Growth Rate Of Interfacial Intermetallic Compounds Research Articles

Influence behavior and mechanism of crystal orientation of Cu6Sn5 coating on interfacial intermetallic compounds growth in Sn-0.7Cu/Cu solder joint

Herein, the Cu6Sn5 coatings with principal crystal orientations were prepared on the Cu substrate using magnetron sputtering to inhibit the growth of interfacial intermetallic compounds (IMCs) in Sn-0.7Cu/Cu solder joint. The effect of sputtering parameter on the principal crystal orientation of Cu6Sn5 coating was researched firstly, followed by the investigation on the influence of Cu6Sn5 coating principal orientation on the interfacial IMCs growth kinetics. The influence mechanisms were studied using molecular dynamics simulations and first-principles calculations. The results revealed that the increasing sputtering power from 40 W to 60 W and 80 W can not only improve the bonding property between the prepared Cu6Sn5 coating and Cu substrate, but also promote the transformation of the coating principal orientation from (132) to (132)/(22-1) and (132)/(22-1)/(42-2). Moreover, the three prepared Cu6Sn5 coatings can inhibit IMC growth at SC07/Cu solder joint, and the Cu6Sn5 coatings with (132)/(22-1) and (132)/(22-1)/(42-2) principal orientations exhibit more significant inhibitory effects on IMC growth than that with (132) principal orientation. It can be proved in this work that the growth of interfacial IMCs in Sn-0.7Cu/Cu solder joint at aging stage is mainly caused by the diffusion of Cu from Cu substrate toward Cu6Sn5 phase. The difference in the growth behavior of IMCs can be attributed to the fact that when the Cu atoms diffuse across Cu6Sn5 (22-1) and Cu6Sn5 (42-2), the bonding strength between the Cu atom at the saddle point and its surrounding atoms is significantly larger than when diffusing across Cu6Sn5 (132), leading to the smaller diffusion coefficients and a slower interfacial IMCs growth rate.

Improved shear property of Sn-3.0Ag-0.5Cu/Ni micro solder joints under thermal shock between 77 K and 423 K by adding TiO2 nanoparticles

The rapid development of space exploration technology was intensifying the desire for lead-free solders with high performance and reliability under extreme temperature environments. In this study, the influence of TiO2 nanoparticle addition on the microstructure, growth behavior of interfacial intermetallic compounds (IMCs) and shear property of Sn-3.0Ag-0.5Cu (SAC305)/Ni micro solder joints under thermal shock from 77 K to 423 K was systematically investigated. The results indicated that the grain size of β-Sn, IMC (Ag3Sn and (Cu,Ni)6Sn5) particles inside the solder was refined by adding 0.05 and 0.1 wt% TiO2 nanoparticles. Due to the spalling of interfacial IMCs into the solder occurring in all micro joints during thermal shock, the thickness of interfacial IMCs did not show a monotony increasing trend with increasing thermal cycles. However, the micro composite solder joint added with 0.05 and 0.1 wt% TiO2 nanoparticles always exhibited thinner interfacial IMC thickness and higher shear force compared with the plain micro joints during thermal shock. The inhibiting effect of TiO2 nanoparticles on the interfacial IMC growth could be explained by the adsorption theory and grain boundary pinning theory. The improvement in shear property of micro composite solder joints was primarily induced by the refinement of IMC particles in the solder and the reduced growth rate of interfacial IMCs by adding TiO2 nanoparticles.

Insight into the influence of Cu6Sn5/Cu micro-interface configuration on growth behavior of Cu-Sn interfacial intermetallic compounds in Sn/Cu solder joint

Herein, the behavior and mechanism of Cu atom diffusing across Cu6Sn5/Cu interface was researched for analyzing the influence of Cu6Sn5/Cu micro-interface configuration on growth behavior of Cu-Sn interfacial intermetallic compounds (IMCs) in Sn/Cu solder joint. The results indicate that, during Cu atoms diffusing across Cu6Sn5 (001)/Cu (110), Cu6Sn5 (110)/Cu (001), Cu6Sn5 (110)/Cu (111) interfaces, VA2→VA3 stage, VA2→VA3 stage and IA→VA1 stage are the decisive stages, respectively. At those diffusion decisive stages, the difference of average Mulliken population between Cu atom at saddle point and initial state with the surrounding atoms for Cu6Sn5 (110)/Cu (111) interface is 0.62, much greater than that for Cu6Sn5 (001)/Cu (110) and Cu6Sn5 (110)/Cu (001) interfaces with average Mulliken population difference of 0.29 and 0.20. Therefore, when Cu atom diffusing across Cu6Sn5 (110)/Cu (111) interface, the magnitude of increase in bonding strength between Cu atoms and the surrounding atoms is the largest, leading that the diffusion rate of Cu atom across Cu6Sn5 (110)/Cu (111) interface is several orders of magnitude smaller than the Cu6Sn5 (001)/Cu (110) and Cu6Sn5 (110)/Cu (001) interfaces. As a result, Cu6Sn5 (110)/Cu (111) interface shows the strongest ability for inhibiting Cu atom diffusion, and has the smallest IMC growth rate.

