Performance of 96.5Sn–3Ag–0.5Cu/fullerene composite solder under isothermal ageing and high-current stressing

2020 ◽  
Vol 33 (1) ◽  
pp. 35-46 ◽  
Author(s):  
Guang Chen ◽  
Xinzhan Cui ◽  
Yaofeng Wu ◽  
Wei Li ◽  
Fengshun Wu

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate the effect of fullerene (FNS) reinforcements on the microstructure and mechanical properties of 96.5Sn3Ag0.5Cu (SAC305) lead-free solder joints under isothermal ageing and electrical-migration (EM) stressing. Design/methodology/approach In this paper, SAC305 solder alloy doped with 0.1 Wt.% FNS was prepared via the powder metallurgy method. A sandwich-like sample and a U-shaped sample were designed and prepared to conduct an isothermal ageing test and an EM test. The isothermal ageing test was implemented under vacuum atmosphere at 150°C, whereas the EM experiment was carried out with a current density of 1.5 × 104 A/cm2. The microstructural and mechanical evolutions of both plain and composite solder joints after thermal ageing and EM stressing were comparatively studied. Findings A growth of Ag3Sn intermetallic compounds (IMCs) in solder matrix and Cu-Sn interfacial IMCs in composite solder joints was notably suppressed under isothermal ageing condition, whereas the hardness and shear strength of composite solder joints significantly outperformed those of non-reinforced solder joints throughout the ageing period. The EM experimental results showed that for the SAC305 solder, the interfacial IMCs formulated a protrusion at the anode after 360 h of EM stressing, whereas 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, whereas 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/FNS composite solder, a continuous increase in the thickness of the interfacial IMC was found on both the anode and cathode sides; 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, whereas the hardness data showed a relatively homogeneous distribution in the SAC305/FNS solder joint. Originality/value The experimental results showed that the FNS reinforcement could effectively mitigate the failure risk in solder joints under isothermal ageing and high-current stressing. Specifically, the FNS particles in solder joints can work as a barrier to suppress the diffusion and migration of Sn and Cu atoms. In addition, the nanoidentation results also indicated that the addition of the FNS 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.

2019 ◽  
Vol 31 (4) ◽  
pp. 261-270
Author(s):  
Guang Chen ◽  
Jiqiang Li ◽  
Xinwen Kuang ◽  
Yaofeng Wu ◽  
Fengshun Wu

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.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Guang Chen ◽  
Yao-Feng Wu

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate the effect of titanium nitride (TiN) on microstructure and composition of 96.5Sn3Ag0.5Cu (SAC305) lead-free solder joints under a large temperature gradient. Design/methodology/approach In this paper, SAC305 lead-free composite solder containing 0.05 Wt.% TiN was prepared by powder metallurgy method. A temperature gradient generator was designed and the corresponding samples were also prepared. The microstructural evolution, internal structure and elemental content of SAC305 and SAC305/TiN solder joints before and after thermal loading were comparatively studied. Findings The experimental results show that the addition of the TiN reinforcing phase can effectively inhibit the diffusion and migration of copper atoms and, therefore, affect the distribution of newly formed Cu-Sn IMC in solder joints under the condition of thermal migration (TM). Compared with the SAC305 solder joint, the interconnection interface and internal structure of the composite solder joint after 600 h of TM are also relatively complete. Originality/value The TiN reinforcing phase is proven effective to mitigate the TM behavior in solder joints under thermal stressing. Specifically, based on the observation and analysis results of microstructure and internal structure of composite solder joint, the TiN particle can change the temperature gradient distribution of the solder joint, so as to suppress the diffusion and migration of Sn and Cu atoms. In addition, the results of Micro-CT and compositional analysis also indicate that the addition of TiN reinforcement is very helpful to maintain the structural integrity and the compositional stability of the solder joint. Different from other ceramic reinforcements, TiN has good thermo- and electro-conductivity and the thermal-electrical performance of composite solder will not be significantly affected by this reinforcement, which is also the main advantage of selecting TiN as the reinforcing phase to prepare composite solder. This study can not only provide preliminary experimental support for the preparation of high reliability lead-free composite solder but also provide a theoretical basis for the subsequent study (such as electro-thermo distribution in solder joints), which has important application significance.


