Interfacial Interfacial Intermetallic Compound Research Articles

Stable SnAgCu solder joints reinforced by nickel-coated carbon fiber for electronic packaging

Today’s 3D electronic packaging is characterized by smaller size and higher functional density, which generally require multiple reflow cycles. However, due to the Ostwald ripening process of the interfacial intermetallic compound (IMC), the solder joint’s strength would decrease as the number of reflow cycles increases. To address this, we developed a novel composite solder by incorporating nickel-coated carbon fiber (Ni@CF) into the Sn–3.0Ag–0.5Cu (SAC305) solder connection. The study showed that Ni@CF effectively enhanced the stability and reliability of solder joints during multiple reflow processes. Compared with Ni@CF-free equivalents, Ni@CFs promoted the nucleation of interfacial IMC during the solid–liquid reaction and inhibited Ostwald ripening, leading to a refinement of the interfacial IMC grains. As a result, the interface was strengthened, and the shift of shear fracture to the brittle interface seen in the SAC305 solder joint with multiple reflows did not occur in the composite solder joint. Furthermore, carbon fiber strengthened the solder matrix through the load transfer and shear-off mechanisms, depending on its inclination angle with the shear plane. Consequently, the Ni@CFs-reinforced solder joints maintained a shear strength of over 42 MPa throughout ten reflow cycles, while the pristine SAC305 solder joint exhibited decreased shear strength to 33 MPa. This study provides new insights into composite solder joints’ stability and reinforcement characteristics when subjected to multiple reflows.

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.

Investigations of weld profiling and intermetallic formation in laser welding of steel-to-aluminium: a multi-physics CFD approach using beam shaping

The mechanical properties of steel-to-aluminium laser welded joints are dependent on the interfacial intermetallic compounds (IMCs) and the weld interface area. Recent technological advances in laser beam shaping have shown improvements in keyhole stability, porosity formation, optimisation of weld profiles and reduced interfacial IMCs. This study investigated the effect of keyhole stability which is critical in the formation of IMCs and weld profiles. Multi-physics computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations and high-resolution microscopy were used to calibrate the model using various core/ring beam power ratios and study their effect on fluid-flow and microstructural evolution. The wider spot from the ring beam improved keyhole stability, whilst the narrower core beam created instability of the weld pool. This study revealed that the strength of the weld was improved by 16% with a ring-only versus core-only beam and total IMC thickness was reduced by up to 50%.

Formation mechanism for the interface between Cu and Sn formed by magnetic pulse welding

The formation of interfacial intermetallic compounds (IMCs) such as Cu6Sn5, Cu3Sn or platelet-shaped Ag3Sn which are formed in reflow soldering process will directly destroy the soldering reliability. Magnetic pulse welding (MPW), as a solid state welding technique can effectively restrain or even impede the formation of interfacial IMCs. In this paper, Cu and Sn dissimilar metals were welded by MPW under the discharge energy from 17 to 31 kJ. The typical wavy interface and metal jet flow were found in all samples. When the discharge energy reached 31 kJ, a typical gradient nanograined (GNG) interface has been observed to undergo an evolution from a sub-micron secondary solid solution of Cu6.26Sn5 IMCs to a nanoscale secondary solid solution of Cu81Sn22 IMCs, followed by the formation of nanoscale equiaxed α-Cu grains, and ultimately leading to the deformed elongated nanoscale α-Cu grains. This discontinuous distribution of the aforementioned phases occurs specifically at the interface of the 23 kJ_1.5 mm sample. In contrast, when subjected to a discharge energy of 17 kJ, there were no indications of a secondary solid solution of Cu6.26Sn5 IMCs or elongated nanoscale α-Cu grains. However, a discontinuous secondary solid solution of Cu81Sn22 IMCs was observed to form at the Cu/Sn interface under these conditions. Based on these findings, the utilization of microprojection welding (MPW) techniques involving Cu and Sn-based solder in the microscale is anticipated to serve as a highly efficient and automated technology within the field of electronic micropackaging.