Interfacial intermetallic compounds growth kinetics and mechanical characteristics of Ga-Cu interconnects prepared via transient liquid phase bonding

Driven by continuous miniaturization, higher performance, and functional robustness in three-dimensional (3D) embodiments of electronic devices, Ga which possesses a low melting point (29.8°C) has shown its potential uses in electronics packaging and integration. The use of Ga metal as a solder material to achieve low-temperature transient liquid phase bonding (TLPB) has emerged as a viable solution for reliable interconnections of future-generation products. This study investigates the interfacial intermetallic compounds (IMCs) structure, growth kinetics, and mechanical characteristics of Ga-Cu TLPB joints in the temperature range of 150–220°C. The Cu9Ga4 phase were observed and the growth rate of Ga-Cu IMCs has been investigated. The research findings indicate that the growth mechanism of interface IMCs is primarily diffusion-controlled, with CuGa2 grains exhibiting anisotropic growth. Their shear strength has reached 23.8 MPa, with a porosity of 1.82±0.07%. Furthermore, the fracture interface is presented and correlated with the experimental observations.

Finite element method modeling of temperature gradient-induced Cu atomic thermomigration in Cu/Sn/Cu micro solder joint

Predicting the growth of interfacial intermetallic compounds (IMCs) under temperature gradient (TG)-induced atomic thermomigration (TM) in micro solder joint is an important aspect for improving the reliability of packaged devices. In this paper, we propose a new model based on finite element method (FEM) to simulate the Cu concentration distribution and the diffusion flux for the cold end IMC formation in Cu/Sn/Cu micro solder joints under TG with different preferred β-Sn grain orientation. It is confirmed that the orientation of β-Sn grains had a great effect on the growth rate of the cold end IMC. Meanwhile, the orientation of β-Sn grains also affected the time when the Cu concentration distribution reached a steady state, but not the final Cu concentration values at the same positions after reaching the steady state. By comparing the simulation results with the experimental data from literature, the proposed FEM model was proved to be reliable for analyzing the atomic concentration field and the diffusion flux for IMC formation in Sn-based micro solder joint under TG.

Comparative study between the Sn–Ag–Cu/ENIG and Sn–Ag–Cu/ENEPIG solder joints under extreme temperature thermal shock

The interfacial reactions and the growth behavior of interfacial intermetallic compounds (IMCs), as well as their effects on the mechanical properties of the Sn-3.0Ag-0.5Cu (SAC305)/electroless nickel-electroless palladium-immersion gold (ENEPIG) solder joints under extreme temperature thermal shock between − 196 °C and + 150 °C were investigated, and compared with those of the SAC305/electroless nickel-immersion gold (ENIG) solder joints. The morphology of (Cu, Ni)6Sn5 IMCs formed at the SAC305/ENIG interface transformed from column-type to polygon-type during extreme temperature thermal shock, while the needle-type and thin-layer-type (Cu, Ni, Pd)6Sn5 IMCs at the SAC305/ENEPIG interface completely transformed to chunk-type. The growth rate of interfacial IMCs in the SAC305/ENEPIG joint was slower in contrast to that in the SAC305/ENIG joint, since the Pd(P) layer in the ENEPIG surface finish inhibited the formation and growth of interfacial IMCs. After thermal shock for 400 cycles, the shear force of the SAC305/ENIG and SAC305/ENEPIG joints decreased about 29.06% and 9.79%, respectively. Moreover, the shear force of the SAC305/ENEPIG joints was consistently higher than that of the SAC305/ENIG joints. The SAC305/ENEPIG joints always fractured in the solder matrix, regardless of thermal shock cycles, while the fracture location of the SAC305/ENIG joints transferred from inside the solder matrix to partially inside the solder matrix and partially at the solder/IMC layer interface with increasing thermal shock cycles.

