The effect of 0.5 wt.% Ce additions on the electromigration of Sn9Zn BGA solder packages with Au/Ni(P)/Cu and Ag/Cu pads

It has previously been established that Sn-9Zn-0.5Ce alloy possesses mechanical properties superior to those of undoped Sn-9Zn alloy, and is free of the problem of rapid whisker growth. However, no detailed studies have been conducted on the electromigration behavior of Sn-9Zn-0.5Ce alloy. In this research, Sn-9Zn and Sn-9Zn-0.5Ce solder joints with Au/Ni(P)/Cu and Ag/Cu pads were stressed under a current density of 3.1 × 10⁴ A/cm² at room temperature for various periods of time. Due to finer grain sizes, the electromigration effects were more severe in Sn-9Zn-0.5Ce solder joints than in Sn-9Zn solder joints when joint temperature was around 80 °C. In addition, both solder joints (Sn-9Zn and Sn-9Zn-0.5Ce) with Au/Ni(P)/Cu pads possess longer current-stressing lifetimes than those with Ag/Cu pads because Ni is more resistant than Cu to migration driven by electron flow.     

Investigation on impact strength of the as-soldered Sn37Pb and Sn3.8Ag0.7Cu solder joints

Charpy impact specimens of eutectic Sn37Pb and Sn3.8Ag0.7Cu solder joints with U-type notch were prepared to investigate the joint impact strength. The gap sizes of the butt joint were selected at 0.3 and 0.8 mm. Compared with the values of 0.3 mm joint gap, the impact absorbed energies of two solder joints were increased at the joint gap of 0.8 mm. The impact strengths of Sn37Pb joints were higher than those of Sn3.8Ag0.7Cu joints in both cases. From the macrographic observation of the fracture path, when the gap was 0.3 mm, the crack initiation of two solder joints located at the root of U-type notch then propagated along one interface of the joint. For the Sn37Pb joints, the fracture path was not changed at 0.8 mm gap size. However, the fracture path of Sn3.8Ag0.7Cu joint was totally changed and the fracture occurred not at the root of pre-U notch but from one side of the solder/Cu interfaces. From the micrographic observation, the crack of the Sn37Pb joints was concentrated on the Pb-rich layer in the vicinity of interfacial intermetallic (IMC) layer and the fracture morphology mainly appeared to be a ductile-like structure. Meanwhile, the fracture of Sn3.8Ag0.7Cu joints propagated along either the interface of IMC/solder or within the IMC layer and showed a brittle failure mode.     

Comparison of drop performance between the Sn37Pb and the Sn3.8Ag0.7Cu solder joints subjected to drop test

This study was concerned with the drop performance between the Sn37Pb and the Sn3.8Ag0.7Cu (wt. %) solder joints when the specimens were subjected to drop test after soldering process. The U-notch butt-jointed specimen was adopted and a lab-designed drop tester was employed. Meanwhile, the electrical resistance values of two kinds of solder joints were measured and recorded after certain drop tests, and finally drop number versus resistance curves were plotted and compared. From the resistance variation with the drop number, it was observed that the Sn37Pb joints presented significantly higher drop performance than the Sn3.8Ag0.7Cu ones. For the Sn3.8Ag0.7Cu specimens, the average drop number before failure was approximately 15-18 and then the resistance values sharply increased. However, the average drop number of the Sn37Pb joints was over 110 and the increasing rate of the electrical resistance was smooth, which is consistent with the results of the board-level drop test. Moreover, one specimen of each kind was picked out and the microstructural observation was carried out to investigate the joint deformation behavior in the dynamic load. It was obvious that the plastic deformation capacity of the Sn37Pb joints was remarkably higher than the one of the Sn3.8Ag0.7Cu joints, proving that most of SnAgCu-based solders presented low deformation compatibility and low energy absorption.     

Effect of thermal cycles on interface and mechanical property of low-Ag Sn1.0Ag0.5Cu(nano-Al)/Cu solder joints

Low-Ag content SnAgCu solder has drawn more and more researchers’ attention due to the low cost. In this paper, the effect of 0.1 wt% nano-Al particles on interface reaction between Sn1.0Ag0.5Cu and Cu substrate was investigated, and the growth of intermetallic compounds (IMC) and mechanical property of solder joints during ??55 to 125 °C thermal cycling were also analyzed. The results show that the Cu₆Sn₅ IMC formed at the as-soldered interface and grow obviously with the increase of thermal cycling. The growth rate of IMC in the SnAgCu–0.1Al/Cu is lower than that of SnAgCu/Cu, which indicates that the nano-Al particles can inhibit the diffusion coefficient of IMC layers. Moreover, the shear force of two kinds of solder joints decrease during thermal cycling, but the shear force of SnAgCu–0.1Al is higher than that of SnAgCu.     

