gap distance and tensile strength of the solder joints.

  19. Effect of Grain Boundary Misorientation on Electromigration in Lead-Free Solder Joints

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tasooji, Amaneh; Lara, Leticia; Lee, Kyuoh

    2014-12-01

    Reduction in microelectronic interconnect size gives rise to solder bumps consisting of few grains, approaching a single- or bicrystal grain morphology in C4 bumps. Single grain anisotropy, individual grain orientation, presence of easy diffusion paths along grain boundaries, and the increased current density in these small solder bumps aggravate electromigration. This reduces the reliability of the entire microelectronic system. This paper focuses on electromigration behavior in Pb-free solder, specifically the Sn-0.7 wt.%Cu alloy. We discuss the effects of texture, grain orientation, and grain boundary misorientation angle on electromigration (EM) and intermetallic compound formation in EM-tested C4 bumps. The detailed electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) analysis used in this study reveals the greater influence of grain boundary misorientation on solder bump electromigration compared with the effect associated with individual grain orientation.

  20. Assessment of Solder Joint Fatigue Life Under Realistic Service Conditions

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hamasha, Sa'd.; Jaradat, Younis; Qasaimeh, Awni; Obaidat, Mazin; Borgesen, Peter

    2014-12-01

    The behavior of lead-free solder alloys under complex loading scenarios is still not well understood. Common damage accumulation rules fail to account for strong effects of variations in cycling amplitude, and random vibration test results cannot be interpreted in terms of performance under realistic service conditions. This is a result of the effects of cycling parameters on materials properties. These effects are not yet fully understood or quantitatively predictable, preventing modeling based on parameters such as strain, work, or entropy. Depending on the actual spectrum of amplitudes, Miner's rule of linear damage accumulation has been shown to overestimate life by more than an order of magnitude, and greater errors are predicted for other combinations. Consequences may be particularly critical for so-called environmental stress screening. Damage accumulation has, however, been shown to scale with the inelastic work done, even if amplitudes vary. This and the observation of effects of loading history on subsequent work per cycle provide for a modified damage accumulation rule which allows for the prediction of life. Individual joints of four different Sn-Ag-Cu-based solder alloys (SAC305, SAC105, SAC-Ni, and SACXplus) were cycled in shear at room temperature, alternating between two different amplitudes while monitoring the evolution of the effective stiffness and work per cycle. This helped elucidate general trends and behaviors that are expected to occur in vibrations of microelectronics assemblies. Deviations from Miner's rule varied systematically with the combination of amplitudes, the sequences of cycles, and the strain rates in each. The severity of deviations also varied systematically with Ag content in the solder, but major effects were observed for all the alloys. A systematic analysis was conducted to assess whether scenarios might exist in which the more fatigue-resistant high-Ag alloys would fail sooner than the lower-Ag ones.

  1. Effects of Surface Finishes and Current Stressing on Interfacial Reaction Characteristics of Sn-3.0Ag-0.5Cu Solder Bumps

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kim, Jae-Myeong; Jeong, Myeong-Hyeok; Yoo, Sehoon; Park, Young-Bae

    2012-04-01

    The effects of surface finishes on the in situ interfacial reaction characteristics of ball grid array (BGA) Sn-3.0Ag-0.5Cu lead-free solder bumps were investigated under annealing and electromigration (EM) test conditions of 130°C to 175°C with 5.0 × 103 A/cm2. During reflow and annealing, (Cu,Ni)6Sn5 intermetallic compound (IMC) formed at the interface of electroless nickel immersion gold (ENIG) finish. In the case of both immersion Sn and organic solderability preservative (OSP) finishes, Cu6Sn5 and Cu3Sn IMCs formed. Overall, the IMC growth velocity of ENIG was much lower than that of the other finishes. The activation energies of total IMCs were found to be 0.52 eV for ENIG, 0.78 eV for immersion Sn, and 0.72 eV for OSP. The ENIG finish appeared to present an effective diffusion barrier between the Cu substrate and the solder, which leads to better EM reliability in comparison with Cu-based pad systems. The failure mechanisms were explored in detail via in situ EM tests.

  2. The Effects of Antimony Addition on the Microstructural, Mechanical, and Thermal Properties of Sn-3.0Ag-0.5Cu Solder Alloy

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sungkhaphaitoon, Phairote; Plookphol, Thawatchai

    2018-02-01

    In this study, we investigated the effects produced by the addition of antimony (Sb) to Sn-3.0Ag-0.5Cu-based solder alloys. Our focus was the alloys' microstructural, mechanical, and thermal properties. We evaluated the effects by means of scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and a universal testing machine (UTM). The results showed that a part of the Sb was dissolved in the Sn matrix phase, and the remaining one participated in the formation of intermetallic compounds (IMCs) of Ag3(Sn,Sb) and Cu6(Sn,Sb)5. In the alloy containing the highest wt pct Sb, the added component resulted in the formation of SnSb compound and small particle pinning of Ag3(Sn,Sb) along the grain boundary of the IMCs. Our tests of the Sn-3.0Ag-0.5Cu solder alloys' mechanical properties showed that the effects produced by the addition of Sb varied as a function of the wt pct Sb content. The ultimate tensile strength (UTS) increased from 29.21 to a maximum value of 40.44 MPa, but the pct elongation (pct EL) decreased from 48.0 to a minimum 25.43 pct. Principally, the alloys containing Sb had higher UTS and lower pct EL than Sb-free solder alloys due to the strengthening effects of solid solution and second-phase dispersion. Thermal analysis showed that the alloys containing Sb had a slightly higher melting point and that the addition amount ranging from 0.5 to 3.0 wt pct Sb did not significantly change the solidus and liquidus temperatures compared with the Sb-free solder alloys. Thus, the optimal concentration of Sb in the alloys was 3.0 wt pct because the microstructure and the ultimate tensile strength of the SAC305 solder alloys were improved.

  3. The Effect of Gap Angle on Tensile Strength of Preceramic Base Metal Solder Joints

    PubMed Central

    Fattahi, Farnaz; Hashemi Ardakani, Zahra; Hashemi Ardakani, Maryam

    2015-01-01

    Statement of the Problem Soldering is a process commonly used in fabricating dental prosthesis. Since most soldered prosthesis fail at the solder joints; the joint strength is of utmost importance. Purpose The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of gap angle on the tensile strength of base metal solder joints. Materials and Method A total number of 40 Ni-Cr samples were fabricated according to ADA/ISO 9693 specifications for tensile test. Samples were cut at the midpoint of the bar, and were placed at the considered angles by employing an explicitly designed device. They were divided into 4 groups regarding the gap angle; Group C (control group) with parallel gap on steady distance of 0.2mm, Group 1: 10°, Group 2: 20°, and Group3: 30° gap angles. When soldered, the specimens were all tested for tensile strength using a universal testing machine at a cross-head speed of 0.5 mm/min with a preload of 10N. Kruskal-Wallis H test was used to compare tensile strength among the groups (p< 0.05). Results The mean tensile strength values obtained from the study groups were respectively 307.84, 391.50, 365.18, and 368.86 MPa. The tensile strength was not statistically different among the four groups in general (p≤ 0.490). Conclusion Making the gap angular at the solder joints and the subsequent unsteady increase of the gap distance would not change the tensile strength of the joint. PMID:26636118

  4. The effect of micro alloying on the microstructure evolution of Sn-Ag-Cu lead-free solder

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Werden, Jesse

    The microelectronics industry is required to obtain alternative Pb-free soldering materials due to legal, environmental, and technological factors. As a joining material, solder provides an electrical and mechanical support in electronic assemblies and therefore, the properties of the solder are crucial to the durability and reliability of the solder joint and the function of the electronic device. One major concern with new Pb-free alternatives is that the microstructure is prone to microstructural coarsening over time which leads to inconsistent properties over the device's lifetime. Power aging the solder is a common method of stabilizing the microstructure for Pb-based alloys, however, it is unclear if this will be an appropriate solution to the microstructural coarsening of Pb-free solders. The goal of this work is to develop a better understanding of the coarsening process in new solder alloys and to suggest methods of stabilizing the solder microstructure. Microalloying is one potential solution to the microstructural coarsening problem. This experiment consists of a microstructural coarsening study of SAC305 in which each sample has been alloyed with one of three different solutes, directionally solidified at 100microm/s, and then aged at three different temperatures over a total period of 20 days. There are several important conclusions from this experiment. First, the coarsening kinetics of the intermetallics in the ternary eutectic follow the Ostwald ripening model where r3 in proprotional to t for each alloying constituent. Second, the activation energy for coarsening was found to be 68.1+/-10.3 kJ/mol for the SAC305 samples, Zn had the most significant increase in the activation energy increasing it to 88.8+/-34.9 kJ/mol for the SAC+Zn samples, Mn also increased the activation energy to 83.2+/-20.8 kJ/mol for the SAC+Mn samples, and Sb decreased the activation energy to 48.0+/-3.59 kJ/mol for the SAC+Sb samples. Finally, it was found that the

  5. Automated inspection of solder joints for surface mount technology

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Savage, Robert M.; Park, Hyun Soo; Fan, Mark S.

    1993-01-01

    Researchers at NASA/GSFC evaluated various automated inspection systems (AIS) technologies using test boards with known defects in surface mount solder joints. These boards were complex and included almost every type of surface mount device typical of critical assemblies used for space flight applications: X-ray radiography; X-ray laminography; Ultrasonic Imaging; Optical Imaging; Laser Imaging; and Infrared Inspection. Vendors, representative of the different technologies, inspected the test boards with their particular machine. The results of the evaluation showed limitations of AIS. Furthermore, none of the AIS technologies evaluated proved to meet all of the inspection criteria for use in high-reliability applications. It was found that certain inspection systems could supplement but not replace manual inspection for low-volume, high-reliability, surface mount solder joints.

  6. Interfacial Reaction and IMC Growth of an Ultrasonically Soldered Cu/SAC305/Cu Structure during Isothermal Aging

    PubMed Central

    Long, Weifeng; Hu, Xiaowu; Fu, Yanshu

    2018-01-01

    In order to accelerate the growth of interfacial intermetallic compound (IMC) layers in a soldering structure, Cu/SAC305/Cu was first ultrasonically spot soldered and then subjected to isothermal aging. Relatively short vibration times, i.e., 400 ms and 800 ms, were used for the ultrasonic soldering. The isothermal aging was conducted at 150 °C for 0, 120, 240, and 360 h. The evolution of microstructure, the IMC layer growth mechanism during aging, and the shear strength of the joints after aging were systemically investigated. Results showed the following. (i) Formation of intermetallic compounds was accelerated by ultrasonic cavitation and streaming effects, the thickness of the interfacial Cu6Sn5 layer increased with aging time, and a thin Cu3Sn layer was identified after aging for 360 h. (ii) The growth of the interfacial IMC layer of the ultrasonically soldered Cu/SAC305/Cu joints followed a linear function of the square root of the aging time, revealing a diffusion-controlled mechanism. (iii) The tensile shear strength of the joint decreased to a small extent with increasing aging time, owing to the combined effects of IMC grain coarsening and the increase of the interfacial IMC. (iv) Finally, although the fracture surfaces and failure locations of the joint soldered with 400 ms and 800 ms vibration times show similar characteristics, they are influenced by the aging time. PMID:29316625

  7. Effect of Ni addition to the Cu substrate on the interfacial reaction and IMC growth with Sn3.0Ag0.5Cu solder

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhang, Xudong; Hu, Xiaowu; Jiang, Xiongxin; Li, Yulong

    2018-04-01

    The formation and growth of intermetallic compound (IMC) layer at the interface between Sn3.0Ag0.5Cu (SAC305) solder and Cu- xNi ( x = 0, 0.5, 1.5, 5, 10 wt%) substrate during reflowing and aging were investigated. The soldering was conducted at 270 °C using reflowing method, following by aging treatment at 150 °C for up to 360 h. The experimental results indicated that the total thickness of IMC increased with increasing aging time. The scallop-like Cu6Sn5 and planar-like Cu3Sn IMC layer were observed between SAC305 solder and purely Cu substrate. As the content of Ni element in Cu substrate was 0.5% or 1.5%, the scallop-like Cu6Sn5 and planar-like Cu3Sn IMC layer were still found between solder and Cu-Ni substrate and the total thickness of IMC layer decreased with the increasing Ni content. Besides, when the Ni content was up to 5%, the long prismatic (Cu,Ni)6Sn5 phase was the only product between solder and substrate and the total thickness of IMC layer increased significantly. Interestingly, the total thickness of IMC decreased slightly as the Ni addition was up to 10%. In the end, the grains of interfacial IMC layer became coarser with aging time increasing while the addition of Ni in Cu substrate could refine IMC grains.

  8. Crystallographic Orientation Effect on Electromigration in Ni-Sn Microbump

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Huang, Yi-Ting; Chen, Chih-Hao; Chakroborty, Subhendu; Wu, Albert T.

    2017-09-01

    This article addresses the reliability challenges regarding electromigration in developing three-dimensional integrated circuits (3D-ICs). The line-type sandwich structure of Ni/Sn3.5Ag(15 μm)/Ni was used to simulate microbumps to examine the reliability of electromigration in 3D-IC technology. The solder strip of Ni/Sn3.5Ag(15 μm)/Ni was stressed with a current density of 1.0 × 104 A/cm2 at 150°C. The current stressing enhanced the reaction between the solder and Ni to form Ni3Sn4, which occupied the entire joint and transformed into a Ni/Ni3Sn4/Ni structure when the solder was completely consumed. Electron backscatter diffraction was used to analyze the crystallographic characteristics of Sn and Ni3Sn4 as related to the electromigration effect. The results indicated that the crystallographic orientation of Sn plays a significant role in the Ni/Sn3.5Ag/Ni, whereas the orientation of Ni3Sn4 is the dominant factor of diffusion behavior in the Ni/Ni3Sn4/Ni.

  9. Effect of Gap Distance on Tensile Strength of Preceramic Base Metal Solder Joints

    PubMed Central

    Fattahi, Farnaz; Motamedi, Milad

    2011-01-01

    Background and aims In order to fabricate prostheses with high accuracy and durability, soldering techniques have been introduced to clinical dentistry. However, these prostheses always fail at their solder joints. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of gap distance on the tensile strength of base metal solder joints. Materials and methods Based on ADA/ISO 9693 specifications for tensile test, 40 specimens were fabricated from a Ni-Cr alloy and cut at the midpoint of 3-mm diameter bar and placed at desired positions by a specially designed device. The specimens were divided into four groups of 10 samples according to the desired solder gap distance: Group1: 0.1mm; Group2: 0.25mm; Group3: 0.5mm; and Group4: 0.75mm. After soldering, specimens were tested for tensile strength by a universal testing machine at a cross-head speed of 0.5mm/min with a preload of 10N. Results The mean tensile strength values of the groups were 162, 307.8, 206.1 and 336.7 MPa, respectively. The group with 0.75-mm gap had the highest and the group with 0.1-mm gap had the lowest tensile strength. Bonferroni test showed that Group1 and Group4 had statistically different values (P=0.023), but the differences between other groups were not sig-nificant at a significance level of 0.05. Conclusion There was no direct relationship between increasing soldering gap distance and tensile strength of the solder joints. PMID:22991610

  10. Processing and Characterization of NiTi Shape Memory Alloy Particle Reinforced Sn-In Solders

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2006-12-01

    solders generally operate at a high homologous temperature. Thermally induced grain growth, mechanical stress-induced grain growth and recrystallization ...the number of I/O connects available for flip chip as compared to the wirebond chip For interconnection and packaging, Pb-Sn and eutectic 63Sn...lower melting point is desired. The maximum use temperature for this alloy is around 120°C due to the fact that the eutectic reaction happened at

  11. Microstructural evolution of SiC joints soldered using Zn-Al filler metals with the assistance of ultrasound.

    PubMed

    Wu, Bingzhi; Leng, Xuesong; Xiu, Ziyang; Yan, Jiuchun

    2018-06-01

    SiC ceramics were successfully soldered with the assistance of ultrasound. Two kinds of filler metals, namely non-eutectic Zn-5Al-3Cu and eutectic Zn-5Al alloys, were used. The effects of ultrasonic action on the microstructure and mechanical properties of the soldered joints were investigated. The results showed that ultrasound could promote the wetting and bonding between the SiC ceramic and filler metals within tens of seconds. For the Zn-5Al-3Cu solder, a fully grain-refined structure in the bond layer was obtained as the ultrasonic action time increased. This may lead to a substantial enhancement in the strength of the soldered joints. For the Zn-5Al solder, the shear strength of the soldered joints was only ∼102 MPa when the ultrasonic action time was shorter, and fractures occurred in the brittle lamellar eutectic phases in the center of the bond layer. With increasing ultrasonic action time, the lamellar eutectic phase in the bond layer of SiC joints could be completely transformed to a fine non-lamellar eutectic structure. Meanwhile, the grains in the bond layer were obviously refined. Those results led to the remarkable enhancement of the shear strength of the joints (∼138 MPa) using the Zn-5Al solder, which had approached that enhancement using the Zn-5Al-3Cu solder. The enhanced mechanical properties of the joints were attributed to the significant refinement of the grains and the change in the eutectic structure in the bond layer. Prolonged enhanced heterogeneous nucleation triggered by ultrasonic cavitation is the predominant refinement mechanism of the bond metals of the SiC joints. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  12. Copper/solder intermetallic growth studies.

    PubMed

    Kirchner, K W; Lucey, G K; Geis, J

    1993-08-01

    Copper samples, hot solder (eutectic) dipped and thermally aged, were cross-sectioned and placed in an environmental scanning electronic microscope (ESEM). While in the ESEM the samples were heated for approximately 2.5 h at 170 degrees C to stimulate the growth of additional Cu/Sn intermetallic compound. The intent of the study was to obtain a continuous real-time videotape record of the diffusion process and compare the observations to static SEM images reported to represent long-term, naturally aged intermetallic growth. The video obtained allows the observation of the diffusion process and relativistic growth phenomena at the Cu, Cu3Sn, Cu6Sn5, and solder interfaces as well as effects on the bulk Cu and solder. Effects contrary to earlier reports were observed; for example, growth rates of Cu3Sn were found to greatly exceed those of Cu6Sn5.

  13. Mechanical Properties and Microstructure Investigation of Lead Free Solder

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Wang, Qing; Gail, William F.; Johnson, R. Wayne; Strickland, Mark; Blanche, Jim

    2005-01-01

    While the electronics industry appears to be focusing on Sn-Ag-Cu as the alloy of choice for lead free electronics assembly, ,the exact composition varies by geographic region, supplier and user. Add to that dissolved copper and silver from the printed circuit board traces and surface finish, and there can be significant variation in the final solder joint composition. A systematic study of the mechanical and microstructural properties of Sn-Ag-Cu alloys with Ag varying from 2wt% to 4wt% and Cu varying from 0.5wt% to lSwt%, was undertaken in this research study. Different sample preparation techniques (water quenched, oil quenched and water quenched followed by reflow) were explored and the resulting microstructure compared to that of a typical reflowed lead free chip scale package (CSP) solder joint. Tensile properties (modulus, 0.2% yield strength and the ultimate tensile strength) and creep behavior of selected alloy compositions (Sn-4Ag-1 X u , Sn-4Ag-OSCu, Sn- 2Ag-1 X u , Sn-2Ag-OSCu, Sn-3.5Ag-O.SCu) were determined for three conditions: as- cast; aged for 100 hours at 125OC; and aged for 250 hours at 125OC. There was no significant difference in Young's Modulus as a function of alloy composition. After an initial decrease in modulus after 100 hours at 125"C, there was an insignificant change with further aging. The distribution of 0.2% strain yield stress and ultimate tensile strength as a function of alloy composition was more significant and decreased with aging time and temperature. The microstructures of these alloys were examined using light and scanning electron microscopy (LM and SEM) respectively and SEM based energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (EDS). Fracture surface and cross-section analysis were performed on the specimens after creep testing. The creep testing results and the effect of high temperature aging on mechanical properties is presented for the oil quenched samples. In general the microstructure of oil quenched specimen exhibited a

  14. Reassessment of Atomic Mobilities in fcc Cu-Ag-Sn System Aiming at Establishment of an Atomic Mobility Database in Sn-Ag-Cu-In-Sb-Bi-Pb Solder Alloys

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Xu, Huixia; Zhang, Lijun; Cheng, Kaiming; Chen, Weimin; Du, Yong

    2017-04-01

    To establish an accurate atomic mobility database in solder alloys, a reassessment of atomic mobilities in the fcc (face centered cubic) Cu-Ag-Sn system was performed as reported in the present work. The work entailed initial preparation of three fcc Cu-Sn diffusion couples, which were used to determine the composition-dependent interdiffusivities at 873 K, 923 K, and 973 K, to validate the literature data and provide new experimental data at low temperatures. Then, atomic mobilities in three boundary binaries, fcc Cu-Sn, fcc Ag-Sn, and fcc Cu-Ag, were updated based on the data for various experimental diffusivities obtained from the literature and the present work, together with the available thermodynamic database for solder alloys. Finally, based on the large number of interdiffusivities recently measured from the present authors, atomic mobilities in the fcc Cu-Ag-Sn ternary system were carefully evaluated. A comprehensive comparison between various calculated/model-predicted diffusion properties and the experimental data was used to validate the reliability of the obtained atomic mobilities in ternary fcc Cu-Ag-Sn alloys.

  15. Selection of test paths for solder joint intermittent connection faults under DC stimulus

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Huakang, Li; Kehong, Lv; Jing, Qiu; Guanjun, Liu; Bailiang, Chen

    2018-06-01

    The test path of solder joint intermittent connection faults under direct-current stimulus is examined in this paper. According to the physical structure of the circuit, a network model is established first. A network node is utilised to represent the test node. The path edge refers to the number of intermittent connection faults in the path. Then, the selection criteria of the test path based on the node degree index are proposed and the solder joint intermittent connection faults are covered using fewer test paths. Finally, three circuits are selected to verify the method. To test if the intermittent fault is covered by the test paths, the intermittent fault is simulated by a switch. The results show that the proposed method can detect the solder joint intermittent connection fault using fewer test paths. Additionally, the number of detection steps is greatly reduced without compromising fault coverage.

  16. Ab initio-aided CALPHAD thermodynamic modeling of the Sn-Pb binary system under current stressing

    PubMed Central

    Lin, Shih-kang; Yeh, Chao-kuei; Xie, Wei; Liu, Yu-chen; Yoshimura, Masahiro

    2013-01-01

    Soldering is an ancient process, having been developed 5000 years ago. It remains a crucial process with many modern applications. In electronic devices, electric currents pass through solder joints. A new physical phenomenon – the supersaturation of solders under high electric currents – has recently been observed. It involves (1) un-expected supersaturation of the solder matrix phase, and (2) the formation of unusual “ring-shaped” grains. However, the origin of these phenomena is not yet understood. Here we provide a plausible explanation of these phenomena based on the changes in the phase stability of Pb-Sn solders. Ab initio-aided CALPHAD modeling is utilized to translate the electric current-induced effect into the excess Gibbs free energies of the phases. Hence, the phase equilibrium can be shifted by current stressing. The Pb-Sn phase diagrams with and without current stressing clearly demonstrate the change in the phase stabilities of Pb-Sn solders under current stressing. PMID:24060995

  17. Soldering tool heats workpieces and applies solder in one operation

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Gudkese, V. W.

    1966-01-01

    Fountain-pen type soldering iron heats workpieces and applies solder to joints in densely packed electronics assemblies. The basic soldering tool is used with different-sized orifice tips, eliminating the need for an assortment of conventional soldering guns.

  18. Robust hard-solder packaging of conduction cooled laser diode bars

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Schleuning, David; Griffin, Mike; James, Phillip; McNulty, John; Mendoza, Dan; Morales, John; Nabors, David; Peters, Mike; Zhou, Hailong; Reed, Murray

    2007-02-01

    We present the reliability of high-power laser diodes utilizing hard solder (AuSn) on a conduction-cooled package (HCCP). We present results of 50 W hard-pulse operation at 8xx nm and demonstrate a reliability of MTTF > 27 khrs (90% CL), which is an order of magnitude improvement over traditional packaging. We also present results at 9xx nm with a reliability of MTTF >17 khrs (90% CL) at 75 W. We discuss finite element analysis (FEA) modeling and time dependent temperature measurements combined with experimental life-test data to quantify true hard-pulse operation. We also discuss FEA and measured stress profiles across laser bars comparing soft and hard solder packaging.

  19. Laser Inspection Or Soldered Connections

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Alper, Richard I.; Traub, Alan C.

    1986-07-01

    A sensitive infrared detection system monitors the slight warming and cooling of a solder joint on a PWB in response to a focused laser beam pulse lasting for 30 milliseconds. Heating and cooling rates depend on the surface finish of the solder and also upon its interr.1 features. Joints which are alike show similar heating rates; defects behave differently and are flagged as showing abnormal thermal signatures Defects include surface voids, cold solder, insufficient or missing solder, residual solder flux, contamination and large subsurface voids. Solder bridges can usually be found by targeting at suspected bridge locations. Feed-through joints at DIPs and lap joints at flat-pack ICs are readily inspected by this method. By use of computer-controlled tiltable optics, access is had to the "harder to see" joints such as at leadless chip carriers and other surface mounts. Inspection rates can be up to 10 joints per second.

  20. Solder Reflow Failures in Electronic Components During Manual Soldering

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Teverovsky, Alexander; Greenwell, Chris; Felt, Frederick

    2008-01-01

    This viewgraph presentation reviews the solder reflow failures in electronic components that occur during manual soldering. It discusses the specifics of manual-soldering-induced failures in plastic devices with internal solder joints. The failure analysis turned up that molten solder had squeezed up to the die surface along the die molding compound interface, and the dice were not protected with glassivation allowing solder to short gate and source to the drain contact. The failure analysis concluded that the parts failed due to overheating during manual soldering.

  1. Corrosive microenvironments at lead solder surfaces arising from galvanic corrosion with copper pipe.

    PubMed

    Nguyen, Caroline K; Stone, Kendall R; Dudi, Abhijeet; Edwards, Marc A

    2010-09-15

    As stagnant water contacts copper pipe and lead solder (simulated soldered joints), a corrosion cell is formed between the metals in solder (Pb, Sn) and the copper. If the resulting galvanic current exceeds about 2 μA/cm(2), a highly corrosive microenvironment can form at the solder surface, with pH < 2.5 and chloride concentrations at least 11 times higher than bulk water levels. Waters with relatively high chloride tend to sustain high galvanic currents, preventing passivation of the solder surface, and contributing to lead contamination of potable water supplies. The total mass of lead corroded was consistent with predictions based on the galvanic current, and lead leaching to water was correlated with galvanic current. If the concentration of sulfate in the water increased relative to chloride, galvanic currents and associated lead contamination could be greatly reduced, and solder surfaces were readily passivated.

  2. Surface alloying in Sn/Au(111) at elevated temperature

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sadhukhan, Pampa; Singh, Vipin Kumar; Rai, Abhishek; Bhattacharya, Kuntala; Barman, Sudipta Roy

    2018-04-01

    On the basis of x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, we show that when Sn is deposited on Au(111) single crystal surface at a substrate temperature TS=373 K, surface alloying occurs with the formation of AuSn phase. The evolution of the surface structure and the surface morphology has been studied by low energy electron diffraction and scanning tunneling microscopy, respectively as a function of Sn coverage and substrate temperatures.

  3. New multicomponent solder alloys of low melting pointfor low-cost commercial electronic assembly

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Al-Ganainy, G. S.; Sakr, M. S.

    2003-09-01

    The requirements of the telecommunications, automobile, electronics and aircraft industries for non-toxic solders with melting points close to that of near-eutectic Pb-Sn alloys has led to the development of new Sn-Zn-In solder alloys. Differential thermal analysis (DTA) shows melting points of 198, 195, 190 and 185 +/- 2 °C for the alloys Sn-9Zn, Sn-9Zn-2In, Sn-9Zn-4In and Sn-9Zn-6In, respectively. An equation that fits the data relating the melting point to the In content in the solders is derived. The X-ray diffraction patterns are analyzed to determine the phases that exist in each solder. The stress-strain curves are studied in the temperature range from 90 to 130 °C for all the solders except for those that contain 4 wt% of In, where the temperature range continues to 150 °C. The work-hardening parameters, y (the yield stress), f (the fracture stress), and the parabolic work-hardening coefficient X, increase with increasing indium content in the solders at all working temperatures. They decrease with increasing working temperature for each solder, and show two relaxation stages only for the Sn-9Zn-4In solder around a temperature of 120 °C. (

  4. Solder joint aging characteristics from the MC2918 firing set of a B61 accelerated aging unit (AAU)

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Vianco, P.T.; Rejent, J.A.

    1997-10-01

    The B61 accelerated aging unit (AAU) provided a unique opportunity to document the effects of a controlled, long-term thermal cycling environment on the aging of materials used in the device. This experiment was of particular interest to solder technologists because thermal cycling environments are a predominant source of solder joint failures in electronic assemblies. Observations of through hole solder joints in the MC2918 Firing Set from the B61 AAU did not reveal signs of catastrophic failure. Quantitative analyses of the microstructural metrics of intermetallic compound layer thickness and Pb-rich phase particle distributions indicated solder joint aging that was commensurate withmore » the accelerated aging environment. The effects of stress-enhanced coarsening of the Pb-rich phase were also documented.« less

  5. Investigation Of The Effects Of Reflow Profile Parameters On Lead-free Solder Bump Volumes And Joint Integrity

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Amalu, E. H.; Lui, Y. T.; Ekere, N. N.; Bhatti, R. S.; Takyi, G.

    2011-01-01

    The electronics manufacturing industry was quick to adopt and use the Surface Mount Technology (SMT) assembly technique on realization of its huge potentials in achieving smaller, lighter and low cost product implementations. Increasing global customer demand for miniaturized electronic products is a key driver in the design, development and wide application of high-density area array package format. Electronic components and their associated solder joints have reduced in size as the miniaturization trend in packaging continues to be challenged by printing through very small stencil apertures required for fine pitch flip-chip applications. At very narrow aperture sizes, solder paste rheology becomes crucial for consistent paste withdrawal. The deposition of consistent volume of solder from pad-to-pad is fundamental to minimizing surface mount assembly defects. This study investigates the relationship between volume of solder paste deposit (VSPD) and the volume of solder bump formed (VSBF) after reflow, and the effect of reflow profile parameters on lead-free solder bump formation and the associated solder joint integrity. The study uses a fractional factorial design (FFD) of 24-1 Ramp-Soak-Spike reflow profile, with all main effects and two-way interactions estimable to determine the optimal factorial combination. The results from the study show that the percentage change in the VSPD depends on the combination of the process parameters and reliability issues could become critical as the size of solder joints soldered on the same board assembly vary greatly. Mathematical models describe the relationships among VSPD, VSBF and theoretical volume of solder paste. Some factors have main effects across the volumes and a number of interactions exist among them. These results would be useful for R&D personnel in designing and implementing newer applications with finer-pitch interconnect.

  6. Influences of Nozzle Material on Laser Droplet Brazing Joints with Cu89Sn11 Preforms

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Stein, Stefan; Heberle, Johannes; Gürtler, Franz Josef; Cvecek, Kristian; Roth, Stephan; Schmidt, Michael

    This paper presents latest results on the influences of nozzle material and geometry on the electromechanical contacting of sensitive piezoceramic actuator modules. Two nozzle types have been investigated,a standard WC/Co nozzle which is used for soldering applications and a novelceramic nozzle. Applications for active piezoceramic components integrated in structural parts are e.g. active damping, energy harvesting, or monitoring of vibrations and material failure. Anup to now unsolved problem is the electrical contacting of such components without damaging the conductor or the metallization of the ceramic substrate. Since piezoelectric components are to be integrated into structures made of casted aluminum, requirements are high mechanical strength and temperature resistance. Within this paper a method forcontacting piezoceramic modules is presented. A spherical braze preform of tin bronze Cu89Sn11 with a diameter of 600 μm is located in a ceramic nozzle and is subsequently melted by a laser pulse. The liquid solder is ejected from the nozzlevia nitrogen overpressure and wets the surface of the metallization pad and the Cu-wire, resulting in a brazing joint after solidification. The process is called laser droplet brazing (LDB). To asses the thermal evolution during one cycle WC/Co and ZTA have been simulated numerically for two different geometries enabling a proposition weather the geometry or the material properties have a significant influence on the thermal load during one cycle. To evaluate the influence of the nozzle on the joint the positioning accuracy, joint height and detachment times have been evaluated. Results obtained with the ZTA nozzle show comparable positioning accuracies to a WC/Co nozzle with a lower standard deviation of solder detachment time.

  7. Maintaining Low Voiding Solder Die Attach for Power Die While Minimizing Die Tilt

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Hamm, Randy; Peterson, Kenneth A.

    2015-10-01

    This paper addresses work to minimize voiding and die tilt in solder attachment of a large power die, measuring 9.0 mm X 6.5 mm X 0.1 mm (0.354” x 0.256” x 0.004”), to a heat spreader. As demands for larger high power die continue, minimizing voiding and die tilt is of interest for improved die functionality, yield, manufacturability, and reliability. High-power die generate considerable heat, which is important to dissipate effectively through control of voiding under high thermal load areas of the die while maintaining a consistent bondline (minimizing die tilt). Voiding was measured using acoustic imaging and die tiltmore » was measured using two different optical measurement systems. 80Au-20Sn solder reflow was achieved using a batch vacuum solder system with optimized fixturing. Minimizing die tilt proved to be the more difficult of the two product requirements to meet. Process development variables included tooling, weight and solder preform thickness.« less

  8. Evaluating print performance of Sn-Ag-Cu lead-free solder pastes used in electronics assembly process

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mallik, S.; Bauer, R.; Hübner, F.; Ekere, N. N.

    2011-01-01

    Solder paste is the most widely used interconnection material in the electronic assembly process for attaching electronic components/devices directly onto the surface of printed circuit boards, using stencil printing process. This paper evaluates the performance of three different commercially available Sn-Ag-Cu solder pastes formulated with different particle size distributions (PSD), metal content and alloy composition. A series of stencil printing tests were carried out using a specially designed stencil of 75 μm thickness and apertures of 300×300 μm2 dimension and 500 μm pitch sizes. Solder paste printing behaviors were found related to attributes such as slumping and surface tension and printing performance was correlated with metal content and PSD. The results of the study should benefit paste manufacturers and SMT assemblers to improve their products and practices.

  9. The Effect of Sn Orientation on Intermetallic Compound Growth in Idealized Sn-Cu-Ag Interconnects

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kinney, Chris; Linares, Xioranny; Lee, Kyu-Oh; Morris, J. W.

    2013-04-01

    The work reported here explores the influence of crystal orientation on the growth of the interfacial intermetallic layer during electromigration in Cu||Sn||Cu solder joints. The samples were thin, planar Sn-Ag-Cu (SAC) solder layers between Cu bars subject to a uniaxial current. Electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) was used to characterize the microstructure before and after testing. The most useful representation of the EBSD data identifies the Sn grain orientation by the angle between the Sn c-axis and the current direction. The tested samples included single-crystal joints with c-axis nearly parallel to the current ("green" samples) and with c-axis perpendicular to the current ("red" samples). At current density of 104 A/cm2 (steady-state temperature of ~150°C), an intermetallic layer grew at an observable rate in the "green" samples, but not in the "red" ones. A current density of 1.15 × 104 A/cm2 (temperature ~160°C) led to measurable intermetallic growth in both samples. The growth fronts were nearly planar and the growth rates constant (after an initial incubation period); the growth rates in the "green" samples were about 10× those in the "red" samples. The Cu concentrations were constant within the joints, showing that the intermetallic growth is dominated by the electromigration flux. The measured growth rates and literature values for the diffusion of Cu in Sn were used to extract values for the effective charge, z *, that governs the electromigration of Cu. The calculated value of z * is significantly larger for current perpendicular to the c-axis than along it.

  10. Effect of Board Thickness on Sn-Ag-Cu Joint Interconnect Mechanical Shock Performance

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lee, Tae-Kyu; Xie, Weidong

    2014-12-01

    The mechanical stability of solder joints with Sn-Ag-Cu alloy joints on various board thicknesses was investigated with a high G level shock environment. A test vehicle with three different board thicknesses was used for board drop shock performance tests. These vehicles have three different strain and shock level condition couples per board, and are used to identify the joint stability and failure modes based on the board responses. The results revealed that joint stability is sensitive to board thickness. The board drop shock test showed that the first failure location shifts from the corner location near the standoff to the center with increased board thickness due to the shock wave response. From analysis of the thickness variation and failure cycle number, the strain rate during the pulse strain cycle is the dominant factor, which defines the life cycle number per board thickness, and not the maximum strain value. The failure location shift and the shock performance differentiation are discussed from the perspective of maximum principal strain, cycle frequency and strain rate per cycle.