Effect of Si3N4 nanowires doping on microstructure and properties of Sn58Bi solder for Cu bonding

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to delve into the mechanism of Si3N4 nanowires (NWs) in Sn-based solder, thereby furnishing a theoretical foundation for the expeditious design and practical implementation of innovative lead-free solder materials in the electronic packaging industry.Design/methodology/approachThis study investigates the effect of adding Si3N4 NWs to Sn58Bi solder in various mass fractions (0, 0.1, 0.2, 0.4, 0.6 and 0.8 Wt.%) for modifying the solder and joining the Cu substrate. Meanwhile, the melting characteristics and wettability of solder, as well as the microstructure, interfacial intermetallic compound (IMC) and mechanical properties of joint were evaluated.FindingsThe crystal plane spacing and lattice constant of Sn and Bi phase increase slightly. A minor variation in the Sn58Bi solder melting point was caused, while it does not impact its functionality. An appropriate Si3N4 NWs content (0.2∼0.4 Wt.%) significantly improves its wettability, and modifies the microstructure and interfacial IMC layer. The shear strength increases by up to 10.74% when adding 0.4 Wt.% Si3N4 NWs, and the failure mode observed is brittle fracture mainly. However, excessive Si3N4 will cause aggregation at the junction between the solder matrix and IMC layer, this will be detrimental to the joint.Originality/valueThe Si3N4 NWs were first used for the modification of lead-free solder materials. The relative properties of composite solder and joints were evaluated from different aspects, and the optimal ratio was obtained.

Microstructure and orientation evolution of β-Sn and interfacial Cu6Sn5 IMC grains in SAC105 solder joints modified by Si3N4 nanowires

In this study, Si3N4 nanowires (NWs) with ceramic properties were incorporated into Sn1.0Ag0.5Cu (SAC105) solder to enhance its overall performance. The thermal properties, spreading behavior, microstructure, interface, and mechanical properties of SAC105-xSi3N4 (x = 0, 0.2, 0.4, 0.6, 0.8, 1.0 wt%) solders were systematically investigated. The research revealed that doping Si3N4 NWs into SAC105 solder could expand its melting range and decrease undercooling. Notably, the solder alloy containing 0.6 wt% Si3N4 NWs had the lowest thermal expansion coefficient (CTE), which improved the CTE matching of SAC105 solder with Cu substrate. Although the solder with 0.4 wt% Si3N4 NWs exhibited superior wetting properties, it was less effective in refining the microstructure and interfacial intermetallic compounds (IMC) than those containing 0.6 wt% Si3N4 NWs. Meanwhile, when the β-Sn phase in the matrix and the Cu6Sn5 IMC phase at the interface were analyzed by electron back scatter diffraction (EBSD), their grain orientation was found to be optimized by the doping of 0.6 wt% Si3N4 NWs. The <001> direction of the β-Sn grains of SAC105-0.6Si3N4 was perpendicular to the Cu substrate, showing a texture structure. The grain orientation of the interfacial Cu6Sn5 IMC made it well-adapted for three-dimensional (3D) packaging. Finally, the mechanical properties enhancement of the solder joints were analyzed in detail by combining the fracture morphology and the EBSD results of the Sn matrix.

Study on Ni-GNSs enhanced Sn2.5Ag0.7Cu0.1RE/Cu solder joints β-Sn grain orientation and interfacial IMC growth kinetics under constant temperature thermomigration

Aiming at the thermomigration problem caused by the large temperature gradient (TG) of micro-soldering joints, a constant temperature thermomigration device with temperature control function was designed and manufactured. This paper studied the polarity phenomenon, crystallographic characteristics, and interfacial intermetallic compound (IMC) growth kinetics of Ni-GNSs reinforced Sn2.5Ag0.7Cu0.1RE/Cu solder joints under thermomigration. The results indicate that Ni-GNSs reinforced Sn2.5Ag0.7Cu0.1RE/Cu solder joints exhibited a significant thermomigration polarity phenomenon under the conditions of TG ≥ 1000 °C/cm and θ ≤ 43.5° between the c-axis and TG of β-Sn grains. At the cold end of the solder joint, the Cu6Sn5 phase at the interface gradually thickens and forms Cu3Sn phase on the substrate side, while microcracks expanded and gradually developed into macrocracks. At the hot end of the interface, the Cu6Sn5 phase gradually dissolved. The growth of the Cu3Sn phase was accompanied by “Kirkendall voids” that formed cracks at the interface between the joint and the solder until a “fully IMC solder joint” was formed. The growth of Cu6Sn5 IMC at the solder joint interface came before that of Cu3Sn IMC. The average temperature and temperature gradient of the solder joint were correlated with the growth of Cu3Sn IMC, leading to the formation of interface Cu3Sn IMC due to the oversaturation of Cu atoms. The addition of 0.05 wt% Ni-GNSs refines the grain structure and increases the activation energy for the growth of Cu6Sn5 and Cu3Sn IMC at the cold end of the solder joint, suppressing the thermomigration polarity phenomenon.