Intermetallic reactions in a Sn-3.5Ag-1.5In solder ball-grid-array package with Au/Ni/Cu pads

In this paper, the interfacial reactions between Sn-3.5Ag solder and Sn-3.5Ag-1.5In solder and Au/Ni/Cu pads in ball-grid-array (BGA) packages during solid aging were investigated by microstructural observations and phase analysis. During the solid aging, the intermetallic compound (IMC) layer in Sn-3.5Ag/Au/Ni/Cu solder joints evolved from the (Ni, Au)Sn₄ phase to the Ni₃Sn₄ phase, but the rate of growth of the IMC layer did not change significantly. While, in Sn-3.5Ag-1.5In/Au/Ni/Cu solder joints, the phases evolved from the (Ni, Au)Sn₄ and Ni₃Sn₄ phases into Ni₃(Sn, In)₄ phase. The distribution of In atoms in the solder alloy weakened interatomic force in the Sn-3.5Ag-1.5In solder alloy and the involvement of In atoms in the interfacial reaction generated more energy of distortion of the Ni₃(Sn, In)₄ and (Ni, Au)(Sn, In)₄ lattices. These both accelerated the diffusion of Sn atoms and the rate of growth of the whole IMC layer, but this effect reduced gradually after prolonged aging.     

Interfacial reactions between liquid Sn3.5Ag0.5Cu solders and Ag substrates

The morphology and growth kinetics of intermetallic compounds (IMCs) formed during the soldering reactions between Sn3.5Ag0.5Cu and Ag substrates at various temperatures ranging from 250 to 350 °C were investigated. The interfacial microstructure was quantified with scanning electron microscopy (SEM) for each processing condition. Experimental results show that the thickness of the scallop-shaped Ag₃Sn IMCs layer increased with increasing soldering time and temperature. Furthermore, Cu₆Sn₅ particle precipitates were observed in the Ag₃Sn IMCs layer around and thus suppressing the Ag₃Sn IMCs layer growth. Furthermore, the large Cu₆Sn₅ IMCs tend to appear in the vicinity of interfacial wicker-Ag₃Sn IMCs. Kinetics analyses showed that growth of the Ag₃Sn intermetallic compound was diffusion controlled. The activation energies for the growth of Ag₃Sn IMCs are calculated to be 66.7 kJ/mol.     

Interfacial reactions of Sn-3.5% Ag and Sn-3.5% Ag-0.5% Cu solder with electroless Ni/Au metallization during multiple reflow cycles

The increasing industry awareness of lead-free activities has prompted original equipment manufacturers and suppliers to investigate lead-free solder systems in detail. The reliability of lead-free solders has been studied a lot recently, but the knowledge of it is still incomplete and many issues related to them are under heavy debate. In this study, the interfacial reactions of Sn-3.5Ag and Sn-3.5Ag-0.5Cu (wt.%) solders with Cu/Ni(P)/Au ball grid array (BGA) pad metallization were systematically investigated after multiple reflows. The peak reflow temperature was fixed at 260°C. It was found that relatively high consumption of Ni(P) was observed in the case of Sn-3.5%Ag solder alloys during multiple reflow cycles. A white layer of P rich Ni-Sn compound was observed above the dark Ni₃P layer for Sn-3.5%Ag solder after several reflows. It was noticed that the mean thickness of the intermetallics and the dark P-rich Ni layer at the interface was decreased just by adding 0.5% Cu in Sn-3.5%Ag solder alloy with less overall interfacial reaction at the solder joint.     