  11. Controllable synthesis of Au@SnO2 core-shell nanohybrids with enhanced photocatalytic activities

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhang, Shaofeng; Hao, Jinggang; Ren, Feng; Wu, Wei; Xiao, Xiangheng

    2017-05-01

    Combination of semiconductors with plasmonic nanostructures is an effective route to promote the solar light harvesting as well as the efficiency of photocatalysis. In the present work, the Au@SnO2 hybrid nanostructures with Au nanorods as the cores and highly crystallized SnO2 nanoparticles as the shells were fabricated by a facile hydrothermal method. A critical factor, which influences the coating state of the SnO2 shells over Au NRs, was found to be the concentration of CTAB agent in the system and the corresponding mechanism was also proposed. The photocatalytic activities of the Au@SnO2 nanohybrids were examined by degradation of rhodamine B (RhB) dyes at room temperature. The Au@SnO2 nanohybrids exhibited much higher catalytic activities than that of the commercial SnO2 NPs, which could be attributed to the localized electric field enhancement effect of Au nanorods plasmon and charges transfer between the Au nanorods and SnO2.

  12. Line length dependence of threshold current density and driving force in eutectic SnPb and SnAgCu solder electromigration

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yoon, Min-Seung; Ko, Min-Ku; Kim, Bit-Na; Kim, Byung-Joon; Park, Yong-Bae; Joo, Young-Chang

    2008-04-01

    The relationship between the threshold current density and the critical line length in eutectic SnPb and SnAgCu electromigrations were examined using solder lines with the various lengths ranging from 100to1000μm. When the electron wind-force was balanced by the back-stress gradient force, the net flux of electromigration is zero, at which the current density and line length are defined as the threshold current density and the critical length, respectively. It was found that in SnAgCu electromigration, the 1/L dependence on the threshold current density showed good agreement, whereas the threshold current densities of the eutectic SnPb deviated from the 1/L dependence. The balance between the electron wind-force and the back-stress gradient force was the main factor determining the threshold product of SnAgCu electromigration. On the other hand, in the case of eutectic SnPb, the chemical driving force is contributed as a back-flux force in addition to the back-stress gradient force. The existence of the chemical driving force was caused by the nonequilibrium Pb concentration inside the Pb-rich phases between the cathode and anode during the electromigration procedure.

  13. Microstructural Modification of Sn-0.7Cu Solder Alloys by Fe/Bi-Addition for Achieving High Mechanical Performance

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ali, Bakhtiar; Sabri, Mohd Faizul Mohd; Said, Suhana Mohd; Mahdavifard, Mohammad Hossein; Sukiman, Nazatul Liana; Jauhari, Iswadi

    2017-08-01

    In this work, we studied the Fe/Bi-bearing tin-copper (Sn-0.7Cu) solders for their microstructural and mechanical properties. The microstructure was studied using field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) with a backscattered electron (BSE) detector, x-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis, and energy-dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (EDX). The microstructure study showed that Fe forms very few FeSn2 intermetallic compounds (IMCs) and does not significantly alter the microstructure of Sn-0.7Cu, whereas Bi controls the size of inter-dendritic regions containing Cu6Sn5 and Ag3Sn IMCs of the alloy, as well as significantly refines its primary β-Sn dendrites. Moreover, Bi atoms dissolve in β-Sn matrix, which in turn strengthen the solder by the Bi solid solution strengthening mechanism. Such microstructural modification leads to significant improvements in various mechanical properties of the alloy, including shear strength, impact toughness, and hardness values. Shear tests were performed with a 0.25 mm/min shear speed. The results showed that shear strength improves from 16.57 MPa to 38.36 MPa with the addition of Fe/Bi to Sn-0.7Cu, raising by about 130%. The energy absorbed during impact tests was measured for samples with the help of a Charpy impact testing machine with a 5.4 m/s impact speed. The results revealed that the addition of Fe/Bi to Sn-0.7Cu improves its impact absorbed energy by over 35%, increasing it from 7.5 J to 10.3 J. Vickers hardness tests were carried out for the test samples with a 245.2 mN applied load and 10 s dwell time. The results showed that the hardness number improves from 9.89 to 24.13 with Fe/Bi to Sn-0.7Cu, increasing by about 140%.

  14. The Influence of Sn Orientation on the Electromigration of Idealized Lead-free Interconnects

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Linares, Xioranny

    As conventional lead solders are being replaced by Pb-free solders in electronic devices, the reliability of solder joints in integrated circuits (ICs) has become a high concern. Due to the miniaturization of ICs and consequently solder joints, the current density through the solder interconnects has increased causing electrical damage known as electromigration. Electromigration, atomic and mass migration due to high electron currents, is one of the most urgent reliability issues delaying the implementation of Pb-free solder materials in electronic devices. The research on Pb-free solders has mainly focused on the qualitative understanding of failure by electromigration. There has been little progress however, on the quantitative analysis of electromigration because of the lack of available material parameters, such as the effective charge, (z*), the driving force for electromigration. The research herein uses idealized interconnects to measure the z* of electromigration of Cu in Sn-3.0Ag-0.5Cu (SAC305) alloy under different experimental conditions. Planar SAC 305 interconnects were sandwiched between two Cu pads and subject to uniaxial current. The crystallographic orientation of Sn in these samples were characterized with electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) and wavelength dispersive spectroscopy (WDS) before and after electromigration testing. Results indicate that samples with the c-axis aligned perpendicular to current flow, polycrystalline, and those with a diffusion barrier on the cathode side all inhibit the growth of intermetallic compounds (IMC). The effective charge values of Cu in SAC 305 under the different conditions tested were quantified for the first time and included in this dissertation. The following research is expected to help verify and improve the electromigration model and identify the desirable conditions to inhibit damage by electromigration in Pb-free solder joints.

  15. Numerical prediction of mechanical properties of Pb-Sn solder alloys containing antimony, bismuth and or silver ternary trace elements

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gadag, Shiva P.; Patra, Susant

    2000-12-01

    Solder joint interconnects are mechanical means of structural support for bridging the various electronic components and providing electrical contacts and a thermal path for heat dissipation. The functionality of the electronic device often relies on the structural integrity of the solder. The dimensional stability of solder joints is numerically predicted based on their mechanical properties. Algorithms to model the kinetics of dissolution and subsequent growth of intermetallic from the complete knowledge of a single history of time-temperature-reflow profile, by considering equivalent isothermal time intervals, have been developed. The information for dissolution is derived during the heating cycle of reflow and for the growth process from cooling curve of reflow profile. A simple and quick analysis tool to derive tensile stress-strain maps as a function of the reflow temperature of solder and strain rate has been developed by numerical program. The tensile properties are used in modeling thermal strain, thermal fatigue and to predict the overall fatigue life of solder joints. The numerical analysis of the tensile properties as affected by their composition and rate of testing, has been compiled in this paper. A numerical model using constitutive equation has been developed to evaluate the interfacial fatigue crack growth rate. The model can assess the effect of cooling rate, which depends on the level of strain energy release rate. Increasing cooling rate from normalizing to water-quenching, enhanced the fatigue resistance to interfacial crack growth by up to 50% at low strain energy release rate. The increased cooling rates enhanced the fatigue crack growth resistance by surface roughening at the interface of solder joint. This paper highlights salient features of process modeling. Interfacial intermetallic microstructure is affected by cooling rate and thereby affects the mechanical properties.

  16. Indentation Size Effect on the Creep Behavior of a SnAgCu Solder

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Han, Y. D.; Jing, H. Y.; Nai, S. M. L.; Xu, L. Y.; Tan, C. M.; Wei, J.

    In the present study, nanoindentation studies of the 95.8Sn-3.5Ag-0.7Cu lead-free solder were conducted over a range of maximum loads from 20 mN to 100 mN, under a constant ramp rate of 0.05 s-1. The indentation scale dependence of creep behavior was investigated. The results revealed that the creep rate, creep strain rate and indentation stress are all dependent on the indentation depth. As the maximum load increased, an increasing trend in the creep rate was observed, while a decreasing trend in creep strain rate and indentation stress were observed. On the contrary, for the case of stress exponent value, no trend was observed and the values were found to range from 6.16 to 7.38. Furthermore, the experimental results also showed that the creep mechanism of the lead-free solder is dominated by dislocation climb.

  17. Fracture Behaviors of Sn-Cu Intermetallic Compound Layer in Ball Grid Array Induced by Thermal Shock

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Shen, Jun; Zhai, Dajun; Cao, Zhongming; Zhao, Mali; Pu, Yayun

    2014-02-01

    In this work, thermal shock reliability testing and finite-element analysis (FEA) of solder joints between ball grid array components and printed circuit boards with Cu pads were used to investigate the failure mechanism of solder interconnections. The morphologies, composition, and thickness of Sn-Cu intermetallic compounds (IMC) at the interface of Sn-3.0Ag-0.5Cu lead-free solder alloy and Cu substrates were investigated by scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. Based on the experimental observations and FEA results, it can be recognized that the origin and propagation of cracks are caused primarily by the difference between the coefficient of thermal expansion of different parts of the packaged products, the growth behaviors and roughness of the IMC layer, and the grain size of the solder balls.

  18. Surface Demixing in a AuSn Liquid Alloy

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Balagurusamy, Venkat; Streitel, Reinhard; Shpyrko, Oleg; Pershan, Peter; Ocko, Ben; Deutsch, Moshe

    2006-03-01

    We present results of X-ray reflectivity studies of the eutectic AuSn alloy liquid-vapor interface. The analysis shows that in common with the BiSn eutectic, there is surface demixing that extends to more than one monolayer. This is in contrast to a common presumption that the Gibbs adsorption predicts complete demixing only in the surface monolayer. The composition profiles can be explained by surface segregation theory for attractive interaction between Sn and Au atoms, similar to BiIn [1] and BiSn [2]. [1] E. DiMasi, H. Tostmann, O. G. Shpyrko, P. Huber, B. M. Ocko, P. S. Pershan, M. Deutsch, and L. E. Berman, Phys. Rev. Lett. 86, 1538 (2001) [2] O. G. Shpyrko, A. Y. Grigoriev, R. Streitel, D. Pontoni, P. S. Pershan, M. Deutsch, and B. M. Ocko, Phys. Rev. Lett. 95, 106103 (2005) *Present address: Center for Nanoscale Materials, ANL

  19. Rapid Solidification of Sn-Cu-Al Alloys for High-Reliability, Lead-Free Solder: Part I. Microstructural Characterization of Rapidly Solidified Solders

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Reeve, Kathlene N.; Choquette, Stephanie M.; Anderson, Iver E.; Handwerker, Carol A.

    2016-12-01

    Particles of Cu x Al y in Sn-Cu-Al solders have previously been shown to nucleate the Cu6Sn5 phase during solidification. In this study, the number and size of Cu6Sn5 nucleation sites were controlled through the particle size refinement of Cu x Al y via rapid solidification processing and controlled cooling in a differential scanning calorimeter. Cooling rates spanning eight orders of magnitude were used to refine the average Cu x Al y and Cu6Sn5 particle sizes down to submicron ranges. The average particle sizes, particle size distributions, and morphologies in the microstructures were analyzed as a function of alloy composition and cooling rate. Deep etching of the samples revealed the three-dimensional microstructures and illuminated the epitaxial and morphological relationships between the Cu x Al y and Cu6Sn5 phases. Transitions in the Cu6Sn5 particle morphologies from faceted rods to nonfaceted, equiaxed particles were observed as a function of both cooling rate and composition. Initial solidification cooling rates within the range of 103 to 104 °C/s were found to be optimal for realizing particle size refinement and maintaining the Cu x Al y /Cu6Sn5 nucleant relationship. In addition, little evidence of the formation or decomposition of the ternary- β phase in the solidified alloys was noted. Solidification pathways omitting the formation of the ternary- β phase agreed well with observed room temperature microstructures.

  20. Electromigration effect upon the Sn-0.7 wt% Cu/Ni and Sn-3.5 wt% Ag/Ni interfacial reactions

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chen, Chih-ming; Chen, Sinn-wen

    2001-08-01

    This study investigates the effect of electromigration upon the interfacial reactions between the promising lead-free solders, Sn-Cu and Sn-Ag, with Ni substrate. Sandwich-type reaction couples, Sn-0.7 wt% Cu/Ni/Sn-0.7 wt% Cu and Sn-3.5 wt% Ag/Ni/Sn-3.5 wt% Ag, were reacted at 160, 180, and 200 °C for various lengths of time with and without the passage of electric currents. Without passage of electric currents through the couples, only one intermetallic compound Ni3Sn4 with ˜7 at. % Cu solubility was found at both interfaces of the Sn-0.7 wt% Cu/Ni couples. With the passage of an electric current of 500 A/cm2 density, the Cu6Sn5 phase was formed at the solder/Ni interface besides the Ni3Sn4 phase. Similar to those without the passage of electric currents, only the Ni3Sn4 phase was found at the Ni/solder interface. Directions of movement of electrons, Sn, and Cu atoms are the same at the solder/Ni interface, and the growth rates of the intermetallic layers were enhanced. At the Ni/solder interface, the electrons flow in the opposite direction of the Sn and Cu movement, and the growth rates of the intermetallic layers were retarded. Only the Ni3Sn4 phase was formed from the Sn-3.5 wt% Ag/Ni interfacial reaction with and without the passage of electric currents. Similar to the Sn-0.7 wt% Cu/Ni system, the movement of electrons enhances or retards the growth rates of the intermetallic layers at the solder/Ni and Ni/solder interfaces, respectively. Calculation results show the apparent effective charge za* decreases in magnitude with raising temperatures, which indicates the electromigration effect becomes insignificant at higher temperatures.

  1. A systems approach to solder joint fatigue in spacecraft electronic packaging

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Ross, R. G., Jr.

    1991-01-01

    Differential expansion induced fatigue resulting from temperature cycling is a leading cause of solder joint failures in spacecraft. Achieving high reliability flight hardware requires that each element of the fatigue issue be addressed carefully. This includes defining the complete thermal-cycle environment to be experienced by the hardware, developing electronic packaging concepts that are consistent with the defined environments, and validating the completed designs with a thorough qualification and acceptance test program. This paper describes a useful systems approach to solder fatigue based principally on the fundamental log-strain versus log-cycles-to-failure behavior of fatigue. This fundamental behavior has been useful to integrate diverse ground test and flight operational thermal-cycle environments into a unified electronics design approach. Each element of the approach reflects both the mechanism physics that control solder fatigue, as well as the practical realities of the hardware build, test, delivery, and application cycle.

  2. A review of typical thermal fatigue failure models for solder joints of electronic components

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Li, Xiaoyan; Sun, Ruifeng; Wang, Yongdong

    2017-09-01

    For electronic components, cyclic plastic strain makes it easier to accumulate fatigue damage than elastic strain. When the solder joints undertake thermal expansion or cold contraction, different thermal strain of the electronic component and its corresponding substrate is caused by the different coefficient of thermal expansion of the electronic component and its corresponding substrate, leading to the phenomenon of stress concentration. So repeatedly, cracks began to sprout and gradually extend [1]. In this paper, the typical thermal fatigue failure models of solder joints of electronic components are classified and the methods of obtaining the parameters in the model are summarized based on domestic and foreign literature research.

  3. Low temperature electrical properties of some Pb-free solders

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kisiel, Ryszard; Pekala, Marek

    2006-03-01

    The electronic industry is engaged in developing Pb-free technologies for more than ten years. However till now not all properties of new solders are described. The aim of the paper is to present some electrical properties of new series of Pb-free solders (eutectic SnAg, near eutectic SnAgCu with and without Bi) in low temperature ranges 10 K to 273K. The following parameters were analyzed: electrical resistivity, temperature coefficient of resistance and thermoelectric power. The electrical resistivity at temperatures above 50 K is a monotonically rising function of temperature for Pb-free solders studied. The electrical resistivity of the Bi containing alloys is higher as compared to the remaining ones. The thermoelectric power values at room temperature are about -8 μV/K to -6 μV/K for Pb-free solders studied, being higher as compared to typical values -3 μVK of SnPb solder. The relatively low absolute values as well as the smooth and weak temperature variation of electrical resistivity in lead free solders enable the possible low temperature application. The moderate values of thermoelectric power around and above the room temperature show that when applying the solders studied the temperature should be kept as uniform as possible, in order to avoid spurious or noise voltages.

  4. Advances in Pb-free solder microstructure control and interconnect design

    DOE PAGES

    Reeve, Kathlene N.; Holaday, John R.; Choquette, Stephanie M.; ...

    2016-06-09

    New electronics applications demanding enhanced performance and higher operating temperatures have led to continued research in the field of Pb-free solder designs and interconnect solutions. In this paper, recent advances in the microstructural design of Pb-free solders and interconnect systems were discussed by highlighting two topics: increasing β-Sn nucleation in Sn-based solders, and isothermally solidified interconnects using transient liquid phases. Issues in β-Sn nucleation in Sn-based solders were summarized in the context of Swenson’s 2007 review of the topic. Recent advancements in the areas of alloy composition manipulation, nucleating heterogeneities, and rapid solidification were discussed, and a proposal based onmore » a multi-faceted solidification approach involving the promotion of constitutional undercooling and nucleating heterogeneities was outlined for future research. The second half of the paper analyzed two different approaches to liquid phase diffusion bonding as a replacement for high-Pb solders, one based on the application of the pseudo-binary Cu-Ni-Sn ternary system, and the other on a proposed thermodynamic framework for identifying potential ternary alloys for liquid phase diffusion bonding. Furthermore, all of the concepts reviewed relied upon the fundamentals of thermodynamics, kinetics, and solidification, to which Jack Smith substantially contributed during his scientific career.« less

  5. Roles of interfacial reaction on mechanical properties of solder interfaces

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Liu, Pilin

    This study investigated roles of interfacial reaction in fracture and fatigue of solder interconnects. The interfacial reaction phases in the as-reflowed and after aging were examined by cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy (TEM) while interfacial mechanical properties were determined from a flexural peel fracture mechanics technique. Because of their widespread uses in microelectronic packaging, SnPb solder interfaces, and Bi-containing Pb-free solder interfaces were chosen as the subjects of this study. In the interfacial reaction study, we observed a complicated micro structural evolution during solid-state aging of electroless-Ni(P)/SnPb solder interconnects. In as-reflowed condition, the interfacial reaction produced Ni3Sn 4 and P-rich layers. Following overaging, the interfacial microstructure degenerated into a complex multilayer structure consisting of multiple layers of Ni-Sn compounds and transformed Ni-P phases. In SnPb solder interfacial system, fatigue study showed that the overaging of the high P electroless Ni-P/SnPb interconnects resulted in a sharp reduction in the fatigue resistance of the interface in the high crack growth rate regime. Fracture mechanism analysis indicated that the sharp drop in fatigue resistance was triggered by the brittle fracture of the Ni3Sn2 intermetallic phase developed at the overaged interface. The fatigue behavior was strongly dependent on P concentration in electroless Ni. Kirkendall voids were found in the interfacial region after aging, but they did not cause premature fracture of the solder interfaces. In Bi-containing solder interfacial system, we found that Bi segregated to the Cu-intermetallic interface during aging in SnBi/Cu interconnect. This caused serious embrittlement of Sn-Bi/Cu interface. Further aging induced numerous voids along the Cu3Sn/Cu interface. These interfacial voids were different from Kirkendall voids. Their formation was explained on basis of vacancy condensation at the

  6. Study of Diffusion Barrier for Solder/ n-Type Bi2Te3 and Bonding Strength for p- and n-Type Thermoelectric Modules

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lin, Wen-Chih; Li, Ying-Sih; Wu, Albert T.

    2018-01-01

    This paper investigates the interfacial reaction between Sn and Sn3Ag0.5Cu (SAC305) solder on n-type Bi2Te3 thermoelectric material. An electroless Ni-P layer successfully suppressed the formation of porous SnTe intermetallic compound at the interface. The formation of the layers between Bi2Te3 and Ni-P indicates that Te is the dominant diffusing species. Shear tests were conducted on both Sn and SAC305 solder on n- and p-type Bi2Te3 with and without a Ni-P barrier layer. Without a Ni-P layer, porous SnTe would result in a more brittle fracture. A comparison of joint strength for n- and p-type thermoelectric modules is evaluated by the shear test. Adding a diffusion barrier increases the mechanical strength by 19.4% in n-type and 74.0% in p-type thermoelectric modules.

  7. Microstructure and Tensile Properties of Sn-1Ag-0.5Cu Solder Alloy Bearing Al for Electronics Applications

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Shnawah, Dhafer Abdul-Ameer; Said, Suhana Binti Mohd; Sabri, Mohd Faizul Mohd; Badruddin, Irfan Anjum; Hoe, Teh Guan; Che, Fa Xing; Abood, Adnan Naama

    2012-08-01

    This work investigates the effects of 0.1 wt.% and 0.5 wt.% Al additions on bulk alloy microstructure and tensile properties as well as on the thermal behavior of Sn-1Ag-0.5Cu (SAC105) lead-free solder alloy. The addition of 0.1 wt.% Al reduces the amount of Ag3Sn intermetallic compound (IMC) particles and leads to the formation of larger ternary Sn-Ag-Al IMC particles. However, the addition of 0.5 wt.% Al suppresses the formation of Ag3Sn IMC particles and leads to a large amount of fine Al-Ag IMC particles. Moreover, both 0.1 wt.% and 0.5 wt.% Al additions suppress the formation of Cu6Sn5 IMC particles and lead to the formation of larger Al-Cu IMC particles. The 0.1 wt.% Al-added solder shows a microstructure with coarse β-Sn dendrites. However, the addition of 0.5 wt.% Al has a great effect on suppressing the undercooling and refinement of the β-Sn dendrites. In addition to coarse β-Sn dendrites, the formation of large Sn-Ag-Al and Al-Cu IMC particles significantly reduces the elastic modulus and yield strength for the SAC105 alloy containing 0.1 wt.% Al. On the other hand, the fine β-Sn dendrite and the second-phase dispersion strengthening mechanism through the formation of fine Al-Ag IMC particles significantly increases the elastic modulus and yield strength of the SAC105 alloy containing 0.5 wt.% Al. Moreover, both 0.1 wt.% and 0.5 wt.% Al additions worsen the elongation. However, the reduction in elongation is much stronger, and brittle fracture occurs instead of ductile fracture, with 0.5 wt.% Al addition. The two additions of Al increase both solidus and liquidus temperatures. With 0.5 wt.% Al addition the pasty range is significantly reduced and the differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) endotherm curve gradually shifts from a dual to a single endothermic peak.

  8. Microstructural Evolution and Mechanical Behavior of High Temperature Solders: Effects of High Temperature Aging

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hasnine, M.; Tolla, B.; Vahora, N.

    2018-04-01

    This paper explores the effects of aging on the mechanical behavior, microstructure evolution and IMC formation on different surface finishes of two high temperature solders, Sn-5 wt.% Ag and Sn-5 wt.% Sb. High temperature aging showed significant degradation of Sn-5 wt.% Ag solder hardness (34%) while aging has little effect on Sn-5 wt.% Sb solder. Sn-5 wt.% Ag experienced rapid grain growth as well as the coarsening of particles during aging. Sn-5 wt.% Sb showed a stable microstructure due to solid solution strengthening and the stable nature of SnSb precipitates. The increase of intermetallic compound (IMC) thickness during aging follows a parabolic relationship with time. Regression analysis (time exponent, n) indicated that IMC growth kinetics is controlled by a diffusion mechanism. The results have important implications in the selection of high temperature solders used in high temperature applications.

  9. Effects of Ag addition on solid–state interfacial reactions between Sn–Ag–Cu solder and Cu substrate

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Yang, Ming

    Low–Ag–content Sn–Ag–Cu (SAC) solders have attracted much recent attention in electronic packaging for their low cost. To reasonably reduce the Ag content in Pb–free solders, a deep understanding of the basic influence of Ag on the SAC solder/Cu substrate interfacial reaction is essential. Previous studies have discussed the influence of Ag on the interfacial intermetallic compound (IMC) thickness. However, because IMC growth is the joint result of multiple factors, such characterizations do not reveal the actual role of Ag. In this study, changes in interfacial IMCs after Ag introduction were systemically and quantitatively characterized in terms of coarsening behaviors, orientationmore » evolution, and growth kinetics. The results show that Ag in the solder alloy affects the coarsening behavior, accelerates the orientation concentration, and inhibits the growth of interfacial IMCs during solid–state aging. The inhibition mechanism was quantitatively discussed considering the individual diffusion behaviors of Cu and Sn atoms, revealing that Ag inhibits interfacial IMC growth primarily by slowing the diffusion of Cu atoms through the interface. - Highlights: •Role of Ag in IMC formation during Sn–Ag–Cu soldering was investigated. •Ag affects coarsening, crystallographic orientation, and IMC growth. •Diffusion pathways of Sn and Cu are affected differently by Ag. •Ag slows Cu diffusion to inhibit IMC growth at solder/substrate interface.« less

  10. Solderability of pre-tinned Cu sheet

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sunwoo, A. J.; Morris, J. W.; Lucey, G. K.

    1992-05-01

    The reliability and integrity of pre-tinned copper-clad printed circuit (PC) boards are serious concerns in the manufacture of electronic devices. The factors that influence the wetting during soldering of Cu are discussed. The results suggest that pre-tinning with a Pb-rich solder, such as 95Pb-5Sn, is preferred to pre-tinning with eutectic solder, since the latter can develop exposed intermetallics during aging that wet poorly. The results also confirm that the use of flux leads to carbon contamination in the solder.

  11. Rapid Solidification of Sn-Cu-Al Alloys for High-Reliability, Lead-Free Solder: Part I. Microstructural Characterization of Rapidly Solidified Solders

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Reeve, Kathlene N.; Choquette, Stephanie M.; Anderson, Iver E.

    Particles of Cu x Al y in Sn-Cu-Al solders have previously been shown to nucleate the Cu 6Sn 5 phase during solidification. In this study, the number and size of Cu 6Sn 5 nucleation sites were controlled through the particle size refinement of Cu x Al y via rapid solidification processing and controlled cooling in a differential scanning calorimeter. Cooling rates spanning eight orders of magnitude were used to refine the average Cu x Al y and Cu 6Sn 5 particle sizes down to submicron ranges. The average particle sizes, particle size distributions, and morphologies in the microstructures were analyzedmore » as a function of alloy composition and cooling rate. Deep etching of the samples revealed the three-dimensional microstructures and illuminated the epitaxial and morphological relationships between the Cu x Al y and Cu 6Sn 5 phases. Transitions in the Cu 6Sn 5 particle morphologies from faceted rods to nonfaceted, equiaxed particles were observed as a function of both cooling rate and composition. Initial solidification cooling rates within the range of 10 3 to 10 4 °C/s were found to be optimal for realizing particle size refinement and maintaining the Cu x Al y /Cu 6Sn 5 nucleant relationship. In addition, little evidence of the formation or decomposition of the ternary-β phase in the solidified alloys was noted. As a result, solidification pathways omitting the formation of the ternary-β phase agreed well with observed room temperature microstructures.« less

  12. Rapid Solidification of Sn-Cu-Al Alloys for High-Reliability, Lead-Free Solder: Part I. Microstructural Characterization of Rapidly Solidified Solders

    DOE PAGES

    Reeve, Kathlene N.; Choquette, Stephanie M.; Anderson, Iver E.; ...

    2016-10-06

    Particles of Cu x Al y in Sn-Cu-Al solders have previously been shown to nucleate the Cu 6Sn 5 phase during solidification. In this study, the number and size of Cu 6Sn 5 nucleation sites were controlled through the particle size refinement of Cu x Al y via rapid solidification processing and controlled cooling in a differential scanning calorimeter. Cooling rates spanning eight orders of magnitude were used to refine the average Cu x Al y and Cu 6Sn 5 particle sizes down to submicron ranges. The average particle sizes, particle size distributions, and morphologies in the microstructures were analyzedmore » as a function of alloy composition and cooling rate. Deep etching of the samples revealed the three-dimensional microstructures and illuminated the epitaxial and morphological relationships between the Cu x Al y and Cu 6Sn 5 phases. Transitions in the Cu 6Sn 5 particle morphologies from faceted rods to nonfaceted, equiaxed particles were observed as a function of both cooling rate and composition. Initial solidification cooling rates within the range of 10 3 to 10 4 °C/s were found to be optimal for realizing particle size refinement and maintaining the Cu x Al y /Cu 6Sn 5 nucleant relationship. In addition, little evidence of the formation or decomposition of the ternary-β phase in the solidified alloys was noted. As a result, solidification pathways omitting the formation of the ternary-β phase agreed well with observed room temperature microstructures.« less

  13. Solution-processed soldering of carbon nanotubes for flexible electronics.

    PubMed

    Rao, K D M; Radha, B; Smith, K C; Fisher, T S; Kulkarni, G U

    2013-02-22

    We report a simple lithography-free, solution-based method of soldering of carbon nanotubes with Ohmic contacts, by taking specific examples of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs). This is achieved by self-assembling a monolayer of soldering precursor, Pd(2+) anchored to 1,10 decanedithiol, onto which MWNTs could be aligned across the gap electrodes via solvent evaporation. The nanosoldering was realized by thermal/electrical activation or by both in sequence. Electrical activation and the following step of washing ensure selective retention of MWNTs spanning across the gap electrodes. The soldered joints were robust enough to sustain strain caused during the bending of flexible substrates as well as during ultrasonication. The estimated temperature generated at the MWNT-Au interface using an electro-thermal model is ∼150 °C, suggesting Joule heating as the primary mechanism of electrical activation. Further, the specific contact resistance is estimated from the transmission line model.

  14. Formation of interconnections between carbon nanotubes and copper using tin solder

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mittal, Jagjiwan; Lina, Kwang-Lung

    2013-06-01

    A process is developed for connecting Multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) between Cu terminals using tin solder. Connections were made on the Cu grid after heating the Sn coated nanotubes above the melting point of tin. High resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) micrographs demonstrated the joining by CNTs either as straight between two sides or on the one side after bending in the middle. The connections were found to be stable in air and electron beam under TEM observations. Energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) study showed that the formation of intermetallic compound η-C6Sn5 was responsible for the formation and stability of joints between Cu and MWCNT.

  15. Evaluation of Electrochemical Migration on Printed Circuit Boards with Lead-Free and Tin-Lead Solder

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    He, Xiaofei; Azarian, Michael H.; Pecht, Michael G.

    2011-09-01

    To evaluate the current leakage and electrochemical migration behavior on printed circuit boards with eutectic tin-lead and lead-free solder, IPC B-24 comb structures were exposed to 65°C and 88% relative humidity conditions under direct-current (DC) bias for over 1500 h. These boards were processed with either Sn-3.0Ag-0.5Cu solder or Sn-37Pb solder. In addition to solder alloy, board finish (organic solderability preservative versus lead-free hot air solder leveling), spacing (25 mil versus 12.5 mil), and voltage (40 V versus 5 V bias) were also assessed by using in situ measurements of surface insulation resistance (SIR) and energy-dispersive spectroscopy after testing. It was shown that an initial increase of SIR was caused by consumption of electroactive species on the surface, intermittent drops of SIR were caused by dendritic growth, and a long-term SIR decline was caused by electrodeposition of a metallic layer. The prolonged SIR decline of Sn-3.0Ag-0.5Cu boards was simulated by three-dimensional (3D) progressive and instantaneous nucleation models, whose predictions were compared with experimental data. Sn-37Pb boards exhibited comigration of Sn, Pb, and Cu, while Sn-3.0Ag-0.5Cu boards incurred comigration of Sn, Ag, and Cu. Among the migrated species, Sn always dominated and was observed as either a layer or in polyhedral deposits, Pb was the most common element found in the dendrites, Cu was a minor constituent, and Ag migrated only occasionally. Compared with solder alloy, board finishes played a secondary role in affecting SIR due to their complexation with or dissolution into the solder. The competing effect between electric field and spacing was also investigated.

  16. Joint Lead-Free Solder Test Program for High Reliability Military and Space Applications

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Brown, Christina

    2004-01-01

    Current and future space and defense systems face potential risks from the continued use of tin-lead solder, including: compliance with current environmental regulations, concerns about potential environmental legislation banning lead-containing products, reduced mission readiness, and component obsolescence with lead surface finishes. For example, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) has lowered the Toxic Chemical Release reporting threshold for lead to 100 pounds. Overseas, the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) and the Restriction on Hazardous Substances (RoHS) Dicctives in Europe and similar mandates in Japan have instilled concern that a legislative body will prohibit the use of lead in aerospace/military electronics soldering. Any potential banning of lead compounds could reduce the supplier base and adversely affect the readiness of missions led by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD). Before considering lead-free electronics for system upgrades or future designs, however, it is important for the DoD and NASA to know whether lead-free solders can meet their systems' requirements. No single lead-free solder is likely to qualify for all defense and space applications. Therefore, it is important to validate alternative solders for discrete applications. As a result of the need for comprehensive test data on the reliability of lead-free solders, a partnership was formed between the DoD, NASA, and several original equipment manufactures (OEMs) to conduct solder-joint reliability (laboratory) testing of three lead-free solder alloys on newly manufactured and reworked circuit cards to generate performance data for high-reliability (IPC Class 3) applications.

  17. Characteristics of Creep Damage for 60Sn-40Pb Solder Material

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Wei, Y.; Chow, C.L.; Fang, H.E.

    This paper presents a viscoplasticity model taking into account the effects of change in grain or phase size and damage on the characterization of creep damage in 60Sn-40Pb solder. Based on the theory of damage mechanics, a two-scalar damage model is developed for isotropic materials by introducing the free energy equivalence principle. The damage evolution equations are derived in terms of the damage energy release rates. In addition, a failure criterion is developed based on the postulation that a material element is said to have ruptured when the total damage accumulated in the element reaches a critical value. The damagemore » coupled viscoplasticity model is discretized and coded in a general-purpose finite element program known as ABAQUS through its user-defined material subroutine UMAT. To illustrate the application of the model, several example cases are introduced to analyze, both numerically and experimentally, the tensile creep behaviors of the material at three stress levels. The model is then applied to predict the deformation of a notched specimen under monotonic tension at room temperature (22 C). The results demonstrate that the proposed model can successfully predict the viscoplastic behavior of the solder material.« less

  18. Reliability of Tin Silver Copper and mixed solders under variable loading conditions

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jaradat, Younis

    Industry use of lead free solder joints necessitates accurate modeling in predicting life in service. Yet, current extrapolations of accelerated test results do not actuate realistic conditions. This research focuses on joint properties of Pb-mixed and Pb-free solder alloys in order to explain material behavior subject to certain test conditions, i.e., varying cycling amplitudes. Additionally, this research will begin with extensive studies on backward compatible solder joints from the material's behavior to its reliability under displacement and load controlled fatigue tests. We address the evolution of the joint's microstructure ergo its properties and performance (mixed solder joints). The present work reports results of reflowing 30 mil SAC305 balls onto Cu, and ENIG coated BGA pads with different amounts of SnPb paste, aging and/or cycling the joints and inspecting the microstructure by cross polarizer microscopy and SEM. We found that the addition of small amounts of Pb had significant effects on solidification during cool-down from reflow, and consequently the initial microstructure. In terms of the varying cycling amplitude study, we note how realistic service conditions are almost never well approximated by cycling with fixed amplitudes. Recent results have demonstrated the consistent breakdown of common damage accumulation rules. In isothermal cycling tests the remaining life, after a step-down in amplitude, was invariably shorter than predicted by such a rule, while a step-up tended to have the opposite effect. The present work offers a mechanistic explanation for this and the basis for a practical approach to the assessment of life under service conditions. Realistic BGA joints were cycled individually in a micromechanical tester, monitoring the solder stiffness and the inelastic energy deposition. Cycling was seen to first cause rapid hardening, followed by leveling off in a 'cyclic saturation' stage and eventually the initiation and growth of a crack

  19. Influence of Co and W powders on viscosity of composite solders during soldering of specially shaped diamond-abrasive tools

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sokolov, E. G.; Aref’eva, S. A.; Svistun, L. I.