2017 ◽  
Vol 29 (3) ◽  
pp. 144-150 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yeqing Tao ◽  
Dongyan Ding ◽  
Ting Li ◽  
Jason Guo ◽  
Guoliang Fan

Purpose This paper aims to study the influence of reflow atmosphere and placement accuracy on the solderability of 01005 capacitor/SAC305 solder joints. Design/methodology/approach The 01005 capacitors were mounted on OSP-coated pads, and the samples were fabricated in four different atmospheres, i.e. 200 ppm O2/N2, 1,000 ppm O2/N2, 3,000 ppm O2/N2 and air. After the reflow process, visual inspection and X-ray detection were carried out to examine the solder joint shapes and possible defects. Some of the samples fabricated in different conditions were cross-sectioned and the solder joint microstructures were analyzed. On the other hand, besides placing the components on their normal pad positions, a 50 per cent offset of the x-axis (long axis) or y-axis (short axis) was introduced into the chip mounter programs to evaluate the 01005 capacitor’s assembly sensitivity to placement accuracy. The process-induced defects were investigated. Findings Experimental results indicated that an N2-based protective atmosphere was necessary for 01005 type assembly, as it could obviously improve the 01005 solder joint quality, compared with the air condition. The protective atmosphere had little effect on the appearance, quality and microstructure of solder joints when the oxygen concentration was below 3,000 ppm. But a very low oxygen concentration could increase the risk of tombstoning defects for the assembly process. The N2-based protective atmosphere containing 1,000-2000 ppm O2 was acceptable and appropriate for the assembly of tiny components. Originality/value The results of this work provide a set of reflow process parameters and recommendations for 01005 size component assembly in manufacturing.


Materials ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (4) ◽  
pp. 776
Author(s):  
Nur Syahirah Mohamad Zaimi ◽  
Mohd Arif Anuar Mohd Salleh ◽  
Andrei Victor Sandu ◽  
Mohd Mustafa Al Bakri Abdullah ◽  
Norainiza Saud ◽  
...  

This paper elucidates the effect of isothermal ageing at temperature of 85 °C, 125 °C and 150 °C for 100, 500 and 1000 h on Sn-3.0Ag-0.5Cu (SAC305) lead-free solder with the addition of 1 wt% kaolin geopolymer ceramic (KGC) reinforcement particles. SAC305-KGC composite solders were fabricated through powder metallurgy using a hybrid microwave sintering method and reflowed on copper substrate printed circuit board with an organic solderability preservative surface finish. The results revealed that, the addition of KGC was beneficial in improving the total thickness of interfacial intermetallic compound (IMC) layer. At higher isothermal ageing of 150 °C and 1000 h, the IMC layer in SAC305-KGC composite solder was towards a planar-type morphology. Moreover, the growth of total interfacial IMC layer and Cu3Sn layer during isothermal ageing was found to be controlled by bulk diffusion and grain-boundary process, respectively. The activation energy possessed by SAC305-KGC composite solder for total interfacial IMC layer and Cu3Sn IMC was 74 kJ/mol and 104 kJ/mol, respectively. Based on a lap shear test, the shear strength of SAC305-KGC composite solder exhibited higher shear strength than non-reinforced SAC305 solder. Meanwhile, the solder joints failure mode after shear testing was a combination of brittle and ductile modes at higher ageing temperature and time for SAC305-KGC composite solder.


Crystals ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (7) ◽  
pp. 733
Author(s):  
Lu Liu ◽  
Songbai Xue ◽  
Ruiyang Ni ◽  
Peng Zhang ◽  
Jie Wu