Microstructure and Properties of Electromigration of Sn58Bi/Cu Solder Joints with Different Joule Thermal Properties

Electromigration is one of the most important research issues affecting the reliability of solder joints. Current-induced Joule heating affects the electromigration behavior of solder joints. Solder joints with different cross-sectional areas were designed to obtain different Joule heating properties. The effects of the interfacial intermetallic compound (IMC) and mechanical properties of Sn58Bi/Cu solder joints were studied for different Joule heating properties. The results showed that as the cross-sectional area of the Sn58Bi/Cu solder joints increased, the Joule heating of the joint increased. The anode IMC thickness of the joint thickened and transformed into a planar shape. The Bi migrated to the anode region to form a Bi-rich layer and gradually increased in thickness. The cathode IMC thickness first increased, then decreased, and gradually dissolved. The Sn-rich layer formed near the solder side and gradually increased in thickness, with microcracks occurring when the cross-sectional area of the joint increased to 0.75 mm2. The joint shear fracture path moved from the soldering zone near the cathode IMC layer to the interfacial IMC layer. The fracture mechanism of the joint changed from a mixed brittle/tough fracture, dominated by deconstruction and secondary cracking, to a brittle fracture dominated by deconstruction. The joint shear strength was reduced by 60.9% compared to that in the absence of electromigration.

Microstructural evolution of joints with and without Sb, Ni in Sn58Bi solder under electro-thermal-force coupling

Severe atomic migration occurs in the solder under the effect of multi-physics field coupling, leading to serious reliability problems. Under the influence of multi-physics field coupling, severe atomic migration occurs in solder, resulting in significant reliability issues. In Cu/Sn58Bi/Cu joints subjected to 0.5 × 104 A/cm2 current density and temperature cycling from −45 °C to 60 °C, the primary diffusing atom was Bi. However, when the temperature range was extended to −45 °C–90 °C, Cu atoms became the primary diffusing species. This led to rapid thickening of the interfacial intermetallic compound (IMC) and failure due to penetration cracks and excessive consumption of the Cu interconnect layer. The addition of Sb to Sn58Bi to form (Cu, Sb)6Sn5 IMC inhibited Cu atom migration and mitigated rapid dissolution of the Cu interconnect layer and overgrowth of the interfacial IMC. The formation of a biphasic structure adjacent to the interfacial IMC improved joint deformability and prevented premature joint failure. COMSOL analysis revealed that the highest current densities in the Cu/Sn58Bi/Cu interconnect layer and solder joint were 6.041 × 104 A/cm2 and 1.368 × 104 A/cm2, respectively, under the influence of 0.5 × 104 A/cm2 current. The current density in the Cu interconnect layer was 4–5 times higher than that inside the solder joint. However, the addition of Ni formed (Cu, Ni)6Sn5 IMC, promoting Cu atom diffusion and accelerating joint failure under multi-physics field coupling. This study provides key insights into how alloying elements modulate atomic migration in Sn–Bi-based solder joints.

Effects of Multiple Reflow on the Formation of Primary Crystals in Sn-3.5Ag and Solder Joint Strength: Experimental and Finite Element Analysis.

