Geometric size effect on IMC growth and elements diffusion in Cu/Sn/Cu solder joints

2017 ◽  
Vol 29 (2) ◽  
pp. 85-91 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yan Zhu ◽  
Fenglian Sun

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate the effect of geometric size on intermetallic compound (IMC) growth and elements diffusion of Cu/Sn/Cu solder joint and establish the correlation model between the thickness of the IMC layer and size of the solder joint on the dozens of microns scale. Design/methodology/approach The sandwich-structured Cu/Sn/Cu solder joints with different gaps between two copper-clad plates (δ) are fabricated using a reflow process. The microstructure and composition of solder joints are observed and analyzed by scanning electron microscopy. Findings After reflow, the thickness of the IMC and Cu concentration in solder layers increase with the reduction of δ from 50, 40, 30, 20 to 10 μm. During isothermal aging, the thickness of the IMC fails to increase according to the traditional parabolic rule due to changes in Cu concentration. The reduction of δ is the root cause of changes in Cu concentration and the growth rule of the IMC layer. A correlation model between the thickness of the IMC layer and δ is established. It is found that the thickness of the IMC layer is the function of aging time and δ. With δ reducing, the main control element of IMC growth transfers from Cu to Sn. Originality/value This paper shows the changes of IMC thickness and elements concentration with the reduction of the size of solder joints on the dozens of microns scale. A correlation model is established to calculate the thickness of the IMC layer during aging.

2015 ◽  
Vol 27 (4) ◽  
pp. 178-184 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ye Tian ◽  
Justin Chow ◽  
Xi Liu ◽  
Suresh K. Sitaraman

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to study the intermetallic compound (IMC) thickness, composition and morphology in 100-μm pitch and 200-μm pitch Sn–Ag–Cu (SAC305) flip-chip assemblies after bump reflow and assembly reflow. In particular, emphasis is placed on the effect of solder joint size on the interfacial IMCs between metal pads and solder matrix. Design/methodology/approach – This work uses 100-μm pitch and 200-μm pitch silicon flip chips with nickel (Ni) pads and stand-off height of approximately 45 and 90 μm, respectively, assembled on substrates with copper (Cu) pads. The IMCs evolution in solder joints was investigated during reflow by using 100- and 200-μm pitch flip-chip assemblies. Findings – After bump reflow, the joints size controls the IMC composition and dominant IMC type as well as IMC thickness and also influences the dominant IMC morphology. After assembly reflow, the cross-reaction of the pad metallurgies promotes the dominant IMC transformation and shape coarsened on the Ni pad interface for smaller joints and promotes a great number of new dominate IMC growth on the Ni pad interface in larger joints. On the Cu pad interface, many small voids formed in the IMC in larger joints, but were not observed in smaller joints, combined with the drawing of the IMC growth process. Originality/value – With continued advances in microelectronics, it is anticipated that next-generation microelectronic assemblies will require a reduction of the flip-chip solder bump pitch to 100 μm or less from the current industrial practice of 130 to150 μm. This work shows that as the packaging size reduced with the solder joint interconnection, the solder size becomes an important factor in the intermetallic composition as well as morphology and thickness after reflow.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yang Liu ◽  
Yuxiong Xue ◽  
Min Zhou ◽  
Rongxing Cao ◽  
Xianghua Zeng ◽  
...  

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate the effects of Sn-Ag-x leveling layers on the mechanical properties of SnBi solder joints. Four Sn-Ag-x (Sn-3.0Ag-0.5Cu, Sn-0.3Ag-0.7Cu, Sn-0.3Ag-0.7Cu-0.5 Bi-0.05Ni and Sn-3.0Ag-3.0 Bi-3.0In) leveling layers were coated on Cu pads to prepare SnBi/Sn-Ag-x/Cu solder joints. The microstructure, hardness, shear strength and fracture morphology of solder joints before and after aging were studied. Design/methodology/approach The interfacial brittleness of the SnBi low-temperature solder joint is a key problem affecting its reliability. The purpose of this study is to improve the mechanical properties of the SnBi solder joint. Findings Owing to the addition of the leveling layers, the grain size of the ß-Sn phase in the SnBi/Sn-Ag-x/Cu solder joint is significantly larger than that in the SnBi/Cu eutectic solder joint. Meanwhile, the hardness of the solder bulk in the SnBi/Cu solder joint shows a decrease trend because of the addition of the leveling layers. The SnBi/Cu solder joint shows obvious strength drop and interfacial brittle fracture after aging. Through the addition of the Sn-Ag-x layers, the brittle failure caused by aging is effectively suppressed. In addition, the Sn-Ag-x leveling layers improve the shear strength of the SnBi/Cu solder joint after aging. Among them, the SnBi/SACBN/Cu solder joint shows the highest shear strength. Originality/value This work suppresses the interfacial brittleness of the SnBi/Cu solder joint after isothermal aging by adding Sn-Ag-x leveling layers on the Cu pads. It provides a way to improve the mechanical performances of the SnBi solder joint.


