Significant enhancement of comprehensive properties of SnBi solder through the addition of Cu@Ag core-shell particles

Abstract

As a critical low-temperature lead-free solder, SnBi eutectic solder was known for its abundant lamellar structures of Bi-rich phase, which often resulted in problems such as brittleness, low electrical conductivity, and low thermal conductivity. In this study, a method was introduced to enhance the comprehensive properties of SnBi solder by adding Cu@Ag core-shell particles. Our results revealed that the modified SnBi solder exhibited significant refinement in both grain size and intragranular eutectic structures, resulting in a shift from the original brittle fracture mode to a mixed brittle and tough mode and a consequent increase in tensile strength by 21%. Moreover, the modified solder demonstrated a significant 59% increase in electrical conductivity by forming interconnected highspeed channels for electron migration. In addition, the addition of Cu@Ag core-shell particles to SnBi solder resulted in remarkable contributions of both electrons and phonons to thermal conductivity, with its value of 41.33 W m−1 K−1. Our research addressed partial property deficiencies of SnBi solder, which could be valuable in expanding its application in low temperature electronic packaging.