The growth and formation of primary intermetallics formed in Sn-3.5Ag soldered on copper organic solderability preservative (Cu-OSP) and electroless nickel immersion gold (ENIG) surface finish after multiple reflows were systematically investigated. Real-time synchrotron imaging was used to investigate the microstructure, focusing on the in situ growth behavior of primary intermetallics during the solid-liquid-solid interactions. The high-speed shear test was conducted to observe the correlation of microstructure formation to the solder joint strength. Subsequently, the experimental results were correlated with the numerical Finite Element (FE) modeling using ANSYS software to investigate the effects of primary intermetallics on the reliability of solder joints. In the Sn-3.5Ag/Cu-OSP solder joint, the well-known Cu6Sn5 interfacial intermetallic compounds (IMCs) layer was observed in each reflow, where the thickness of the IMC layer increases with an increasing number of reflows due to the Cu diffusion from the substrate. Meanwhile, for the Sn-3.5Ag/ENIG solder joints, the Ni3Sn4 interfacial IMC layer was formed first, followed by the (Cu, Ni)6Sn5 IMC layer, where the formation was detected after five cycles of reflow. The results obtained from real-time imaging prove that the Ni layer from the ENIG surface finish possessed an effective barrier to suppress and control the Cu dissolution from the substrates, as there is no sizeable primary phase observed up to four cycles of reflow. Thus, this resulted in a thinner IMC layer and smaller primary intermetallics, producing a stronger solder joint for Sn-3.5Ag/ENIG even after the repeated reflow process relative to the Sn-3.5Ag/Cu-OSP joints.

Effects of Bi and Cu addition on mechanical properties of Sn9Zn alloy and interfacial intermetallic growth with Ni substrate

Sn9ZnxBixCu (x = 0, 1.0, 2.0, 3.0 and 4.0 wt%) solder alloys were prepared by adding different contents of Bi and Cu elements, and the effects of Bi and Cu addition on the mechanical properties, wettability, and interfacial intermetallic compound (IMC) layer were researched. The addition of Bi and Cu can significantly improve the mechanical properties and creep resistance of the alloy. When the addition of Bi and Cu reaches 2 wt%, small Bi phases are dispersed in the matrix, and moderate Cu5Zn8 phases appear, which strengthens the solder matrix. The ultimate tensile strength (UTS) of the Sn9Zn2Bi2Cu alloy reaches 51.01 MPa, which is 149.32% higher than that of the Sn9Zn alloy, and the elongation reaches 26.56%. Nanoindentation results show that the holding displacement of the Sn9Zn4Bi4Cu alloy decreased by 28.48% compared with that of the Sn9Zn alloy at a loading rate of 0.1 mN/s. In addition, proper addition of Bi and Cu can improve the wettability of the solder alloy and inhibit the growth of interfacial intermetallic compounds (IMCs) between the solder and Ni substrate. When the reflow time reaches 40 min (min), the interfacial IMC thickness of the Sn9Zn2Bi2Cu/Ni solder joint is 1.93 µm, which is 46.09% smaller than that of the Sn9Zn alloy. Moreover, the shear strength of the Sn9Zn2Bi2Cu/Ni solder joint increases by 33.3%, reaching the maximum value (38.76 MPa). When the Bi and Cu addition reaches 2 wt%, the wetting area reaches a larger value (13.525 mm2), which is 28.35% higher than that of Sn9Zn alloy.

Growth behavior and reliability of interfacial IMC for Sn58Bi/Cu and Sn58Bi–AlN/Cu solder joints applied in IGBT modules

The IMC (interfacial intermetallic compound) produced by the metallurgical reaction between the solder and the Cu plate enables the packaging of IGBT (insulated gate bipolar transistor) modules. In this paper, the growth behavior of IMCs of Sn58Bi/Cu and Sn58Bi-0.05AlN/Cu at different times (10, 30 and 60 min) and temperatures (200, 250 and 300 °C) was investigated, which can provide a reference for the connection of IGBT. It was shown that the interfacial IMC thickness of both solders increased with time and temperature, but the growth of interfacial IMC was suppressed for Sn58Bi solder containing 0.05 wt% AlN. The effect of AlN on the inhibition of grain growth was also observed by EBSD testing. Because of the adsorption effect of AlN nanoparticles, they can adhere to the surface of IMC layer and decrease the effective the diffusion path of unreacted Cu atoms, thereby inhibiting the growth of interfacial IMC. And the effect of AlN particles on interfacial IMC was analyzed via phase field simulation. In addition, under the heating conditions with high temperature and long time, there were fewer cracks in the solder joints containing AlN particles, compared to the Sn58Bi solder. Therefore, AlN nanoparticles can enhance the reliability of Sn58Bi/Cu solder joints.

