Atomistic simulations of Ag–Cu–Sn alloys based on a new modified embedded-atom method interatomic potential

An interatomic potential for the ternary Ag–Cu–Sn system, an important material system related to the applications of lead-free solders, is developed on the basis of the second nearest-neighbor modified embedded-atom-method formalism. Potential parameters for the ternary and related binary systems are determined based on the recently improved unary description of pure Sn and the present improvements to the unary descriptions of pure Ag and Cu. To ensure the sufficient performance of atomistic simulations in various applications, the optimization of potential parameters is conducted based on the force-matching method that utilizes density functional theory predictions of energies and forces on various atomic configurations. We validate that the developed interatomic potential exhibits sufficient accuracy and transferability to various physical properties of pure metals, intermetallic compounds, solid solutions, and liquid solutions. The proposed interatomic potential can be straightforwardly used in future studies to investigate atomic-scale phenomena in soldering applications. Graphical abstract

Lattice Dynamics of CrW Dilute Alloy Using Modified Embedded Atom Method Potential

A modified embedded atom method (MEAM) has been used to study the lattice dynamics and vibrational properties of CrW alloy. Using the MEAM potential the force-constants up to second neighbours for pure Cr and its dilute alloy with small concentration of W as substitutional impurity are calculated. The Phonon dispersions for dilute CrW alloy at 0.3%, 0.8% and 1.6 % concentration of W substitutional impurity have been computed and the obtained results are compared with the available experimental data. We have obtained a very good agreement with the experimentally measured results of phonon dispersions. With the application of obtained force-constants from MEAM potential, the local vibrational density of states in ideal crystal and its alloys using Green’s function method has been calculated. On the basis of the results of local vibrational density of states, the condition of resonance modes has been investigated. Using the calculated vibrational local density of states, the mean square thermal displacements of impurity atoms in CrW alloys are also calculated.