Interfacial reaction and elemental redistribution in Sn3.0Ag0.5Cu-xPd/immersion Au/electroless Ni solder joints after aging

Sn3.0Ag0.5Cu solder doped with 0, 100, and 500 ppm Pd was reflowed with electroless Ni/immersion Au substrate. As Pd concentration increased in the solder, formation and growth of (Cu,Ni)₆Sn₅ were suppressed. After thermal aging, Cu₄Ni₂Sn₅ and Cu₅NiSn₅ were observed at interface of Sn3.0Ag0.5Cu-xPd/Au/Ni systems. As compared to Cu₄Ni₂Sn₅, more Pd dissolved in Cu₅NiSn₅. In addition, Pd doping enhanced the growth of Cu₄Ni₂Sn₅ and slowed the formation of Cu₅NiSn₅, which would stabilize the intermetallic compound. Based on quantitative analysis by field emission electron probe microanalyzer, the correlation between Pd doping and elemental redistribution in solder joints was probed and discussed. This study described a possible mechanism of the formation of different intermetallic compounds in Pd-doped lead-free solder.     

Effect of current stressing on the reliability of 63Sn37Pb solder joints

The effect of current stressing on the reliability of 63Sn37Pb solder joints with Cu pads was investigated at temperatures of −5 °C and 125 °C up to 600 h. The samples were stressed with 3 A current (6.0 × 10² A/cm² in the solder joint with diameter of 800 μm and 1.7 × 10⁴ A/cm² in the Cu trace with cross section area of 35 × 500 μm). The temperatures of the samples and interfacial reaction within the solder joints were examined. The microstructural change of the solder joints aged at 125 °C without current flow was also evaluated for comparison. It was confirmed that the current flow could cause the temperature of solder joints to rise rapidly and remarkably due to accumulation of massive Joule heat generated by the Cu trace. The solder joints stressed at 125 °C with 3 A current had an extensive growth of Cu₆Sn₅ and Cu₃Sn intermetallic compounds (IMC) at both top and bottom solder-to-pad interfaces. It was a direct result of accelerated aging rather than an electromigration or thermomigration effect in this experiment. The kinetic is believed to be bulk diffusion controlled solid-state reaction, irrespective of the electron flow direction. When stressed at −5 °C with 3 A current, no significant change in microstructure and composition of the solder joints had occurred due to a very low diffusivity of the atoms as most Joule heat was eliminated at low temperature. The IMC evolution of the solder joints aged at 125 °C exhibited a subparabolic growth behavior, which is presumed to be a combined mechanism of grain boundary diffusion and bulk diffusion. This is mainly ascribed to the retardant effect against the diffusion course by the sufficiently thick IMC layer that was initially formed during the reflow soldering.     

Creep behavior in Cu and Ag particle-reinforced composite and eutectic Sn-3.5Ag and Sn-4.0Ag-0.5Cu non-composite solder joints

Creep properties were determined for small, geometrically realistic Pb-free solder joints. Solder joints were prepared with eutectic Sn-3.5Ag and Sn-4.0Ag-0.5Cu solder alloys. Composite solder joints were made using the eutectic Sn-3.5Ag alloy as the matrix with 15 vol % of mechanically added 6 m size Cu and 4 m size Ag reinforcing particles. Creep tests were conducted on these joints at 25 °C, 65 °C and 105 °C representing homologous temperatures ranging from 0.61 to 0.78. Qualitative and quantitative evaluations of creep behavior were obtained from the distortion of excimer laser-induced surface ablation markings on the solder joint. Various creep parameters, such as global and localized creep strain, variation of creep strain and strain-rate, activation energy for creep, and the onset of tertiary creep were determined. General findings in this study revealed that the creep resistance in composite solder joints is significantly improved with Cu particle reinforcements. In contrast, the improvement in the creep properties of Ag particle-reinforced composite solder joints was far less even though highly uniform deformation in the joint was observed. The strain noted at the onset of tertiary creep for Cu and Ag reinforced composite solder joints was typically lower compared to non-composite solder joints. The activation energies for creep were similar for all the solder materials investigated in this study. © 2001 Kluwer Academic Publishers     

Electrochemical migration behaviour of Cu, Sn, Ag and Sn63/Pb37

The Electrochemical Migration (ECM) behaviour of leaded surface finishes was compared to other surface finishes that are applied in the electronics manufacturing. The studied surface finishes were as follows: bare copper (bCu), immersion tin (iSn), immersion silver (iAg) and Sn63Pb prepared by HASL (Hot Air Solder Leveling). The results were evaluated by Water drop test with the calculation of the Mean Time to Failure (MTTF) and by the investigation of the composition of the dendrites. The results have shown some contradictions relating bare copper and HASL compared to the ECM ranking published previously (Harsányi and Inzelt in Microelectron Reliab 41:229–237, 2001; Yu et al. in J Mater Sci: Mater Electron 17(3):229–241, 2006). The copper and the HASL can change their places in the ECM ranking depending on the technological circumstances of the investigations. This impact can be caused by the composition of lead alloys (eutectic or not), the solubility parameters of the metal hydroxides; the oxidation state of the copper surface, etc. Further and theoretical explanations and the necessary fine adjustment of the migration models are discussed in the paper.     