The study on reliability of Ni-coated graphene doped SAC305 lead-free composite solders under high current-density stressing

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate the effect of nickel-plated graphene (Ni-GNS) on the microstructure and mechanical properties of 96.5Sn3Ag0.5Cu (SAC305) lead-free solder joints before and after an electro-migration (EM) experiment. Design/methodology/approach In this paper, SAC305 solder alloy doped with 0.1 Wt.% Ni-GNS was prepared via the powder metallurgy method. A U-shaped sample structure was also designed and prepared to conduct an EM experiment. The EM experiment was carried out with a current density of 1.5 × 104 A/cm2. The microstructural and mechanical evolutions of both solder joints under EM stressing were comparatively studied using SEM and nanoindentation. Findings The experimental results showed that for the SAC305 solder, the interfacial intermetallic compounds (IMC) formulated a protrusion with an average height of 0.42 µm at the anode after 360 h of EM stressing; however, despite this, the surface of the composite solder joint was relatively smooth. During the stressing period, the interfacial IMC on the anode side of the plain SAC305 solder showed a continuous increasing trend, while the IMC at the cathode presented a decreasing trend for its thickness as the stressing time increased; after 360 h of stressing, some cracks and voids had formed on the cathode side. For the SAC305/ Ni-GNS composite solder, a continuous increase in the thickness of the interfacial IMC was found on both the anode and cathode side; the growth rate of the interfacial IMC at the anode was higher than that at the cathode. The nanoindentation results showed that the hardness of the SAC305 solder joint presented a gradient distribution after EM stressing, while the hardness data showed a relatively homogeneous distribution in the SAC305/ Ni-GNS solder joint. Originality/value The experimental results showed that the Ni-GNS reinforcement could effectively mitigate the EM behavior in solder joints under high current stressing. Specifically, the Ni particles that plated the graphene sheets can work as a fixing agent to suppress the diffusion and migration of Sn and Cu atoms by forming Sn-Cu-Ni IMC. In addition, the nanoidentation results also indicated that the addition of the Ni-GNS reinforcement was very helpful in maintaining the mechanical stability of the solder joint. These findings have provided a theoretical and experimental basis for the practical application of this novel composite solder with high current densities.

Interfacial intermetallic compound growth in Sn-3Ag-0.5Cu/Cu solder joints induced by stress gradient at cryogenic temperatures

During deep space exploration, electronic devices will be inevitably exposed to cryogenic temperatures. The effects of cryogenic temperature storage on the interfacial microstructure and mechanical behaviors of Sn-3Ag-0.5Cu/Cu (SAC305/Cu) solder joints were systematically investigated. The thickness of interfacial intermetallic compounds (IMCs) in the joints stored at −196 °C and −100 °C was found to gradually increase with the prolonging of storage time, and the morphology of the interfacial IMCs transformed from scallop type to column type. The growth rate of interfacial IMCs in the joints stored at −196 °C was faster than that stored at −100 °C. The stress gradient in the solder joints induced by thermal expansion mismatch was the primary driving force for atomic diffusion and interfacial IMC growth at cryogenic temperatures. The stress gradient in solder joints stored at −196 °C was higher than that stored at −100 °C, leading to a faster growth rate of interfacial IMCs at −196 °C. During cryogenic temperature storage, the interfacial IMC growth caused a volume shrinkage and thus generated residual stresses around the interface. As a result, the shear strength of the solder joints stored at −196 °C and −100 °C declined and the fracture location shifted towards the solder/IMC layer interface with the increase of storage time.

