Influence of External Interface Normal Stress on the Growth of Cu–Sn IMC During Aging

Abstract

A U-shape clamp was designed to apply stress perpendicular to the interface of Cu/Sn/Cu solder joints, and its influence on the growth behavior of Cu–Sn intermetallic compound (IMC) during thermal aging at 150 °C was investigated. The results show that compared with the sample at general stress-free state, the growth rate of IMC under compression is faster, while that under tension is slower. Moreover, the interface between IMC and Sn is smoother under compressive stress, and the corresponding IMC grains are smaller and more uniform than that under tensile stress. According to the growth kinetic analysis, the growth of IMC under general, compressive and tensile states is all controlled by the combination of grain boundary diffusion and volume diffusion with a similar growth exponent (n ≈ 0.4). However, external stress can affect the Ostwald ripening process of grain growth, causing a change of grain size and grain boundary density in the IMC layer. As a result, the IMC growth behavior at the interface of the solder joint will be affected by the applied external normal stress.