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.


2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Wenhui Cai ◽  
Fei Huang ◽  
Kai Liu ◽  
Mohammed Alaazim

Purpose As in real applications several alternating current (AC) currents may be injected to the electronic devices, this study aims to analyze their effects on the lifetime of the solder joints and, consequently, shed the light on these effects at the design phase for other researchers to consider. Design/methodology/approach In this paper, the authors investigated on current waveform shapes on the performance and reliability of the solder joints in electronic package. Three common and extensively used current shapes in several simulations and experiments were selected to study their effects on the solder joint performance. Findings The results demonstrate a sever thermal swing and stress fluctuation in the solder joint induced in the case of triangle current type because the critical states lack any relaxation time. In fact, the stress intensification in the solder under application of the triangle current type has been shown to contribute to increasing brittle intermetallic compounds. An accelerated increase of on-state voltage of power semiconductor was also observed in under application of the triangle current type. Originality/value The originality of this paper is confirmed.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jianing Wang ◽  
Jieshi Chen ◽  
Zhiyuan Zhang ◽  
Peilei Zhang ◽  
Zhishui Yu ◽  
...  

Purpose The purpose of this article is the effect of doping minor Ni on the microstructure evolution of a Sn-xNi (x = 0, 0.05 and 0.1 wt.%)/Ni (Poly-crystal/Single-crystal abbreviated as PC Ni/SC Ni) solder joint during reflow and aging treatment. Results showed that the intermetallic compounds (IMCs) of the interfacial layer of Sn-xNi/PC Ni joints were Ni3Sn4 phase, while the IMCs of Sn-xNi/SC Ni joints were NiSn4 phase. After the reflow process and thermal aging of different joints, the growth behavior of interfacial layer was different due to the different mechanism of element diffusion of the two substrates. The PC Ni substrate mainly provided Ni atoms through grain boundary diffusion. The Ni3Sn4 phase of the Sn0.05Ni/PC Ni joint was finer, and the diffusion flux of Sn and Ni elements increased, so the Ni3Sn4 layer of this joint was the thickest. The SC Ni substrate mainly provided Ni atoms through the lattice diffusion. The Sn0.1Ni/SC Ni joint increases the number of Ni atoms at the interface due to the doping of 0.1Ni (wt.%) elements, so the joint had the thickest NiSn4 layer. Design/methodology/approach The effects of doping minor Ni on the microstructure evolution of an Sn-xNi (x = 0, 0.05 and 0.1 Wt.%)/Ni (Poly-crystal/Single-crystal abbreviated as PC Ni/SC Ni) solder joint during reflow and aging treatment was investigated in this study. Findings Results showed that the intermetallic compounds (IMCs) of the interfacial layer of Sn-xNi/PC Ni joints were Ni3Sn4 phase, while the IMCs of Sn-xNi/SC Ni joints were NiSn4 phase. After the reflow process and thermal aging of different joints, the growth behavior of the interfacial layer was different due to the different mechanisms of element diffusion of the two substrates. Originality/value In this study, the effect of doping Ni on the growth and formation mechanism of IMCs of the Sn-xNi/Ni (single-crystal) solder joints (x = 0, 0.05 and 0.1 Wt.%) was investigated.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Leonid Anatolevich Olenev ◽  
Rafina Rafkatovna Zakieva ◽  
Nina Nikolaevna Smirnova ◽  
Rustem Adamovich Shichiyakh ◽  
Kirill Aleksandrovich Ershov ◽  
...  

Purpose This study aims to present a more accurate lifetime prediction model considering solder chemical composition. Design/methodology/approach Thermal cycling and standard creep tests as well as finite element simulation were used. Findings The study found lower error in the solder joint lifetime evaluation. The higher the Ag content is, the higher the lifetime is achieved. Originality/value It is confirmed.


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.


2019 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 123-135
Author(s):  
Hua Liang

Purpose It is rather common for China’s current academic circles to use western doctrines that originated in situ to explain China’s economic problems, a suspicion of scenario misplacement may thus arise. The root cause lies in the lack of reflection about the current relationship between economic thoughts and realities. The paper aims to discuss these issues. Design/methodology/approach Correctly understanding economic thoughts associated with the brand of “that era” and effectively deducing its characteristics is of great significance to finding new features of this era and constructing new ideas with the characteristics of “this era.” Findings This motif is exactly the keynote on which to base the study of economic history and economic thought. Originality/value In a period of major historical turning points, the economic realities on which the economic thinking about that era (the era of economists) relied was undergoing major changes, and re-emphasizing the ancient topic of the relationship between economic thoughts and economic realities became particularly urgent.


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.


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