In this study, a Sn–Bi composite solder paste with thermosetting epoxy (TSEP Sn–Bi) was prepared by mixing Sn–Bi solder powder, flux, and epoxy system. The melting characteristics of the Sn–Bi solder alloy and the curing reaction of the epoxy system were measured by differential scanning calorimeter (DSC). A reflow profile was optimized based on the Sn–Bi reflow profile, and the Organic Solderability Preservative (OSP) Cu pad mounted 0603 chip resistor was chosen to reflow soldering and to prepare samples of the corresponding joint. The high temperature and humidity reliability of the solder joints at 85 °C/85% RH (Relative Humidity) for 1000 h and the thermal cycle reliability of the solder joints from −40 °C to 125 °C for 1000 cycles were investigated. Compared to the Sn–Bi solder joint, the TSEP Sn–Bi solder joints had increased reliability. The microstructure observation shows that the epoxy resin curing process did not affect the transformation of the microstructure. The shear force of the TSEP Sn–Bi solder joints after 1000 cycles of thermal cycling test was 1.23–1.35 times higher than the Sn–Bi solder joint and after 1000 h of temperature and humidity tests was 1.14–1.27 times higher than the Sn–Bi solder joint. The fracture analysis indicated that the cured cover layer could still have a mechanical reinforcement to the TSEP Sn–Bi solder joints after these reliability tests.


2015 ◽  
Vol 27 (1) ◽  
pp. 52-58 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter K. Bernasko ◽  
Sabuj Mallik ◽  
G. Takyi

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to study the effect of intermetallic compound (IMC) layer thickness on the shear strength of surface-mount component 1206 chip resistor solder joints. Design/methodology/approach – To evaluate the shear strength and IMC thickness of the 1206 chip resistor solder joints, the test vehicles were conventionally reflowed for 480 seconds at a peak temperature of 240°C at different isothermal ageing times of 100, 200 and 300 hours. A cross-sectional study was conducted on the reflowed and aged 1206 chip resistor solder joints. The shear strength of the solder joints aged at 100, 200 and 300 hours was measured using a shear tester (Dage-4000PXY bond tester). Findings – It was found that the growth of IMC layer thickness increases as the ageing time increases at a constant temperature of 175°C, which resulted in a reduction of solder joint strength due to its brittle nature. It was also found that the shear strength of the reflowed 1206 chip resistor solder joint was higher than the aged joints. Moreover, it was revealed that the shear strength of the 1206 resistor solder joints aged at 100, 200 and 300 hours was influenced by the ageing reaction times. The results also indicate that an increase in ageing time and temperature does not have much influence on the formation and growth of Kirkendall voids. Research limitations/implications – A proper correlation between shear strength and fracture mode is required. Practical implications – The IMC thickness can be used to predict the shear strength of the component/printed circuit board pad solder joint. Originality/value – The shear strength of the 1206 chip resistor solder joint is a function of ageing time and temperature (°C). Therefore, it is vital to consider the shear strength of the surface-mount chip component in high-temperature electronics.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yanruoyue Li ◽  
Guicui Fu ◽  
Bo Wan ◽  
Zhaoxi Wu ◽  
Xiaojun Yan ◽  
...  

Purpose The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of electrical and thermal stresses on the void formation of the Sn3.0Ag0.5Cu (SAC305) lead-free ball grid array (BGA) solder joints and to propose a modified mean-time-to-failure (MTTF) equation when joints are subjected to coupling stress. Design/methodology/approach The samples of the BGA package were subjected to a migration test at different currents and temperatures. Voltage variation was recorded for analysis. Scanning electron microscope and electron back-scattered diffraction were applied to achieve the micromorphological observations. Additionally, the experimental and simulation results were combined to fit the modified model parameters. Findings Voids appeared at the corner of the cathode. The resistance of the daisy chain increased. Two stages of resistance variation were confirmed. The crystal lattice orientation rotated and became consistent and ordered. Electrical and thermal stresses had an impact on the void formation. As the current density and temperature increased, the void increased. The lifetime of the solder joint decreased as the electrical and thermal stresses increased. A modified MTTF model was proposed and its parameters were confirmed by theoretical derivation and test data fitting. Originality/value This study focuses on the effects of coupling stress on the void formation of the SAC305 BGA solder joint. The microstructure and macroscopic performance were studied to identify the effects of different stresses with the use of a variety of analytical methods. The modified MTTF model was constructed for application to SAC305 BGA solder joints. It was found suitable for larger current densities and larger influences of Joule heating and for the welding ball structure with current crowding.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mardiana Said ◽  
Muhammad Firdaus Mohd Nazeri ◽  
Nurulakmal Mohd Sharif ◽  
Ahmad Azmin Mohamad