Formation and growth of interfacial intermetallics in Sn-0.3Ag-0.7Cu-xCeO2/Cu solder joints during the reflow process

The effects of adding CeO2 nanoparticles on the formation and growth of interfacial intermetallic compounds (IMCs) between Sn-0.3Ag-0.7Cu-xCeO2 (x = 0, 0.05, 0.1, 0.15, 0.2, 0.3 wt%) (SAC0307-xCeO2) solders and Cu substrates during reflow soldering were investigated. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was used to observe the microstructural evolution of the solder joints and measure the thickness and grain size of the intermetallic layers. The results show that the thicknesses and grain sizes of the IMCs decrease with CeO2 nanoparticle addition to the SAC0307 solder and that these parameters decrease significantly at a particle concentration of approximately 0.15 wt%. At higher concentrations, the thicknesses and grain sizes of the IMCs increase slightly. The growth exponents for the IMC layers and grains are determined by curve fitting to study the growth kinetics of the IMCs during reflow soldering. The results reveal that the growth exponents of the IMC layers range from 0.335 to 0.374 and those of the IMC grains range from 0.302 to 0.318, thus suggesting that the growth of the IMCs is controlled by the combined kinetic processes of atomic interdiffusion, interfacial reactions, and grain ripening. These data also show that among the tested solders, the SAC0307–0.15CeO2 solder joint has the smallest growth rate and exhibits the most significant effects in IMC growth suppression and grain size refinement. Based on the theories of heterogeneous nucleation and adsorption, a mechanism for reducing the IMC growth rate by the addition of CeO2 nanoparticles to the SAC0307 solder is proposed.

Interfacial microstructure evolution and shear strength of Sn0.7Cu–xNi/Cu solder joints

The microstructure and growth behaviors of interfacial intermetallic compounds (IMCs) between the Sn–0.7Cu–xNi (x = 0, 0.1, 0.25, 0.5, and 1.0 mass%) solder alloys and copper pad were explored to reveal the influence of the Ni addition into the Sn–0.7Cu based solder on the formation of interfacial IMCs and shear strength of the solder joints in the present study. The impacts of adding different Ni on the growth behavior and total thickness of Cu6Sn5/(Cu, Ni)6Sn5 and Cu3Sn IMCs layers were compared and discussed after reflowing at 533 K for 600 s and aging at 423 K for various aging durations. The thickness of interfacial IMC layers increased drastically with addition of small amount of Ni into the Sn0.7Cu solder alloy, however, the particle sizes of the IMC grains obviously decreased with the addition of Ni into the solder, compared to the Sn0.7Cu/Cu system. The results indicated that, Cu6Sn5 turned into (Cu, Ni)6Sn5 due to the addition of Ni element and would enhance the growth rate of interfacial IMC resulted from more Ni added. It is quite obvious that 1 wt% Ni addition to the Sn–0.7Cu solder alloy extremely enhance growth and formation of the IMC in Sn–0.7Cu–xNi/Cu joints. In addition, the single-lap shear tests were also carried out to evaluate the mechanical properties of the as-reflowed Sn0.7Cu–xNi/Cu solder joints. The results of shear tests indicated that the shear stress of Sn–0.7Cu–xNi/Cu solder joints gradually increased with the increase of Ni concentration, and the maximum shear strength was reached with 1 wt% Ni addition. Besides, doping Ni element into the Sn–0.7Cu solder changed the shear fractures morphology of Sn–0.7Cu/Cu joints, which were revealed to be ductile essentially with the moderate strain rate (3.33 × 10−3 s−1) and mainly occurred in the solder matrix rather than through the IMCs layer.

Effect of the size of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) on the microstructure and mechanical strength of CNTs-doped composite Sn0.3Ag0.7Cu-CNTs solder

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) with three different diameter ranges (10–20, 40–60, and 60–100 nm) were doped into tin-silver-copper (SAC) solder, to study the performance of the composite SAC-CNTs solder materials – as well as the effect of the size of the CNTs. It was found that all the CNTs-doped composite solder samples displayed refined microstructure, inhibited interfacial intermetallic compound (IMC) growth, and reinforced mechanical strength – while the melting point of the composite solder was close to that of the pristine solder. The reinforcement in mechanical strength was due to the doped CNTs pinned at the solder grain boundaries, which acted as second-phase particles that refined the microstructure and increased the dislocation density. The adsorbed CNTs destroyed the integrity of the interfacial IMCs, leading to reduced growth rate. Among these composite solders, CNTs with a diameter of 40–60 nm provided superior performance in refining the microstructure, lowering the IMC growth rate by 30.9% – and reinforcing the ball shear strength by 15.3% and the hardness by 16.1%. This size effect on the performance of composite solders was due to the various surface energy values for CNTs – that led to the agglomeration and adsorption of CNTs in the solder matrix and interfacial IMCs.