    2018-03-01

    The influence of Co and W powders on the structure and the viscosity of composite solders Sn-Cu-Co-W used for the manufacture of the specially shaped diamond tools has been studied. The solders were obtained by mixing the metallic powders with an organic binder. The mixtures with and without diamonds were applied to steel rollers and shaped substrates. The sintering was carried out in a vacuum at 820 ° C with time-exposure of 40 minutes. The influence of Co and W powders on the viscosity solders was evaluated on the basis of the study of structures and according to the results of sintering specially shaped diamond tools. It was found that to provide the necessary viscosity and to obtain the uniform diamond-containing layers on the complex shaped surfaces, Sn-Cu-Co-W solder should contain 27–35 vol % of solid phase. This is achieved with a total solder content of 24–32 wt % of cobalt powder and 7 wt % of tungsten powder.

  20. Phase Equilibria of the Fe-Ni-Sn Ternary System at 270°C

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Huang, Tzu-Ting; Lin, Shih-Wei; Chen, Chih-Ming; Chen, Pei Yu; Yen, Yee-Wen

    2016-12-01

    The Fe-42 wt.% Ni alloy, also known as a 42 invar alloy (Alloy 42), is used as a lead-frame material because its thermal expansion coefficient is much closer to Si substrate than Cu or Ni substrates. In order to enhance the wettability between the substrate and solder, the Sn layer was commonly electroplated onto the Alloy 42 surface. A clear understanding of the phase equilibria of the Fe-Ni-Sn ternary system is necessary to ensure solder-joint reliability between Sn and Fe-Ni alloys. To determine the isothermal section of the Fe-Ni-Sn ternary system at 270°C, 26 Fe-Ni-Sn alloys with different compositions were prepared. The experimental results confirmed the presence of the Fe3Ni and FeNi phases at 270°C. Meanwhile, it observed that the isothermal section of the Fe-Ni-Sn ternary system was composed of 11 single-phase regions, 19 two-phase regions and nine tie-triangles. Moreover, no ternary compounds were found in the Fe-Ni-Sn system at 270°C.

  1. Evaluation on the characteristics of tin-silver-bismuth solder

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Xia, Z.; Shi, Y.; Chen, Z.

    2002-02-01

    Tin-silver-bismuth solder is characterized by its lower melting point, good wetting behavior, and good mechanical property for which it is expected to be a new lead-free solder to replace tin-lead solder. In this article, Sn-3.33Ag-4.83Bi solder was investigated concerning its physical, spreading, and mechanical properties under specific conditions. Cooling curves and DSC results showed that it was close to eutectic composition (m.p. 210° 212 °C). Coefficiency of thermal expansion (CTE) of this solder, between that of PCBs and copper substrates, was beneficial to alleviate the thermal mismatch of the substrates. It was also a good electrical and thermal conductor. Using a rosin-based, mildly activated (RMA) flux, a spreading test indicated that SnAgBi solder paste had good solderability. Meanwhile, the solder had high tensile strength and fracture energy. Its fracture mechanism was a mixture of ductile and brittle fracture morphology. The metallographic and EDAX analyses indicated that it was composed of a tin-based solid solution and some intermetallic compound (IMC) that could strengthen the substrate. However, these large needle-like IMCs would cut the substrate and this resulted in the decreasing of the toughness of the solder.

  2. Gold in the layered structures of R 3Au 7Sn 3: From relativity to versatility

    DOE PAGES

    Provino, Alessia; Steinberg, Simon Alexander; Smetana, Volodymyr; ...

    2016-07-11

    A new isotypic series of ternary rare earth element-gold-tetrel intermetallic compounds has been synthesized and their structures and properties have been characterized. R 3Au 7Sn 3 (R = Y, La-Nd, Sm, Gd-Tm, Lu) crystallize with the hexagonal Gd 3Au 7Sn 3 prototype (Pearson symbol hP26; P6 3/m, a = 8.110-8.372 Å, c = 9.351-9.609 Å, V cell = 532.7-583.3 Å3, Z = 2), an ordered variant of the Cu 10Sn 3-type. Their structure is built up by GdPt 2Sn-type layers, which feature edge-sharing Sn@Au 6 trigonal antiprisms connected by trigonal R3 groups. Additional insertion of gold atoms leads to themore » formation of new homoatomic Au clusters, Au@Au 6; alternatively, the structure can be considered as a superstructural polyhedral packing of the ZrBeSi-type. The magnetization, heat ca-pacity and electrical resistivity have been measured for R 3Au 7Sn 3 (R = Ce, Pr, Nd and Tb). All four compounds order antiferromagnetically with the highest T N of 13 K for Tb 3Au 7Sn 3. In Ce 3Au 7Sn 3, which has a T N of 2.9 K, the heat capacity and electrical resistivity data in zero and applied fields indicate the presence of Kondo interactions. The coefficient of the linear term in the electronic heat capacity, γ, derived from the heat capacity data below 0.5 K is 211 mJ/Ce mol K 2 suggesting strong electronic correlations due to the Kondo interaction. The electronic structure calculations based on the projector augmented wave method for particular representatives of the series suggest different tendencies of the localized R-4f AOs to hybridize with the valence states. LMTO-based bonding analysis on the non-magnetic La 3Au 7Sn 3 indicates that the integrated crystal orbital Hamilton popu-lations (COHPs) are dominated by the heteroatomic Au–Sn contacts; however, contributions from La–Au and La–Sn separations are significant, both together exceeding 40 % in the overall bonding. Furthermore, homoatomic Au–Au interactions are evident for the Au@Au 6 units but, despite of the

  3. Gold in the layered structures of R 3Au 7Sn 3: From relativity to versatility

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Provino, Alessia; Steinberg, Simon Alexander; Smetana, Volodymyr

    A new isotypic series of ternary rare earth element-gold-tetrel intermetallic compounds has been synthesized and their structures and properties have been characterized. R 3Au 7Sn 3 (R = Y, La-Nd, Sm, Gd-Tm, Lu) crystallize with the hexagonal Gd 3Au 7Sn 3 prototype (Pearson symbol hP26; P6 3/m, a = 8.110-8.372 Å, c = 9.351-9.609 Å, V cell = 532.7-583.3 Å3, Z = 2), an ordered variant of the Cu 10Sn 3-type. Their structure is built up by GdPt 2Sn-type layers, which feature edge-sharing Sn@Au 6 trigonal antiprisms connected by trigonal R3 groups. Additional insertion of gold atoms leads to themore » formation of new homoatomic Au clusters, Au@Au 6; alternatively, the structure can be considered as a superstructural polyhedral packing of the ZrBeSi-type. The magnetization, heat ca-pacity and electrical resistivity have been measured for R 3Au 7Sn 3 (R = Ce, Pr, Nd and Tb). All four compounds order antiferromagnetically with the highest T N of 13 K for Tb 3Au 7Sn 3. In Ce 3Au 7Sn 3, which has a T N of 2.9 K, the heat capacity and electrical resistivity data in zero and applied fields indicate the presence of Kondo interactions. The coefficient of the linear term in the electronic heat capacity, γ, derived from the heat capacity data below 0.5 K is 211 mJ/Ce mol K 2 suggesting strong electronic correlations due to the Kondo interaction. The electronic structure calculations based on the projector augmented wave method for particular representatives of the series suggest different tendencies of the localized R-4f AOs to hybridize with the valence states. LMTO-based bonding analysis on the non-magnetic La 3Au 7Sn 3 indicates that the integrated crystal orbital Hamilton popu-lations (COHPs) are dominated by the heteroatomic Au–Sn contacts; however, contributions from La–Au and La–Sn separations are significant, both together exceeding 40 % in the overall bonding. Furthermore, homoatomic Au–Au interactions are evident for the Au@Au 6 units but, despite of the

  4. Effect of Current Density and Plating Time on Cu Electroplating in TSV and Low Alpha Solder Bumping

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jung, Do-Hyun; Sharma, Ashutosh; Kim, Keong-Heum; Choo, Yong-Chul; Jung, Jae-Pil

    2015-03-01

    In this study, copper filling in through-silicon via (TSV) by pulse periodic reverse electroplating and low alpha solder bumping on Cu-filled TSVs was investigated. The via diameter and depth of TSV were 60 and 120 µm, respectively. The experimental results indicated that the thickness of electrodeposited copper layer increased with increasing cathodic current density and plating time. The electroplated Cu in TSV showed a typical bottom-up filling. A defectless, complete, and fast 100% Cu-filled TSV was achieved at cathodic and anodic current densities of -8 and 16 mA/cm2 for a plating time of 4 h, respectively. A sound low alpha solder ball, Sn-1.0 wt.% Ag-0.5 wt.% Cu (SAC 105) with a diameter of 83 µm and height of 66 µm was reflow processed at 245 °C on Cu-filled TSV. The Cu/solder joint interface was subjected to high temperature aging at 85 °C for 150 h, which showed an excellent bonding characteristic with minimum Cu-Sn intermetallic compounds growth.

  5. Multi-Layer SnSe Nanoflake Field-Effect Transistors with Low-Resistance Au Ohmic Contacts

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Cho, Sang-Hyeok; Cho, Kwanghee; Park, No-Won; Park, Soonyong; Koh, Jung-Hyuk; Lee, Sang-Kwon

    2017-05-01

    We report p-type tin monoselenide (SnSe) single crystals, grown in double-sealed quartz ampoules using a modified Bridgman technique at 920 °C. X-ray powder diffraction (XRD) and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) measurements clearly confirm that the grown SnSe consists of single-crystal SnSe. Electrical transport of multi-layer SnSe nanoflakes, which were prepared by exfoliation from bulk single crystals, was conducted using back-gated field-effect transistor (FET) structures with Au and Ti contacts on SiO2/Si substrates, revealing that multi-layer SnSe nanoflakes exhibit p-type semiconductor characteristics owing to the Sn vacancies on the surfaces of SnSe nanoflakes. In addition, a strong carrier screening effect was observed in 70-90-nm-thick SnSe nanoflake FETs. Furthermore, the effect of the metal contacts to multi-layer SnSe nanoflake-based FETs is also discussed with two different metals, such as Ti/Au and Au contacts.

  6. Soldering Tested in Reduced Gravity

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Struk, Peter M.; Pettegrew, Richard D.; Watson, J. Kevin; Down, Robert S.; Haylett, Daniel R.

    2005-01-01

    Whether used occasionally for contingency repair or routinely in nominal repair operations, soldering will become increasingly important to the success of future long-duration human space missions. As a result, it will be critical to have a thorough understanding of the service characteristics of solder joints produced in reduced-gravity environments. The National Center for Space Exploration Research (via the Research for Design program), the NASA Glenn Research Center, and the NASA Johnson Space Center are conducting an experimental program to explore the influence of reduced gravity environments on the soldering process. Solder joint characteristics that are being considered include solder fillet geometry, porosity, and microstructural features. Both through-hole (see the drawing and image on the preceding figure) and surface-mounted devices are being investigated. This effort (the low-gravity portion being conducted on NASA s KC-135 research aircraft) uses the soldering hardware currently available on the International Space Station. The experiment involves manual soldering by a contingent of test operators, including both highly skilled technicians and less skilled individuals to provide a skill mix that might be encountered in space mission crews. The experiment uses both flux-cored solder and solid-core solder with an externally applied flux. Other experimental parameters include the type of flux, gravitational level (nominally zero,

  7. Solder flow over fine line PWB surface finishes

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Hosking, F.M.; Hernandez, C.L.

    1998-08-01

    The rapid advancement of interconnect technology has stimulated the development of alternative printed wiring board (PWB) surface finishes to enhance the solderability of standard copper and solder-coated surfaces. These new finishes are based on either metallic or organic chemistries. As part of an ongoing solderability study, Sandia National Laboratories has investigated the solder flow behavior of two azole-based organic solderability preservations, immersion Au, immersion Ag, electroless Pd, and electroless Pd/Ni on fine line copper features. The coated substrates were solder tested in the as-fabricated and environmentally-stressed conditions. Samples were processed through an inerted reflow machine. The azole-based coatings generally providedmore » the most effective protection after aging. Thin Pd over Cu yielded the best wetting results of the metallic coatings, with complete dissolution of the Pd overcoat and wetting of the underlying Cu by the flowing solder. Limited wetting was measured on the thicker Pd and Pd over Ni finishes, which were not completely dissolved by the molten solder. The immersion Au and Ag finishes yielded the lowest wetted lengths, respectively. These general differences in solderability were directly attributed to the type of surface finish which the solder came in contact with. The effects of circuit geometry, surface finish, stressing, and solder processing conditions are discussed.« less

  8. Wafer-level Cu-Sn micro-joints with high mechanical strength and low Sn overflow

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Duan, Ani; Luu, Thi-Thuy; Wang, Kaiying; Aasmundtveit, Knut; Hoivik, Nils

    2015-09-01

    In this paper, we report wafer-level bonding using solid-liquid inter-diffusion (SLID) processes for fabricating micro-joints Cu-Sn at low temperature (270 °C). The evolution of multilayer Cu/Sn to micro-joint alloys has been characterized by optical microscopy and mechanical die-shear testing. The Cu-Sn joints with line width from 80 to 200 μm prove to be reliable packaging materials for bonding vacuum micro-cavities with controllable Sn overflow, as well as high mechanical strength (>70 MPa). A thermodynamic model has been performed to further understand the formation of Cu-Sn intermetallic alloys. There are two important findings for this work: 1) Using a two-step temperature profile may significantly reduce the amount of Sn overflow; 2) for packaging, a bond frame width greater than 80 μm will result in high yield.

  9. Modified Process Reduces Porosity when Soldering in Reduced Gravity Environments

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Watson, Kevin; Struk, Peter; Pettegrew, Richard; Downs, Robert; Haylett, Daniel

    2012-01-01

    A modified process yields lower levels of internal porosity for solder joints produced in reduced-gravity environments. The process incorporates both alternative materials and a modified procedure. The process provides the necessary cleaning action to enable effective bonding of the applied solder alloy with the materials to be joined. The modified process incorporates a commercially available liquid flux that is applied to the solder joint before heating with the soldering iron. It is subsequently heated with the soldering iron to activate the cleaning action of the flux and to evaporate most of the flux, followed by application of solder alloy in the form of commercially available solid solder wire (containing no flux). Continued heating ensures adequate flow of the solder alloy around and onto the materials to be joined. The final step is withdrawal of the soldering iron to allow alloy solidification and cooling of the solder joint.

  10. Investigation of electrochemical migration on Sn-0.7Cu-0.3Ag-0.03P-0.005Ni solder alloy in HNO3 solution

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sarveswaran, C.; Othman, N. K.; Ali, M. Yusuf Tura; Ani, F. Che; Samsudin, Z.

    2015-09-01

    Current issue in lead-free solder in term of its reliability is still under investigation. This high impact research attempts to investigate the electrochemical migration (ECM) on Sn-0.7Cu-0.3Ag-0.03P-0.005Ni solder alloy by Water Drop Test (WDT) in different concentration of HNO3 solution. The concentration of HNO3 solution used in this research was 0.05, 0.10, 0.50 and 1M. Optical Microscope (OM), Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscope (FESEM) and Energy Dispersive X-Ray Analysis (EDX) were carried out in order to analysis the ECM behavior based on the growth of dendrite formation after WDT. In general, the results demonstrated that dendrite growth is faster in higher concentration compared with low concentration of HNO3. The concentration of HNO3 solution used has a strong correlation with Mean-Time-To-Failure (MTTF). As the concentration of HNO3 increases, the MTTF value decreases. Based on the MTTF results the solder alloy in 1M HNO3 solution is most susceptible to ECM. SnO2 forms as a corrosion by-product in the samples proved by EDX analysis. The solder alloy poses a high reliability risk in microelectronic devices during operation in 1M HNO3 solution.

  11. Gold-rich R 3Au 7Sn 3: Establishing the interdependence between electronic features and physical properties

    DOE PAGES

    Provino, Alessia; Steinberg, Simon; Smetana, Volodymyr; ...

    2015-05-18

    Two new polar intermetallic compounds Y 3Au 7Sn 3 (I) and Gd 3Au 7Sn 3 (II) have been synthesized and their structures have been determined by single crystal X-ray diffraction (P6 3/m; Z = 2, a = 8.148(1)/8.185(3), and c = 9.394(2)/9.415(3) for I/II, respectively). They can formally be assigned to the Cu 10Sn 3 type and consist of parallel slabs of Sn centered, edge-sharing trigonal Au 6 antiprisms connected through R 3 (R = Y, Gd) triangles. Additional Au atoms reside in the centres of trigonal Au 6 prisms forming Au@Au 6 clusters with Au–Au distances of 2.906–2.960 Å,more » while the R–R contacts in the R 3 groups are considerably larger than the sums of their metallic radii. These exclusive structural arrangements provide alluring systems to study the synergism between strongly correlated systems, particularly, those in the structure of (II), and extensive polar intermetallic contacts, which has been inspected by measurements of the magnetic properties, heat capacities and electrical conductivities of both compounds. Gd 3Au 7Sn 3 shows an antiferromagnetic ordering at 13 K, while Y 3Au 7Sn 3 is a Pauli paramagnet and a downward curvature in its electrical resistivity at about 1.9 K points to a superconducting transition. DFT-based band structure calculations on R 3Au 7Sn 3 (R = Y, Gd) account for the results of the conductivity measurements and different spin ordering models of (II) provide conclusive hints about its magnetic structure. As a result, chemical bonding analyses of both compounds indicate that the vast majority of bonding originates from the heteroatomic Au–Gd and Au–Sn interactions, while homoatomic Au–Au bonding is evident within the Au@Au 6 clusters.« less

  12. Effects of Amplitude Variations on Deformation and Damage Evolution in SnAgCu Solder in Isothermal Cycling

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wentlent, Luke; Alghoul, Thaer M.; Greene, Christopher M.; Borgesen, Peter

    2018-02-01

    Although apparently simpler than in thermal cycling, the behavior of SnAgCu (SAC) solder joints in cyclic bending or vibration is not currently well understood. The rate of damage has been shown to scale with the inelastic work per cycle, and excursions to higher amplitudes lead to an apparent softening, some of which remains so that damage accumulation is faster in subsequent cycling at lower amplitudes. This frequently leads to a dramatic breakdown of current damage accumulation rules. An empirical damage accumulation rule has been proposed to account for this, but any applicability to the extrapolation of accelerated test results to life under realistic long-term service conditions remains to be validated. This will require a better understanding of the underlying mechanisms. The present work provides experimental evidence to support recent suggestions that the observed behavior is a result of cycling-induced dislocation structures providing for increased diffusion creep. It is argued that this means that the measured work is an indicator of the instantaneous dislocation density, rather than necessarily reflecting the actual work involved in the creation of the damage.

  13. A potential half-Heusler thermoelectric material ScAuSn: A first principle study

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Joshi, H.; Rai, D. P.; Thapa, R. K.

    2018-04-01

    Density Functional Theory along with semi classical Boltzmann transport theory have been applied to study the electronic and thermoelectric property of the Heusler alloy ScAuSn. It has been found that ScAuSn is an indirect band gap semiconductor with a gap of 0.344 eV. The thermoelectric properties such as electrical conductivity (σ), Seebeck coefficient (S), electronic thermal conductivity (κ) etc. are reported as a function of chemical potential in the region ± 2.0 eV, with respect to constant temperature. The calculated ZT value is almost equal to 1, thus making ScAuSn a potential thermoelectric candidate.

  14. New Failure Mode of Flip-Chip Solder Joints Related to the Metallization of an Organic Substrate

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jang, J. W.; Yoo, S. J.; Hwang, H. I.; Yuk, S. Y.; Kim, C. K.; Kim, S. J.; Han, J. S.; An, S. H.

    2015-10-01

    We report a new failure phenomenon during flip-chip die attach. After reflow, flip-chip bumps were separated between the Al and Ti layers on the Si die side. This was mainly observed at the Si die corner. Transmission electron microscopy images revealed corrosion of the Al layer at the edge of the solder bump metallization. The corrosion at the metallization edge exhibited a notch shape with high stress concentration factor. The organic substrate had Cu metallization with an organic solderable preservative (OSP) coating layer, where a small amount of Cl ions were detected. A solder bump separation mechanism is suggested based on the reaction between Al and Cl, related to the flow of soldering flux. During reflow, the flux will dissolve the Cl-containing OSP layer and flow up to the Al layer on the Si die side. Then, the Cl-dissolved flux will actively react with Al, forming AlCl3. During cooling, solder bumps at the Si die corner will separate through the location of Al corrosion. This demonstrated that the chemistry of the substrate metallization can affect the thermomechanical reliability of flip-chip solder joints.

  15. Influence of nanoparticle addition on the formation and growth of intermetallic compounds (IMCs) in Cu/Sn–Ag–Cu/Cu solder joint during different thermal conditions

    PubMed Central

    Ting Tan, Ai; Wen Tan, Ai; Yusof, Farazila

    2015-01-01

    Nanocomposite lead-free solders are gaining prominence as replacements for conventional lead-free solders such as Sn–Ag–Cu solder in the electronic packaging industry. They are fabricated by adding nanoparticles such as metallic and ceramic particles into conventional lead-free solder. It is reported that the addition of such nanoparticles could strengthen the solder matrix, refine the intermetallic compounds (IMCs) formed and suppress the growth of IMCs when the joint is subjected to different thermal conditions such as thermal aging and thermal cycling. In this paper, we first review the fundamental studies on the formation and growth of IMCs in lead-free solder joints. Subsequently, we discuss the effect of the addition of nanoparticles on IMC formation and their growth under several thermal conditions. Finally, an outlook on the future growth of research in the fabrication of nanocomposite solder is provided. PMID:27877786

  16. Lead-Free Sn-Ce-O Composite Coating on Cu Produced by Pulse Electrodeposition from an Aqueous Acidic Sulfate Electrolyte

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sharma, Ashutosh; Das, Karabi; Das, Siddhartha

    2017-10-01

    Pulse-electrodeposited Sn-Ce-O composite solder coatings were synthesized on a Cu substrate from an aqueous acidic solution containing stannous sulfate (SnSO4·3H2O), sulfuric acid (H2SO4), and Triton X-100 as an additive. The codeposition was achieved by adding nano-cerium oxide powder in varying concentrations from 5 g/L to 20 g/L into the electrolytic bath. Microstructural characterization was carried out using x-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy, and transmission electron microscopy. The XRD analysis showed that the deposits consist mainly of tetragonal β (Sn) with reduced cerium oxide species. The composite coatings thus obtained exhibit a smaller grain size, possess higher microhardness, and a lower melting point than the monolithic Sn coating. The electrical resistivity of the developed composites increases, however, but lies within the permissible limits for current lead-free solder applications. Also, an optimum balance of properties in terms of microhardness, adhesion, melting point and resistivity can be obtained with 0.9 wt.% cerium oxide in the Sn matrix, which enables potential applications in solder joints and packaging.

  17. Atomisti modeling of the microstructure and transport properties of lead-free solder alloys

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sellers, Michael S.

    Damage mechanics models of lead-free solder joints in nanoelectronics continue to improve, and in doing so begin to utilize quantitative values describing processes at the atomic level, governing phenomena like electromigration and thermomigration. In particular, knowledge of the transport properties of specific microstructures helps continuum level models fully describe these larger-scale damage phenomena via multi-scale analysis. For example, diffusivities for different types of grain boundaries (fast diffusion paths for solvent and solute atoms, and vacancies), and a description of the boundary structure as a function of temperature, are critical in modeling solder microstructure evolution and, consequently, joint behavior under extreme temperature and electric current. Moreover, for damage that develops at larger length scales, surface energies and diffusivities play important roles in characterizing void stability and morphology. Unfortunately, experiments that investigate these kind of damage phenomena in the atomistic realm are often inconsistent or unable to directly quantify important parameters. One case is the particular transport and structural properties of grain boundaries in Sn (the main component in lead-free solder alloys) and their behavior in the presence of Ag and Cu impurities. This information is crucial in determining accurate diffusivity values for the common SnAgCu (SAC) type solder. Although an average grain boundary diffusivity has been reported for polycrystalline Sn in several works, the value for grain boundary width is estimated and specific diffusivities for boundaries known to occur in Sn have not been reported, to say nothing of solute effects on Sn diffusivity and grain boundary structure. Similarly, transport properties of Sn surfaces remain relatively uninvestigated as well. These gaps and inconsistencies in atomistic data must be remedied for micro- and macro-scale modeling to improve. As a complement to experimental work and

  18. Optical and magneto-optical properties of AuMnSn

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lee, S. J.; Janssen, Y.; Park, J. M.; Cho, B. K.

    2006-03-01

    We have measured room-temperature magneto-optical properties of AuMnSn on a single-crystalline sample. The maximum polar Kerr rotation was predicted to be very large, about -0.7° at 1.2eV [L. Offernes, P. Ravindran, and A. Kjekshus, Appl. Phys. Lett. 82, 2862 (2003)]. We found the experimental maximum Kerr rotation and ellipticity were about three times smaller than predicted and appeared at energies about 0.6eV higher than predicted, which is possibly due to inaccurate handling of the theory based on the local spin-density approximation to density-function theory for the localized 4d and 5d orbitals in AuMnSn.

  19. Solid-state diffusion-controlled growth of the phases in the Au-Sn system

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Baheti, Varun A.; Kashyap, Sanjay; Kumar, Praveen; Chattopadhyay, Kamanio; Paul, Aloke

    2018-01-01

    The solid state diffusion-controlled growth of the phases is studied for the Au-Sn system in the range of room temperature to 200 °C using bulk and electroplated diffusion couples. The number of product phases in the interdiffusion zone decreases with the decrease in annealing temperature. These phases grow with significantly high rates even at the room temperature. The growth rate of the AuSn4 phase is observed to be higher in the case of electroplated diffusion couple because of the relatively small grains and hence high contribution of the grain boundary diffusion when compared to the bulk diffusion couple. The diffraction pattern analysis indicates the same equilibrium crystal structure of the phases in these two types of diffusion couples. The analysis in the AuSn4 phase relating the estimated tracer diffusion coefficients with grain size, crystal structure, the homologous temperature of experiments and the concept of the sublattice diffusion mechanism in the intermetallic compounds indicate that Au diffuses mainly via the grain boundaries, whereas Sn diffuses via both the grain boundaries and the lattice.

  20. A comparative evaluation of the tensile strength of silver soldered joints of stainless steel and cobalt chromium orthodontic wires with band material--an in vitro study.

    PubMed

    Dua, R; Nandlal, B

    2004-03-01

    The present study was conducted to compare and evaluate the tensile strength of silver soldered joints of stainless steel and cobalt-chromium orthodontic wires with band material. An attempt was made to observe the effect of joint site preparation by incorporation of tack welding and increasing metal to metal surface contact area by flattening an end of the wire prior to soldering along with the regularly used round wires without tack welding. A total of 180 wire specimens were soldered to 180 band specimens. Fifteen samples according to joint site preparation were included for each of the wire groups i.e. Gloria (S.S.), Remanium (S.S.) and Remaloy (Co-Cr) wires of 0.036" in diameter. The findings of the study were suggestive that all three wires may be used for preparing silver soldered joints irrespective of the quality of the wire. However, when subjecting the wire to joint site preparation, Gloria (S.S.) wire showed less tensile strength as compared to Remanium and Remaloy.

  1. Microstructural development and mechanical properties of a near-eutectic directionally solidified Sn–Bi solder alloy

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Silva, Bismarck Luiz, E-mail: bismarck_luiz@yahoo.com.br; Reinhart, Guillaume; Nguyen-Thi, Henri

    2015-09-15

    Sn–Bi solders may be applied for electronic applications where low-temperature soldering is required, i.e., sensitive components, step soldering and soldering LEDs. In spite of their potential to cover such applications, the mechanical response of soldered joints of Sn–Bi alloys in some cases does not meet the strength requirements due to inappropriate resulting microstructures. Hence, careful examination and control of as-soldered microstructures become necessary with a view to pre-programming reliable final properties. The present study aims to investigate the effects of solidification thermal parameters (growth rate — V{sub L} and cooling rate — T-dot{sub L}) on the microstructure of the Sn–52more » wt.%Bi solder solidified under unsteady-state conditions. Samples were obtained by upward directional solidification (DS), followed by characterization through metallography and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The microstructures are shown to be formed by Sn-rich dendrites decorated with Bi precipitates surrounded by a complex regular eutectic mixture, with alternated Bi-rich and Sn-rich phases. Experimental correlations of primary (λ{sub 1}), secondary (λ{sub 2}), tertiary (λ{sub 3}) dendritic and eutectic spacings (λ{sub coarse} and λ{sub fine}) with cooling rate and growth rate are established. Two ranges of lamellar eutectic sizes were determined, described by two experimental equations λ = 1.1 V{sub L}{sup −1/2} and λ = 0.67 V{sub L}{sup −1/2}. The onset of tertiary branches within the dendritic array along the Sn–52 wt.%Bi alloy DS casting is shown to occur for cooling rates lower than 1.5 °C/s. - Highlights: • The Sn–52 wt.%Bi solder was shown to have two eutectic sizes. • The fishbone eutectic is preferably located adjacent to the Bi-rich lamellar phases. • The onset of tertiary dendritic branches in Sn–Bi is associated with T-dot{sub L} < 1.5 °C/s. • Higher eutectic fraction and λ{sub 3} provoked a reverse increase

  2. Effect of Intermetallic on Electromigration and Atomic Diffusion in Cu/SnAg3.0Cu0.5/Cu Joints: Experimental and First-Principles Study

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhou, Wei; Liu, Lijuan; Li, Baoling; Wu, Ping

    2009-06-01

    Electromigration phenomena in a one-dimensional Cu/SnAg3.0Cu0.5/Cu joint were investigated with current stressing. The special effect of intermetallic compound (IMC) layers on the formation of serious electromigration damage induced by nonuniform current density distribution was discussed based on experimental results. Meanwhile, hillocks were observed both at the anode and near the cathode of the joint, and they were described as the result of diffusion of atoms and compressive stress released along grain boundaries to the relatively free surface. Moreover, the diffusion behavior of Cu at the cathode was analyzed with the electromigration equation, and the stability of Ag atoms in the solder during electromigration was evaluated with a first-principles method.

  3. Heat Lamps Solder Solar Array Quickly

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Coyle, P. J.; Crouthamel, M. S.

    1982-01-01

    Interconnection tabs in a nine-solar-cell array have been soldered simultaneously with radiant heat. Cells and tabs are held in position for soldering by sandwiching them between compliant silicone-rubber vacuum platen and transparent polyimide sealing membrane. Heat lamps warm cells, producing smooth, flat solder joints of high quality.

  4. Massive spalling of intermetallic compounds in solder-substrate reactions due to limited supply of the active element

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yang, S. C.; Ho, C. E.; Chang, C. W.; Kao, C. R.

    2007-04-01

    Massive spalling of intermetallic compounds has been reported in the literature for several solder/substrate systems, including SnAgCu soldered on Ni substrate, SnZn on Cu, high-Pb PbSn on Cu, and high-Pb PbSn on Ni. In this work, a unified thermodynamic argument is proposed to explain this rather unusual phenomenon. According to this argument, two necessary conditions must be met. The number one condition is that at least one of the reactive constituents of the solder must be present in a limited amount, and the second condition is that the soldering reaction has to be very sensitive to its concentration. With the growth of intermetallic, more and more atoms of this constituent are extracted out of the solder and incorporated into the intermetallic. As the concentration of this constituent decreases, the original intermetallic at the interface becomes a nonequilibrium phase, and the spalling of the original intermetallic occurs.

  5. Massive spalling of intermetallic compounds in solder-substrate reactions due to limited supply of the active element

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Yang, S. C.; Ho, C. E.; Chang, C. W.

    2007-04-15

    Massive spalling of intermetallic compounds has been reported in the literature for several solder/substrate systems, including SnAgCu soldered on Ni substrate, SnZn on Cu, high-Pb PbSn on Cu, and high-Pb PbSn on Ni. In this work, a unified thermodynamic argument is proposed to explain this rather unusual phenomenon. According to this argument, two necessary conditions must be met. The number one condition is that at least one of the reactive constituents of the solder must be present in a limited amount, and the second condition is that the soldering reaction has to be very sensitive to its concentration. With themore » growth of intermetallic, more and more atoms of this constituent are extracted out of the solder and incorporated into the intermetallic. As the concentration of this constituent decreases, the original intermetallic at the interface becomes a nonequilibrium phase, and the spalling of the original intermetallic occurs.« less

  6. Pb-free surface-finishing on electronic components' terminals for Pb-free soldering assembly

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Tanaka, Hitoshi; Tanimoto, Morimasa; Matsuda, Akira

    1999-11-01

    Pb-free solderable surface finishing is essential to implement Pb-free solder assembly in order to meet with the growing demand of environmental consciousness to eliminate Pb from electronic products. Two types of widely applicable Pb-free surface finishing technologies are developed. One is the multilayer-system including Pd with Ni undercoat. Heat-resistance of Pd enables whole-surface-plating on to leadframe before IC-assembling process. The other is the double-layer-system with low-melting-point-materials, for example, thicker Sn underlayer and thinner Sn-Bi alloy overlayer, dilutes Sn-Bi alloy's defects of harmful reactivity along with substrate metal and mechanical brittleness with keeping its advantages of solder-wettability and no whisker.

  7. Lead (Pb)-Free Solder Applications

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    VIANCO,PAUL T.

    2000-08-15

    Legislative and marketing forces both abroad and in the US are causing the electronics industry to consider the use of Pb-free solders in place of traditional Sn-Pb alloys. Previous case studies have demonstrated the satisfactory manufacturability and reliability of several Pb-free compositions for printed circuit board applications. Those data, together with the results of fundamental studies on Pb-free solder materials, have indicated the general feasibility of their use in the broader range of present-day, electrical and electronic components.

  8. Investigation of electrochemical migration on Sn-0.7Cu-0.3Ag-0.03P-0.005Ni solder alloy in HNO{sub 3} solution

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Sarveswaran, C.; Othman, N. K.; Ali, M. Yusuf Tura

    2015-09-25

    Current issue in lead-free solder in term of its reliability is still under investigation. This high impact research attempts to investigate the electrochemical migration (ECM) on Sn-0.7Cu-0.3Ag-0.03P-0.005Ni solder alloy by Water Drop Test (WDT) in different concentration of HNO{sub 3} solution. The concentration of HNO{sub 3} solution used in this research was 0.05, 0.10, 0.50 and 1M. Optical Microscope (OM), Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscope (FESEM) and Energy Dispersive X-Ray Analysis (EDX) were carried out in order to analysis the ECM behavior based on the growth of dendrite formation after WDT. In general, the results demonstrated that dendrite growth ismore » faster in higher concentration compared with low concentration of HNO{sub 3}. The concentration of HNO{sub 3} solution used has a strong correlation with Mean-Time-To-Failure (MTTF). As the concentration of HNO{sub 3} increases, the MTTF value decreases. Based on the MTTF results the solder alloy in 1M HNO{sub 3} solution is most susceptible to ECM. SnO{sub 2} forms as a corrosion by-product in the samples proved by EDX analysis. The solder alloy poses a high reliability risk in microelectronic devices during operation in 1M HNO{sub 3} solution.« less

  9. Suppressing tin whisker growth in lead-free solders and platings

    DOEpatents

    Hoffman, Elizabeth N; Lam, Poh-Sang

    2014-04-29

    A process of irradiation Sn containing Pb-free solder to mitigate whisker formation and growth thereon is provided. The use of gamma radiation such as cobalt-60 has been applied to a substrate of Sn on copper has been found to change the morphology of the crystalline whisker growth to a more truncated hillock pattern. The change in morphology greatly reduces the tendency of whiskers to contribute to electrical short-circuits being used as a Pb-free solder system on a copper substrate.

  10. Effects of temperature and operation parameters on the galvanic corrosion of Cu coupled to Au in organic solderability preservatives process

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Oh, SeKwon; Kim, YoungJun; Jung, KiMin; Kim, JongSoo; Shon, MinYoung; Kwon, HyukSang

    2017-03-01

    In this work, we quantitatively examined the effects of temperature and operation parameters such as anode (Cu) to cathode (Au) area ratio, stirring speed, and Cu ion concentration on the galvanic corrosion kinetics of Cu coupled to Au (icouple ( Cu-Au)) on print circuit board in organic solderability preservative (OSP) soft etching solution. With the increase of temperature, galvanic corrosion rate (icouple ( Cu-Au) was increased; however, the degree of galvanic corrosion rate (icouple ( Cu-Au) - icorr (Cu)) was decreased owing to the lower activation energy of Cu coupled to Au, than that of Cu alone. With the increase of area ratio (cathode/anode), stirring speed of the system, icouple ( Cu-Au) was increased by the increase of cathodic reaction kinetics. And icouple ( Cu-Au) was decreased by the increase of the Cu-ion concentration in the OSP soft etching solution.

  11. Solder Creep-Fatigue Interactions with Flexible Leaded Part

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Ross, R. G., Jr.; Wen, L. C.