Thermal reliabilities of Sn-0.5Ag-0.7Cu-0.1Al2O3/Cu solder joint

The effects of trace addition of Al2O3 nanoparticles (NPs) on thermal reliabilities of Sn-0.5Ag-0.7Cu/Cu solder joints were investigated. Experimental results showed that trace addition of Al2O3 NPs could increase the isotheraml aging (IA) and thermal cyclic (TC) lifetimes of Sn-0.5Ag-0.7Cu/Cu joint from 662 to 787 h, and from 1597 to 1824 cycles, respectively. Also, trace addition of Al2O3 NPs could slow down the shear force reduction of solder joint during thermal services, which was attributed to the pinning effect of Al2O3 NPs on hindering the growth of grains and interfacial intermetallic compounds (IMCs). Theoretically, the growth coefficients of interfacial IMCs in IA process were calculated to be decreased from 1.61×10-10 to 0.79×10-10 cm2/h in IA process, and from 0.92×10-10 to 0.53×10-10 cm2/h in TC process. This indicated that trace addition of Al2O3 NPs can improve both IA and TC reliabilities of Sn-0.5Ag- 0.7Cu/Cu joint, and a little more obvious in IA reliability.

Phase field study on the effect of roughness on interfacial intermetallic compounds of micro-solder joints under multifield coupling

In order to investigate the influence of roughness on the evolution of interfacial intermetallic compounds (IMCs) and stress states at the micro-solder joints under the strongly coupled thermo-mechanical-electric diffusion, the two-dimensional model of the rough interface for the Cu/Sn/Cu sandwich micro-solder joints was established using phase field method. Parameter A as the evaluation parameter of the interface roughness was used to represent the contour arithmetic mean deviation Ra. The evolutions of the average thickness of the interfacial IMCs and stress distribution at the Cu/Sn/Cu micro-solder joints were investigated with the variation of A. The thickness of interfacial IMCs in anode reached its maximum when A was 0, while obtained the minimum when A was 9. In cathode, the average thickness of the interfacial IMCs at A = 0 was thicker than that at A = 1, 3, 5, but thinner than that at A = 7 and 9. In other words, the growth of the interfacial IMCs was inhibited by the interface roughness in anode. While in cathode, the interfacial roughness inhibited the growth of the interfacial IMCs when 0 ≤ A ≤ 5, but promoted the growth of the interfacial IMCs when 7 ≤ A ≤ 9.

Enhancement of structure and properties of Sn58Bi solder by AlN ceramic particles

The Sn58Bi composite solders reinforced by AlN ceramic particles was prepared by mechanical mixing method. The melting characteristics, wettability, microstructure, interfacial intermetallic compounds (IMC) layer, and mechanical properties of Sn58Bi-xAlN (x = 0, 0.03, 0.05, 0.07, 0.1, 0.2 wt.%) composite solders were systematically investigated, and influence mechanism of AlN ceramic particles on the Sn58Bi solder was analyzed. The experimental results show that the wetting area and shear strength of Sn58Bi–AlN composite solders present a trend of first increasing and then decreasing. At the AlN ceramic particles content of 0.05 wt.%, the wettability and mechanical properties of the Sn58Bi are enhanced considerably. However, the wettability, mechanical properties of Sn58Bi are reduced when the content of AlN ceramic particles is high. The melting temperature of Sn58Bi-0.07AlN composite solder is increased slightly. The addition of AlN particles can inhibit the growth of interfacial IMC, where the inhibition effect is more obvious for AlN content of 0.05 wt.% and 0.07 wt.%. Therefore, the addition of an appropriate amount of AlN ceramic particles can improve the comprehensive performance of Sn58Bi solder to a certain extent.

Microstructure Evolution and Shear Strength of Tin-Indium-xCu/Cu Joints

The low melting temperature In-48Sn alloy is a promising candidate for flexible devices. However, the joint strength of the In-48Sn alloy on the Cu substrate was low due to the rapid diffusion of Cu into the In-rich alloy. In this study, the effect of the addition of xCu (x = 2.0 and 8.0 wt.%) on wettability, interfacial reaction, and mechanical strength of the In-Sn-xCu/Cu joint is analyzed. The results demonstrate that both the In-48Sn and In-Sn-xCu alloys exhibit good wettability on the Cu substrate and that the contact angle increases with an increase in the Cu content. Furthermore, fine grains are observed in the alloy matrix of the In-Sn-xCu/Cu joint and the interfacial intermetallic compound (IMC) comprising the Cu-rich Cu6(In,Sn)5 near the Cu substrate and the Cu-deficient Cu(In,Sn)2 near the solder side. The In-Sn-2.0Cu/Cu joint with fine microstructure and a small amount of IMC in the alloy matrix shows the highest average shear strength of 16.5 MPa. Although the In-Sn-8.0Cu/Cu joint also exhibits fine grains, the presence of large number of voids and rough interfacial IMC layer causes the formation of additional stress concentration points, thereby reducing the average shear strength of the joint.