Suppression of Cu3Sn and Kirkendall voids at Cu/Sn-3.5Ag solder joints by adding a small amount of Ge

Kirkendall voids (KVs) have disastrous effects on the properties of the solder joints in the integrated circuits, which are formed after the occurrence of the Cu₃Sn intermetallic compound (IMC) layer at the Sn-based solder/Cu interface. In this paper, 0.1 and 0.3 wt% Ge additions were separately added into the Sn-3.5 wt%Ag eutectic solder, to investigate the effects of Ge on the interfacial reaction under thermal aging at 150 °C. It is found that the Cu₆Sn₅ layer was still the original product, regardless of the concentration of Ge. Moreover, Ge was identified to dissolve into the IMC layer. As the aging time was prolonged to 10 days, the concentration of Ge increased to about 3.0 at%, but the Cu₃Sn IMC layer was not obvious. The single Cu₆Sn₅ IMC layer became flat little by little. Meantime, the thickness of the IMC layer increased slowly. And more significant finding is that the KVs were also not obvious at the interface.     

Effects of small amounts of Ni/P/Ce element additions on the microstructure and properties of Sn3.0Ag0.5Cu solder alloy

The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of small amounts of Ni, P and Ce element additions on the microstructure and properties of Sn3.0Ag0.5Cu solder alloy. The results indicate that adding trace amounts of Ni, P or Ce element has little influence on the melting temperature of Sn3.0Ag0.5Cu solder alloy. Adding Ni or Ce element cannot improve the wettability and anti-oxidization of the Sn3.0Ag0.5Cu solder alloy, but it can depress the interfacial intermetallic compounds growth due to the high temperature aging and then improves the shear strength of the solder joint. In addition, the P element addition not only significantly increases the maximum wetting force and decreases the wetting time of the solder, but also improves the anti-oxidation property of the Sn3.0Ag0.5Cu solder. At the same time, adding P element also increases the hot cracking sensitivity of the solder surface in the solidification. However, it is noted that adding Ni or Ce element can depress the formation of the hot carking. The reason may be related to the modification of the microstructure of the solder alloys due to trace amounts of Ce or Ni elements additions. The adding elements change the microstructure of Sn3.0Ag0.5Cu solder alloy.     

Suppression effect of Cu and Ag on Cu3Sn layer in solder joints

Cu₃Sn intermetallic compound (IMC) layer is usually formed in solder joints. Since the formation of Cu₃Sn could induce large volume shrinkage, and further cause a lot of reliability issues, many works focused on suppressing the formation or growth of the Cu₃Sn layer. This work explored that Cu and Ag alloying elements also have benefit in suppressing the Cu₃Sn growth during isothermal aging stage. The Cu₆Sn₅ IMC layer seems to be much stable in the Sn/Cu solder joint during aged at 150 and 180 °C, its thickness changed little, while the Cu₃Sn IMC layer grew much quickly. After about 300 h, the thickness of Cu₃Sn layer exceeds that of Cu₆Sn₅ layer. For the Sn-3.5Ag/Cu and Sn-0.7Cu/Cu solder joints, the thickness of Cu₃Sn layer is near half of that of Cu₆Sn₅ layer. According to the relation between interface location and aging time, the reaction generated at the Cu₆Sn₅/Cu₃Sn interface, which is governed by atom fluxes, controls the growth of Cu₃Sn IMC layer. Since Ag and Cu alloying elements suppress the coarsening of Cu₆Sn₅ IMC grains, the diffusion paths for Cu atoms toward the solder are more for Ag or Cu containing solder joints. Therefore, the growth of the Cu₃Sn layer by consuming Cu₆Sn₅ layer is slower in the SnAg/Cu and SnCu/Cu solder joints than that in the Sn/Cu joints.     