    1994-01-01

    In most electronic packaging applications it is not a single high stress event that breaks a component solder joint; rather it is repeated or prolonged load applications that result in fatigue or creep failure of the solder. The principal strain in solder joints is caused by differential expansion between the part and its mounting environment due to hanges in temperature (thermal cycles) and/or due to temperature gradients between the part and the board.

  12. Automatic soldering machine

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Stein, J. A.

    1974-01-01

    Fully-automatic tube-joint soldering machine can be used to make leakproof joints in aluminum tubes of 3/16 to 2 in. in diameter. Machine consists of temperature-control unit, heater transformer and heater head, vibrator, and associated circuitry controls, and indicators.

  13. Reliability of Sn/Pb and Lead-Free (SnAgCu) Solders of Surface Mounted Miniaturized Passive Components for Extreme Temperature (-185 C to +125 C) Space Missions

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Ramesham, Rajeshuni

    2011-01-01

    Surface mount electronic package test boards have been assembled using tin/lead (Sn/Pb) and lead-free (Pb-free or SnAgCu or SAC305) solders. The soldered surface mount packages include ball grid arrays (BGA), flat packs, various sizes of passive chip components, etc. They have been optically inspected after assembly and subsequently subjected to extreme temperature thermal cycling to assess their reliability or future deep space, long-term, extreme temperature environmental missions. In this study, the employed temperature range (-185oC to +125oC) covers military specifications (-55oC to +100oC), extreme old Martian (-120oC to +115oC), asteroid Nereus (-180oC to +25oC) and JUNO (-150oC to +120oC) environments. The boards were inspected at room temperature and at various intervals as a function of extreme temperature thermal cycling and bake duration. Electrical resistance measurements made at room temperature are reported and the tests to date have shown some change in resistance as a function of extreme temperature thermal cycling and some showed increase in resistance. However, the change in interconnect resistance becomes more noticeable with increasing number of thermal cycles. Further research work will be carried out to understand the reliability of packages under extreme temperature applications (-185oC to +125oC) via continuously monitoring the daisy chain resistance for BGA, Flat-packs, lead less chip packages, etc. This paper will describe the experimental reliability results of miniaturized passive components (01005, 0201, 0402, 0603, 0805, and 1206) assembled using surface mounting processes with tin-lead and lead-free solder alloys under extreme temperature environments.

  14. The present triumphs and future problems with wave soldering

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Vianco, P.T.

    1993-10-01

    Nearly 40 years of experience with wave soldering have resulted in processes that routinely produce several thousand, defect-free solder joints per minute. However, the climate of electronics manufacturing has changed significantly over the past 10 to 15 years. Environmental restrictions as well as the high quality of products made offshore has placed new demands and challenges on the electronics industry, right down to the assembly process. The impact on wave soldering by environmental regulations and a need for more cost-competitive manufacturing processes has become a serious issue in terms of the economical well-being of the industry. In order to obtainmore » a clearer understanding of the situation, however, it is first most appropriate and necessary to examine the technology of wave soldering. Historically, wave soldering was developed as a refinement of the dip and drag soldering processes with the objective of reducing or eliminating many of the associated defects often present in these earlier processes. Wave soldering reduces the area of contact between the circuit board and the solder. This characteristic, coupled with the agitation generated in the solder, allows flux and its volatile by-products to readily escape from under the board, decreasing the number of skips, unfilled holes, and solder joint voids. The reduced contact area also lessens the potential for thermal damage to the circuit board laminate. Control of the wave profile at the exit point of the circuit board lessens the likelihood of icicles and bridges forming on the solder joints; this latitude is not available in the dip soldering process.« less

  15. Metallurgical characterization of experimental Ag-based soldering alloys.

    PubMed

    Ntasi, Argyro; Al Jabbari, Youssef S; Silikas, Nick; Al Taweel, Sara M; Zinelis, Spiros

    2014-10-01

    To characterize microstructure, hardness and thermal properties of experimental Ag-based soldering alloys for dental applications. Ag12Ga (AgGa) and Ag10Ga5Sn (AgGaSn) were fabricated by induction melting. Six samples were prepared for each alloy and microstructure, hardness and their melting range were determined by, scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) microanalysis, X-ray diffraction (XRD), Vickers hardness testing and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). Both alloys demonstrated a gross dendritic microstructure while according to XRD results both materials consisted predominately of a Ag-rich face centered cubic phase The hardness of AgGa (61 ± 2) was statistically lower than that of AgGaSn (84 ± 2) while the alloys tested showed similar melting range of 627-762 °C for AgGa and 631-756 °C for AgGaSn. The experimental alloys tested demonstrated similar microstructures and melting ranges. Ga and Sn might be used as alternative to Cu and Zn to modify the selected properties of Ag based soldering alloys.

  16. Magellan/Galileo solder joint failure analysis and recommendations

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Ross, Ronald G., Jr.

    1989-01-01

    On or about November 10, 1988 an open circuit solder joint was discovered in the Magellan Radar digital unit (DFU) during integration testing at Kennedy Space Center (KSC). A detailed analysis of the cause of the failure was conducted at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory leading to the successful repair of many pieces of affected electronic hardware on both the Magellan and Galileo spacecraft. The problem was caused by the presence of high thermal coefficient of expansion heat sink and conformal coating materials located in the large (0.055 inch) gap between Dual Inline Packages (DIPS) and the printed wiring board. The details of the observed problems are described and recommendations are made for improved design and testing activities in the future.

  17. Alternatives for joining Si wafers to strain-accommodating Cu for high-power electronics

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Faust, Nicholas; Messler, Robert W.; Khatri, Subhash

    2001-10-01

    Differences in the coefficients of thermal expansion (CTE) between silicon wafers and underlying copper electrodes have led to the use of purely mechanical dry pressure contacts for primary electrical and thermal connections in high-power solid-state electronic devices. These contacts are limited by their ability to dissipate I2R heat from within the device and by their thermal fatigue life. To increase heat dissipation and effectively deal with the CTE mismatch, metallurgical bonding of the silicon to a specially-structured, strain-accommodating copper electrode has been proposed. This study was intended to seek alternative methods for and demonstrate the feasibility of bonding Si to structured Cu in high-power solid-state devices. Three different but fundamentally related fluxless approaches identified and preliminarily assessed were: (1) conventional Sn-Ag eutectic solder; (2) a new, commercially-available active solder based on the Sn-Ag eutectic; and (3) solid-liquid interdiffusion bonding using the Au-In system. Metallurgical joints were made with varying quality levels (according to nonde-structive ultrasonic C-scan mapping, SEM, and electron microprobe) using each approach. Mechanical shear testing resulted in cohesive failure within the Si or the filler alloys. The best approach, in which eutectic Sn-Ag solder in pre-alloyed foil form was employed on Si and Cu substrates metallized (from the substrate outward) with Ti, Ni and Au, exhibited joint thermal conduction 74% better than dry pressure contacts.

  18. Direct electrochemistry of glucose oxidase and biosensing for glucose based on carbon nanotubes@SnO(2)-Au composite.

    PubMed

    Li, Fenghua; Song, Jixia; Li, Fei; Wang, Xiaodan; Zhang, Qixian; Han, Dongxue; Ivaska, Ari; Niu, Li

    2009-12-15

    Multiwalled carbon nanotubes@SnO(2)-Au (MWCNTs@SnO(2)-Au) composite was synthesized by a chemical route. The structure and composition of the MWCNTs@SnO(2)-Au composite were confirmed by means of transmission electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron and Raman spectroscopy. Due to the good electrocatalytic property of MWCNTs@SnO(2)-Au composite, a glucose biosensor was constructed by absorbing glucose oxidase (GOD) on the hybrid material. A direct electron transfer process is observed at the MWCNTs@SnO(2)-Au/GOD-modified glassy carbon electrode. The glucose biosensor has a linear range from 4.0 to 24.0mM, which is suitable for glucose determination by real samples. It should be worthwhile noting that, from 4.0 to 12.0mM, the cathodic peak currents of the biosensor decrease linearly with increasing the glucose concentrations in human blood. Meanwhile, the resulting biosensor can also prevent the effects of interfering species. Moreover, the biosensor exhibits satisfying reproducibility, good operational stability and storage stability. Therefore, the MWCNTs@SnO(2)-Au/GOD biocomposite could be promisingly applied to determine blood sugar concentration in the practical clinical analysis.

  19. In Situ Optical Creep Observation of Joint-Scale Tin-Silver-Copper Solder Shear Samples

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Herkommer, Dominik; Reid, Michael; Punch, Jeff

    2009-10-01

    In this paper the creep behavior of lead-free 96.5Sn-3.0Ag-0.5Cu solder is evaluated. A series of creep tests at different stress/temperature and strain rate/temperature pairs has been conducted. The tests were observed in situ with a high-magnification camera system. Optical observation results are presented from selected tests, showing the occurrence of surface effects such as shear bands, voiding, and rumpling. From these observations the main deformation mechanisms were derived and compiled in terms of their dependence on the test conditions.

  20. Cooling thermal parameters and microstructure features of directionally solidified ternary Sn–Bi–(Cu,Ag) solder alloys

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Silva, Bismarck L., E-mail: bismarck_luiz@yahoo.com.br; Garcia, Amauri; Spinelli, José E.

    Low temperature soldering technology encompasses Sn–Bi based alloys as reference materials for joints since such alloys may be molten at temperatures less than 180 °C. Despite the relatively high strength of these alloys, segregation problems and low ductility are recognized as potential disadvantages. Thus, for low-temperature applications, Bi–Sn eutectic or near-eutectic compositions with or without additions of alloying elements are considered interesting possibilities. In this context, additions of third elements such as Cu and Ag may be an alternative in order to reach sounder solder joints. The length scale of the phases and their proportions are known to be themore » most important factors affecting the final wear, mechanical and corrosions properties of ternary Sn–Bi–(Cu,Ag) alloys. In spite of this promising outlook, studies emphasizing interrelations of microstructure features and solidification thermal parameters regarding these multicomponent alloys are rare in the literature. In the present investigation Sn–Bi–(Cu,Ag) alloys were directionally solidified (DS) under transient heat flow conditions. A complete characterization is performed including experimental cooling thermal parameters, segregation (XRF), optical and scanning electron microscopies, X-ray diffraction (XRD) and length scale of the microstructural phases. Experimental growth laws relating dendritic spacings to solidification thermal parameters have been proposed with emphasis on the effects of Ag and Cu. The theoretical predictions of the Rappaz-Boettinger model are shown to be slightly above the experimental scatter of secondary dendritic arm spacings for both ternary Sn–Bi–Cu and Sn–Bi–Ag alloys examined. - Highlights: • Dendritic growth prevailed for the ternary Sn–Bi–Cu and Sn–Bi–Ag solder alloys. • Bi precipitates within Sn-rich dendrites were shown to be unevenly distributed. • Morphology and preferential region for the Ag{sub 3}Sn growth depend

  1. Quantifying Electromigration Processes in Sn-0.7Cu Solder with Lab-Scale X-Ray Computed Micro-Tomography

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mertens, James Charles Edwin

    For decades, microelectronics manufacturing has been concerned with failures related to electromigration phenomena in conductors experiencing high current densities. The influence of interconnect microstructure on device failures related to electromigration in BGA and flip chip solder interconnects has become a significant interest with reduced individual solder interconnect volumes. A survey indicates that x-ray computed micro-tomography (muXCT) is an emerging, novel means for characterizing the microstructures' role in governing electromigration failures. This work details the design and construction of a lab-scale muXCT system to characterize electromigration in the Sn-0.7Cu lead-free solder system by leveraging in situ imaging. In order to enhance the attenuation contrast observed in multi-phase material systems, a modeling approach has been developed to predict settings for the controllable imaging parameters which yield relatively high detection rates over the range of x-ray energies for which maximum attenuation contrast is expected in the polychromatic x-ray imaging system. In order to develop this predictive tool, a model has been constructed for the Bremsstrahlung spectrum of an x-ray tube, and calculations for the detector's efficiency over the relevant range of x-ray energies have been made, and the product of emitted and detected spectra has been used to calculate the effective x-ray imaging spectrum. An approach has also been established for filtering 'zinger' noise in x-ray radiographs, which has proven problematic at high x-ray energies used for solder imaging. The performance of this filter has been compared with a known existing method and the results indicate a significant increase in the accuracy of zinger filtered radiographs. The obtained results indicate the conception of a powerful means for the study of failure causing processes in solder systems used as interconnects in microelectronic packaging devices. These results include the

  2. Reliability of Sn/Pb and lead-free (SnAgCu) solders of surface mounted miniaturized passive components for extreme temperature (-185°C to +125°C) space missions

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ramesham, Rajeshuni

    2011-02-01

    Surface mount electronic package test boards have been assembled using tin/lead (Sn/Pb) and lead-free (Pb-free or SnAgCu or SAC305) solders. The soldered surface mount packages include ball grid arrays (BGA), flat packs, various sizes of passive chip components, etc. They have been optically inspected after assembly and subsequently subjected to extreme temperature thermal cycling to assess their reliability for future deep space, long-term, extreme temperature environmental missions. In this study, the employed temperature range (-185°C to +125°C) covers military specifications (-55°C to +100°C), extreme cold Martian (-120°C to +115°C), asteroid Nereus (-180°C to +25°C) and JUNO (-150°C to +120°C) environments. The boards were inspected at room temperature and at various intervals as a function of extreme temperature thermal cycling and bake duration. Electrical resistance measurements made at room temperature are reported and the tests to date have shown some change in resistance as a function of extreme temperature thermal cycling and some showed increase in resistance. However, the change in interconnect resistance becomes more noticeable with increasing number of thermal cycles. Further research work will be carried out to understand the reliability of packages under extreme temperature applications (-185°C to +125°C) via continuously monitoring the daisy chain resistance for BGA, Flat-packs, lead less chip packages, etc. This paper will describe the experimental reliability results of miniaturized passive components (01005, 0201, 0402, 0603, 0805, and 1206) assembled using surface mounting processes with tin-lead and lead-free solder alloys under extreme temperature environments.

  3. Metallurgical characterization of experimental Ag-based soldering alloys

    PubMed Central

    Ntasi, Argyro; Al Jabbari, Youssef S.; Silikas, Nick; Al Taweel, Sara M.; Zinelis, Spiros

    2014-01-01

    Aim To characterize microstructure, hardness and thermal properties of experimental Ag-based soldering alloys for dental applications. Materials and methods Ag12Ga (AgGa) and Ag10Ga5Sn (AgGaSn) were fabricated by induction melting. Six samples were prepared for each alloy and microstructure, hardness and their melting range were determined by, scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) microanalysis, X-ray diffraction (XRD), Vickers hardness testing and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). Results Both alloys demonstrated a gross dendritic microstructure while according to XRD results both materials consisted predominately of a Ag-rich face centered cubic phase The hardness of AgGa (61 ± 2) was statistically lower than that of AgGaSn (84 ± 2) while the alloys tested showed similar melting range of 627–762 °C for AgGa and 631–756 °C for AgGaSn. Conclusion The experimental alloys tested demonstrated similar microstructures and melting ranges. Ga and Sn might be used as alternative to Cu and Zn to modify the selected properties of Ag based soldering alloys. PMID:25382945

  4. Evaluation on Dorsey Method in Surface Tension Measurement of Solder Liquids Containing Surfactants

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhao, Xingke; Xie, Feiming; Fan, Jinsheng; Liu, Dayong; Huang, Jihua; Chen, Shuhai

    2018-06-01

    With the purpose of developing a feasible approach for measuring the surface tension of solders containing surfactants, the surface tension of Sn-3Ag-0.5Cu-xP solder alloys, with various drop sizes as well as different phosphorus (P) content, was evaluated using the Dorsey method based on the sessile drop test. The results show that the accuracy of the surface tension calculations depends on both of sessile drop size and the liquid metal composition. With a proper drop size, in the range of 4.5 mm to 5.3 mm in equivalent spherical diameters, the deviation of the surface tension calculation can be limited to 1.43 mN·m-1 and 6.30 mN·m-1 for SnAgCu and SnAgCu-P, respectively. The surface tension of SnAgCu-xP solder alloys decreases quickly to a minimum value when the P content reaches 0.5 wt% and subsequently increases slowly with the P content further increasing. The formation of a P-enriched surface layer and Sn4P3 intermetallic phases is regarded to be responsible for the decreasing and subsequent increasing of surface tension, respectively.

  5. Thermodynamic Description of the Quaternary Ag-Bi-Cu-Sn System

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gierlotka, Wojciech

    2018-01-01

    Lead-free soldering is an important part of electronic devices production. New lead-free solders that replace classical Sn-37Pb solder are still under development. Thermodynamic modeling makes the development process faster, cheaper and more environmentally friendly due to predictions of phases stabilities and phases transformations. In this work, the thermodynamic description of quaternary Ag-Bi-Cu-Sn system is presented. The thermodynamic assessment of promising lead-free quaternary solder was prepared using the Calphad approach. A good agreement between available experimental data and calculation was found.

  6. Stresses in Solder Joints of Electronic Packages

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1991-12-31

    soldering process. The device is soldered to the circuit board at a temperature of +185zc and this tempature is assumed to propagate only to the lead wire...tri-material assembly, showing the notation used hereafter, is shown in Figure 7. The Suhir model is applicable to assemblies with continuous...therefore the radii of curvature of layers are all equal. Using equilibrium equation (7) and moment-curvature equation (9) yields ()D D Xp (x) D T() -m 3 x

  7. Thermally Conductive Metal-Tube/Carbon-Composite Joints

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Copeland, Robert J.

    2004-01-01

    An improved method of fabricating joints between metal and carbon-fiber-based composite materials in lightweight radiators and heat sinks has been devised. Carbon-fiber-based composite materials have been used in such heat-transfer devices because they offer a combination of high thermal conductivity and low mass density. Metal tubes are typically used to carry heat-transfer fluids to and from such heat-transfer devices. The present fabrication method helps to ensure that the joints between the metal tubes and the composite-material parts in such heat-transfer devices have both (1) the relatively high thermal conductances needed for efficient transfer of heat and (2) the flexibility needed to accommodate differences among thermal expansions of dissimilar materials in operation over wide temperature ranges. Techniques used previously to join metal tubes with carbon-fiber-based composite parts have included press fitting and bonding with epoxy. Both of these prior techniques have been found to yield joints characterized by relatively high thermal resistances. The present method involves the use of a solder (63 percent Sn, 37 percent Pb) to form a highly thermally conductive joint between a metal tube and a carbon-fiber-based composite structure. Ordinarily, the large differences among the coefficients of thermal expansion of the metal tube, solder, and carbon-fiber-based composite would cause the solder to pull away from the composite upon post-fabrication cooldown from the molten state. In the present method, the structure of the solder is modified (see figure) to enable it to deform readily to accommodate the differential thermal expansion.

  8. Inspection criteria ensure quality control of parallel gap soldering

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Burka, J. A.

    1968-01-01

    Investigation of parallel gap soldering of electrical leads resulted in recommendation on material preparation, equipment, process control, and visual inspection criteria to ensure reliable solder joints. The recommendations will minimize problems in heat-dwell time, amount of solder, bridging conductors, and damage of circuitry.

  9. Effects of High-Temperature Treatment on the Reaction Between Sn-3%Ag-0.5%Cu Solder and Sputtered Ni-V Film on Ferrite Substrate

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Shen, Xiaohu; Jin, Hao; Dong, Shurong; Wong, Hei; Zhou, Jian; Guo, Zhaodi; Wang, Demiao

    2012-11-01

    We have demonstrated a novel sputtering method for lead-free thin metal films on ferrite substrates for surface-mount inductor applications. In a surface-mounting process, the cladding of enameled wire needs to be burnt off at high temperature, which requires the devices to withstand a high-temperature reliability test at 420°C for 10 s. There are no reports that a sputtered film of thickness less than 6 μm can withstand this test. In this work, we used Ag/Ni-7 wt.%V double metal layers for the metallization. The dissolution of Ni-7 wt.%V in Sn-3%Ag-0.5%Cu lead-free solder at various temperatures was studied in detail. Scanning electron microscopy with energy-dispersive x-ray spectroscopy was used to investigate the interfacial reaction between the sputtered films and the solder. The intermetallic compounds are mainly (Cu,Ni)6Sn5 at 250°C; however, (Ni,Cu)3Sn4 becomes the predominant composition at 420°C. In addition, although outdiffusion of V atoms from the Ni-V layer was observed, its effect on the intermetallic compound (IMC) was insignificant. We further confirmed that the proposed metallization is able to pass the aforementioned high-temperature reliability test.

  10. Interfacial Phenomena in Al/Al, Al/Cu, and Cu/Cu Joints Soldered Using an Al-Zn Alloy with Ag or Cu Additions

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Pstruś, Janusz; Gancarz, Tomasz

    2014-05-01

    The studies of soldered joints were carried out in systems: Al/solder/Al, Al/solder/Cu, Cu/solder/Cu, where the solder was (Al-Zn)EUT, (Al-Zn)EUT with 0.5, 1.0, and 1.5 at.% of Ag and (Al-Zn)EUT with 0.5, 1.0, and 1.5 at.% of Cu addition. Brazing was performed at 500 °C for 3 min. The EDS analysis indicated that the composition of the layers starting from the Cu pad was CuZn, Cu5Zn8, and CuZn4, respectively. Wetting tests were performed at 500 °C for 3, 8, 15, and 30 min, respectively. Thickness of the layers and their kinetics of growth were measured based on the SEM micrographs. The formation of interlayers was not observed from the side of Al pads. On the contrary, dissolution of the Al substrate and migration of Al-rich particles into the bulk of the solder were observed.

  11. Elevated-Temperature Mechanical Properties of Lead-Free Sn-0.7Cu- xSiC Nanocomposite Solders

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mohammadi, A.; Mahmudi, R.

    2018-02-01

    Mechanical properties of Sn-0.7 wt.%Cu lead-free solder alloy reinforced with 0 vol.%, 1 vol.%, 2 vol.%, and 3 vol.% 100-nm SiC particles have been assessed using the shear punch testing technique in the temperature range from 25°C to 125°C. The composite materials were fabricated by the powder metallurgy route by blending, compacting, sintering, and finally extrusion. The 2 vol.% SiC-containing composite showed superior mechanical properties. In all conditions, the shear strength was adversely affected by increasing test temperature, and the 2 vol.% SiC-containing composite showed superior mechanical properties. Depending on the test temperature, the shear yield stress and ultimate shear strength increased, respectively, by 3 MPa to 4 MPa and 4 MPa to 5.5 MPa, in the composite materials. The strength enhancement was mostly attributed to the Orowan particle strengthening mechanism due to the SiC nanoparticles, and to a lesser extent to the coefficient of thermal expansion mismatch between the particles and matrix in the composite solder. A modified shear lag model was used to predict the total strengthening achieved by particle addition, based on the contribution of each of the above mechanisms.

  12. Effects of post-reflow cooling rate and thermal aging on growth behavior of interfacial intermetallic compound between SAC305 solder and Cu substrate

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hu, Xiaowu; Xu, Tao; Jiang, Xiongxin; Li, Yulong; Liu, Yi; Min, Zhixian

    2016-04-01

    The interfacial reactions between Cu and Sn3Ag0.5Cu (SAC305) solder reflowed under various cooling rates were investigated. It is found that the cooling rate is an important parameter in solder reflow process because it influences not only microstructure of solder alloy but also the morphology and growth of intermetallic compounds (IMCs) formed between solder and Cu substrate. The experimental results indicate that only scallop-like Cu6Sn5 IMC layer is observed between solder and Cu substrate in case of water cooling and air cooling, while bilayer composed of scallop-like Cu6Sn5 and thin layer-like Cu3Sn is detected under furnace cooling due to sufficient reaction time to form Cu3Sn between Cu6Sn5 IMC and Cu substrate which resulted from slow cooling rate. Samples with different reflow cooling rates were further thermal-aged at 423 K. And it is found that the thickness of IMC increases linearly with square root of aging time. The growth constants of interfacial IMC layer during aging were obtained and compared for different cooling rates, indicating that the IMC layer thickness increased faster in samples under low cooling rate than in the high cooling rate under the same aging condition. The long prismatic grains were formed on the existing interfacial Cu6Sn5 grains to extrude deeply into solder matrix with lower cooling rate and long-term aging, and the Cu6Sn5 grains coarsened linearly with cubic root of aging time.

  13. Astronomy in Denver: The polarization evolution of the luminous Type Ib SN 2012au

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hoffman, Jennifer L.; DeKlotz, Sophia; Cooper, Kevin; Slay, Hannah; Williams, George Grant; Supernova Spectropolarimetry Project (SNSPOL)

    2018-06-01

    We present an analysis of the spectropolarimetric behavior of the Type Ib SN 2012au over the first 315 days of its evolution. Our data were obtained by the Supernova Spectropolarimetry Project using the CCD Imaging/Spectropolarimeter (SPOL) at the 61" Kuiper, the 90" Bok, and the 6.5-m MMT telescopes. SN 2012au was a very energetic, luminous, and slowly evolving event that may represent an intermediate case between normal core-collapse supernovae and the enigmatic superluminous supernovae. Strong, time-variable line polarization signatures, particularly in the He Il λ5876 line, support previous hypotheses of an asymmetric explosion and allow us to trace detailed structures within the supernova ejecta as they change over time. We compare the polarimetric evolution of the continuum and emission lines in SN 2012au and compare its behavior with that of other bright and polarimetrically variable supernovae.

  14. Comparison of GaP nanowires grown from Au and Sn vapor-liquid-solid catalysts as photoelectrode materials

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lee, Sudarat; Wen, Wen; Cheek, Quintin; Maldonado, Stephen

    2018-01-01

    Gallium phosphide (GaP) nanowire film electrodes have been prepared via solid sublimation of GaP powder using both gold (Au) and tin (Sn) nanoparticles as the vapor-liquid-solid (VLS) catalysts on Si(1 1 1) and GaP(1 1 1)B substrates. The resultant GaP nanowires are compared and contrasted in terms of structures and photoactivity in photoelectrochemical half cells. Raman spectra implicated a difference in the surface condition of the two types of nanowires. Complete wet etching removal of metallic VLS catalysts from the as-prepared GaP nanowires was possible with Sn catalysts but not with Au catalysts. The photoresponses of both Sn- and Au-seeded GaP nanowire films were collected and examined under 100 mW cm-2 white light illumination. Au-seeded nanowire films exhibited strong n-type characteristics when measured in nonaqueous electrolyte with ferrocene/ferricenium as the redox species while Sn-seeded nanowires showed behavior consistent with degenerate n-type doping.

  15. Characteristics of shear damage for 60Sn-40Pb solder material

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Fang, H.E.; Chow, C.L.; Wei, Y.

    This paper presents an investigation of the development of a continuum damage model capable of accurately analyzing shear damage in 60Sn-40Pb solder material. Based on the theory of damage mechanics, an internal state variable known as the damage variable is introduced to characterize material degradation caused by the change of material microstructures under load. A damage surface in stress space is proposed to quantify damage initiation and its successive expanding surfaces to represent damage hardening. With the aid of irreversible thermodynamics, the damage-coupled constitutive equations and the damage evolution equations are established. A failure criterion is proposed based on themore » accumulation of overall damage in the material. The damage model is implemented in a general purpose finite element program ABAQUS through its user-defined material subroutine UMAT. The program is applied to predict shear deformation in a notched specimen. The predicted failure mode and maximum load agree well with those measured experimentally. The effect of finite element meshing on the numerical results is also examined and discussed.« less

  16. Continuous epitaxial growth of extremely strong Cu6Sn5 textures at liquid-Sn/(111)Cu interface under temperature gradient

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhong, Y.; Zhao, N.; Liu, C. Y.; Dong, W.; Qiao, Y. Y.; Wang, Y. P.; Ma, H. T.

    2017-11-01

    As the diameter of solder interconnects in three-dimensional integrated circuits (3D ICs) downsizes to several microns, how to achieve a uniform microstructure with thousands of interconnects on stacking chips becomes a critical issue in 3D IC manufacturing. We report a promising way for fabricating fully intermetallic interconnects with a regular grain morphology and a strong texture feature by soldering single crystal (111) Cu/Sn/polycrystalline Cu interconnects under the temperature gradient. Continuous epitaxial growth of η-Cu6Sn5 at cold end liquid-Sn/(111)Cu interfaces has been demonstrated. The resultant η-Cu6Sn5 grains show faceted prism textures with an intersecting angle of 60° and highly preferred orientation with their ⟨ 11 2 ¯ 0 ⟩ directions nearly paralleling to the direction of the temperature gradient. These desirable textures are maintained even after soldering for 120 min. The results pave the way for controlling the morphology and orientation of interfacial intermetallics in 3D packaging technologies.

  17. Diode laser soldering using a lead-free filler material for electronic packaging structures

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chaminade, C.; Fogarassy, E.; Boisselier, D.

    2006-04-01

    As of today, several lead-free soldering pastes have been qualified for currently used soldering process. Regarding the new potential of laser-assisted soldering processes, the behaviour of the SnAgCu soldering paste requires, however, new investigations. In the first part of this study, the specific temperature profile of a laser soldering process is investigated using a high power diode laser (HPDL). These experimental results are compared to a thermal simulation developed for this specific application. The second part of this work deals with the diffusion of the tin-based filler material through the nickel barrier using the information extracted from the temperature simulations.

  18. Handling fixture for soldering round wires to FCC

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Loggins, R.; Martineck, H. G.

    1971-01-01

    Fixture holds flat conductor cable and wires in position until after soldering of contacting conductor ends and potting of junctions. Device provides for proper spacing of wires and adequate access for soldered joints during fabrication, and positions mold halves during potting operation.

  19. Utilization of Pb-free solders in MEMS packaging

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Selvaduray, Guna S.

    2003-01-01

    Soldering of components within a package plays an important role in providing electrical interconnection, mechanical integrity and thermal dissipation. MEMS packages present challenges that are more complex than microelectronic packages because they are far more sensitive to shock and vibration and also require precision alignment. Soldering is used at two major levels within a MEMS package: at the die attach level and at the component attach level. Emerging environmental regulations worldwide, notably in Europe and Japan, have targeted the elimination of Pb usage in electronic assemblies, due to the inherent toxicity of Pb. This has provided the driving force for development and deployment of Pb-free solder alloys. A relatively large number of Pb-free solder alloys have been proposed by various researchers and companies. Some of these alloys have also been patented. After several years of research, the solder alloy system that has emerged is based on Sn as a major component. The electronics industry has identified different compositions for different specific uses, such as wave soldering, surface mount reflow, etc. The factors that affect choice of an appropriate Pb-free solder can be divided into two major categories, those related to manufacturing, and those related to long term reliability and performance.

  20. A novel method for direct solder bump pull testing using lead-free solders

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Turner, Gregory Alan

    This thesis focuses on the design, fabrication, and evaluation of a new method for testing the adhesion strength of lead-free solders, named the Isotraction Bump Pull method (IBP). In order to develop a direct solder joint-strength testing method that did not require customization for different solder types, bump sizes, specific equipment, or trial-and-error, a combination of two widely used and accepted standards was created. First, solder bumps were made from three types of lead free solder were generated on untreated copper PCB substrates using an in-house fabricated solder bump-on-demand generator, Following this, the newly developed method made use of a polymer epoxy to encapsulate the solder bumps that could then be tested under tension using a high precision universal vertical load machine. The tests produced repeatable and predictable results for each of the three alloys tested that were in agreement with the relative behavior of the same alloys using other testing methods in the literature. The median peak stress at failure for the three solders tested were 2020.52 psi, 940.57 psi, and 2781.0 psi, and were within one standard deviation of the of all data collected for each solder. The assumptions in this work that brittle fracture occurred through the Intermetallic Compound layer (IMC) were validated with the use of Energy-Dispersive X-Ray Spectrometry and high magnification of the fractured surface of both newly exposed sides of the test specimens. Following this, an examination of the process to apply the results from the tensile tests into standard material science equations for the fracture of the systems was performed..

  1. Fluxless flip-chip bonding using a lead-free solder bumping technique

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hansen, K.; Kousar, S.; Pitzl, D.; Arab, S.

    2017-09-01

    With the LHC exceeding the nominal instantaneous luminosity, the current barrel pixel detector (BPIX) of the CMS experiment at CERN will reach its performance limits and undergo significant radiation damage. In order to improve detector performance in high luminosity conditions, the entire BPIX is replaced with an upgraded version containing an additional detection layer. Half of the modules comprising this additional layer are produced at DESY using fluxless and lead-free bumping and bonding techniques. Sequential solder-jetting technique is utilized to wet 40-μm SAC305 solder spheres on the silicon-sensor pads with electroless Ni, Pd and immersion Au (ENEPIG) under-bump metallization (UBM). The bumped sensors are flip-chip assembled with readout chips (ROCs) and then reflowed using a flux-less bonding facility. The challenges for jetting low solder volume have been analyzed and will be presented in this paper. An average speed of 3.4 balls per second is obtained to jet about 67 thousand solder balls on a single chip. On average, 7 modules have been produced per week. The bump-bond quality is evaluated in terms of electrical and mechanical properties. The peak-bump resistance is about 17.5 mΩ. The cross-section study revealed different types of intermetallic compounds (IMC) as a result of interfacial reactions between UBM and solder material. The effect of crystalline phases on the mechanical properties of the joint is discussed. The mean shear strength per bump after the final module reflow is about 16 cN. The results and sources of yield loss of module production are reported. The achieved yield is 95%.

  2. Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of Stainless Steel/Brass Joints Brazed by Sn-Electroplated Ag Brazing Filler Metals

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wang, Xingxing; Peng, Jin; Cui, Datian

    2018-05-01

    To develop a high-Sn-content AgCuZnSn brazing filler metal, the BAg50CuZn was used as the base filler metal and a Sn layer was electroplated upon it. Then, the 304 stainless steel and the H62 brass were induction-brazed with the Sn-plated brazing filler metals. The microstructures of the joints were examined with an optical microscope, a scanning electron microscope and an x-ray diffractometer. The corresponding mechanical properties were obtained with a universal tensile testing machine. The results indicated that the induction brazed joints consisted of the Ag phase, the Cu phase and the CuZn phase. When the content of Sn in the Sn-plated Ag brazing filler metal was 6.0 or 7.2 wt.%, the Cu5Zn8, the Cu41Sn11 and the Ag3Sn phases appeared in the brazed joint. The tensile strength of the joints brazed with the Sn-plated filler metal was higher compared to the joints with the base filler metal. When the content of Sn was 6.0 wt.%, the highest tensile strength of the joint reached to 395 MPa. The joint fractures presented a brittle mode, mixed with a low amount of ductile fracture, when the content of Sn exceeded 6.0 wt.%.

  3. Mechanical Strength and Failure Characterization of Sn-Ag-Cu Intermetallic Compound Joints at the Microscale

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ladani, Leila; Razmi, Jafar

    2012-03-01

    Continuous miniaturization of microelectronic devices has led the industry to develop interconnects on the order of a few microns for advanced superhigh-density and three-dimensional integrated circuits (3D ICs). At this scale, interconnects that conventionally consist of solder material will completely transform to intermetallic compounds (IMCs) such as Cu6Sn5. IMCs are brittle, unlike conventional solder materials that are ductile in nature; therefore, IMCs do not experience large amounts of plasticity or creep before failure. IMCs have not been fully characterized, and their mechanical and thermomechanical reliability is questioned. This study presents experimental efforts to characterize such material. Sn-based microbonds are fabricated in a controlled environment to assure complete transformation of the bonds to Cu6Sn5 IMC. Microstructural analysis including scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (EDS), and x-ray diffraction (XRD) is utilized to determine the IMC material composition and degree of copper diffusion into the bond area. Specimens are fabricated with different bond thicknesses and in different configurations for various tests. Normal strength of the bonds is measured utilizing double cantilever beam and peeling tests. Shear tests are conducted to quantify the shear strength of the material. Four-point bending tests are conducted to measure the fracture toughness and critical energy release rate. Bonds are fabricated in different sizes, and the size effect is investigated. The shear strength, normal strength, critical energy release rate, and effect of bond size on bond strength are reported.

  4. Indentation Size Effect on Ag Nanoparticle-Modified Graphene/Sn-Ag-Cu Solders

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Xu, L. Y.; Zhang, S. T.; Jing, H. Y.; Wang, L. X.; Wei, J.; Kong, X. C.; Han, Y. D.