Microstructure and shear properties of ultrasonic-assisted Sn2.5Ag0.7Cu0.1RExNi/Cu solder joints under thermal cycling

Through ultrasonic wave assisted Sn2.5Ag0.7Cu0.1RExNi/Cu (x = 0, 0.05, 0.1) soldering test and − 40 to 125 °C thermal shock test, the microstructure and shear properties of Sn2.5Ag0.7Cu0.1RExNi/Cu solder joints under thermal cycling were studied by the SEM, EDS and XRD. The results show that the Sn2.5Ag0.7Cu0.1RExNi/Cu solder joints with high quality and high reliability can be obtained by ultrasonic assistance. When the ultrasonic vibration power is 88 W, the ultrasonic-assisted Sn2.5Ag0.7Cu0.1RE0.05Ni/Cu solder joints exhibits the optimized performance. During the thermal cycling process, the shear strength of ultrasonic-assisted Sn2.5Ag0.7Cu0.1RExNi/Cu solder joints had a linear relationship with the thickness of interfacial intermetallic compound (IMC). Under the thermal cycling, the interfacial IMC layer of ultrasonic-assisted Sn2.5Ag0.7Cu0.1RExNi/Cu solder joints consisted of (Cu,Ni)6Sn5 and Cu3Sn. The thickness of interfacial IMC of ultrasonic-assisted Sn2.5Ag0.7Cu0.1RExNi/Cu solder joints was linearly related to the square root of equivalent time. The growth of interfacial IMC of ultrasonic-assisted Sn2.5Ag0.7Cu0.1RExNi/Cu solder joints had an incubation period, and the growth of IMC was slow within 300 cycles. And after 300 cycles, the IMC grew rapidly, the granular IMC began to merge, and the thickness and roughness of IMC increased obviously, which led to a sharp decrease in the shear strength of the solder joints. The 0.05 wt% Ni could inhibit the excessive growth of IMC, improve the shear strength of solder joints and improve the reliability of solder joints. The fracture mechanism of ultrasonic-assisted Sn2.5Ag0.7Cu0.1RExNi/Cu solder joints changed from the ductile–brittle mixed fracture in the solder/IMC transition zone to the brittle fracture in the interfacial IMC.

Study on the microstructure and mechanical property of Cu-foam modified Sn3.0Ag0.5Cu solder joints by ultrasonic-assisted soldering

Cu-foam sheets with the thicknesses of 0.15 mm and 0.5 mm were utilized as strengthening structure to improve the performances of the Sn3.0Ag0.5Cu (SAC305)/Cu solder joints. The ultrasonic-assisted soldering was applied to manufacture the solder joints. The effects of Cu-foam and ultrasound-assisted soldering time on microstructure and mechanical property of solder joints were researched. Experimental results showed that excellent metallurgical bonding was generated between the copper substrate and the Cu-foam/SAC305 composite solder layer. The average thickness of interfacial intermetallic compound (IMC) layer decreased with the increase of ultrasonically soldering time, and a thinner interfacial IMC layer was found in the joints with ultrasonic treatment in narrow channels. With the ultrasonic soldering time prolonged, the Cu 6 Sn 5 grains became more refined. Some round-shape Cu 6 Sn 5 grains were transformed into hexagonal prismatic with the increase of the ultrasonic soldering time. The shear test was conducted for the solder joints under different soldering conditions. It was found that the shear strength of the Cu-foam/SAC305 composite solder joints were higher than that of SAC305 solder joints. The grain refinement caused by ultrasonic cavitation significantly improved the shear strength of the solder joints. Besides, the fracture behavior of solder joints without ultrasonic vibration was classified to be ductile-brittle mixed type while that with ultrasonic vibration was changed to be ductile type.

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.