Investigation of intermetallic compound and voids growth in fine-pitch Sn–3.5Ag/Ni/Cu microbumps

Micron level Cu-pillar microbumps, which appear as the size of three-dimensional packaging shrinks down, have to introduce many unexpected reliability problems. The fast growth of intermetallic compounds (IMC) and voids tend to be a serious one. In this paper, the growth behaviors of IMC and voids were investigated in Sn–3.5Ag/Ni/Cu bumps, which were in the diameter ranging from 6 to 11 μm and fabricated under same reflow process. The consequence manifested that the growth rate of interfacial IMC increased from 0.448 to 0.578 μm/min as the bump diameter decreased from 11 to 6 μm and the acquired IMC could be divided into two layers: the (Cu, Ni)6Sn5 layer and Ni3Sn4 layer. As a result of the migration of Ni atoms, many voids were left in the interface between (Cu, Ni)6Sn5 and Ni3Sn4. In the edge of Cu pillar, side wall wetting reaction was detected, which was confirmed by the formation of voids and (Cu, Ni)6Sn5 phase. Further, as the bump diameter decreased, the side wall wetting reaction aggravated, which partly contributed to the acceleration of IMC growth.

Comparative study of Au–Sn and Sn–Ag–Cu as die‐attach materials for power electronics applications

A comparative study of Sn–3.0Ag–0.5Cu (SAC305) and Au–20Sn solders as die‐attach materials for high‐temperature power electronic applications was performed. The solid‐state interfacial reactions of SAC305 and Au–20Sn solders with a Ni‐plated Si chip and a direct‐bonded‐copper substrate, as well as the growth of interfacial intermetallic compound layers and interfacial stability, were investigated and compared during aging at 150 and 200 °C for up to 2000 h. The SAC305 solder exhibited a higher interfacial intermetallic compound growth rate and a higher consumption rate of the Ni layer than the Au–20Sn solder. The Au–20Sn solder had a superior interfacial stability for high‐temperature power electronic applications. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Microstructural Evolution of Lead-Free Solder Joints in Ultrasonic-Assisted Soldering

Solder joint reliability greatly depends on the microstructure of the solder matrix and the morphology of intermetallic compounds (IMCs) in the joints. Addition of strengthening phases such as carbon nanotubes and ceramic particles to solder joints to improve their properties has been widely studied. In this work, ultrasonic vibration (USV) of casting ingots was applied to considerably improve their microstructure and properties, and the resulting influence on fluxless soldering of Cu/Sn-3.0Ag-0.5Cu/Cu joints and their microstructural evolution was investigated. It was demonstrated that USV application during reflow of Sn-based solder had favorable effects on β-Sn grain size refinement as well as the growth and distribution of various IMC phases within the joints. The β-Sn grain size was significantly refined as the ultrasound power was increased, with a reduction of almost 90% from more than 100 μm to below 10 μm. Long and large Cu6Sn5 tubes in the solder matrix of the joints were broken into tiny ones. Needle-shaped Ag3Sn was transformed into flake-shaped. These IMCs were mainly precipitated along β-Sn phase boundaries. High-temperature storage tests indicated that the growth rate of interfacial IMCs in joints formed with USV was slower than in conventional reflow joints. The mechanisms of grain refinement and IMC fragmentation are discussed and related to the ultrasonic effects.

Reduction of electromigration damage in SAC305 solder joints by adding Ni nanoparticles through flux doping

The characteristics of interfacial intermetallic compounds (IMCs) can have serious impact on the reliability of solder joints. In this study, Ni nanoparticles (NPs) were added to SAC305 solder/Cu substrate interface by flux mixing. The effects of Ni NP addition on electromigration (EM) under high current density were investigated. EM tests with a maximum duration of 1128 h were conducted under a current density of 1 × 104 A/cm2, at 80 ± 3 °C on the solders prepared using 0 and 2 wt% Ni NPs-doped flux. At 2 wt% Ni NPs addition to flux, the growth rate of interfacial IMC at the anode side decreased by more than five times. No significant change in electrical resistance was observed in 2 wt% samples for up to 1128 h. Ni NP addition at the solder/substrate through flux mixing is, therefore, expected to lead to more reliable solder joints.