    2018-01-01

    This paper presents the results for the indentation size effect (ISE) on the creep stress exponent and hardness of 0.03 wt.% Ag-modified graphene nanosheet Sn-Ag-Cu solder alloys, using constant loading/holding and multi-cycle (CMC) loading methods, respectively. At each maximum load, with increasing indentation depth, the creep exponent first decreased and then increased. At the same strain rate, the stress exponent also showed the same tendency, increasing as the indentation depth (peak load) increased and then decreased. The hardness was measured continuously with increasing indentation depth by the CMC loading method. The hardness did not exhibit a decrease as the indentation depth increased, which differs from the classical description of the ISE. After an initial decrease, the hardness then increased and finally decreased as the indentation depth increased. This study reviews the existing theories and formulations describing ISE with hardening effects. The experimental results fit well with the empirical formulation. The phenomenon of ISE accompanied by hardening effects has been explained physically via the interaction between geometrically necessary dislocations and grain boundaries.

  5. Design and fabrication of lanthanum-doped tin-silver-copper lead-free solder for the next generation of microelectronics applications in severe environment

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sadiq, Muhammad

    Tin-Lead solder (Sn-Pb) has long been used in the Electronics industry. But, due to its toxic nature and environmental effects, certain restrictions are made on its use by the European Rehabilitation of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) directive, and therefore, many researchers are looking to replace it. The urgent need for removing lead from solder alloys led to the very fast introduction of lead-free solder alloys without a deep knowledge of their behavior. Therefore, an extensive knowledge and understanding of the mechanical behavior of the emerging generation of lead-free solders is required to satisfy the demands of structural reliability. Sn-Ag-Cu (SAC) solders are widely used as lead-free replacements but their coarse microstructure and formation of hard and brittle Inter-Metallic Compounds (IMCs) have limited their use in high temperature applications. Many additives are studied to refine the microstructure and improve the mechanical properties of SAC solders including iron (Fe), bismuth (Bi), antimony (Sb) and indium (In) etc. Whereas many researchers studied the impact of novel rare earth (RE) elements like lanthanum (La), cerium (Ce) and lutetium (Lu) on SAC solders. These RE elements are known as “vitamins of metals” because of their special surface active properties. They reduce the surface free energy, refine the grain size and improve the mechanical properties of many lead free solder alloys like Sn-Ag, Sn-Cu and SAC but still a systematic study is required to explore the special effects of “La” on the eutectic SAC alloys. The objective of this PhD thesis is to extend the current knowledge about lead free solders of SAC alloys towards lanthanum doping with varying environmental conditions implemented during service. This thesis is divided into six main parts.

  6. Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of Tin-Bismuth Solder Reinforced by Aluminum Borate Whiskers

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wang, Jun; Wei, Hongmei; He, Peng; Lin, Tiesong; Lu, Fengjiao

    2015-10-01

    Tin-bismuth solder has emerged as a promising lead-free alternative to tin-lead solder, especially for low-temperature packaging applications. However, the intrinsic brittleness of tin-bismuth solder alloy, aggravated by the coarse bismuth-rich phase and the thick interfacial intermetallic layer, notably limits the mechanical performance of the bonded joints. In this work, the microstructure and mechanical performance of solder joints were improved by adding 3.2 vol.% aluminum borate whiskers to the tin-bismuth solder alloy. This whisker-reinforced composite solder was fabricated through a simple process. Typically, 25- μm to 75- μm tin-bismuth particles were mixed with a small amount of aluminum borate whiskers with diameter of 0.5 μm to 1.5 μm and length of 5 μm to 15 μm. The addition of whiskers restrained the formation of coarse brittle bismuth-rich phase and decreased the lamellar spacing from 0.84 μm to 7.94 μm to the range of 0.22 μm to 1.80 μm. Moreover, the growth rate of the interfacial intermetallic layer during the remelting treatment decreased as well. The joint shear strength increased from 19.4 MPa to 24.7 MPa, and only declined by 4.9% (average, -5.9% to 15.8%) after the tenth remelting, while the shear strength of the joint without whiskers declined by 31.5% (average, 10.1-44.1%). The solder alloy was reinforced because of their high strength and high modulus and also the refinement effect on the solder alloy microstructure.

  7. A new active solder for joining electronic components

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    SMITH,RONALD W.; VIANCO,PAUL T.; HERNANDEZ,CYNTHIA L.

    Electronic components and micro-sensors utilize ceramic substrates, copper and aluminum interconnect and silicon. The joining of these combinations require pre-metallization such that solders with fluxes can wet such combinations of metals and ceramics. The paper will present a new solder alloy that can bond metals, ceramics and composites. The alloy directly wets and bonds in air without the use flux or premetallized layers. The paper will present typical processing steps and joint microstructures in copper, aluminum, aluminum oxide, aluminum nitride, and silicon joints.

  8. A maximum entropy fracture model for low and high strain-rate fracture in TinSilverCopper alloys

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chan, Dennis K.

    SnAgCu solder alloys exhibit significant rate-dependent constitutive behavior. Solder joints made of these alloys exhibit failure modes that are also rate-dependent. Solder joints are an integral part of microelectronic packages and are subjected to a wide variety of loading conditions which range from thermo-mechanical fatigue to impact loading. Consequently, there is a need for non-empirical rate-dependent failure theory that is able to accurately predict fracture in these solder joints. In the present thesis, various failure models are first reviewed. But, these models are typically empirical or are not valid for solder joints due to limiting assumptions such as elastic behavior. Here, the development and validation of a maximum entropy fracture model (MEFM) valid for low strain-rate fracture in SnAgCu solders is presented. To this end, work on characterizing SnAgCu solder behavior at low strain-rates using a specially designed tester to estimate parameters for constitutive models is presented. Next, the maximum entropy fracture model is reviewed. This failure model uses a single damage accumulation parameter and relates the risk of fracture to accumulated inelastic dissipation. A methodology is presented to extract this model parameter through a custom-built microscale mechanical tester for Sn3.8Ag0.7Cu solder. This single parameter is used to numerically simulate fracture in two solder joints with entirely different geometries. The simulations are compared to experimentally observed fracture in these same packages. Following the simulations of fracture at low strain rate, the constitutive behavior of solder alloys across nine decades of strain rates through MTS compression tests and split-Hopkinson bar are presented. Preliminary work on using orthogonal machining as novel technique of material characterization at high strain rates is also presented. The resultant data from the MTS compression and split-Hopkinson bar tester is used to demonstrate the

  9. Processing of NiTi Reinforced Adaptive Solder for Electronic Packaging

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2004-03-01

    NAVAL POSTGRADUATE SCHOOL MONTEREY, CALIFORNIA THESIS PROCESSING OF NITI REINFORCED ADAPTIVE SOLDER FOR ELECTRONIC PACKAGING...March 2004 3. REPORT TYPE AND DATES COVERED Master’s Thesis 4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE: Processing of NiTi Reinforced Adaptive Solder for Electronic...reports in the development a process to fabricate solder joints with a fine distribution of shape memory alloys (SMA) NiTi particulates. The

  10. Beta-Tin Grain Formation in Aluminum-Modified Lead-Free Solder Alloys

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Reeve, Kathlene N.; Handwerker, Carol A.

    2018-01-01

    The limited number of independent β-Sn grain orientations that typically form during solidification of Sn-based solders and the resulting large β-Sn grain size have major effects on overall solder performance and reliability. This study analyzes whether additions of Al to Sn-Cu and Sn-Cu-Ag alloys can be used to change the grain size, morphology, and twinning structures of atomized (as-solidified) and re-melted (reflowed) β-Sn dendrites as determined using scanning electron microscopy and electron backscatter diffraction for as-solidified and reflow cycled (20-250°C, 1-5 cycles) Sn-Cu-Al and Sn-Ag-Cu-Al drip atomized spheres (260 μm diameter). The resulting microstructures were compared to as-solidified and reflow cycled Sn-Ag-Cu spheres (450 μm diameter) as well as as-solidified Sn-Ag-Cu, Sn-Cu, and Sn-Ag microstructures from the literature. Previous literature observations reporting reductions in undercooling and β-Sn grain size with Al micro-alloying additions could not be correlated to the presence of the Cu9Al4 phase or Al solute. The as-solidified spheres displayed no change in β-Sn dendrite structure or grain size when compared to non-Al-modified alloys, and the reflow cycled spheres produced high undercoolings (22-64°C), indicating a lack of potent nucleation sites. The current findings highlighted the role of Ag in the formation of the interlaced twinning structure and demonstrated that with deliberate compositional choices, formation of the alloy's β-Sn grain structure (cyclical twinning versus interlaced twinning) could be influenced, in both the as-solidified and reflow cycled states, though still not producing the fine-grain sizes and multiple orientations desired for improved thermomechanical properties.

  11. Experimental Study of Solder/Copper Interface Failure Under Varying Strain Rates

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2011-03-01

    Factors Affecting Solder Joint Reliability Gu et al. [1] determined that during the life cycle of electronic assemblies, approximately 55 percent of...related to vibration and shock, with the remaining percentage associated with changes in 2 humidity. Research conducted by Ross et al. [2] adds...that creep strain is the most important time-dependent factor affecting the reliability of solder joints in electronic equipment. 2. Effects of

  12. Multi-objective optimization on laser solder jet bonding process in head gimbal assembly using the response surface methodology

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Deeying, J.; Asawarungsaengkul, K.; Chutima, P.

    2018-01-01

    This paper aims to investigate the effect of laser solder jet bonding parameters to the solder joints in Head Gimbal Assembly. Laser solder jet bonding utilizes the fiber laser to melt solder ball in capillary. The molten solder is transferred to two bonding pads by nitrogen gas. The response surface methodology have been used to investigate the effects of laser energy, wait time, nitrogen gas pressure, and focal position on the shear strength of solder joints and the change of pitch static attitude (PSA). The response surface methodology is employed to establish the reliable mathematical relationships between the laser soldering parameters and desired responses. Then, multi-objective optimization is conducted to determine the optimal process parameters that can enhance the joint shear strength and minimize the change of PSA. The validation test confirms that the predicted value has good agreement with the actual value.

  13. A CTE matched hard solder passively cooled laser diode package combined with nXLT facet passivation enables high power, high reliability operation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hodges, Aaron; Wang, Jun; DeFranza, Mark; Liu, Xingsheng; Vivian, Bill; Johnson, Curt; Crump, Paul; Leisher, Paul; DeVito, Mark; Martinsen, Robert; Bell, Jacob

    2007-04-01

    A conductively cooled laser diode package design with hard AuSn solder and CTE matched sub mount is presented. We discuss how this platform eliminates the failure mechanisms associated with indium solder. We present the problem of catastrophic optical mirror damage (COMD) and show that nLight's nXLT TM facet passivation technology effectively eliminates facet defect initiated COMD as a failure mechanism for both single emitter and bar format laser diodes. By combining these technologies we have developed a product that has high reliability at high powers, even at increased operation temperatures. We present early results from on-going accelerated life testing of this configuration that suggests an 808nm, 30% fill factor device will have a MTTF of more than 21khrs at 60W CW, 25°C operating conditions and a MTTF of more than 6.4khrs when operated under hard pulsed (1 second on, 1 second off) conditions.

  14. Effect of (Ag, Sn) Doping on the Structure and Optical Properties of Au Nanocluster

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Balu, Radhakrishnan; Karna, Shashi

    2014-03-01

    Noble metal nanoclusters (NCs) consisting of a few to 35 atoms in size in the sub 2 nm range dimension are considered to be nontoxic as opposed to nanoparticles that are cytotoxic. Also, due to the quantum confinement of electrons, these NCs exhibit atom-like energy spectrum and display fluorescent properties useful in a wide range of applications, including medical diagnosis. The unique features of NCs such as size-tunable optical properties, intense fluorescence in the visible, and biocompatibility have stimulated an active area of investigation of noble metal NCs comprised of Au, Ag, Cu, and Pt. Furthermore, the electronic properties of nanoclusters can be modified by combining them with other elements. In this study, we consider the space-filled configuration of Au32 NC and investigate the effects of Ag and Sn atom incorporation on geometry and electronic spectrum. Our study suggests that Ag and Sn doping of Au32 NC red-shifts the absorption maximum and also reduces the oscillator strength.

  15. Wetting of Sn-Zn-Ga and Sn-Zn-Na Alloys on Al and Ni Substrate

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gancarz, Tomasz; Bobrowski, Piotr; Pawlak, Sylwia; Schell, Norbert; Chulist, Robert; Janik, Katarzyna

    2018-01-01

    Wetting of Al and Ni substrate by Sn-Zn eutectic-based alloys with 0.5 (wt.%) of Ga and 0.2 (wt.%) of Na was studied using the sessile drop method in the presence of ALU33® flux. Spreading tests were performed for 60 s, 180 s, and 480 s of contact, at temperatures of 503 K, 523 K and 553 K (230°C, 250°C, and 280°C). After cleaning the flux residue from solidified samples, the spreading areas of Sn-Zn0.5Ga and Sn-Zn0.2Na on Al and Ni substrate were determined. Selected, solidified solder-pad couples were cross-sectioned and subjected to scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive spectroscopy, x-ray diffraction study and synchrotron measurements of the interfacial microstructure and identification of the phases. The growth of the intermetallic Ni5Zn21 phase layer was studied at the solder/Ni substrate interface, and the kinetics of the formation and growth of the intermetallic layer were determined. The formation of interlayers was not observed on the Al pads. On the contrary, dissolution of the Al substrate and migration of Al-rich particles into the bulk of the solder were observed.

  16. Interconnection of thermal parameters, microstructure and mechanical properties in directionally solidified Sn–Sb lead-free solder alloys

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Dias, Marcelino; Costa, Thiago; Rocha, Otávio

    2015-08-15

    Considerable effort is being made to develop lead-free solders for assembling in environmental-conscious electronics, due to the inherent toxicity of Pb. The search for substitute alloys of Pb–Sn solders has increased in order to comply with different soldering purposes. The solder must not only meet the expected levels of electrical performance but may also have appropriate mechanical strength, with the absence of cracks in the solder joints. The Sn–Sb alloy system has a range of compositions that can be potentially included in the class of high temperature solders. This study aims to establish interrelations of solidification thermal parameters, microstructure andmore » mechanical properties of Sn–Sb alloys (2 wt.%Sb and 5.5 wt.%Sb) samples, which were directionally solidified under cooling rates similar to those of reflow procedures in industrial practice. A complete high-cooling rate cellular growth is shown to be associated with the Sn–2.0 wt.%Sb alloy and a reverse dendrite-to-cell transition is observed for the Sn–5.5 wt.%Sb alloy. Strength and ductility of the Sn–2.0 wt.%Sb alloy are shown not to be affected by the cellular spacing. On the other hand, a considerable variation in these properties is associated with the cellular region of the Sn–5.5 wt.%Sb alloy casting. - Graphical abstract: Display Omitted - Highlights: • The microstructure of the Sn–2 wt.%Sb alloy is characterized by high-cooling rates cells. • Reverse dendrite > cell transition occurs for Sn–5.5 wt.%Sb alloy: cells prevail for cooling rates > 1.2 K/s. • Sn–5.5 wt.%Sb alloy: the dendritic region occurs for cooling rates < 0.9 K/s. • Sn–5.5 wt.%Sb alloy: tensile properties are improved with decreasing cellular spacing.« less

  17. Sensitive electrochemical immunosensor for α-fetoprotein based on graphene/SnO2/Au nanocomposite.

    PubMed

    Liu, Junfeng; Lin, Guanhua; Xiao, Can; Xue, Ying; Yang, Ankang; Ren, Hongxuan; Lu, Wensheng; Zhao, Hong; Li, Xiangjun; Yuan, Zhuobin

    2015-09-15

    A label-free electrochemical immunosensor for sensitive detection of α-fetoprotein (AFP) was developed based on graphene/SnO2/Au nanocomposite. The graphene/SnO2/Au nanocomposite modified glassy carbon electrode was used to immobilize α-fetoprotein antibody (anti-AFP) and to construct the immunosensor. Results demonstrated that the peak currents of [Ru(NH3)6](3+) decreased due to the interaction between antibody and antigen on the modified electrode. Thus, a label-free immunosensor for the detection of AFP was realized by monitoring the peak current change of [Ru(NH3)6](3+). The factors influencing the performance of the immunosensor were investigated in details. Under optimal conditions, the peak currents obtained by DPV decreased linearly with the increasing AFP concentrations in the range from 0.02 to 50 ng mL(-1) with a linear coefficient of 0.9959. This electrochemical immunoassay has a low detection limit of 0.01 ng mL(-1) (S/N=3) and was successfully applied to the determination of AFP in serum samples. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  18. NASA-DoD Lower Process Temperature Lead-Free Solder Project Overview

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Kessel, Kurt R.

    2014-01-01

    This project is a follow-on effort to the Joint Council on Aging AircraftJoint Group on Pollution Prevention (JCAAJG-PP) Pb-free Solder Project and NASA-DoD Lead-Free Electronics Project which were the first projects to test the reliability of Pb-free solder joints against the requirements of the aerospace and military community. This effort would continue to build on the results from the JCAAJG-PP Lead-Free Solder Project and NASA-DoD Lead-Free Electronics Project while focusing on a particular failure mechanism currently plaguing Pb-free assemblies, pad cratering.The NASA-DoD Lead-Free Electronics Project confirmed that pad cratering is one of the dominant failure modes that occur in various board level reliability tests, especially under dynamic loading. Pad Cratering is a latent defect that may occur during assembly, rework, and post assembly handling and testing.

  19. Soldering of Carbon Materials Using Transition Metal Rich Alloys.

    PubMed

    Burda, Marek; Lekawa-Raus, Agnieszka; Gruszczyk, Andrzej; Koziol, Krzysztof K K

    2015-08-25

    Joining of carbon materials via soldering has not been possible up to now due to lack of wetting of carbons by metals at standard soldering temperatures. This issue has been a severely restricting factor for many potential electrical/electronic and mechanical applications of nanostructured and conventional carbon materials. Here we demonstrate the formation of alloys that enable soldering of these structures. By addition of several percent (2.5-5%) of transition metal such as chromium or nickel to a standard lead-free soldering tin based alloy we obtained a solder that can be applied using a commercial soldering iron at typical soldering temperatures of approximately 350 °C and at ambient conditions. The use of this solder enables the formation of mechanically strong and electrically conductive joints between carbon materials and, when supported by a simple two-step technique, can successfully bond carbon structures to any metal terminal. It has been shown using optical and scanning electron microscope images as well as X-ray diffraction patterns and energy dispersive X-ray mapping that the successful formation of carbon-solder bonds is possible, first, thanks to the uniform nonreactive dispersion of transition metals in the tin-based matrix. Further, during the soldering process, these free elements diffuse into the carbon-alloy border with no formation of brazing-like carbides, which would damage the surface of the carbon materials.

  20. The Effects of the Location of Au Additives on Combustion-generated SnO2 Nanopowders for CO Gas Sensing

    PubMed Central

    Bakrania, Smitesh D.; Wooldridge, Margaret S.

    2010-01-01

    The current work presents the results of an experimental study of the effects of the location of gold additives on the performance of combustion-generated tin dioxide (SnO2) nanopowders in solid state gas sensors. The time response and sensor response to 500 ppm carbon monoxide is reported for a range of gold additive/SnO2 film architectures including the use of colloidal, sputtered, and combustion-generated Au additives. The opportunities afforded by combustion synthesis to affect the SnO2/additive morphology are demonstrated. The best sensor performance in terms of sensor response (S) and time response (τ) was observed when the Au additives were restricted to the outermost layer of the gas-sensing film. Further improvement was observed in the sensor response and time response when the Au additives were dispersed throughout the outermost layer of the film, where S = 11.3 and τ = 51 s, as opposed to Au localized at the surface, where S = 6.1 and τ = 60 s. PMID:22163586

  1. Orthodontic soldering techniques: aspects of quality assurance in the dental laboratory.

    PubMed

    Heidemann, Jutta; Witt, Emil; Feeg, Martin; Werz, Rainer; Pieger, Klaus

    2002-07-01

    In Germany, the dental technician is required by the Medical Products Act (MPG) to produce workpieces of high safety and quality and to document these properties. Soldering continues to be the prevailing joining technique in the dental laboratory, although problems arise from the susceptibility to corrosion and the low strength of soldered joints. This study aimed to reveal sources of defects in dental laboratory workpieces in order to achieve optimization in terms of quality assurance. The joints were produced by various dental technicians using three different soldering techniques. These joining techniques were investigated for their quality and their corrosion properties during immersion in ferric chloride, orthodontic appliance cleanser, and artificial saliva. Observance of the soldering instructions by the dental technicians was checked. Corrosion attack was confirmed by scanning electron microscopy and by measuring the ion concentrations of copper, silver and zinc in the corrosive agents, using atomic emission spectroscopy with stimulation by inductively coupled plasma (ICP-AES analysis). Incomplete filling of the soldering gap, porosities resulting from the production process, poor corrosion properties, and in particular a high variability of the measured values point to insufficient reliability of two soldering techniques. Variations in quality were also detected among the technicians' modes of operation. The analyses confirm the need for quality assurance of soldering techniques and for increased support for alternative joining techniques such as laser welding in the future. The results of the studies on laser welding are presented in a separate publication.

  2. Silver flip chip interconnect technology and solid state bonding

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sha, Chu-Hsuan

    In this dissertation, fluxless transient liquid phase (TLP) bonding and solid state bonding between thermal expansion mismatch materials have been developed using Ag-In binary systems, pure Au, Ag, and Cu-Ag composite. In contrast to the conventional soldering process, fluxless bonding technique eliminates any corrosion and contamination problems caused by flux. Without flux, it is possible to fabricate high quality joints in large bonding areas where the flux is difficult to clean entirely. High quality joints are crucial to bonding thermal expansion mismatch materials since shear stress develops in the bonded pair. Stress concentration at voids in joints could increases breakage probability. In addition, intermetallic compound (IMC) formation between solder and underbump metallurgy (UBM) is essential for interconnect joint formation in conventional soldering process. However, the interface between IMC and solder is shown to be the weak interface that tends to break first during thermal cycling and drop tests. In our solid state bonding technique, there is no IMC involved in the bonding between Au to Au, Ag and Cu, and Ag and Au. All the reliability issues related to IMC or IMC growth is not our concern. To sum up, ductile bonding media, such as Ag or Au, and proper metallic layered structure are utilized in this research to produce high quality joints. The research starts with developing a low temperature fluxless bonding process using electroplated Ag/In/Ag multilayer structures between Si chip and 304 stainless steel (304SS) substrate. Because the outer thin Ag layer effectively protects inner In layer from oxidation, In layer dissolves Ag layer and joints to Ag layer on the to-be-bonded Si chip when temperature reaches the reflow temperature of 166ºC. Joints consist of mainly Ag-rich Ag-In solid solution and Ag2In. Using this fluxless bonding technique, two 304SS substrates can be bonded together as well. From the high magnification SEM images taken at cross

  3. Effect of Al-trace dimension on Joule heating and current crowding in flip-chip solder joints under accelerated electromigration

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Liang, S. W.; Chang, Y. W.; Chen, Chih

    2006-04-01

    Three-dimensional thermoelectrical simulation was conducted to investigate the influence of Al-trace dimension on Joule heating and current crowding in flip-chip solder joints. It is found that the dimension of the Al-trace effects significantly on the Joule heating, and thus directly determines the mean time to failure (MTTF). Simulated at a stressing current of 0.6A at 70°C, we estimate that the MTTF of the joints with Al traces in 100μm width was 6.1 times longer than that of joints with Al traces in 34μm width. Lower current crowding effect and reduced hot-spot temperature are responsible for the improved MTTF.

  4. Aging Studies of Cu-Sn Intermetallics in Cu Micropillars Used in Flip Chip Attachment onto Cu Lead Frames

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Roma, Maria Penafrancia C.; Kudtarkar, Santosh; Kierse, Oliver; Sengupta, Dipak; Cho, Junghyun

    2018-02-01

    Copper micropillars plated onto a silicon die and soldered with Sn-Ag solder to a copper lead frame in a flip chip on lead package have been subjected to high-temperature storage at 150°C and 175°C for 500 h, 1000 h, and 1500 h. Cu6Sn5 and Cu3Sn intermetallic compounds were found on both sides of the solder, but the growth rates were not the same as evidenced by different values of the growth exponent n. Cu and Sn diffusion controlled the Cu3Sn growth in the Cu pillar interface ( n ≈ 0.5), while interface reactions controlled the growth in the Cu lead frame interface ( n ≈ 0.8). Increasing the aging temperature increased the growth of Cu3Sn as well as the presence of microvoids in the Cu lead frame side. Adding Ni as a barrier layer on the Cu pillar prevented the growth of Cu3Sn in the Cu pillar interface and reduced its growth rate on the lead frame side, even at higher aging temperatures.

  5. Experimental Methods in Reduced-gravity Soldering Research

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Pettegrew, Richard D.; Struk, Peter M.; Watson, John K.; Haylett, Daniel R.

    2002-01-01

    The National Center for Microgravity Research, NASA Glenn Research Center, and NASA Johnson Space Center are conducting an experimental program to explore the influence of reduced gravity environments on the soldering process. An improved understanding of the effects of the acceleration environment is important to application of soldering during current and future human space missions. Solder joint characteristics that are being considered include solder fillet geometry, porosity, and microstructural features. Both through-hole and surface mounted devices are being investigated. This paper focuses on the experimental methodology employed in this project and the results of macroscopic sample examination. The specific soldering process, sample configurations, materials, and equipment were selected to be consistent with those currently on-orbit. Other apparatus was incorporated to meet requirements imposed by operation onboard NASA's KC-135 research aircraft and instrumentation was provided to monitor both the atmospheric and acceleration environments. The contingent of test operators was selected to include both highly skilled technicians and less skilled individuals to provide a population cross-section that would be representative of the skill mix that might be encountered in space mission crews.

  6. Solder creep-fatigue interactions with flexible leaded parts

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Ross, R. G., Jr.; Wen, L. C.; Mon, G. R.; Jetter, E.

    1992-01-01

    With flexible leaded parts, the solder-joint failure process involves a complex interplay of creep and fatigue mechanisms. To better understand the role of creep in typical multi-hour cyclic loading conditions, a specialized non-linear finite-element creep simulation computer program has been formulated. The numerical algorithm includes the complete part-lead-solder-PWB system, accounting for strain-rate dependence of creep on applied stress and temperature, and the role of the part-lead dimensions and flexibility that determine the total creep deflection (solder strain range) during stress relaxation. The computer program has been used to explore the effects of various solder creep-fatigue parameters such as lead height and stiffness, thermal-cycle test profile, and part/board differential thermal expansion properties. One of the most interesting findings is the strong presence of unidirectional creep-ratcheting that occurs during thermal cycling due to temperature dominated strain-rate effects. To corroborate the solder fatigue model predictions, a number of carefully controlled thermal-cycle tests have been conducted using special bimetallic test boards.

  7. Development of a soft-soldering system for aluminum

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Falke, W. L.; Lee, A. Y.; Neumeier, L. A.

    1983-03-01

    The method employs application of a thin nickel copper alloy coating to the substrate, which enables the tin lead solders to wet readily and spread over the areas to be joined. The aluminum substrate is mechanically or chemically cleaned to facilitate bonding to a minute layer of zinc that is subsequently applied, with an electroless zincate solution. The nickel copper alloy (30 to 70 pct Ni) coating is then applied electrolytically over the zinc, using immersion cell or brush coating techniques. Development of acetate electrolytes has permitted deposition of the proper alloys coatings. The coated areas can then be readily joined with conventional tin lead solders and fluxs. The joints so formed are ductile, strong, and relatively corrosion resistant, and exhibit strengths equivalent to those formed on copper and brass when the same solders and fluxes are used. The method has also been employed to soft solder magnesium alloys.

  8. Intelligent laser soldering inspection and process control

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Vanzetti, Riccardo

    1987-01-01

    Component assembly on printed circuitry keeps making giant strides toward denser packaging and smaller dimensions. From a single layer to multilayer, from through holes to surface mounted components and tape applied bonds, unrelenting progress results in new, difficult problems in assembling, soldering, inspecting and controlling the manufacturing process of the new electronics. Among the major problems are the variables introduced by human operators. The small dimensions and the tight assembly tolerances are now successfully met by machines which are faster and more precise than the human hand. The same is true for soldering. But visual inspection of the solder joints is now so severely limited by the ever shrinking area accessible to the human eye that the inspector's diagnosis cannot be trusted any longer. Solutions to correcting these problems are discussed.

  9. Comparative shear tests of some low temperature lead-free solder pastes

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Branzei, Mihai; Plotog, Ioan; Varzaru, Gaudentiu; Cucu, Traian C.

    2016-12-01

    The range of electronic components and as a consequence, all parts of automotive electronic equipment operating temperatures in a vehicle is given by the location of that equipment, so the maximum temperature can vary between 358K and 478K1. The solder joints could be defined as passive parts of the interconnection structure of automotive electronic equipment, at a different level, from boards of electronic modules to systems. The manufacturing costs reduction necessity and the RoHS EU Directive3, 7 consequences generate the trend to create new Low-Temperature Lead-Free (LTLF) solder pastes family9. In the paper, the mechanical strength of solder joints and samples having the same transversal section as resistor 1206 case type made using the same LTLF alloys into Vapour Phase Soldering (VPS) process characterized by different cooling rates (slow and rapid) and two types of test PCBs pads finish, were benchmarked at room temperature. The presented work extends the theoretical studies and experiments upon heat transfer in VPSP in order to optimize the technology for soldering process (SP) of automotive electronic modules and could be extended for home and modern agriculture appliances industry. The shear forces (SF) values of the LTLF alloy samples having the same transversal section as resistor 1206 case type will be considered as references values of a database useful in the new solder alloy creation processes and their qualification for automotive electronics domain.

  10. Bottom-up nanoconstruction by the welding of individual metallic nanoobjects using nanoscale solder.

    PubMed

    Peng, Yong; Cullis, Tony; Inkson, Beverley

    2009-01-01

    We report that individual metallic nanowires and nanoobjects can be assembled and welded together into complex nanostructures and conductive circuits by a new nanoscale electrical welding technique using nanovolumes of metal solder. At the weld sites, nanoscale volumes of a chosen metal are deposited using a sacrificial nanowire, which ensures that the nanoobjects to be bonded retain their structural integrity. We demonstrate by welding both similar and dissimilar materials that the use of nanoscale solder is clean, controllable, and reliable and ensures both mechanically strong and electrically conductive contacts. Nanoscale weld resistances of just 20Omega are achieved by using Sn solder. Precise engineering of nanowelds by this technique, including the chemical flexibility of the nanowire solder, and high spatial resolution of the nanowelding method, should result in research applications including fabrication of nanosensors and nanoelectronics constructed from a small number of nanoobjects, and repair of interconnects and failed nanoscale electronics.

  11. Logistics for the implementation of lead-free solders on electronic assemblies

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Vianco, P.T.; Artaki, I.

    1993-12-31

    The prospects of legislative and regulatory action aimed at taxing, restricting or banning lead-bearing materials from manufactured products has prompted the electronics community to examine the implementation of lead-free solders to replace currently used lead-containing alloys in the manufacture of electronic devices and assemblies. The logistics for changing the well established ``tin-lead solder technology`` require not only the selection of new compositions but also the qualification of different surface finishes and manufacturing processes. The meniscometer/wetting balance technique was used to evaluate the wettability of several candidate lead-free solders as well as to establish windows on processing parameters so as tomore » facilitate prototype manufacturing. Electroplated and electroless 100Sn coatings, as well as organic preservatives, were also examined as potential alternative finishes for device leads and terminations as well as circuit board conductor surfaces to replace traditional tin-lead layers. Sandia National Laboratories and AT&T have implemented a program to qualify the manufacturing feasibility of surface mount prototype circuit boards using several commercial lead-free solders by infrared reflow technology.« less

  12. Mask-less deposition of Au-SnO2 nanocomposites on CMOS MEMS platform for ethanol detection.

    PubMed

    Santra, S; Sinha, A K; De Luca, A; Ali, S Z; Udrea, F; Guha, P K; Ray, S K; Gardner, J W

    2016-03-29

    Here we report on the mask-less deposition of Au-SnO2 nanocomposites with a silicon-on-insulator (SOI) complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) micro electro mechanical system (MEMS) platform through the use of dip pen nanolithography (DPN) to create a low-cost ethanol sensor. MEMS technology is used in order to achieve low power consumption, by the employment of a membrane structure formed using deep reactive ion etching technique. The device consists of an embedded tungsten micro-heater with gold interdigitated electrodes on top of the SOI membrane. The tungsten micro-heater is used to raise the membrane temperature up to its operating temperature and the electrodes are used to measure the resistance of the nanocomposite sensing layer. The CMOS MEMS devices have high electro-thermal efficiency, with 8.2 °C temperature increase per mW power of consumption. The sensing material (Au-SnO2 nanocomposite) was synthesised starting from SnO nanoplates, then Au nanoparticles were attached chemically to the surface of SnO nanoplates, finally the mixture was heated at 700 °C in an oven in air for 4 h. This composite material was sonicated for 2 h in terpineol to make a viscous homogeneous slurry and then 'written' directly across the electrode area using the DPN technique without any mask. The devices were characterised by exposure to ethanol vapour in humid air in the concentration range of 100-1000 ppm. The sensitivity varied from 1.2 to 0.27 ppm(-1) for 100-1000 ppm of ethanol at 10% relative humid air. Selectivity measurements showed that the sensors were selective towards ethanol when they were exposed to acetone and toluene.

  13. Mask-less deposition of Au-SnO2 nanocomposites on CMOS MEMS platform for ethanol detection

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Santra, S.; Sinha, A. K.; De Luca, A.; Ali, S. Z.; Udrea, F.; Guha, P. K.; Ray, S. K.; Gardner, J. W.

    2016-03-01

    Here we report on the mask-less deposition of Au-SnO2 nanocomposites with a silicon-on-insulator (SOI) complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) micro electro mechanical system (MEMS) platform through the use of dip pen nanolithography (DPN) to create a low-cost ethanol sensor. MEMS technology is used in order to achieve low power consumption, by the employment of a membrane structure formed using deep reactive ion etching technique. The device consists of an embedded tungsten micro-heater with gold interdigitated electrodes on top of the SOI membrane. The tungsten micro-heater is used to raise the membrane temperature up to its operating temperature and the electrodes are used to measure the resistance of the nanocomposite sensing layer. The CMOS MEMS devices have high electro-thermal efficiency, with 8.2 °C temperature increase per mW power of consumption. The sensing material (Au-SnO2 nanocomposite) was synthesised starting from SnO nanoplates, then Au nanoparticles were attached chemically to the surface of SnO nanoplates, finally the mixture was heated at 700 °C in an oven in air for 4 h. This composite material was sonicated for 2 h in terpineol to make a viscous homogeneous slurry and then ‘written’ directly across the electrode area using the DPN technique without any mask. The devices were characterised by exposure to ethanol vapour in humid air in the concentration range of 100-1000 ppm. The sensitivity varied from 1.2 to 0.27 ppm-1 for 100-1000 ppm of ethanol at 10% relative humid air. Selectivity measurements showed that the sensors were selective towards ethanol when they were exposed to acetone and toluene.

  14. Thermal model for optimization of vascular laser tissue soldering.

    PubMed

    Bogni, Serge; Stumpp, Oliver; Reinert, Michael; Frenz, Martin

    2010-06-01

    Laser tissue soldering (LTS) is a promising technique for tissue fusion based on a heat-denaturation process of proteins. Thermal damage of the fused tissue during the laser procedure has always been an important and challenging problem. Particularly in LTS of arterial blood vessels strong heating of the endothelium should be avoided to minimize the risk of thrombosis. A precise knowledge of the temperature distribution within the vessel wall during laser irradiation is inevitable. The authors developed a finite element model (FEM) to simulate the temperature distribution within blood vessels during LTS. Temperature measurements were used to verify and calibrate the model. Different parameters such as laser power, solder absorption coefficient, thickness of the solder layer, cooling of the vessel and continuous vs. pulsed energy deposition were tested to elucidate their impact on the temperature distribution within the soldering joint in order to reduce the amount of further animal experiments. A pulsed irradiation with high laser power and high absorbing solder yields the best results. (c) 2010 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  15. Cytotoxic outcomes of orthodontic bands with and without silver solder in different cell lineages.