Effects of nano-Al2O3 additions on microstructure development and hardness of Sn3.5Ag0.5Cu solder

This work investigates the effects of nano-Al₂O₃ on the microstructure and microhardness of the Sn3.5Ag0.5Cu composite solder alloy. In comparison with solder without the addition of nano-Al₂O₃ particles, the formation of primary β-Sn phase, the Ag₃Sn phase average size, and the spacing lamellae decreased significantly in the composite solder matrix. In addition, the eutectic areas of the composite solder were wider than that of the Sn3.5Ag0.5Cu solder. This is attributed to the adsorption of nano-Al₂O₃ particles with high surface free energy on the grain surface during solidification. The wettability property was improved by 0.25–0.5 wt.% addition of nano-Al₂O₃ particles into the Sn3.5Ag0.5Cu solder. However, when the nano-Al₂O₃ particles concentration up to over 1.0 wt.% decreased the beneficial influence. Microhardness improved with the addition of nano-Al₂O₃ particles. This improved mechanical property was due to the composite microstructure, which is close to the theoretical prediction from dispersion strengthening theory.     

Interfacial reaction and IMCs growth behavior of Sn3Ag0.5Cu/Ni solder bump during aging at various temperatures

The interfacial reaction, morphology, and growth behavior of interfacial intermetallic compound (IMC) between the Sn–3Ag–0.5Cu (in wt%) solder and Ni substrate during reflow at 523 K for 300 s and aging at different temperatures for up to 360 h were investigated, and the growth kinetics of the interfacial Ni–Cu–Sn ternary IMC layers were monitored during the isothermal aging. The experimental results showed that a bi-layer of IMCs including (Cu, Ni)₆Sn₅/Ni and (Ni, Cu)₃Sn₄ was detected at the Sn3Ag0.5Cu/Ni interface. A (Ni, Cu)₃Sn₄ layer formed at the (Cu, Ni)₆Sn₅/Ni interface and once the (Ni, Cu)₃Sn₄ layer had formed, it grew at an exceptionally rapid rate by consuming the (Cu, Ni)₆Sn₅ layer. The (Cu, Ni)₆Sn₅ layer was much thicker than the (Ni, Cu)₃Sn₄ layer after reflowing, but the (Ni, Cu)₃Sn₄ layer thickened rapidly and would to be thicker than the (Cu, Ni)₆Sn₅ layer after prolonged aging. The (Ni, Cu)₃Sn₄ grains revealed an elongated, rod-like shape while the (Cu, Ni)₆Sn₅ IMC was Polyhedral shape, which was on the top of (Ni, Cu)₃Sn₄ phase. The thicknesses of total IMC and (Ni, Cu)₃Sn₄ increased linearly with square root of aging time, while the thickness of (Cu, Ni)₆Sn₅ did not increase significantly. The activation energies for the diffusion constants of the total interfacial IMC and (Ni, Cu)₃Sn₄ IMC layers were obtained by plotting the diffusion constants (D) as a function of the aging temperature (1/T), and were 91.43 and 89 KJmol^?1, respectively.     

锌对Sn3.5Ag0.5Cu钎料合金微结构及性能的影响

运用莱卡显微镜、X射线衍射仪等仪器设备,研究了添加元素Zn对Sn3.5Ag0.5Cu钎料合金微结构及性能的影响.结果表明,Zn与Cu、Ag形成化合物AgZn、CuZn3,能显著细化Sn3.5Ag0.5Cu钎料组织;添加元素Zn后的Sn3.5Ag0.5Cu钎料合金的显微硬度提高11%,蠕变抗力也得到明显提高;运用键参数函数理论分析了Zn对Sn3.5Ag0.5Cu钎料合金微结构及性能影响的作用机理.[作者单位].5Cu钎料;组织;性能;键参数函数     

Interfacial reaction and properties of Sn0.3Ag0.7Cu containing nano-TiN solder joints

Ultra-low silver Sn0.3Ag0.7Cu (SAC0307) solder is arousing widespread attention because of its low cost. In this paper, the morphology of interfacial intermetallic compounds, microstructure, melting point, wettability and mechanical property of SAC0307 containing nano-TiN solders were investigated using scanning electricity microscope, transmission electron microscopy, micro-joints strength tester and differential scanning calorimetry. Results show that the addition of trace nano-TiN into SAC0307 solder can restrict the growth behavior of interfacial IMC and refine the microstructure of the solder joints. When 0.2 wt% nano-TiN particles were added, the interfacial thickness of SAC0307 solder joint dropped from 2.1 to 1.92 μm. Moreover, the wettability and mechanical property of SAC0307 solder joints were also significantly enhanced, but it has little influence on the melting characteristics of the solder.