Purpose This paper aims to investigate the morphology and tensile properties of SAC305 solder alloy under the influence of microwave hybrid heating (MHH) for soldering at different microwave parameters. Design/methodology/approach Si wafer was used as susceptor in MHH for solder reflow. Microwave operating power for medium and high ranging from 40 to 140 s reflow time was used to investigate their effect on the microstructure and strength of SAC305/Cu solder joints. The morphology and elemental composition of the intermetallic compound (IMC) joint were evaluated on the top surface and cross-sectional view. Findings IMC formation transformed from scallop-like to elongated scallop-like structure for medium operating power and scallop-like to planar-like structure for high operating power when exposed to longer reflow time. Compositional and phase analysis confirmed that the observed IMCs consist of Cu6Sn5, Cu3Sn and Ag3Sn. A thinner IMC layer was formed at medium operating power, 80 s (2.4 µm), and high operating power, 40 s (2.5 µm). The ultimate tensile strength at high operating power, 40 s (45.5 MPa), was 44.9% greater than that at medium operating power, 80 s (31.4 MPa). Originality/value Microwave parameters with the influence of Si wafer in MHH in soldering have been developed and optimized. A microwave temperature profile was established to select the appropriate parameter for solder reflow. For this MHH soldering method, the higher operating power and shorter reflow time are preferable.


2017 ◽  
Vol 34 (1) ◽  
pp. 40-44 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hao Zhang ◽  
Yang Liu ◽  
Fenglian Sun ◽  
Gaofang Ban ◽  
Jiajie Fan

Purpose This paper aimed to investigate the effects of nano-copper particles on the melting behaviors, wettability and defect formation mechanism of the Sn58Bi composite solder pastes. Design/methodology/approach In this paper, the mechanical stirring method was used to get the nano-composite solder pastes. Findings Experimental results indicated that the addition of 3 wt.% (weight percentage) 50 nm copper particles showed limited effects on the melting behaviors of the Sn58Bi composite solder paste. The spreading rate of the Sn58Bi composite solder paste showed a decreasing trend with the increase of the weight percentage of 50 nm copper particles from 0 to 3 wt.%. With the addition of copper particles of diameters 50 nm, 500 nm or 6.5 μm into the Sn58Bi solder paste, the porosities of the three types of solder pastes showed a similar trend. The porosity increased with the increase of the weight percentage of copper particles. Based on the experimental results, a model of the void formation mechanism was proposed. During reflow, the copper particles reacted with Sn in the matrix and formed intermetallic compounds, which gathered around the voids produced by the volatilization of flux. The exclusion of the voids was suppressed and eventually led to the formation of defects. Originality/value This study provides an optimized material for the second and third level packaging. A model of the void formation mechanism was proposed.


2018 ◽  
Vol 30 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-13 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fakhrozi Che Ani ◽  
Azman Jalar ◽  
Abdullah Aziz Saad ◽  
Chu Yee Khor ◽  
Roslina Ismail ◽  
...  

Purpose This paper aims to investigate the characteristics of ultra-fine lead-free solder joints reinforced with TiO2 nanoparticles in an electronic assembly. Design/methodology/approach This study focused on the microstructure and quality of solder joints. Various percentages of TiO2 nanoparticles were mixed with a lead-free Sn-3.5Ag-0.7Cu solder paste. This new form of nano-reinforced lead-free solder paste was used to assemble a miniature package consisting of an ultra-fine capacitor on a printed circuit board by means of a reflow soldering process. The microstructure and the fillet height were investigated using a focused ion beam, a high-resolution transmission electron microscope system equipped with an energy dispersive X-ray spectrometer (EDS), and a field emission scanning electron microscope coupled with an EDS and X-ray diffraction machine. Findings The experimental results revealed that the intermetallic compound with the lowest thickness was produced by the nano-reinforced solder with a TiO2 content of 0.05 Wt.%. Increasing the TiO2 content to 0.15 Wt.% led to an improvement in the fillet height. The characteristics of the solder joint fulfilled the reliability requirements of the IPC standards. Practical implications This study provides engineers with a profound understanding of the characteristics of ultra-fine nano-reinforced solder joint packages in the microelectronics industry. Originality/value The findings are expected to provide proper guidelines and references with regard to the manufacture of miniaturized electronic packages. This study also explored the effects of TiO2 on the microstructure and the fillet height of ultra-fine capacitors.


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