    PubMed

    Jacoby, Letícia Spinelli; Rodrigues Junior, Valnês da Silva; Campos, Maria Martha; Macedo de Menezes, Luciane

    2017-05-01

    The safety of orthodontic materials is a matter of high interest. In this study, we aimed to assess the in-vitro cytotoxicity of orthodontic band extracts, with and without silver solder, by comparing the viability outcomes of the HaCat keratinocytes, the fibroblastic cell lineages HGF and MRC-5, and the kidney epithelial Vero cells. Sterilized orthodontic bands with and without silver solder joints were added to culture media (6 cm 2 /mL) and incubated for 24 hours at 37°C under continuous agitation. Subsequently, the cell cultures were exposed to the obtained extracts for 24 hours, and an assay was performed to evaluate the cell viability. Copper strip extracts were used as positive control devices. The extracts from orthodontic bands with silver solder joints significantly reduced the viability of the HaCat, MRC-5, and Vero cell lines, whereas the viability of HGF was not altered by this material. Conversely, the extracts of orthodontic bands without silver solder did not significantly modify the viability index of all evaluated cell lines. Except for HGF fibroblasts, all tested cell lines showed decreased viability percentages after exposure to extracts of orthodontic bands containing silver solder joints. These data show the relevance of testing the toxicity of orthodontic devices in different cell lines. Copyright © 2017 American Association of Orthodontists. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  16. Growth Behavior of Intermetallic Compounds at SnAgCu/Ni and Cu Interfaces

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Qi, Lihua; Huang, Jihua; Zhang, Hua; Zhao, Xingke; Wang, Haitao; Cheng, Donghai

    2010-02-01

    The growth behavior of reaction-formed intermetallic compounds (IMCs) at Sn3.5Ag0.5Cu/Ni and Cu interfaces under thermal-shear cycling conditions was investigated. The results show that the morphology of (Cu x Ni1- x )6Sn5 and Cu6Sn5 IMCs formed both at Sn3.5Ag0.5Cu/Ni and Cu interfaces gradually changed from scallop-like to chunk-like, and different IMC thicknesses developed with increasing thermal-shear cycling time. Furthermore, Cu6Sn5 IMC growth rate at the Sn3.5Ag0.5Cu/Cu interface was higher than that of (Cu x Ni1- x )6Sn5 IMC under thermal-shear cycling. Compared to isothermal aging, thermal-shear cycling led to only one Cu6Sn5 layer at the interface between SnAgCu solder and Cu substrate after 720 cycles. Moreover, Ag3Sn IMC was dispersed uniformly in the solder after reflow. The planar Ag3Sn formed near the interface changed remarkably and merged together to large platelets with increasing cycles. The mechanism of formation of Cu6Sn5, (Cu x Ni1- x )6Sn5 and Ag3Sn IMCs during thermal-shear cycling process was investigated.

  17. R 3Au 9 Pn ( R = Y, Gd–Tm; Pn = Sb, Bi): A link between Cu 10Sn 3 and Gd 14Ag 51

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Celania, Chris; Smetana, Volodymyr; Provino, Alessia

    A new series of intermetallic compounds R 3Au 9 Pn ( R = Y, Gd–Tm; Pn = Sb, Bi) has been discovered during the explorations of the Au-rich parts of rare-earth-containing ternary systems with p-block elements. The existence of the series is strongly restricted by both geometric and electronic factors. R 3Au 9 Pn compounds crystallize in the hexagonal crystal system with space group P6 3/m (a = 8.08–8.24 Å, c = 8.98–9.08 Å). All compounds feature Au- Pn, formally anionic, networks built up by layers of alternating edge-sharing Au@Au 6 and Sb@Au 6 trigonal antiprisms of overall composition Aumore » 6/2 Pn connected through additional Au atoms and separated by a triangular cationic substructure formed by R atoms. From a first look, the series appears to be isostructural with recently reported R 3Au 7Sn 3 (a ternary ordered derivative of the Cu 10Sn 3-structure type), but no example of R 3Au 9M is known when M is a triel or tetrel element. R 3Au 9 Pn also contains Au@Au 6Au 2 R 3 fully capped trigonal prisms, which are found to be isostructural with those found in the well-researched R 14Au 51 series. This structural motif, not present in R 3Au 7Sn 3, represents a previously unrecognized link between Cu 10Sn 3 and Gd 14Ag 51 parent structure types. Magnetic property measurements carried out for Ho 3Au 9Sb reveal a complex magnetic structure characterized by antiferromagnetic interactions at low temperature ( T N = 10 K). Two metamagnetic transitions occur at high field with a change from antiferromagnetic toward ferromagnetic ordering. Density functional theory based computations were performed to understand the materials’ properties and to shed some light on the stability ranges. As a result, this allowed a better understanding of the bonding pattern, especially of the Au-containing substructure, and elucidation of the role of the third element in the stability of the structure type.« less

  18. R 3Au 9 Pn ( R = Y, Gd–Tm; Pn = Sb, Bi): A link between Cu 10Sn 3 and Gd 14Ag 51

    DOE PAGES

    Celania, Chris; Smetana, Volodymyr; Provino, Alessia; ...

    2017-06-05

    A new series of intermetallic compounds R 3Au 9 Pn ( R = Y, Gd–Tm; Pn = Sb, Bi) has been discovered during the explorations of the Au-rich parts of rare-earth-containing ternary systems with p-block elements. The existence of the series is strongly restricted by both geometric and electronic factors. R 3Au 9 Pn compounds crystallize in the hexagonal crystal system with space group P6 3/m (a = 8.08–8.24 Å, c = 8.98–9.08 Å). All compounds feature Au- Pn, formally anionic, networks built up by layers of alternating edge-sharing Au@Au 6 and Sb@Au 6 trigonal antiprisms of overall composition Aumore » 6/2 Pn connected through additional Au atoms and separated by a triangular cationic substructure formed by R atoms. From a first look, the series appears to be isostructural with recently reported R 3Au 7Sn 3 (a ternary ordered derivative of the Cu 10Sn 3-structure type), but no example of R 3Au 9M is known when M is a triel or tetrel element. R 3Au 9 Pn also contains Au@Au 6Au 2 R 3 fully capped trigonal prisms, which are found to be isostructural with those found in the well-researched R 14Au 51 series. This structural motif, not present in R 3Au 7Sn 3, represents a previously unrecognized link between Cu 10Sn 3 and Gd 14Ag 51 parent structure types. Magnetic property measurements carried out for Ho 3Au 9Sb reveal a complex magnetic structure characterized by antiferromagnetic interactions at low temperature ( T N = 10 K). Two metamagnetic transitions occur at high field with a change from antiferromagnetic toward ferromagnetic ordering. Density functional theory based computations were performed to understand the materials’ properties and to shed some light on the stability ranges. As a result, this allowed a better understanding of the bonding pattern, especially of the Au-containing substructure, and elucidation of the role of the third element in the stability of the structure type.« less

  19. Solder extrusion pressure bonding process and bonded products produced thereby

    DOEpatents

    Beavis, Leonard C.; Karnowsky, Maurice M.; Yost, Frederick G.

    1992-01-01

    Production of soldered joints which are highly reliable and capable of surviving 10,000 thermal cycles between about -40.degree. C. and 110.degree. C. Process involves interposing a thin layer of a metal solder composition between the metal surfaces of members to be bonded and applying heat and up to about 1000 psi compression pressure to the superposed members, in the presence of a reducing atmosphere, to extrude the major amount of the solder composition, contaminants including fluxing gases and air, from between the members being bonded, to form a very thin, strong intermetallic bonding layer having a thermal expansion tolerant with that of the bonded members.

  20. Solder extrusion pressure bonding process and bonded products produced thereby

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Beavis, L. C.; Karnowsky, M. M.; Yost, F. G.

    1990-04-01

    The production of soldered joints are highly reliable and capable of surviving 10,000 thermal cycles between about -40 and 110 C. The process involves interposing a thin layer of a metal solder composition between the metal surfaces of members to be bonded and applying heat up to about 1000 psi compression pressure to the superposed members, in the presence of a reducing atmosphere, to extrude the major amount of the solder composition, contaminants including fluxing gases and air, from between the members being bonded, to form a very thin, strong intermetallic bonding layer having a thermal expansion tolerant with that of the bonded members.

  1. Thin-walled SnO2 nanotubes functionalized with Pt and Au catalysts via the protein templating route and their selective detection of acetone and hydrogen sulfide molecules

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jang, Ji-Soo; Kim, Sang-Joon; Choi, Seon-Jin; Kim, Nam-Hoon; Hakim, Meggie; Rothschild, Avner; Kim, Il-Doo

    2015-10-01

    Bio-inspired Pt (~2 nm) and Au (~2.7 nm) catalysts encapsulated by a protein shell, i.e., Pt-apoferritin (Pt@AF) and Au-apoferriten (Au@AF), were synthesized via the hollow protein nanocage (apoferritin) templating route and directly functionalized on the interior and exterior walls of electrospun SnO2 nanotubes (NTs) during controlled single-nozzle electrospinning followed by high temperature calcination with heating rate control. Fast crystallization of the exterior shell and outward diffusion of the interior Sn precursors and crystallites result in the continued growth of a tubular wall, which is related to rapid heating driven Ostwald-ripening behavior. Very importantly, the Pt and Au nanoparticles (NPs) were immobilized onto thin-walled SnO2 NTs with a diameter of ~350 nm and a shell thickness of ~40 nm without any aggregation of catalysts due to high dispersibility, which originated from repulsive electrostatic (Coulombic) forces acting on the surface charged protein shells, leading to an enhanced catalytic effect and outstanding gas sensing properties. Pt-loaded SnO2 NTs exhibited superior acetone response (Rair/Rgas = 92 at 5 ppm) compared to pure SnO2 NFs (Rair/Rgas = 4.8 at 5 ppm) and SnO2 NTs (Rair/Rgas = 11 at 5 ppm) while Au-loaded SnO2 NTs showed a high response when exposed to hydrogen sulfide (Rair/Rgas = 34 at 5 ppm), offering selective gas detection with minimal cross-sensitivity against other interfering gases such as NH3, CO, NO, C6H5CH3, and C5H12. Our results provide a new insight into facile, cost-effective, and highly dispersible catalyst loading on the interior and exterior walls of hollow metal oxide NTs via simple electrospinning as a potential breath analyzer.Bio-inspired Pt (~2 nm) and Au (~2.7 nm) catalysts encapsulated by a protein shell, i.e., Pt-apoferritin (Pt@AF) and Au-apoferriten (Au@AF), were synthesized via the hollow protein nanocage (apoferritin) templating route and directly functionalized on the interior and exterior walls

  2. Interfacial Reaction and Shear Strength of SnAgCu/Ni/Bi2Te3-Based TE Materials During Aging

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jing, Hongyang; Li, Yuan; Xu, Lianyong; Han, Yongdian; Lu, Guoquan; Zhang, Hao

    2015-12-01

    As a diffusion barrier layer, Ni is widely applied in power electronics packaging, especially in thermoelectric devices. This paper presents the variation of Ni diffusion barrier layer during aging and failure mechanisms of thermoelectric device joints. The thermoelectric joint consists of Sn96.5Ag3.0Cu0.5 (SAC305) solder and Bi2Te3-based thermoelectric materials such as Bi0.5Sb1.5Te3 and Bi1.8Sb0.2Se0.15Te2.85 during service. The result shows that with the increasing aging time, Ni layer was constantly consumed by SAC305 and Bi2Te3-based thermoelectric materials simultaneously. The reaction products are (Cu,Ni)6Sn5 and NiTe or Ni(Bi,Te), respectively. Besides, the shear strength of SAC305/Bi0.5Sb1.5Te3 joint or SAC305/Bi1.8Sb0.2Se0.15Te2.85 joint gets gradually decreased and thermoelectric conversion performance gets worse. Meantime, the different failure mechanisms are also compared between SAC305/Bi0.5Sb1.5Te3 couple joints and SAC305/Bi1.8Sb0.2Se0.15Te2.85 couple joints.

  3. Modeling and Implementation of Solder-activated Joints for Single Actuator, Centimeter-Scale Robotic Mechanisms

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2010-06-01

    Modulus Ratio Annealed Copper 1.0 1.0 1.0 6066 Aluminum 0.63 2.48 3.96 High-Temp Nitinol 0.68 16.8 24.7 1095 Spring Steel 1.82 16.5 9.08 106 5.2.2...were: copper, aluminum, Nitinol , and spring steel. The wetting ability of aluminum and Nitinol to lead-tin solders is poor. There are solders that have...32],[33]. Copper plating may be used to improve a material’s solderability. Nitinol and aluminum are not easily electroplated with copper. Steel and

  4. DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Uribe, Fernando; Vianco, Paul Thomas; Zender, Gary L.

    A study was performed that examined the microstructure and mechanical properties of 63Sn-37Pb (wt.%, Sn-Pb) solder joints made to thick film layers on low-temperature co-fired (LTCC) substrates. The thick film layers were combinations of the Dupont{trademark} 4596 (Au-Pt-Pd) conductor and Dupont{trademark} 5742 (Au) conductor, the latter having been deposited between the 4596 layer and LTCC substrate. Single (1x) and triple (3x) thicknesses of the 4596 layer were evaluated. Three footprint sizes were evaluated of the 5742 thick film. The solder joints exhibited excellent solderability of both the copper (Cu) lead and thick film surface. In all test sample configurations, themore » 5742 thick film prevented side wall cracking of the vias. The pull strengths were in the range of 3.4-4.0 lbs, which were only slightly lower than historical values for alumina (Al{sub 2}O{sub 3}) substrates. General (qualitative) observations: (a) The pull strength was maximized when the total number of thick film layers was between two and three. Fewer that two layers did not develop as strong of a bond at the thick film/LTCC interface; more than three layers and of increased footprint area, developed higher residual stresses at the thick film/LTCC interface and in the underlying LTCC material that weakened the joint. (b) Minimizing the area of the weaker 4596/LTCC interface (e.g., larger 5742 area) improved pull strength. Specific observations: (a) In the presence of vias and the need for the 3x 4596 thick film, the preferred 4596:5742 ratio was 1.0:0.5. (b) For those LTCC components that require the 3x 4596 layer, but do not have vias, it is preferred to refrain from using the 5742 layer. (c) In the absence of vias, the highest strength was realized with a 1x thick 5742 layer, a 1x thick 4596 layer, and a footprint ratio of 1.0:1.0.« less

  5. Solder extrusion pressure bonding process and bonded products produced thereby

    DOEpatents

    Beavis, L.C.; Karnowsky, M.M.; Yost, F.G.

    1992-06-16

    Disclosed is a process for production of soldered joints which are highly reliable and capable of surviving 10,000 thermal cycles between about [minus]40 C and 110 C. Process involves interposing a thin layer of a metal solder composition between the metal surfaces of members to be bonded and applying heat and up to about 1000 psi compression pressure to the superposed members, in the presence of a reducing atmosphere, to extrude the major amount of the solder composition, contaminants including fluxing gases and air, from between the members being bonded, to form a very thin, strong intermetallic bonding layer having a thermal expansion tolerant with that of the bonded members.

  6. Electromigration in Sn-Cu intermetallic compounds

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wei, C. C.; Chen, C. F.; Liu, P. C.; Chen, Chih

    2009-01-01

    As the shrinking in bump size continues, the effect of intermetallic compounds (IMCs) on electromigration becomes more pronounced. Electromigration in Sn-Cu intermetallic compounds was examined using edge displacement method. It was found that Cu6Sn5 compounds are more susceptible to electromigration than Cu3Sn compounds. The lower solidus temperature and higher resistivity of the Cu6Sn5 IMCs are responsible for its higher electromigration rate. Length-dependent electromigration behavior was found in the stripes of various lengths and the critical length was determined to be between 5 and 10 μm at 225 °C, which corresponded to a critical product between 2.5 and 5 A/cm. Furthermore, the Sn-Cu compounds were proven to have better electromigration resistance than eutectic SnAgCu solder.

  7. Optimal parameters for laser tissue soldering: II. Premixed versus separate dye-solder techniques.

    PubMed

    McNally, K M; Sorg, B S; Chan, E K; Welch, A J; Dawes, J M; Owen, E R

    2000-01-01

    Laser tissue soldering by using an indocyanine green (ICG)-doped protein solder applied topically to the tissue surface and denatured with a diode laser was investigated in Part I of this study. The depth of light absorption was predominantly determined by the concentration of the ICG dye added to the solder. This study builds on that work with an in vitro investigation of the effects of limiting the zone of heat generation to the solder-tissue interface to determine whether more stable solder-tissue fusion can be achieved. An alternative laser tissue soldering technique was investigated, which increased light absorption at the vital solder-tissue interface. A thin layer of ICG dye was smeared over the surface to be treated, the protein solder was then placed directly on top of the dye, and the solder was denatured with an 808-nm diode laser. Because laser light at approximately 800 nm is absorbed primarily by the ICG dye, this thin layer of ICG solution restricted the heat source to the space between the solder and the tissue surfaces. A tensile strength analysis was conducted to compare the separate dye-solder technique with conventional techniques of laser tissue soldering for which a premixed dye-solder is applied directly to the tissue surface. The effect of hydration on bond stability of repairs formed by using both techniques was also investigated using tensile strength and scanning electron microscopy analysis. Equivalent results in terms of tensile strength were obtained for the premixed dye-solder technique using protein solders containing 0.25 mg/ml ICG (liquid solder, 220 +/- 35 N/cm(2); solid solder, 602 +/- 32 N/cm(2)) and for the separate dye-solder technique (liquid solder, 228 +/- 41 N/cm(2); solid solder, 578 +/- 29 N/cm(2)). The tensile strength of native bovine thoracic aorta was 596 +/- 31 N/cm(2). Repairs created by using the separate dye-solder technique were more stable during hydration than their premixed dye-solder counterparts. The

  8. Flip chip bumping technology—Status and update

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Juergen Wolf, M.; Engelmann, Gunter; Dietrich, Lothar; Reichl, Herbert

    2006-09-01

    Flip chip technology is a key driver for new complex system architectures and high-density packaging, e.g. sensor or pixel devices. Bumped wafers/dice as key elements become very important in terms of general availability at low cost, high yield and quality level. Today, different materials, e.g. Au, Ni, AuSn, SnAg, SnAgCu, SnCu, etc., are used for flip chip interconnects and different bumping approaches are available. Electroplating is the technology of choice for high-yield wafer bumping for small bump sizes and pitches. Lead-free solder bumps require an increase in knowledge in the field of under bump metallization (UBM) and the interaction of bump and substrate metallization, the formation and growth of intermetallic compounds (IMCs) during liquid- and solid-phase reactions. Results of a new bi-layer UBM of Ni-Cu which is especially designed for small-sized lead-free solder bumps will be discussed.

  9. SEMICONDUCTOR TECHNOLOGY: Wafer level hermetic packaging based on Cu-Sn isothermal solidification technology

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yuhan, Cao; Le, Luo

    2009-08-01

    A novel wafer level bonding method based on Cu-Sn isothermal solidification technology is established. A multi-layer sealing ring and the bonding processing are designed, and the amount of solder and the bonding parameters are optimized based on both theoretical and experimental results. Verification shows that oxidation of the solder layer, voids and the scalloped-edge appearance of the Cu6Sn5 phase are successfully avoided. An average shear strength of 19.5 MPa and an excellent leak rate of around 1.9 × 10-9 atm cc/s are possible, meeting the demands of MIL-STD-883E.

  10. In Situ Study of Reduction Process of CuO Paste and Its Effect on Bondability of Cu-to-Cu Joints

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yao, Takafumi; Matsuda, Tomoki; Sano, Tomokazu; Morikawa, Chiaki; Ohbuchi, Atsushi; Yashiro, Hisashi; Hirose, Akio

    2018-04-01

    A bonding method utilizing redox reactions of metallic oxide microparticles achieves metal-to-metal bonding in air, which can be alternative to lead-rich high-melting point solder. However, it is known that the degree of the reduction of metallic oxide microparticles have an influence on the joint strength using this bonding method. In this paper, the reduction behavior of CuO paste and its effect on Cu-to-Cu joints were investigated through simultaneous microstructure-related x-ray diffraction and differential scanning calorimetry measurements. The CuO microparticles in the paste were gradually reduced to submicron Cu2O particles at 210-250°C. Subsequently, Cu nanoparticles were generated instantaneously at 300-315°C. There was a marked difference in the strengths of the joints formed at 300°C and 350°C. Thus, the Cu nanoparticles play a critical role in sintering-based bonding using CuO paste. Furthermore, once the Cu nanoparticles have formed, the joint strength increases with higher bonding temperature (from 350°C to 500°C) and pressure (5-15 MPa), which can exceed the strength of Pb-5Sn solder at higher temperature and pressure.

  11. Multiscale microstructural characterization of Sn-rich alloys by three dimensional (3D) X-ray synchrotron tomography and focused ion beam (FIB) tomography

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Yazzie, K.E.; Williams, J.J.; Phillips, N.C.

    2012-08-15

    Sn-rich (Pb-free) alloys serve as electrical and mechanical interconnects in electronic packaging. It is critical to quantify the microstructures of Sn-rich alloys to obtain a fundamental understanding of their properties. In this work, the intermetallic precipitates in Sn-3.5Ag and Sn-0.7Cu, and globular lamellae in Sn-37Pb solder joints were visualized and quantified using 3D X-ray synchrotron tomography and focused ion beam (FIB) tomography. 3D reconstructions were analyzed to extract statistics on particle size and spatial distribution. In the Sn-Pb alloy the interconnectivity of Sn-rich and Pb-rich constituents was quantified. It will be shown that multiscale characterization using 3D X-ray and FIBmore » tomography enabled the characterization of the complex morphology, distribution, and statistics of precipitates and contiguous phases over a range of length scales. - Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Multiscale characterization by X-ray synchrotron and focused ion beam tomography. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Characterized microstructural features in several Sn-based alloys. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Quantified size, fraction, and clustering of microstructural features.« less

  12. Leaching behaviour and environmental risk assessment of heavy metals from electronic solder in acidified soil.

    PubMed

    Lao, Xiaodong; Cheng, Congqian; Min, Xiaohua; Zhao, Jie; Zhou, Dayu; Li, Xiaogang

    2015-11-01

    The leaching behaviour of Sn and Pb elements from eutectic SnPb solder of electronic waste in acidic soil was investigated through acidification with HCl-H2SO4 solution and compared with saline solution. The amounts of Sn and Pb elements leached, when subjected to acidic soil, are higher than those with saline soil. Evidence for the significantly preferential release of Sn into the leachate is provided; the galvanic couple accelerated such preferential release. Surface product analysis reveals the slight damage of SnPb in saline soil. Serious dissolution due to electrochemical reaction and a thick, porous PbSO4 surface layer are observed in acidified soil, suggesting more severe toxicity potential of Pb in soil rather than in water.

  13. Effect of Gold on the Microstructural Evolution and Integrity of a Sintered Silver Joint

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Muralidharan, Govindarajan; Leonard, Donovan N.; Meyer, Harry M.

    2017-07-01

    There is a need for next-generation, high-performance power electronic packages and systems employing wide-bandgap devices to operate at high temperatures in automotive and electric grid applications. Sintered silver joints are currently being evaluated as an alternative to Pb-free solder joints. Of particular interest is the development of joints based on silver paste consisting of nano- or micron-scale particles that can be processed without application of external pressure. The microstructural evolution at the interface of a pressureless-sintered silver joint formed between a SiC die with Ti/Ni/Au metallization and an active metal brazed (AMB) substrate with Ag metallization at 250°C has been evaluated using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), x-ray microanalysis, and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Results from focused ion beam (FIB) cross-sections show that, during sintering, pores in the sintered region near to the Au layer tend to be narrow and elongated with long axis oriented parallel to the interface. Further densification results in formation of many small, relatively equiaxed pores aligned parallel to the interface, creating a path for easy crack propagation. X-ray microanalysis results confirm interdiffusion between Au and Ag and that a region with poor mechanical strength is formed at the edge of this region of interdiffusion.

  14. Interactions at the planar Ag3Sn/liquid Sn interface under ultrasonic irradiation.

    PubMed

    Shao, Huakai; Wu, Aiping; Bao, Yudian; Zhao, Yue; Liu, Lei; Zou, Guisheng

    2017-11-01

    The interactions at the interface between planar Ag 3 Sn and liquid Sn under ultrasonic irradiation were investigated. An intensive thermal grooving process occurred at Ag 3 Sn grain boundaries due to ultrasonic effects. Without ultrasonic application, planar shape of Ag 3 Sn layer gradually evolved into scalloped morphology after the solid-state Sn melting, due to a preferential dissolution of the intermetallic compounds from the regions at grain boundaries, which left behind the grooves embedding in the Ag 3 Sn layer. Under the effect of ultrasonic, stable grooves could be rapidly generated within an extremely short time (<10s) that was far less than the traditional soldering process (>10min). In addition, the deepened grooves leaded to the formation of necks at the roots of Ag 3 Sn grains, and further resulted in the strong detachment of intermetallic grains from the substrate. The intensive thermal grooving could promote the growth of Ag 3 Sn grains in the vertical direction but restrain their coarsening in the horizontal direction, consequently, an elongated morphology was presented. All these phenomena could be attributed to the acoustic cavitation and streaming effects of ultrasonic vibration. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  15. Nanoscale characterization of 1D Sn-3.5Ag nanosolders and their application into nanowelding at the nanoscale

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhang, Hong; Zhang, Junwei; Lan, Qianqian; Ma, Hongbin; Qu, Ke; Inkson, Beverley J.; Mellors, Nigel J.; Xue, Desheng; Peng, Yong

    2014-10-01

    One-dimensional Sn-3.5Ag alloy nanosolders have been successfully fabricated by a dc electrodeposition technique into nanoporous templates, and their soldering quality has been demonstrated in nanoscale electrical welding for the first time, which indicates that they can easily form remarkably reliable conductive joints. The electrical measurement shows that individual 1D Sn-3.5Ag nanosolders have a resistivity of 28.9 μΩ·cm. The morphology, crystal structure and chemistry of these nanosolders have been characterized at the nanoscale. It is found that individual 1D Sn-3.5Ag alloy nanosolders have a continuous morphology and smooth surface. XPS confirms the presence of tin and silver with a mass ratio of 96.54:3.46, and EDX elemental mappings clearly reveal that the Sn and Ag elements have a uniform distribution. Coveragent beam electron diffractions verify that the crystal phases of individual 1D Sn-3.5Ag alloy nanosolders consist of matrix β-Sn and the intermetallic compound Ag3Sn. The reflow experiments reveal that the eutectic composition of the 1D Sn-Ag alloy nanowire is shifted to the Sn rich corner. This work may contribute one of the most important tin-based alloy nanosolders for future nanoscale welding techniques, which are believed to have broad applications in nanotechnology and the future nano-industry.

  16. Formation of alternating interfacial layers in Au-12Ge/Ni joints

    PubMed Central

    Lin, Shih-kang; Tsai, Ming-yueh; Tsai, Ping-chun; Hsu, Bo-hsun

    2014-01-01

    Au-Ge alloys are promising materials for high-power and high-frequency packaging, and Ni is frequently used as diffusion barriers. This study investigates interfacial reactions in Au-12Ge/Ni joints at 300°C and 400°C. For the reactions at 300°C, typical interfacial morphology was observed and the diffusion path was (Au) + (Ge)/NiGe/Ni5Ge3/Ni. However, an interesting phenomenon – the formation of (Au,Ni,Ge)/NiGe alternating layers – was observed for the reactions at 400°C. The diffusion path across the interface was liquid/(Au,Ni,Ge)/NiGe/···/(Au,Ni,Ge)/NiGe/Ni2Ge/Ni. The periodic thermodynamic instability at the NiGe/Ni2Ge interface caused the subsequent nucleation of new (Au,Ni,Ge)/NiGe pairs. The thermodynamic foundation and mechanism of formation of the alternating layers are elaborated in this paper. PMID:24690992

  17. Electrical and mechanical properties of Sn-5wt.%Sb alloy with annealing temperature

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Said Gouda, El; Ahmed, E. M.; Saad Allah, F. A.

    2009-01-01

    A binary Sn-5wt.%Sb solder alloy was chosen as a potential alternative to Sn-Pb solder alloy to be subjected to many studies. It was casted from the liquid state, cold drawn into wires of 1 mm diameters. The study includes the structure, electrical resistivity, tensile strength, hardness and indentation creep behavior using XRD, four probes electrical circuit, conventional tensile testing machine, Vickers microhardness tester, respectively. These properties were carried out for the cold worked alloy and after annealing at 393 and 473 K for 60 min. It was found that annealed samples exhibit more precipitations of the intermetallic compounds SnSb, higher lattice parameters and higher crystallite size, while have lower lattice-strain induced due to the cold working process. These structural changes greatly affect the electrical resistivity and mechanical properties of this alloy.

  18. Microstructure and interfacial reactions of soldering magnesium alloy AZ31B

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Liu Liming, E-mail: liulm@dlut.edu.cn; Wu Zhonghui

    2010-01-15

    In this paper, economic and innoxious solder alloys with low melting temperature were designed for AZ31B. Their chemical composition and relevant parameters were investigated for a high-performance structure of bonding region. Results of microstructure observation showed that Zn-enriched phases disappeared and {alpha}-Mg existed in the joints in the form of coarse dendrites by increasing the concentration of Mg in the solder alloys. Water cooling with a high cooling rate was adopted in experiments. Experimental research showed that high cooling rate restricted the grains of {alpha}-Mg as the equiaxed dendrites, which was about 1/5 of the coarse dendrite but their numbermore » was more than 40-50 times. Both morphology with typical fracture and the analysis on X-ray diffraction fracture indicated that equiaxed dendrites significantly improved the mechanical property of the joints. Necking phenomenon occurred in the bonding region was in favor of the improvement of joint shear strength.« less

  19. Histological Study of the Toxic Effects of Solder Fumes on Spermatogenesis in Rats

    PubMed Central

    Arab, Mohammad Reza; Heidari, Mohammad Hossein; Mashhadi, Rezvaneh; Mirzaei, Ramazan; Jahantigh, Mehdi

    2011-01-01

    Objective: Toxic fumes generated during the soldering process contain various contaminants released at sufficient rates to cause both short- and long-term health problems. Studies have shown that these fumes change the quality and quantity of semen fluid in exposed workers. The aim of the present study was to determine the potentially toxic effects of solder fumes on spermatogenesis in seminiferous tubules of rats as an experimental model, with conditioned media in an exposed chamber. Materials and Methods: A total number of 48 male Sprague Dawley adult rats were randomly divided into experimental (n=30) and control (n=18) groups. Based on exposure time, each group was further subdivided into two, four and six subgroups. Rats in the experimental groups were exposed to solder fumes in an exposure chamber for one hour/ day. The concentrations of fumes [formaldehyde, stanum (Sn) and lead (Pb)] were measured by a standard method via atomic absorption and spectrophotometry. According to a timetable, under deep anesthesia, the rats of both experimental and control subgroups were killed. After fixation of testes, specimens were weighed and routinely processed. Paraffin sections were stained by hematoxylin and eosin. Spermiogenesis index was calculated and data analyzed by Mann Whitney NPAR test. Results: Analysis of air samples in the exposure chamber showed the following fume concentrations: 0.193 mg/m3 for formaldehyde, 0.35 mg/m3 for Sn and 3 mg/m3 for Pb. Although there was no significant difference in testes weight between control and experimental subgroups, there was only a significant difference in spermiogenesis index between the six week experimental and control subgroups (p<0.02). Conclusion: The results of this study showed that solder fumes can change the spermiogenesis index in experimental groups in a time dependent manner. PMID:23671821

  20. METHOD FOR SOLDERING NORMALLY NON-SOLDERABLE ARTICLES

    DOEpatents

    McGuire, J.C.

    1959-11-24

    Methods are presented for coating and joining materials which are considered difficult to solder by utilizing an abrasive wheel and applying a bar of a suitable coating material, such as Wood's metal, to the rotating wheel to fill the cavities of the abrasive wheel and load the wheel with the coating material. The surface of the base material is then rubbed against the loaded rotating wheel, thereby coating the surface with the soft coating metal. The coating is a cohesive bonded layer and holds the base metal as tenaciously as a solder holds to easily solderable metals.

  1. Study of the effects of MeV Ag, Cu, Au, and Sn implantation on the optical properties of LiNbO3

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Williams, E. K.; Ila, D.; Sarkisov, S.; Curley, M.; Poker, D. B.; Hensley, D. K.; Borel, C.

    1998-01-01

    The authors present the results of characterization of linear absorption and nonlinear refractive index of Au, Ag, Cu and Sn ion implantation into LiNbO3. Ag was implanted at 1.5 MeV to fluences of 2 to 17 x 17(exp 16)/sq cm at room temperature. Au and Cu were implanted to fluences of 5 to 20 x 10(exp 16)/sq cm at an energy of 2.0 MeV. Sn was implanted to a fluence of 1.6 x 10(exp 17)/sq cm at 160 kV. Optical absorption spectrometry indicated an absorption peak for the Au implanted samples after heat treatment at 1,000 C at approx. 620 nm. The Ag implanted samples absorption peaks shifted from approx. 450 nm before heat treatment to 550 nm after 500 C for 1h. Heat treatment at 800 C returned the Ag implanted crystals to a clear state. Cu nanocluster absorption peaks disappears at 500 C. No Sn clusters were observed by optical absorption or XRD. The size of the Ag and Au clusters as a function of heat treatment were determined from the absorption peaks. The Ag clusters did not change appreciably in size with heat treatment. The Au clusters increased from 3 to 9 nm diameter upon heat treatment at 1000 C. TEM analysis performed on a Au implanted crystal indicated the formation of Au nanocrystals with facets normal to the c-axis. Measurements of the nonlinear refractive indices were carried out using the Z-scan method with a tunable dye laser pumped by a frequency doubled mode-locked Nd:YAG laser. The dye laser had a 4.5 ps pulse duration time and 76 MHz pulse repetition rate (575 nm).

  2. Morphology-Controlled Synthesis of Au/Cu₂FeSnS₄ Core-Shell Nanostructures for Plasmon-Enhanced Photocatalytic Hydrogen Generation.

    PubMed

    Ha, Enna; Lee, Lawrence Yoon Suk; Man, Ho-Wing; Tsang, Shik Chi Edman; Wong, Kwok-Yin

    2015-05-06

    Copper-based chalcogenides of earth-abundant elements have recently arisen as an alternate material for solar energy conversion. Cu2FeSnS4 (CITS), a quaternary chalcogenide that has received relatively little attention, has the potential to be developed into a low-cost and environmentlly friendly material for photovoltaics and photocatalysis. Herein, we report, for the first time, the synthesis, characterization, and growth mechanism of novel Au/CITS core-shell nanostructures with controllable morphology. Precise manipulations in the core-shell dimensions are demonstrated to yield two distinct heterostructures with spherical and multipod gold nanoparticle (NP) cores (Au(sp)/CITS and Au(mp)/CITS). In photocatalytic hydrogen generation with as-synthesized Au/CITS NPs, the presence of Au cores inside the CITS shell resulted in higher hydrogen generation rates, which can be attributed to the surface plasmon resonance (SPR) effect. The Au(sp)/CITS and Au(mp)/CITS core-shell NPs enhanced the photocatalytic hydrogen generation by about 125% and 240%, respectively, compared to bare CITS NPs.

  3. Application of Au-Sn eutectic bonding in hermetic radio-frequency microelectromechanical system wafer level packaging

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wang, Qian; Choa, Sung-Hoon; Kim, Woonbae; Hwang, Junsik; Ham, Sukjin; Moon, Changyoul

    2006-03-01

    Development of packaging is one of the critical issues toward realizing commercialization of radio-frequency-microelectromechanical system (RF-MEMS) devices. The RF-MEMS package should be designed to have small size, hermetic protection, good RF performance, and high reliability. In addition, packaging should be conducted at sufficiently low temperature. In this paper, a low-temperature hermetic wafer level packaging scheme for the RF-MEMS devices is presented. For hermetic sealing, Au-Sn eutectic bonding technology at temperatures below 300°C is used. Au-Sn multilayer metallization with a square loop of 70 µm in width is performed. The electrical feed-through is achieved by the vertical through-hole via filling with electroplated Cu. The size of the MEMS package is 1 mm × 1 mm × 700 µm. The shear strength and hermeticity of the package satisfies the requirements of MIL-STD-883F. Any organic gases or contamination are not observed inside the package. The total insertion loss for the packaging is 0.075 dB at 2 GHz. Furthermore, the robustness of the package is demonstrated by observing no performance degradation and physical damage of the package after several reliability tests.

  4. Soldering instrument safety improvements

    DOEpatents

    Kosslow, William J.; Giron, Ronald W.

    1996-01-01

    A safe soldering device includes a retractable heat shield which can be moved between a first position in which the solder tip of the device is exposed for soldering operation and a second position in which the solder tip is covered by the heat shield. Preferably, the heat shield is biased towards the second position and may be locked in the first position for ease of use. When the soldering device is equipped with a vacuum system, the heat shield may serve to guide the flow of gases and heat from the solder tip away from the work area. The heat shield is preferably made of non-heatsinking plastic.