Effects of Cobalt Nanoparticles Addition on Shear Strength, Wettability and Interfacial Intermetallic Growth of Sn−3.0Ag−0.5Cu Solder during Thermal Cycling

In the present study, Cobalt nanoparticles were synthesized and mixed with Sn-3.0Ag-0.5Cu solder (SAC305). The effect of 0.05 wt.%, 0.2 wt.%, 0.5 wt.% and 1.0 wt.% Co nanoparticles on the wettability, the shear strength as well as the growth of intermetallic compounds (IMCs) at composite solder/Cu interface during thermal cycling were investigated. Results show that Co nanoparticle addition can considerably improve wettability, increase the shear strength and suppress the growth of interfacial IMCs. The addition amount of Co nanoparticles have the consistent relation with the improvement extent of the wettability, shear strength and the growth rate of interfacial IMCs. Slight addition (0.05 wt.% and 0.2 wt.%) can significantly improve the properties of nanocomposite solder in all the three aspects. However, with excessive addition amount (0.5 wt.% and 1.0 wt.%) of Co nanoparticles, the improvement extent will decline. The Cross-section images of the interface of nanocomposite solder/Cu joint show that Co can form reinforcement particles in the solder and can act as the sacrificial element to substitute Cu to react with Sn. Excessive Co nanoparticles would form large amount of hard and brittle intermetallics which leads to decreasing shear strength of the composite solder.

Intermetallic compound growth suppression at high temperature in SAC solders with Zn addition on Cu and Ni–P substrates

The effect of adding 0.5–1.5 wt.% Zn to Sn–3.8Ag–0.7Cu (SAC) solder alloy during reflow and solid state ageing has been investigated. In particular, the role of the Zn addition in suppressing interfacial Intermetallic Compound (IMC) growth on Cu and Ni–P substrates has been determined. Solder–substrate couples were aged at 150 °C and 185 °C for 1000 h. In the case of 0.5–1.0 wt.% Zn on Cu substrate, Cu 3Sn IMC was significantly suppressed and the morphology of Cu 6Sn 5 grains was changed, leading to suppressed Cu 6Sn 5 growth. In the SAC–1.5Zn/Cu substrate system a Cu 5Zn 8 IMC layer nucleated at the interface followed by massive spalling of the layer into the solder, forming a barrier layer limiting Cu 6Sn 5 growth. On Ni–P substrates the (Cu,Ni) 6Sn 5 IMC growth rate was suppressed, the lowest growth rate being found in the SAC–1.5Zn/Ni–P system. In all cases the added Zn segregated to the interfacial IMCs so that Cu 6Sn 5 became (Cu,Zn) 6Sn 5 and (Cu,Ni) 6Sn 5 became (Ni,Cu,Zn) 6Sn 5. The effect of Zn concentration on undercooling, wetting angles and IMC composition changes during ageing are also tabulated, and a method of incorporating Zn into the solder during reflow without compromising solder paste reflow described.

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

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.

Comparison of Interfacial Stability of Pb-Free Solders (Sn—3.5Ag, Sn—3.5Ag—0.7Cu, and Sn—0.7Cu) on ENIG-Plated Cu During Aging

The solid-state interfacial reactions of Pb-free solders (Sn-3.5Ag, Sn-3.5Ag-0.7Cu, and Sn-0.7Cu) with electroless nickel-immersion gold (ENIG)-plated Cu substrate, and the growth of interfacial intermetallic compound (IMC) layers were investigated and compared during aging at 200°C for up to 1000 h. The Sn-3.5Ag-0.7Cu solder exhibited a higher IMC growth rate and a higher consumption rate of the Ni(P) layer than the other two Pb-free solders. The interfacial reaction of the Sn-0.7Cu/ENIG-plated Cu system during aging was the slowest among the three kinds of solder joint. The thickness of the interfacial IMCs were ranked in the order Sn-3.5Ag-0.7Cu > Sn-3.5Ag > Sn-0.7Cu. The higher melting temperature of the Sn-0.7Cu solder and the presence of Cu element within the solder 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 at high temperature of 200°C.

Effect of a trace of Cr on intermetallic compound layer for tin–zinc lead-free solder joint during aging

Abstract Influence of Cr on growth of interfacial intermetallic compound (IMC) at the interface of Sn–9Zn/Cu substrate during aging at 85 °C/20%RH and 85 °C/85%RH for 500 h has been investigated. After aging treatment, IMC layer at the Sn–9Zn/Cu joint is much thicker than that at the Sn–9Zn–Cr/Cu joint. Estimation according to experimental data presents that IMC growth rate of Sn–9Zn–Cr/Cu interface is about 70–75% lower than that of Sn–9Zn/Cu interface.