  5. Effect of Gold on the Microstructural Evolution and Integrity of a Sintered Silver Joint

    DOE PAGES

    Muralidharan, Govindarajan; Leonard, Donovan N.; Meyer, Harry M.

    2017-01-05

    There is a need for next-generation, high-performance power electronic packages and systems employing wide band gap devices to operate at high temperatures in automotive and electric grid applications. Sintered silver joints are currently being evaluated as an alternative to Pb-free solder joints. Of particular interest is the development of joints based on silver paste consisting of nanoscale or micron scale particles that can be processed without the application of an external pressure. Microstructural evolution at the interface of a pressureless sintered silver joint formed between a SiC die with a Ti/Ni/Au metallization and an Active Metal Brazed substrate with Agmore » metallization at 250 °C was evaluated using Scanning Electron Microscopy, X-ray microanalysis, and X-ray Photo Electron Spectroscopy. Results from Focused Ion Beam cross-sections show that during sintering, the pores in the sintered region close to the Au layer tend to be smaller and are oriented predominantly with their longer dimension oriented parallel to the interface. With further densification, this results in the alignment of small pores parallel to the interface, creating a path for easy crack propagation. Lastly, X-ray microchemical analyses results confirm interdiffusion between Au and Ag and that a region with poor mechanical strength is formed at the edge of this region of interdiffusion.« less

  6. Investigation of electromigration behavior in lead-free flip chip solder bumps

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kalkundri, Kaustubh Jayant

    Packaging technology has also evolved over time in an effort to keep pace with the demanding requirements. Wirebond and flip chip packaging technologies have become extremely versatile and ubiquitous in catering to myriad applications due to their inherent potential. This research is restricted strictly to flip chip technology. This technology incorporates a process in which the bare chip is turned upside down, i.e., active face down, and is bonded through the I/O to the substrate, hence called flip chip. A solder interconnect that provides electrical connection between the chip and substrate is bumped on a processed silicon wafer prior to dicing for die-attach. The assembly is then reflow-soldered followed by the underfill process to provide the required encapsulation. The demand for smaller and lighter products has increased the number of I/Os without increasing the package sizes, thereby drastically reducing the size of the flip chip solder bumps and their pitch. Reliability assessment and verification of these devices has gained tremendous importance due to their shrinking size. To add to the complexity, changing material sets that are results of recently enacted lead-free solder legislations have raised some compatibility issues that are already being researched. In addition to materials and process related flip chip challenges such as solder-flux compatibility, Coefficient of Thermal Expansion (CTE) mismatch, underfill-flux compatibility and thermal management, flip chip packages are vulnerable to a comparatively newer challenge, namely electromigration observed in solder bumps. It is interesting to note that electromigration has come to the forefront of challenges only recently. It has been exacerbated by the reduction in bump cross-section due to the seemingly continuous shrinking in package size over time. The focus of this research was to understand the overall electromigration behavior in lead-free (SnAg) flip chip solder bumps. The objectives of the

  7. CO Sensing Performance of a Micro Thermoelectric Gas Sensor with AuPtPd/SnO₂ Catalyst and Effects of a Double Catalyst Structure with Pt/α-Al₂O₃.

    PubMed

    Goto, Tomoyo; Itoh, Toshio; Akamatsu, Takafumi; Shin, Woosuck

    2015-12-15

    The CO sensing properties of a micro thermoelectric gas sensor (micro-TGS) with a double AuPtPd/SnO₂ and Pt/α-Al₂O₃ catalyst were investigated. While several nanometer sized Pt and Pd particles were uniformly dispersed on SnO₂, the Au particles were aggregated as particles measuring >10 nm in diameter. In situ diffuse reflectance Fourier transform Infrared spectroscopy (DRIFT) analysis of the catalyst showed a CO adsorption peak on Pt and Pd, but no clear peak corresponding to the interaction between CO and Au was detected. Up to 200 °C, CO combustion was more temperature dependent than that of H₂, while H₂ combustion was activated by repeated exposure to H₂ gas during the periodic gas test. Selective CO sensing of the micro-TGS against H₂ was attempted using a double catalyst structure with 0.3-30 wt% Pt/α-Al₂O₃ as a counterpart combustion catalyst. The sensor output of the micro-TGS decreased with increasing Pt content in the Pt/α-Al₂O₃ catalyst, by cancelling out the combustion heat from the AuPtPd/SnO₂ catalyst. In addition, the AuPtPd/SnO₂ and 0.3 wt% Pt/α-Al₂O₃ double catalyst sensor showed good and selective CO detection. We therefore demonstrated that our micro-TGS with double catalyst structure is useful for controlling the gas selectivity of CO against H₂.

  8. Spreading Dynamics and Interfacial Characteristics of Sn-3.0Ag-0.5Cu- xBi Melting on Cu Substrates

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Xu, Bingsheng; Chen, Junwei; Yuan, Zhangfu; Zang, Likun; Zhang, Lina; Wu, Yan

    2016-05-01

    The effects of Bi addition on the properties of Sn-3.0Ag-0.5Cu molten alloy on Cu substrates are discussed using wettability and interface microstructure analysis. The changes of the contact angles between Sn-3.0Ag-0.5Cu- xBi and Cu substrates with the spreading time are described by Dezellus model. It indicates that the spreading process is governed by the interfacial reaction during the dwelling time. The interface microstructure is observed to clarify the effects of reactions on the spreading behavior. It is found that Cu6Sn5 is formed adjacent to the solder and Cu3Sn appears over the substrate with Bi added at 613K, indicating that Bi exists between the intermetallics and the addition of Bi can hinder the diffusion of copper towards the interior of the solder. Therefore the existence of Bi decreases the agglomeration of Cu-Sn grains. The growth of intermetallics is thus limited and the shape of intermetallics transforms from scallop to zigzag consequently. However, the segregation phenomenon appears when the additive amount of Bi is more than 5.5mass %, which could lead to the occurrence of fracture and degrade the performance of Sn-3.0Ag-0.5Cu- xBi alloy. The results of the present study provide basic physical and chemical data for the application of lead-free solder in the future microgravity space environment.

  9. Tin-silver-bismuth solders for electronics assembly

    DOEpatents

    Vianco, Paul T.; Rejent, Jerome A.

    1995-01-01

    A lead-free solder alloy for electronic assemblies composed of a eutectic alloy of tin and silver with a bismuth addition, x, of 0Sn-3.33Ag-4.83Bi (weight percent based on total alloy weight).

  10. Tin-silver-bismuth solders for electronics assembly

    DOEpatents

    Vianco, P.T.; Rejent, J.A.

    1995-08-08

    A lead-free solder alloy is disclosed for electronic assemblies composed of a eutectic alloy of tin and silver with a bismuth addition, x, of 0Sn-3.33Ag-4.83Bi (weight percent based on total alloy weight). 4 figs.

  11. SOLDERING OF ALUMINUM BASE METALS

    DOEpatents

    Erickson, G.F.

    1958-02-25

    This patent deals with the soldering of aluminum to metals of different types, such as copper, brass, and iron. This is accomplished by heating the aluminum metal to be soldered to slightly above 30 deg C, rubbing a small amount of metallic gallium into the part of the surface to be soldered, whereby an aluminum--gallium alloy forms on the surface, and then heating the aluminum piece to the melting point of lead--tin soft solder, applying lead--tin soft solder to this alloyed surface, and combining the aluminum with the other metal to which it is to be soldered.

  12. Fixture facilitates soldering operations

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    White, C. M.

    1968-01-01

    Soldering fixture, designed for printed circuit cards, is a basic bench-mounted, self-contained integral unit combining all soldering needs into a compact, readily available work station. All tools, materials, and accessories are available to provide an ideal station to perform critical soldering.

  13. Soldering In Space Investigation Video

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    2004-01-01

    This video captures Mike Fincke melting solder during the first set of planned In-Space Soldering Investigation (ISSI) experiments onboard the International Space Station (ISS). In the video, Fincke touches the tip of the soldering iron to a wire wrapped with rosin-core solder. Review of the experiment video revealed melting kinetics, wetting characteristics, and equilibrium shape attainment of the solder charge. Samples returned to Earth were examined for porosity and flux distribution as well as microstructural development. ISSI's purpose was to find out how solder behaves in a weightless environment and promote our knowledge of fabrication and repair techniques that might be employed during extended space exploration missions.

  14. Solderability test system

    DOEpatents

    Yost, Fred; Hosking, Floyd M.; Jellison, James L.; Short, Bruce; Giversen, Terri; Reed, Jimmy R.

    1998-01-01

    A new test method to quantify capillary flow solderability on a printed wiring board surface finish. The test is based on solder flow from a pad onto narrow strips or lines. A test procedure and video image analysis technique were developed for conducting the test and evaluating the data. Feasibility tests revealed that the wetted distance was sensitive to the ratio of pad radius to line width (l/r), solder volume, and flux predry time.

  15. In situ visualization of metallurgical reactions in nanoscale Cu/Sn diffusion couples

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yin, Qiyue; Gao, Fan; Gu, Zhiyong; Stach, Eric A.; Zhou, Guangwen

    2015-03-01

    The Cu-Sn metallurgical soldering reaction in two-segmented Cu-Sn nanowires is studied by in situ transmission electron microscopy. By varying the relative lengths of Cu and Sn segments, we show that the metallurgical reaction results in a Cu-Sn solid solution for small Sn/Cu length ratio while Cu-Sn intermetallic compounds (IMCs) for larger Sn/Cu length ratios. Upon heating the nanowires to ~500 °C, two phase transformation pathways occur, η-Cu6Sn5 --> ε-Cu3Sn --> δ-Cu41Sn11 for nanowires with a long Cu segment and η-Cu6Sn5 --> ε-Cu3Sn --> γ-Cu3Sn with a short Cu segment. The evolution of Kirkendall voids in the nanowires demonstrates that Cu diffuses faster than Sn in IMCs. Void growth results in the nanowire breakage that shuts off the inter-diffusion of Cu and Sn and thus leads to changes in the phase transformation pathway in the IMCs.

  16. Solderability test system

    DOEpatents

    Yost, F.; Hosking, F.M.; Jellison, J.L.; Short, B.; Giversen, T.; Reed, J.R.

    1998-10-27

    A new test method to quantify capillary flow solderability on a printed wiring board surface finish. The test is based on solder flow from a pad onto narrow strips or lines. A test procedure and video image analysis technique were developed for conducting the test and evaluating the data. Feasibility tests revealed that the wetted distance was sensitive to the ratio of pad radius to line width (l/r), solder volume, and flux predry time. 11 figs.

  17. Circuit reliability boosted by soldering pins of disconnect plugs to sockets

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Pierce, W. B.

    1964-01-01

    Where disconnect pins must be used for wiring and testing a circuit, improved system reliability is obtained by making a permanent joint between pins and sockets of the disconnect plug. After the circuit has been tested, contact points may be fused through soldering, brazing, or welding.

  18. Thermal Testing and Quality Assurance of BGA LCC & QFN Electronic Packages

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Kuper, Cameron Mathias

    The purpose of this project is to experimentally validate the thermal fatigue life of solder interconnects for a variety of surface mount electronic packages. Over the years, there has been a significant amount of research and analysis in the fracture of solder joints on printed circuit boards. Solder is important in the mechanical and electronic functionality of the component. It is important throughout the life of the product that the solder remains crack and fracture free. The specific type of solder used in this experiment is a 63Sn37Pb eutectic alloy. Each package was surrounded conformal coating or underfill material.

  19. Formation of highly preferred orientation of β-Sn grains in solidified Cu/SnAgCu/Cu micro interconnects under temperature gradient effect

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhao, N.; Zhong, Y.; Dong, W.; Huang, M. L.; Ma, H. T.; Wong, C. P.

    2017-02-01

    β-Sn grain orientation and configuration are becoming crucial factors to dominate the lifetime of solder interconnects in three-dimensional integrated circuit packaging. In this paper, we found that a temperature gradient during solidification significantly dominated the orientation and configuration of the final β-Sn grains in Cu/SnAgCu/Cu micro interconnects. Being different from the random orientations and growth fronts meeting or cyclic twin boundary forming near the center after homogeneous temperature bonding, the β-Sn grains solidified under a certain temperature gradient were observed to follow a highly preferred orientation with their c-axis departing from the direction of temperature gradient by about 45°-88°. Meanwhile, these preferred oriented β-Sn grains consisted of low angle grain boundary structures with misorientation in the range of 0°-15°. The mechanism was explained in terms of the anisotropy and directional growth of β-Sn grains. The results pave the way for grain orientation control in 3D packaging technology.

  20. Phase Equilibria of Sn-Co-Cu Ternary System

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chen, Yu-Kai; Hsu, Chia-Ming; Chen, Sinn-Wen; Chen, Chih-Ming; Huang, Yu-Chih

    2012-10-01

    Sn-Co-Cu ternary alloys are promising lead-free solders, and isothermal sections of Sn-Co-Cu phase equilibria are fundamentally important for the alloys' development and applications. Sn-Co-Cu ternary alloys were prepared and equilibrated at 523 K, 1073 K, and 1273 K (250 °C, 800 °C, and 1000 °C), and the equilibrium phases were experimentally determined. In addition to the terminal solid solutions and binary intermetallic compounds, a new ternary compound, Sn3Co2Cu8, was found. The solubilities of Cu in the α-CoSn3 and CoSn2 phases at 523 K (250 °C) are 4.2 and 1.6 at. pct, respectively, while the Cu solubility in the α-Co3Sn2 phase is as high as 20.0 at. pct. The Cu solubility increases with temperature and is around 30.0 at. pct in the β-Co3Sn2 at 1073 K (800 °C). The Co solubility in the η-Cu6Sn5 phase is also significant and is 15.5 at. pct at 523 K (250 °C).

  1. NASA-DoD Lead-Free Electronics Project. DRAFT Joint Test Report

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Kessel, Kurt

    2011-01-01

    . The longer the transition period, the greater the likelihood of Pb-free parts inadvertently being mixed with Pb parts and ending up on what are supposed to be Pb systems. As a result, OEMs, depots, and support contractors need to take action now to either abate the influx of Pb-free parts, or accept it and deal with the likely interim consequences of reduced reliability due to a wide variety of matters, such as Pb contamination, high temperature incompatibility, and tin whiskering. Allowance of Pb-free components produces one of the greatest risks to the reliability of a weapon system. This is due to new and poorly understood failure mechanisms, as well as unknown long-term reliability. If the decision is made to consciously allow Pb-free solder and component finishes into SnPb electronics, additional effort (and cost) will be required to make the significant number of changes to drawings and task order procedures. This project is a follow-on effort to the Joint Council on Aging Aircraft/Joint Group on Pollution Prevention (JCAA/JG-PP) Pb-free Solder Project which was the first group to test the reliability of Pb-free solder joints against the requirements of the aerospace and military community.

  2. Preparing Solar Cells for Soldering

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Hagerty, J. J.

    1983-01-01

    Solder paste and contact ribbon dispensed in synchronism. Solder-paste dispenser operates on one cell at a time. Ribbon fed up ramps and into positioned while solder paste is applied. When ramps are moved out of way, ribbon lies down onto cell.

  3. Die Soldering in Aluminium Die Casting

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Han, Q.; Kenik, E.A.; Viswanathan, S.

    2000-03-15

    Two types of tests, dipping tests and dip-coating tests were carried out on small steel cylinders using pure aluminum and 380 alloy to investigate the mechanism of die soldering during aluminum die casting. Optical and scanning electron microscopy were used to study the morphology and composition of the phases formed during soldering. A soldering mechanism is postulated based on experimental observations. A soldering critical temperature is postulated at which iron begins to react with aluminum to form an aluminum-rich liquid phase and solid intermetallic compounds. When the temperature at the die surface is higher than this critical temperature, the aluminum-richmore » phase is liquid and joins the die with the casting during the subsequent solidification. The paper discusses the mechanism of soldering for the case of pure aluminum and 380 alloy casting in a steel mold, the factors that promote soldering, and the strength of the bond formed when soldering occurs. conditions, an aluminum-rich soldering layer may also form over the intermetallic layer. Although a significant amount of research has been conducted on the nature of these intermetallics, little is known about the conditions under which soldering occurs.« less

  4. Corrosion Properties of SAC305 Solder in Different Solution of HCl and NaCl

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Nurwahida, M. Z.; Mukridz, M. M.; Ahmad, A. M.; Muhammad, F. M. N.

    2018-03-01

    Potentiodynamic polarization was used to studied the corrosion properties of SAC305 solder in different solution of 1.0 M HCl and 3.5 wt.% NaCl using the same scanning rate of 1.0 mV/s. The polarization curves indicated that corrosion in NaCl was less severe than in HCl solution based on corrosion current and passivation behavior obtained. Morphology and phases obtained after corrosion using SEM and XRD were analyzed. Microstructure analysis shows the present of compact corrosion product with presence of larger flake for polarization in NaCl compared to HCl. Phases present in XRD analysis confirmed the present of SnO and SnO2 corrosion product for sample from both solutions.

  5. Enthalpies of mixing of liquid systems for lead free soldering: Co–Sb–Sn

    PubMed Central

    Elmahfoudi, A.; Sabbar, A.; Flandorfer, H.

    2012-01-01

    The partial and integral enthalpy of mixing of molten ternary Co–Sb–Sn alloys was determined performing high temperature drop calorimetry in a large compositional range at 1273 K. Measurements have been done along five sections, xSb/xSn ≈ 1:1, xSb/xSn ≈ 1:3, xSb/xSn ≈ 3:1, xCo/xSn ≈ 1:4, and xCo/xSb ≈ 1:5. Additionally, binary alloys of the constituent systems Co–Sb and Co–Sn were investigated at the same temperature. All the binary data were evaluated by means of a standard Redlich–Kister polynomial fit whereas ternary data were fitted on the basis of an extended Redlich–Kister–Muggianu model for substitutional solutions. An iso-enthalpy plot of the ternary system was constructed. In addition, the extrapolation Model of Toop was applied and compared to our data. PMID:27087752

  6. Enthalpies of mixing of liquid systems for lead free soldering: Co-Sb-Sn.

    PubMed

    Elmahfoudi, A; Sabbar, A; Flandorfer, H

    2012-04-01

    The partial and integral enthalpy of mixing of molten ternary Co-Sb-Sn alloys was determined performing high temperature drop calorimetry in a large compositional range at 1273 K. Measurements have been done along five sections, x Sb / x Sn  ≈ 1:1, x Sb / x Sn  ≈ 1:3, x Sb / x Sn  ≈ 3:1, x Co / x Sn  ≈ 1:4, and x Co / x Sb  ≈ 1:5. Additionally, binary alloys of the constituent systems Co-Sb and Co-Sn were investigated at the same temperature. All the binary data were evaluated by means of a standard Redlich-Kister polynomial fit whereas ternary data were fitted on the basis of an extended Redlich-Kister-Muggianu model for substitutional solutions. An iso-enthalpy plot of the ternary system was constructed. In addition, the extrapolation Model of Toop was applied and compared to our data.

  7. Packaging Reliability Effect of ENIG and ENEPIG Surface Finishes in Board Level Thermal Test under Long-Term Aging and Cycling

    PubMed Central

    Shen, Chaobo; Hai, Zhou; Zhao, Cong; Zhang, Jiawei; Evans, John L.; Bozack, Michael J.; Suhling, Jeffrey C.

    2017-01-01

    This study illustrates test results and comparative literature data on the influence of isothermal aging and thermal cycling associated with Sn-1.0Ag-0.5Cu (SAC105) and Sn-3.0Ag-0.5Cu (SAC305) ball grid array (BGA) solder joints finished with ENIG and ENEPIG on the board side and ENIG on the package side compared with ImAg plating on both sides. The resulting degradation data suggests that the main concern for 0.4 mm pitch 10 mm package size BGA is package side surface finish, not board side. That is, ENIG performs better than immersion Ag for applications involving long-term isothermal aging. SAC305, with a higher relative fraction of Ag3Sn IMC within the solder, performs better than SAC105. SEM and polarized light microscope analysis show cracks propagated from the corners to the center or even to solder bulk, which eventually causes fatigue failure. Three factors are discussed: IMC, grain structure, and Ag3Sn particle. The continuous growth of Cu-Sn intermetallic compounds (IMC) and grains increase the risk of failure, while Ag3Sn particles seem helpful in blocking the crack propagation. PMID:28772811

  8. Enthalpies of mixing of liquid systems for lead free soldering: Al-Cu-Sn system.

    PubMed

    Flandorfer, Hans; Rechchach, Meryem; Elmahfoudi, A; Bencze, László; Popovič, Arkadij; Ipser, Herbert

    2011-11-01

    The present work refers to high-temperature drop calorimetric measurements on liquid Al-Cu, Al-Sn, and Al-Cu-Sn alloys. The binary systems have been investigated at 973 K, up to 40 at.% Cu in case of Al-Cu, and over the entire concentrational range in case of Al-Sn. Measurements in the ternary Al-Cu-Sn system were performed along the following cross-sections: x(Al)/x(Cu) = 1:1, x(Al)/x(Sn) = 1:1, x(Cu)/x(Sn) = 7:3, x(Cu)/x(Sn) = 1:1, and x(Cu)/x(Sn) = 3:7 at 1273 K. Experimental data were used to find ternary interaction parameters by applying the Redlich-Kister-Muggianu model for substitutional solutions, and a full set of parameters describing the concentration dependence of the enthalpy of mixing was derived. From these, the isoenthalpy curves were constructed for 1273 K. The ternary system shows an exothermic enthalpy minimum of approx. -18,000 J/mol in the Al-Cu binary and a maximum of approx. 4000 J/mol in the Al-Sn binary system. The Al-Cu-Sn system is characterized by considerable repulsive ternary interactions as shown by the positive ternary interaction parameters.

  9. 24 CFR 3280.605 - Joints and connections.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-04-01

    ... of the fitting. Plastic pipe and copper tubing shall be inserted to the full depth of the solder cup... connected to a public water system, made with solder having not more than 0.2 percent lead. (4) Plastic pipe, fittings and joints. Plastic pipe and fittings shall be joined by installation methods recommended by the...

  10. Effects of metallic nanoparticle doped flux on the interfacial intermetallic compounds between lead-free solder ball and copper substrate

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Sujan, G.K., E-mail: sgkumer@gmail.com; Haseeb, A.S.M.A., E-mail: haseeb@um.edu.my; Afifi, A.B.M., E-mail: amalina@um.edu.my

    2014-11-15

    Lead free solders currently in use are prone to develop thick interfacial intermetallic compound layers with rough morphology which are detrimental to the long term solder joint reliability. A novel method has been developed to control the morphology and growth of intermetallic compound layers between lead-free Sn–3.0Ag–0.5Cu solder ball and copper substrate by doping a water soluble flux with metallic nanoparticles. Four types of metallic nanoparticles (nickel, cobalt, molybdenum and titanium) were used to investigate their effects on the wetting behavior and interfacial microstructural evaluations after reflow. Nanoparticles were dispersed manually with a water soluble flux and the resulting nanoparticlemore » doped flux was placed on copper substrate. Lead-free Sn–3.0Ag–0.5Cu solder balls of diameter 0.45 mm were placed on top of the flux and were reflowed at a peak temperature of 240 °C for 45 s. Angle of contact, wetting area and interfacial microstructure were studied by optical microscopy, field emission scanning electron microscopy and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. It was observed that the angle of contact increased and wetting area decreased with the addition of cobalt, molybdenum and titanium nanoparticles to flux. On the other hand, wettability improved with the addition of nickel nanoparticles. Cross-sectional micrographs revealed that both nickel and cobalt nanoparticle doping transformed the morphology of Cu{sub 6}Sn{sub 5} from a typical scallop type to a planer one and reduced the intermetallic compound thickness under optimum condition. These effects were suggested to be related to in-situ interfacial alloying at the interface during reflow. The minimum amount of nanoparticles required to produce the planer morphology was found to be 0.1 wt.% for both nickel and cobalt. Molybdenum and titanium nanoparticles neither appear to undergo alloying during reflow nor have any influence at the solder/substrate interfacial reaction. Thus

  11. Effect of temperature and flux concentration on soldering of base metal.

    PubMed

    Lee, S Y; Lin, C T; Wang, M H; Tseng, H; Huang, H M; Dong, D R; Pan, L C; Shih, Y H

    2000-12-01

    The present study used the acoustic emission (AE) technique to evaluate interactions among soldering temperature, flux treatment, and the resultant ultimate tensile strength (UTS). Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was used to examine fracture surfaces of the solder joints. Specimens were cast from removable partial denture alloy and then placed in a jig with a gap distance of 1.0 mm. A high-frequency soldering machine with an optical pyrometer was used for soldering at 1150 degrees C and 1200 degrees C, respectively. The flux concentrations were 67% and 75%. The soldered specimens were subjected to tensile test at a crosshead speed of 0.05 mm/min. During testing, acoustic emissions in the frequency range of 100--1200 kHz were collected, filtered, recorded, and processed by a sensing device. The results were analysed by ANOVA and Tukey LSD test. UTS at different temperatures showed no significant difference according to either mechanical or acoustic results. But in the 1200 degrees C group, the UTSs and AE counts showed significant differences (P<0.05) at both flux concentrations. SEM showed that the 1200C group had better dendritic crystal structure than did the 1150 degrees C group. In the 1200 degrees C group specimens with 67% flux had fewer flux inclusion bodies and dendritic crystals than did specimens with 75% flux. The 75% flux subgroup produced high-amplitude (60--70 dB) acoustic signals within the elastic deformation zone, while the 67% flux subgroup produced similar signals within the plastic deformation zone, either beyond the 0.2% yield point or before fracture.

  12. 24 CFR 3280.605 - Joints and connections.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-04-01

    ... of the fitting. Plastic pipe and copper tubing shall be inserted to the full depth of the solder cup..., cutting oil and foreign matter shall be removed. Pipe joint cement or thread lubricant shall be of... connected to a public water system, made with solder having not more than 0.2 percent lead. (4) Plastic pipe...

  13. 24 CFR 3280.605 - Joints and connections.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-04-01

    ... of the fitting. Plastic pipe and copper tubing shall be inserted to the full depth of the solder cup..., cutting oil and foreign matter shall be removed. Pipe joint cement or thread lubricant shall be of... connected to a public water system, made with solder having not more than 0.2 percent lead. (4) Plastic pipe...

  14. STUDY OF THE RHIC BPM SMA CONNECTOR FAILURE PROBLEM

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    LIAW,C.; SIKORA, R.; SCHROEDER, R.

    2007-06-25

    About 730 BPMs are mounted on the RHIC CQS and Triplet super-conducting magnets. Semi-rigid coaxial cables are used to bring the electrical signal from the BPM feedthroughs to the outside flanges. at the ambient temperature. Every year around 10 cables will lose their signals during the operation. The connection usually failed at the warm end of the cable. The problems were either the solder joint failed or the center conductor retracted out of the SMA connector. Finite element analyses were performed to understand the failure mechanism of the solder joint. The results showed that (1) The SMA center conductor canmore » separate from the mating connector due to the thermal retraction. (2) The maximum thermal stress at the warm end solder joint can exceed the material strength of the Pb37/Sn63 solder material and (3) The magnet ramping frequency (-10 Hz), during the machine startup, can possibly resonant the coaxial cable and damage the solder joints, especially when a fracture is initiated. Test results confirmed that by using the silver bearing solder material (a higher strength material) and by crimping the cable at the locations close to the SMA connector (to prevent the center conductor from retracting) can effectively resolve the connector failure problem.« less

  15. CO Sensing Performance of a Micro Thermoelectric Gas Sensor with AuPtPd/SnO2 Catalyst and Effects of a Double Catalyst Structure with Pt/α-Al2O3

    PubMed Central

    Goto, Tomoyo; Itoh, Toshio; Akamatsu, Takafumi; Shin, Woosuck

    2015-01-01

    The CO sensing properties of a micro thermoelectric gas sensor (micro-TGS) with a double AuPtPd/SnO2 and Pt/α-Al2O3 catalyst were investigated. While several nanometer sized Pt and Pd particles were uniformly dispersed on SnO2, the Au particles were aggregated as particles measuring >10 nm in diameter. In situ diffuse reflectance Fourier transform Infrared spectroscopy (DRIFT) analysis of the catalyst showed a CO adsorption peak on Pt and Pd, but no clear peak corresponding to the interaction between CO and Au was detected. Up to 200 °C, CO combustion was more temperature dependent than that of H2, while H2 combustion was activated by repeated exposure to H2 gas during the periodic gas test. Selective CO sensing of the micro-TGS against H2 was attempted using a double catalyst structure with 0.3–30 wt% Pt/α-Al2O3 as a counterpart combustion catalyst. The sensor output of the micro-TGS decreased with increasing Pt content in the Pt/α-Al2O3 catalyst, by cancelling out the combustion heat from the AuPtPd/SnO2 catalyst. In addition, the AuPtPd/SnO2 and 0.3 wt% Pt/α-Al2O3 double catalyst sensor showed good and selective CO detection. We therefore demonstrated that our micro-TGS with double catalyst structure is useful for controlling the gas selectivity of CO against H2. PMID:26694397

  16. Microstructure characteristics of vacuum glazing brazing joints using laser sealing technique

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Liu, Sixing; Yang, Zheng; Zhang, Jianfeng; Zhang, Shanwen; Miao, Hong; Zhang, Yanjun; Zhang, Qi

    2018-05-01

    Two pieces of plate glass were brazed into a composite of glazing with a vacuum chamber using PbO-TiO2-SiO2-RxOy powder filler alloys to develop a new type of vacuum glazing. The brazing process was carried out by laser technology. The interface characteristics of laser brazed joints formed between plate glass and solder were investigated using optical microscope, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) techniques. The results show that the inter-diffusion of Pb/Ti/Si/O elements from the sealing solder toward the glass and O/Al/Si elements from the glass toward the solder, resulting in a reaction layer in the brazed joints. The microstructure phases of PbTiO3, AlSiO, SiO2 and PbO in the glass/solder interface were confirmed by XRD analysis. The joining of the sealing solder to the glass was realized by the reaction products like fibrous structures on interface, where the wetting layer can help improve the bonding performance and strength between the sealing solder and the plate glass during the laser brazing process.

  17. Investigation of Dynamic Oxygen Adsorption in Molten Solder Jetting Technology

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Megaridis, Constantine M.; Bellizia, Giulio; McNallan, Michael; Wallace, David B.

    2003-01-01

    Surface tension forces play a critical role in fluid dynamic phenomena that are important in materials processing. The surface tension of liquid metals has been shown to be very susceptible to small amounts of adsorbed oxygen. Consequently, the kinetics of oxygen adsorption can influence the capillary breakup of liquid-metal jets targeted for use in electronics assembly applications, where low-melting-point metals (such as tin-containing solders) are utilized as an attachment material for mounting of electronic components to substrates. By interpreting values of surface tension measured at various surface ages, adsorption and diffusion rates of oxygen on the surface of the melt can be estimated. This research program investigates the adsorption kinetics of oxygen on the surface of an atomizing molten-metal jet. A novel oscillating capillary jet method has been developed for the measurement of dynamic surface tension of liquids, and in particular, metal melts which are susceptible to rapid surface degradation caused by oxygen adsorption. The experimental technique captures the evolution of jet swells and necks continuously along the jet propagation axis and is used in conjunction with an existing linear, axisymmetric, constant-property model to determine the variation of the instability growth rate, and, in turn, surface tension of the liquid as a function of surface age measured from the exit orifice. The conditions investigated so far focus on a time window of 2-4ms from the jet orifice. The surface properties of the eutectic 63%Sn-37%Pb solder alloy have been investigated in terms of their variation due to O2 adsorption from a N2 atmosphere containing controlled amounts of oxygen (from 8 ppm to 1000 ppm). The method performed well for situations where the oxygen adsorption was low in that time window. The value of surface tension for the 63Sn-37Pb solder in pure nitrogen was found to be 0.49 N/m, in good agreement with previously published work. A characteristic

  18. Solder dross removal apparatus

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Webb, Winston S. (Inventor)

    1990-01-01

    An automatic dross removal apparatus is disclosed for removing dross from the surface of a solder bath in an automated electric component handling system. A rotatable wiper blade is positioned adjacent the solder bath which skims the dross off of the surface prior to the dipping of a robot conveyed component into the bath. An electronic control circuit causes a motor to rotate the wiper arm one full rotational cycle each time a pulse is received from a robot controller as a component approaches the solder bath.

  19. Acid soldering flux poisoning

    MedlinePlus

    Acid soldering flux is a chemical used to clean and protect the area where two pieces of metal are ... The harmful substances in soldering fluxes are called hydrocarbons. They include: Ammonium chloride Rosin Hydrochloric acid Zinc chloride

  20. Sn–Ag–Cu nanosolders: Melting behavior and phase diagram prediction in the Sn-rich corner of the ternary system

    PubMed Central

    Roshanghias, Ali; Vrestal, Jan; Yakymovych, Andriy; Richter, Klaus W.; Ipser, Herbert

    2015-01-01

    Melting temperatures of Sn–Ag–Cu (SAC) alloys in the Sn-rich corner are of interest for lead-free soldering. At the same time, nanoparticle solders with depressed melting temperatures close to the Sn–Pb eutectic temperature have received increasing attention. Recently, the phase stability of nanoparticles has been the subject of plenty of theoretical and empirical investigations. In the present study, SAC nanoparticles of various sizes have been synthesized via chemical reduction and the size dependent melting point depression of these particles has been specified experimentally. The liquidus projection in the Sn-rich corner of the ternary SAC system has also been calculated as a function of particle size, based on the CALPHAD-approach. The calculated melting temperatures were compared with those obtained experimentally and with values reported in the literature, which revealed good agreement. The model also predicts that with decreasing particle size, the eutectic composition shifts towards the Sn-rich corner. PMID:26082567

  1. Optimal parameters for laser tissue soldering

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    McNally-Heintzelman, Karen M.; Sorg, Brian S.; Chan, Eric K.; Welch, Ashley J.; Dawes, Judith M.; Owen, Earl R.

    1998-07-01

    Variations in laser irradiance, exposure time, solder composition, chromophore type and concentration have led to inconsistencies in published results of laser-solder repair of tissue. To determine optimal parameters for laser tissue soldering, an in vitro study was performed using an 808-nm diode laser in conjunction with an indocyanine green (ICG)- doped albumin protein solder to weld bovine aorta specimens. Liquid and solid protein solders prepared from 25% and 60% bovine serum albumin (BSA), respectively, were compared. The effects of laser irradiance and exposure time on tensile strength of the weld and temperature rise as well as the effect of hydration on bond stability were investigated. Optimum irradiance and exposure times were identified for each solder type. Increasing the BSA concentration from 25% to 60% greatly increased the tensile strength of the weld. A reduction in dye concentration from 2.5 mg/ml to 0.25 mg/ml was also found to result in an increase in tensile strength. The strongest welds were produced with an irradiance of 6.4 W/cm2 for 50 s using a solid protein solder composed of 60% BSA and 0.25 mg/ml ICG. Steady-state solder surface temperatures were observed to reach 85 plus or minus 5 degrees Celsius with a temperature gradient across the solid protein solder strips of between 15 and 20 degrees Celsius. Finally, tensile strength was observed to decrease significantly (20 to 25%) after the first hour of hydration in phosphate-buffered saline. No appreciable change was observed in the strength of the tissue bonds with further hydration.

  2. In situ visualization of metallurgical reactions in nanoscale Cu/Sn diffusion couples

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Yin, Qiyue; Stach, Eric A.; Gao, Fan

    2015-02-10

    The Cu–Sn metallurgical soldering reaction in two-segmented Cu–Sn nanowires is visualized by in-situ transmission electron microscopy. By varying the relative lengths of Cu and Sn segments, we show that the metallurgical reaction starts at ~ 200 ° with the formation of a Cu–Sn solid solution for the Sn/Cu length ratio smaller than 1:5 while the formation of Cu–Sn intermetallic compounds (IMCs) for larger Sn/Cu length ratios. Upon heating the nanowires up to ~ 500 °C, two phase transformation pathways occur, η-Cu₆Sn₅ → ε-Cu₃Sn → δ-Cu₄₁Sn₁₁ for nanowires with a long Cu segment and η-Cu₆Sn₅ → ε-Cu₃Sn → γ-Cu₃Sn with amore » short Cu segment. The dynamic in situ TEM visualization of the evolution of Kirkendall voids demonstrates that Cu diffuses faster both in Sn and IMCs than that of Sn in Cu₃ and IMCs, which is the underlying cause of the dependence of the IMC formation and associated phase evolution on the relative lengths of the Cu and Sn segments.« less

  3. Novel Sn-Based Contact Structure for GeTe Phase Change Materials.

    PubMed

    Simchi, Hamed; Cooley, Kayla A; Ding, Zelong; Molina, Alex; Mohney, Suzanne E

    2018-05-16

    Germanium telluride (GeTe) is a phase change material (PCM) that has gained recent attention because of its incorporation as an active material for radio frequency (RF) switches, as well as memory and novel optoelectronic devices. Considering PCM-based RF switches, parasitic resistances from Ohmic contacts can be a limiting factor in device performance. Reduction of the contact resistance ( R c ) is therefore critical for reducing the on-state resistance to meet the requirements of high-frequency RF applications. To engineer the Schottky barrier between the metal contact and GeTe, Sn was tested as an interesting candidate to alter the composition of the semiconductor near its surface, potentially forming a narrow band gap (0.2 eV) SnTe or a graded alloy with SnTe in GeTe. For this purpose, a novel contact stack of Sn/Fe/Au was employed and compared to a conventional Ti/Pt/Au stack. Two different premetallization surface treatments of HCl and deionized (DI) H 2 O were employed to make a Te-rich and Ge-rich interface, respectively. Contact resistance values were extracted using the refined transfer length method. The best results were obtained with DI H 2 O for the Sn-based contacts but HCl treatment for the Ti/Pt/Au contacts. The as-deposited contacts had the R c (ρ c ) of 0.006 Ω·mm (8 × 10 -9 Ω·cm 2 ) for Sn/Fe/Au and 0.010 Ω·mm (3 × 10 -8 Ω·cm 2 ) for Ti/Pt/Au. However, the Sn/Fe/Au contacts were thermally stable, and their resistance decreased further to 0.004 Ω·mm (4 × 10 -9 Ω·cm 2 ) after annealing at 200 °C. In contrast, the contact resistance of the Ti/Pt/Au stack increased to 0.012 Ω·mm (4 × 10 -8 Ω·cm 2 ). Transmission electron microscopy was used to characterize the interfacial reactions between the metals and GeTe. It was found that formation of SnTe at the interface, in addition to Fe diffusion (doping) into GeTe, is likely responsible for the superior performance of Sn/Fe/Au contacts, resulting in one of the lowest reported

  4. Meso-Scale Self-Assembly Pilot Study

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2007-04-17

    alloy dewetted Part fabrication: same binding - rol, sites on parts, which are parts’ 0.1 mM released in BOE eat to 215HC Fig. 5: Schematic diagrams...eutectic Bi-Sn solder melting at 138°C, was dewetted onto the metallization features by first evaporating 100 nm of Au, and then dipping the Au-coated...the Au quickly dissolved allowing the alloy to react with the Pt layer. When the substrate was retracted, the alloy dewets from all Si and Cr areas

  5. Solder dross removal apparatus

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Webb, Winston S. (Inventor)

    1992-01-01

    An automatic dross removal apparatus (10) is disclosed for removing dross from the surface of a solder bath (22) in an automated electric component handling system. A rotatable wiper blade (14) is positioned adjacent the solder bath (22) which skims the dross off of the surface prior to the dipping of a robot conveyed component into the bath. An electronic control circuit (34) causes a motor (32) to rotate the wiper arm (14) one full rotational cycle each time a pulse is received from a robot controller (44) as a component approaches the solder bath (22).

  6. Photothermal effects of laser tissue soldering.

    PubMed

    McNally, K M; Sorg, B S; Welch, A J; Dawes, J M; Owen, E R

    1999-04-01

    Low-strength anastomoses and thermal damage of tissue are major concerns in laser tissue welding techniques where laser energy is used to induce thermal changes in the molecular structure of the tissues being joined, hence allowing them to bond together. Laser tissue soldering, on the other hand, is a bonding technique in which a protein solder is applied to the tissue surfaces to be joined, and laser energy is used to bond the solder to the tissue surfaces. The addition of protein solders to augment tissue repair procedures significantly reduces the problems of low strength and thermal damage associated with laser tissue welding techniques. Investigations were conducted to determine optimal solder and laser parameters for tissue repair in terms of tensile strength, temperature rise and damage and the microscopic nature of the bonds formed. An in vitro study was performed using an 808 nm diode laser in conjunction with indocyanine green (ICG)-doped albumin protein solders to repair bovine aorta specimens. Liquid and solid protein solders prepared from 25% and 60% bovine serum albumin (BSA), respectively, were compared. The efficacy of temperature feedback control in enhancing the soldering process was also investigated. Increasing the BSA concentration from 25% to 60% greatly increased the tensile strength of the repairs. A reduction in dye concentration from 2.5 mg ml(-1) to 0.25 mg ml(-1) was also found to result in an increase in tensile strength. Increasing the laser irradiance and thus surface temperature resulted in an increased severity of histological injury. Thermal denaturation of tissue collagen and necrosis of the intimal layer smooth muscle cells increased laterally and in depth with higher temperatures. The strongest repairs were produced with an irradiance of 6.4 W cm(-2) using a solid protein solder composed of 60% BSA and 0.25 mg ml(-1) ICG. Using this combination of laser and solder parameters, surface temperatures were observed to reach 85

  7. Soldering Tool for Integrated Circuits

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Takahashi, Ted H.

    1987-01-01

    Many connections soldered simultaneously in confined spaces. Improved soldering tool bonds integrated circuits onto printed-circuit boards. Intended especially for use with so-called "leadless-carrier" integrated circuits.

  8. The In-Space Soldering Investigation: To Date Analysis of Experiments Conducted on the International Space Station

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Grugel, Richard N.; Gillies, D. C.; Hua, F.; Anilkumar, A.

    2006-01-01

    Soldering is a well established joining and repair process that is of particular importance in the electronics industry. Still, internal solder joint defects such as porosity are prevalent and compromise desired properties such as electrical/thermal conductivity and fatigue strength. Soldering equipment resides aboard the International Space Station (ISS) and will likely accompany Exploration Missions during transit to, as well as on, the moon and Mars. Unfortunately, detrimental porosity appears to be enhanced in lower gravity environments. To this end, the In-Space Soldering Investigation (ISSI) is being conducted in the Microgravity Workbench Area (MWA) aboard the ISS as "Saturday Science" with the goal of promoting our understanding of joining techniques, shape equilibrium, wetting phenomena, and microstructural development in a microgravity environment. The work presented here will focus on direct observation of melting dynamics and shape determination in comparison to ground-based samples, with implications made to processing in other low-gravity environments. Unexpected convection effects, masked on Earth, will also be shown as well as the value of the ISS as a research platform in support of Exploration Missions.

  9. Digital Soldering-Iron Tester

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Buggle, R. N.; Metka, W. H., Jr

    1984-01-01

    Instrument reads tip temperature and contact potential in seconds. Tinned soldering tip touched to temperature sensitive button for 4 seconds and to voltage probe for 1 to 3 seconds. Tip temperature and voltage appear on digital displays. Instrument quickly gives assurance conditions are correct for reliable soldering.

  10. DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Bauer, R.; Ebersberger, B.; Kupfer, C.

    SnAg solder bump is one bump type which is used to replace eutectic SnPb bumps. In this work tests have been done to characterize the reliability properties of this bump type. Electromigration (EM) tests, which were accelerated by high current and high temperature and high temperature storage (HTS) tests were performed. It was found that the reliability properties are sensitive to the material combinations in the interconnect stack. The interconnect stack includes substrate pad, pad finish, bump, underbump metallization (UBM) and the chip pad. Therefore separate test groups for SnAg bumps on Cu substrate pads with organic solderability preservative (OSP)more » finish and the identical bumps on pads with Ni/Au finish were used. In this paper the reliability test results and the corresponding failure analysis are presented. Some explanations about the differences in formation of intermetallic compounds (IMCs) are given.« less

  11. Tin-phthalocyanine adsorption and diffusion on Cu and Au (111) surfaces: A density functional theory study

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Qin, Dan; Ge, Xu-Jin; Lü, Jing-Tao

    2018-05-01

    Through density functional theory based calculations, we study the adsorption and diffusion of tin phthalocyanine (SnPc) molecule on Au(111) and Cu(111) surfaces. SnPc has two conformers with Sn pointing to the vacuum (Sn-up) and substrate (Sn-down), respectively. The binding energies of the two conformers with different adsorption sites on the two surfaces, including top, bridge, fcc, hcp, are calculated and compared. It is found that the SnPc molecule binds stronger on Cu(111) surface, with binding energy about 1 eV larger than that on Au(111). Only the bridge and top adsorption sites are stable on Cu(111), while all the four adsorption sites are stable on Au(111), with small diffusion barriers between them. Moreover, the flipping barrier from Sn-up to Sn-down conformer is of the same magnitude on the two metal surfaces. These results are consistent with a recent experiment [Zhang, et al., Angew. Chem., 56, 11769 (2017)], which shows that conformation change from Sn-up to Sn-down on Cu(111) surface can be induced by a C60-functionalized STM tip, while similar change is difficult to realize on Au(111), due to smaller diffusion barrier on Au(111).

  12. DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Paulus, Wilfred; Malaysian Nuclear Agency, Bangi, 43000 Kajang, Selangor; Rahman, Irman Abdul

    Lead-free solders are important material in nano and microelectronic surface mounting technology for various applications in bio medicine, environmental monitoring, spacecraft and satellite instrumentation. Nevertheless solder joint in radiation environment needs higher reliability and resistance to any damage caused by ionizing radiations. In this study a lead-free 99.0Sn0.3Ag0.7Cu wt.% (SAC) solder joint was developed and subjected to various doses of gamma radiation to investigate the effects of the ionizing radiation to micromechanical hardness of the solder. Averaged hardness of the SAC joint was obtained from nanoindentation test. The results show a relationship between hardness values of indentations and the incrementmore » of radiation dose. Highest mean hardness, 0.2290 ± 0.0270 GPa was calculated on solder joint which was exposed to 5 Gray dose of gamma radiation. This value indicates possible radiation hardening effect on irradiated solder. The hardness gradually decreased to 0.1933 ± 0.0210 GPa and 0.1631 ± 0.0173 GPa when exposed to doses 50 and 500 gray respectively. These values are also lower than the hardness of non irradiated sample which was calculated as 0.2084 ± 0.0.3633 GPa indicating possible radiation damage and needs further related atomic dislocation study.« less

  13. Disruption of crystalline structure of Sn3.5Ag induced by electric current

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Huang, Han-Chie; Lin, Kwang-Lung, E-mail: matkllin@mail.ncku.edu.tw; Wu, Albert T.

    2016-03-21

    This study presented the disruption of the Sn and Ag{sub 3}Sn lattice structures of Sn3.5Ag solder induced by electric current at 5–7 × 10{sup 3} A/cm{sup 2} with a high resolution transmission electron microscope investigation and electron diffraction analysis. The electric current stressing induced a high degree of strain on the alloy, as estimated from the X-ray diffraction (XRD) peak shift of the current stressed specimen. The XRD peak intensity of the Sn matrix and the Ag{sub 3}Sn intermetallic compound diminished to nearly undetectable after 2 h of current stressing. The electric current stressing gave rise to a high dislocation density ofmore » up to 10{sup 17}/m{sup 2}. The grain morphology of the Sn matrix became invisible after prolonged current stressing as a result of the coalescence of dislocations.« less

  14. An Accelerated Method for Soldering Testing

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Han, Qingyou; Xu, Hanbing; Ried, Paul

    2007-01-01

    An accelerated method for testing die soldering has been developed. High intensity ultrasonic vibrations have been applied to simulate the die casting conditions such as high pressure and high molten metal velocity on the pin. The soldering tendency of steels and coated pins has been examined. The results suggest that in the low carbon steel/Al system, the onset of soldering is 60 times faster with ultrasonic vibration than that without ultrasonic vibration. In the H13/A380 system, the onset of soldering reaction is accelerated to between 30-60 times. Coatings significantly reduce the soldering tendency. For purposes of this study, several commercialmore » coatings from Balzers demonstrated the potential for increasing the service life of core pins between 15 and 180 times.« less

  15. Albumin-genipin solder for laser tissue repair.

    PubMed

    Lauto, A; Foster, L J R; Ferris, L; Avolio, A; Zwaneveld, N; Poole-Warren, L A

    2004-01-01

    Laser tissue soldering (LTS) is an alternative technique to suturing for tissue repair that avoids foreign body reaction and provides immediate sealing of the wound. One of the major drawbacks of LTS, however, is the weak tensile strength of the solder welds when compared to sutures. In this study, a crosslinking agent of low cytotoxicity was investigated for its ability to enhance the bond strength of albumin solders with sheep intestine. Solder strips were welded onto rectangular sections of sheep small intestine using a diode laser. The laser delivered in continuous mode a power of 170 +/- 10 mW at lambda = 808 nm, through a multimode optical fiber (core size = 200 microm) to achieve a dose of 10.8 +/- 0.5 J/mg. The solder thickness and surface area were kept constant throughout the experiment (thickness = 0.15 +/- 0.01 mm, area = 12 +/- 1.2 mm2). The solder was composed of 62% bovine serum albumin (BSA), 0.38% genipin, 0.25% indocyanin green dye (IG), and water. Tissue welding was also performed with a BSA solder without genipin, as a control group. The repaired tissue was tested for tensile strength by a calibrated tensiometer. Murine fibroblasts were also cultured in extracted media from heat-denatured genipin solder to assess cell growth inhibition in a 48 hours period. The tensile strength of the genipin solder was doubled that of the BSA solder (0.21 +/- 0.04 N and 0.11 +/- 0.04 N, respectively; P = 10(-15) unpaired t-test, N = 30). Media extracted from crosslinked genipin solder showed negligible toxicity to fibroblast cells under the culture conditions examined here. Addition of a chemical crosslinking agent, such as genipin, significantly increased the tensile strength of adhesive-tissue bonds. A proposed mechanism for this enhanced bond strength is the synergistic action of mechanical adhesion with chemical crosslinking by genipin.

  16. Nanoshell assisted laser soldering of vascular tissue.

    PubMed

    Schöni, Daniel S; Bogni, Serge; Bregy, Amadé; Wirth, Amina; Raabe, Andreas; Vajtai, Istvan; Pieles, Uwe; Reinert, Michael; Frenz, Martin

    2011-12-01

    Laser tissue soldering (LTS) is a promising technique for tissue fusion but is limited by the lack of reproducibility particularly when the amount of indocyanine green (ICG) applied as energy absorber cannot be controlled during the soldering procedure. Nanotechnology enables the control over the quantitative binding of the ICG. The aim of this study was to establish a highly reproducible and strong tissue fusion using ICG packed nanoshells. By including the chromophore in the soldering scaffold, dilution of the energy absorber during the soldering procedure is prevented. The feasibility of this novel nanoshell soldering technique was studied by assessing the local heating of the area and tensile strength of the resulting fused tissue. Nanoshells with a diameter of 250-270 nm were loaded with ICG and included in a porous polycaprolactone (PCL) scaffold doped with albumin solder. The nanoshell scaffold was used in a flexible, semi-dry formulation suitable for surgical use. Heat development, tensile strength as well as tissue damage were assessed. Rabbit aortic arteries were successfully soldered using an ICG packed nanoshell scaffold. Tensile strengths of these nanoshell soldered anastomoses were found to be 734 ± 327 mN (median = 640 mN). Thermal damage was restricted to the adventitia at the irradiated area. In addition, absorber dilution was prevented during the soldering procedure resulting in significantly lower variance in maximum temperature (P = 0.03) compared to the classical liquid ICG soldering technique. Using nanoshells, controlled amounts of chromophore could successfully be bound into the polymer scaffold. Diode laser soldering of vascular tissue using ICG-nanoshell scaffolds leads to strong and reproducible tissue fusion. With optimally chosen settings of irradiation time, nanoshells coating and scaffold properties, our improved LTS procedure demonstrates the potential for a clinically applicable anastomosis technique. Copyright

  17. Natural radioactive contaminants in solder

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bunzl, K.; Kracke, W.

    1985-07-01

    Comparatively high surface count rates for alpha- and beta-radiation were observed for several solders. They were identified as 210Pb and 210Po. The corresponding specific activities in solder were determined.

  18. Simple, low-cost fabrication of semi-circular channel using the surface tension of solder paste and its application to microfluidic valves.

    PubMed

    Yan, Sheng; Li, Yuxing; Zhu, Yuanqing; Liu, Minsu; Zhao, Qianbin; Yuan, Dan; Yun, Guolin; Zhang, Shiwu; Wen, Weijia; Tang, Shi-Yang; Li, Weihua

    2018-06-01

    This work presents a simple, low-cost method to fabricate semi-circular channels using solder paste, which can amalgamate the cooper surface to form a half-cylinder mold using the surface tension of Sn-Pd alloy (the main component in solder paste). This technique enables semi-circular channels to be manufactured with different dimensions. These semi-circular channels will then be integrated with a polymethylmethacrylate frame and machine screws to create miniaturized, portable microfluidic valves for sequential liquid delivery and particle synthesis. This approach avoids complicated fabrication processes and expensive facilities and thus has the potential to be a useful tool for lab-on-a-chip applications. © 2018 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  19. Laser solder welding of articular cartilage: tensile strength and chondrocyte viability.

    PubMed

    Züger, B J; Ott, B; Mainil-Varlet, P; Schaffner, T; Clémence, J F; Weber, H P; Frenz, M

    2001-01-01

    The surgical treatment of full-thickness cartilage defects in the knee joint remains a therapeutic challenge. Recently, new techniques for articular cartilage transplantation, such as mosaicplasty, have become available for cartilage repair. The long-term success of these techniques, however, depends not only on the chondrocyte viability but also on a lateral integration of the implant. The goal of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of cartilage welding by using albumin solder that was dye-enhanced to allow coagulation with 808-nm laser diode irradiation. Conventional histology of light microscopy was compared with a viability staining to precisely determine the extent of thermal damage after laser welding. Indocyanine green (ICG) enhanced albumin solder (25% albumin, 0.5% HA, 0.1% ICG) was used for articular cartilage welding. For coagulation, the solder was irradiated through the cartilage implant by 808-nm laser light and the tensile strength of the weld was measured. Viability staining revealed a thermal damage of typically 500 m in depth at an irradiance of approximately 10 W/cm(2) for 8 seconds, whereas conventional histologies showed only half of the extent found by the viability test. Heat-bath investigations revealed a threshold temperature of minimum 54 degrees C for thermal damage of chondrocytes. Efficient cartilage bonding was obtained by using bovine albumin solder as adhesive. Maximum tensile strength of more than 10 N/cm(2) was achieved. Viability tests revealed that the thermal damage is much greater (up to twice) than expected after light microscopic characterization. This study shows the feasibility to strongly laser weld cartilage on cartilage by use of a dye-enhanced albumin solder. Possibilities to reduce the range of damage are suggested. Copyright 2001 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

  20. IR Spectra of n-Bu4M (M = Si, Ge, Sn, Pb), n-BuAuPPh3-d15, and "n-Bu" on a Gold Surface.

    PubMed

    Kaleta, Jiří; Bednárová, Lucie; Čížková, Martina; Wen, Jin; Kaletová, Eva; Michl, Josef

    2017-06-22

    Observed and DFT-calculated IR spectra of n-Bu 4 M (M = Si, Ge, Sn, Pb), (CH 3 CH 2 CH 2 13 CD 2 ) 4 Sn, and n-BuAuPPh 3 -d 15 are reported and assigned. The asymmetric CH stretching vibration of the CH 2 group adjacent to the metal atom appears as a distinct shoulder at ∼2934 cm -1 , whereas for other CH 2 groups it is located at ∼2922 cm -1 . The characteristic peak at ∼2899 cm -1 is attributed to an overtone of a symmetric CH 2 bend at ∼1445 cm -1 . In n-BuAuPPh 3 -d 15 , the CH stretching vibrations of the butyl group are shifted to lower frequencies by ∼10 cm -1 , and two possible rationalizations are offered.

  1. 21 CFR 189.240 - Lead solders.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-04-01

    ... 21 Food and Drugs 3 2014-04-01 2014-04-01 false Lead solders. 189.240 Section 189.240 Food and...-Contact Surfaces § 189.240 Lead solders. (a) Lead solders are alloys of metals that include lead and are used in the construction of metal food cans. (b) Food packaged in any container that makes use of lead...

  2. 21 CFR 189.240 - Lead solders.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-04-01

    ... 21 Food and Drugs 3 2013-04-01 2013-04-01 false Lead solders. 189.240 Section 189.240 Food and... Addition to Human Food Through Food-Contact Surfaces § 189.240 Lead solders. (a) Lead solders are alloys of metals that include lead and are used in the construction of metal food cans. (b) Food packaged in any...

  3. 21 CFR 189.240 - Lead solders.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-04-01

    ... 21 Food and Drugs 3 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false Lead solders. 189.240 Section 189.240 Food and... Addition to Human Food Through Food-Contact Surfaces § 189.240 Lead solders. (a) Lead solders are alloys of metals that include lead and are used in the construction of metal food cans. (b) Food packaged in any...

  4. 21 CFR 189.240 - Lead solders.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-04-01

    ... 21 Food and Drugs 3 2012-04-01 2012-04-01 false Lead solders. 189.240 Section 189.240 Food and... Addition to Human Food Through Food-Contact Surfaces § 189.240 Lead solders. (a) Lead solders are alloys of metals that include lead and are used in the construction of metal food cans. (b) Food packaged in any...

  5. 21 CFR 189.240 - Lead solders.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ... 21 Food and Drugs 3 2010-04-01 2009-04-01 true Lead solders. 189.240 Section 189.240 Food and... Addition to Human Food Through Food-Contact Surfaces § 189.240 Lead solders. (a) Lead solders are alloys of metals that include lead and are used in the construction of metal food cans. (b) Food packaged in any...

  6. Enthalpy of mixing of liquid systems for lead free soldering: Ni-Sb-Sn system.

    PubMed

    Elmahfoudi, A; Fürtauer, S; Sabbar, A; Flandorfer, H

    2012-04-20

    The partial and integral enthalpies of mixing of liquid ternary Ni-Sb-Sn alloys were determined along five sections x Sb / x Sn  = 3:1, x Sb / x Sn  = 1:1, x Sb / x Sn  = 1:3, x Ni / x Sn  = 1:4, and x Ni / x Sb  = 1:4 at 1000 °C in a large compositional range using drop calorimetry techniques. The mixing enthalpy of Ni-Sb alloys was determined at the same temperature and described by a Redlich-Kister polynomial. The other binary data were carefully evaluated from literature values. Our measured ternary data were fitted on the basis of an extended Redlich-Kister-Muggianu model for substitutional solutions. Additionally, a comparison of these results to the extrapolation model of Toop is given. The entire ternary system shows exothermic values of Δ mix H ranging from approx. -1300 J/mol, the minimum in the Sb-Sn binary system down to approx. -24,500 J/mol towards Ni-Sb. No significant ternary interaction could be deduced from our data.

  7. Low Homologous Temperature (0.2) Sputtering of Indium Films on Silicon (POSTPRINT)

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2012-09-24

    to the difficulty in recycling lead-containing products.3 Hard solders such as AuSn perform well in lifetime tests,4 but their thermal conductivity...ROIC) to form focal plane arrays (FPAs)7 as well as some high power devi- ces such as power amplifiers or large area lasers with heat spreaders .8 In

  8. Requirements for soldered electrical connections

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    1992-01-01

    This publication is applicable to NASA programs involving solder connections for flight hardware, mission essential support equipment, and elements thereof. This publication sets forth hand and wave soldering requirements for reliable electrical connections. The prime consideration is the physical integrity of solder connections. Special requirements may exist which are not in conformance with the requirements of this publication. Design documentation contains the detail for these requirements, and they take precedence over conflicting portions of this publication when they are approved in writing by the procuring NASA installation.

  9. Tinless Solder Investigation

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1937-06-24

    tin solder. 4. By soldering coated thin (.015*) plates of tin- plate, terne-plate and galvanised iron with this mixture, the tensile strength in...9700 lbs/ln2 Average 9500 lbs/ln2 •The plates used In this test were tin-plate. Tests on bright annealed, terne-plate, brass and galvanised ...plates (tin-plate, terne- plate and galvanised iron) had coatings, it was impossible to use emery oloth OB them to completely remove the rust or

  10. In situ study on the effect of thermomigration on intermetallic compounds growth in liquid-solid interfacial reaction

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Qu, Lin; Zhao, Ning; Ma, Haitao, E-mail: htma@dlut.edu.cn

    2014-05-28

    Synchrotron radiation real-time imaging technology was carried out in situ to observe and characterize the effect of thermomigration on the growth behavior of interfacial intermetallic compounds (IMCs) in Cu/Sn/Cu solder joint during soldering. The thermomigration resulted in asymmetrical formation and growth of the interfacial IMCs. Cu{sub 6}Sn{sub 5} and Cu{sub 3}Sn IMCs formed at the cold end and grew rapidly during the whole soldering process. However, only Cu{sub 6}Sn{sub 5} IMC formed at the hot end and remained relatively thin until solidification. The IMCs at the cold end were nearly seven times thicker than that at the hot end aftermore » solidification. The Cu dissolution at the cold end was significantly restrained, while that at the hot end was promoted, which supplied Cu atoms to diffuse toward the cold end under thermomigration to feed the rapid IMC growth. Moreover, the thermomigration also caused asymmetrical morphology of the interfacial IMCs at the cooling stage, i.e., the Cu{sub 6}Sn{sub 5} IMC at the cold end transformed into facet structure, while that at the hot end remained scallop-type. The asymmetrical growth behavior of the interfacial IMCs was analyzed from the view point of kinetics.« less

  11. Breakthrough: Lead-free Solder

    ScienceCinema

    Anderson, Iver

    2018-05-07

    Ames Laboratory senior metallurgist Iver Anderson explains the importance of lead-free solder in taking hazardous lead out of the environment by eliminating it from discarded computers and electronics that wind up in landfills. Anderson led a team that developed a tin-silver-copper replacement for traditional lead-tin solder that has been adopted by more than 50 companies worldwide.

  12. Enhanced electrocatalytic activity of the Au-electrodeposited Pt nanoparticles-coated conducting oxide for the quantum dot-sensitized solar cells

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yoon, Yeung-Pil; Kim, Jae-Hong; Kang, Soon-Hyung; Kim, Hyunsoo; Choi, Chel-Jong; Kim, Kyong-Kook; Ahn, Kwang-Soon

    2014-08-01

    Au was electrodeposited potentiostatically at 0.3 V for 5 min on nanoporous Pt nanoparticle-coated F-doped SnO2 (FTO/Pt) substrates. For comparison, Au-electrodeposited FTO (FTO/Au) and Au-uncoated FTO/Pt were prepared. FTO/Au showed large-sized Au clusters dispersed sparsely over FTO, which resulted in lower electrocatalytic activity than FTO/Pt. In contrast, FTO/Pt exhibited poor stability unlike FTO/Au due to poisoning by the adsorption of sulfur species. The Au-electrodeposited FTO/Pt (FTO/Pt/Au) consisted of small Au clusters deposited over the entire area of Pt due to the effective Au nucleation provided by nanoporous metallic Pt. FTO/Pt/Au exhibited enhanced electrocatalytic activity and excellent stability because the small Au particles well-dispersed over the nanoporous metallic Pt network provided numerous electrochemical reaction sites, and the Pt surface was not exposed to the electrolyte. When FTO/Pt/Au was used as the counter electrode (CE) of a quantum dot-sensitized solar cell, the significantly enhanced electrocatalytic activity of the FTO/Pt/Au CE facilitated the reduction reaction of Sn2- + 2e- (CE) → Sn-12- + S2- at the CE/electrolyte interface, resulting in a significantly hindered recombination reaction, Sn2- + 2e- (TiO2 in the photoanode) → Sn-12- + S2-, and significantly improved overall energy conversion efficiency.

  13. Solder for oxide layer-building metals and alloys

    DOEpatents

    Kronberg, James W.

    1992-01-01

    A low temperature solder and method for soldering an oxide layer-building metal such as aluminum, titanium, tantalum or stainless steel. The comosition comprises tin and zinc; germanium as a wetting agent; preferably small amounts of copper and antimony; and a grit, such as silicon carbide. The grit abrades any oxide layer formed on the surface of the metal as the germanium penetrates beneath and loosens the oxide layer to provide good metal-to-metal contact. The germanium comprises less than aproximatley 10% by weight of the solder composition so that it provides sufficient wetting action but does not result in a melting temperature above approximately 300.degree. C. The method comprises the steps rubbing the solder against the metal surface so the grit in the solder abrades the surface while heating the surface until the solder begins to melt and the germanium penetrates the oxide layer, then brushing aside any oxide layer loosened by the solder.

  14. Solder for oxide layer-building metals and alloys

    DOEpatents

    Kronberg, J.W.

    1992-09-15

    A low temperature solder and method for soldering an oxide layer-building metal such as aluminum, titanium, tantalum or stainless steel is disclosed. The composition comprises tin and zinc; germanium as a wetting agent; preferably small amounts of copper and antimony; and a grit, such as silicon carbide. The grit abrades any oxide layer formed on the surface of the metal as the germanium penetrates beneath and loosens the oxide layer to provide good metal-to-metal contact. The germanium comprises less than approximately 10% by weight of the solder composition so that it provides sufficient wetting action but does not result in a melting temperature above approximately 300 C. The method comprises the steps rubbing the solder against the metal surface so the grit in the solder abrades the surface while heating the surface until the solder begins to melt and the germanium penetrates the oxide layer, then brushing aside any oxide layer loosened by the solder.

  15. An in vitro toxicity evaluation of gold-, PLLA- and PCL-coated silica nanoparticles in neuronal cells for nanoparticle-assisted laser-tissue soldering.

    PubMed

    Koch, Franziska; Möller, Anja-M; Frenz, Martin; Pieles, Uwe; Kuehni-Boghenbor, Kathrin; Mevissen, Meike

    2014-08-01

    The uptake of silica (Si) and gold (Au) nanoparticles (NPs) engineered for laser-tissue soldering in the brain was investigated using microglial cells and undifferentiated and differentiated SH-SY5Y cells. It is not known what effects NPs elicit once entering the brain. Cellular uptake, cytotoxicity, apoptosis, and the potential induction of oxidative stress by means of depletion of glutathione levels were determined after NP exposure at concentrations of 10(3) and 10(9)NPs/ml. Au-, silica poly (ε-caprolactone) (Si-PCL-) and silica poly-L-lactide (Si-PLLA)-NPs were taken up by all cells investigated. Aggregates and single NPs were found in membrane-surrounded vacuoles and the cytoplasm, but not in the nucleus. Both NP concentrations investigated did not result in cytotoxicity or apoptosis, but reduced glutathione (GSH) levels predominantly at 6 and 24h, but not after 12 h of NP exposure in the microglial cells. NP exposure-induced GSH depletion was concentration-dependent in both cell lines. Si-PCL-NPs induced the strongest effect of GSH depletion followed by Si-PLLA-NPs and Au-NPs. NP size seems to be an important characteristic for this effect. Overall, Au-NPs are most promising for laser-assisted vascular soldering in the brain. Further studies are necessary to further evaluate possible effects of these NPs in neuronal cells. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  16. The In-Space Soldering Investigation: Research Conducted on the International Space Station in Support of NASA's Exploration Initiative

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Grugel, R. N.; Fincke, M.; Sergre, P. N.; Ogle, J. A.; Funkhouser, G.; Parris, F.; Murphy, L.; Gillies, D.; Hua, F.

    2004-01-01

    Soldering is a well established joining and repair process that is of particular importance in the electronics industry. Still. internal solder joint defects such as porosity are prevalent and compromise desired properties such as electrical/thermal conductivity and fatigue strength. Soldering equipment resides aboard the International Space Station (ISS) and will likely accompany Exploration Missions during transit to, as well as on, the moon and Mars. Unfortunately, detrimental porosity appears to be enhanced in lower gravity environments. To this end, the In-Space Soldering Investigation (ISSI) is being conducted in the Microgravity Workbench Area (MWA) aboard the ISS as "Saturday Science" with the goal of promoting our understanding of joining techniques, shape equilibrium, wetting phenomena, and microstructural development in a microgravity environment. The work presented here will focus on direct observation of melting dynamics and shape determination in comparison to ground-based samples, with implications made to processing in other low-gravity environments. Unexpected convection effects, masked on Earth, will also be shown as well as the value of the ISS as a research platform in support of Exploration Missions.

  17. Quantitative characterization of brazing performance for Sn-plated silver alloy fillers

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wang, Xingxing; Peng, Jin; Cui, Datian

    2017-12-01

    Two types of AgCuZnSn fillers were prepared based on BAg50CuZn and BAg34CuZnSn alloy through a combinative process of electroplating and thermal diffusion. The models of wetting entropy and joint strength entropy of AgCuZnSn filler metals were established. The wetting entropy of the Sn-plated silver brazing alloys are lower than the traditional fillers, and its joint strength entropy value is slightly higher than the latter. The wetting entropy value of the Sn-plated brazing alloys and traditional filler metal are similar to the change trend of the wetting area. The trend of the joint strength entropy value with those fillers are consisted with the tensile strength of the stainless steel joints with the increase of Sn content.

  18. NASA-DoD Lead-Free Electronics Project: Vibration Test

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Woodrow, Thomas A.

    2010-01-01

    Vibration testing was conducted by Boeing Research and Technology (Seattle) for the NASA-DoD Lead-Free Electronics Solder Project. This project is a follow-on to the Joint Council on Aging Aircraft/Joint Group on Pollution Prevention (JCAA/JG-PP) Lead-Free Solder Project which was the first group to test the reliability of lead-free solder joints against the requirements of the aerospace/miLItary community. Twenty seven test vehicles were subjected to the vibration test conditions (in two batches). The random vibration Power Spectral Density (PSD) input was increased during the test every 60 minutes in an effort to fail as many components as possible within the time allotted for the test. The solder joints on the components were electrically monitored using event detectors and any solder joint failures were recorded on a Labview-based data collection system. The number of test minutes required to fail a given component attached with SnPb solder was then compared to the number of test minutes required to fail the same component attached with lead-free solder. A complete modal analysis was conducted on one test vehicle using a laser vibrometer system which measured velocities, accelerations, and displacements at one . hundred points. The laser vibrometer data was used to determine the frequencies of the major modes of the test vehicle and the shapes of the modes. In addition, laser vibrometer data collected during the vibration test was used to calculate the strains generated by the first mode (using custom software). After completion of the testing, all of the test vehicles were visually inspected and cross sections were made. Broken component leads and other unwanted failure modes were documented.

  19. Study of Electromigration-Induced Failures on Cu Pillar Bumps Joined to OSP and ENEPIG Substrates

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hsiao, Yu-Hsiang; Lin, Kwang-Lung; Lee, Chiu-Wen; Shao, Yu-Hsiu; Lai, Yi-Shao

    2012-12-01

    This work studies electromigration (EM)-induced failures on Cu pillar bumps joined to organic solderability preservative (OSP) on Cu substrates (OSP-bumps) and electroless Ni(P)/electroless Pd/immersion Au (ENEPIG) under bump metallurgy (UBM) on Cu substrates (ENEPIG-bumps). Two failure modes (Cu pad consumption and gap formation) were found with OSP-bumps, but only one failure mode (gap formation) was found with ENEPIG-bumps. The main interfacial compound layer was the Cu6Sn5 compound, which suffered significant EM-induced dissolution, eventually resulting in severe Cu pad consumption at the cathode side for OSP-bumps. A (Cu,Ni)6Sn5 layer with strong resistance to EM-induced dissolution exists at the joint interface when a nickel barrier layer is incorporated at the cathode side (Ni or ENEPIG), and these imbalanced atomic fluxes result in the voids and gap formation. OSP-bumps showed better lifetime results than ENEPIG-bumps for several current stressing conditions. The inverse Cu atomic flux ( J Cu,chem) which diffuses from the Cu pad to cathode side retards the formation of voids. The driving force for J Cu,chem comes from the difference in chemical potential between the (Cu,Ni)6Sn5 and Cu6Sn5 phases.

  20. Induction soldering of photovoltaic system components

    DOEpatents

    Kumaria, Shashwat; de Leon, Briccio

    2015-11-17

    A method comprises positioning a pair of photovoltaic wafers in a side-by-side arrangement. An interconnect is placed on the pair of wafers such that the interconnect overlaps both wafers of the pair, solder material being provided between the interconnect and the respective wafers. A solder head is then located adjacent the interconnect, and the coil is energized to effect inductive heating of the solder material. The solder head comprises an induction coil shaped to define an eye, and a magnetic field concentrator located at least partially in the eye of the coil. The magnetic field concentrator defines a passage extending axially through the eye of the coil, and may be of a material with a high magnetic permeability.