Comparison of electroplated eutectic Bi/Sn and Pb/Sn solder bumpson various UBM systems

The effect of a reflow process and under bump metallurgy (UBM) systems on the growth of intermetallic compounds (IMC) of the 57Bi/43Sn and 37Pb/63Sn solder bump/UBM interfaces was investigated. The selected UBM systems were sputtered Al/Ti/Cu, sputtered Al/NiV/Cu, Al/electroless Ni/immersion Au, and Al/Ti/electroless Cu. An alloy electroplating method was used for the solder bumping process. The microstructure and composition of intermetallic compound (IMC) phases and their morphologies were examined using scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction. The Cu₆Sn₅ η'-phase IMC appeared on all Cu containing UBM cases with Pb/Sn and Bi/Sn solders and the Cu ₃Sn ϵ-phase was detected only with Pb/Sn solder bumps. The Ni₃Sn₄ IMC was found to be the main IMC phase between Ni and solder. The Ni₃Sn secondary IMC was also detected on the electroless Ni UBM with PbSn solder after ten times reflow. Through the bump shear test, Al/NiV/Cu, Al/elNi/Au, and Al/Ti/elCu UBMs showed good stability with Bi/Sn and Pb/Sn solder in terms of metallurgical aspects     

Correlation between interfacial reactions and mechanical strengths of Sn(Cu)/Ni(P) solder bumps

The correlation between interfacial reactions and mechanical strengths of Sn(Cu)/Ni(P) solder bumps has been studied. Upon solid-state aging, a diffusion-controlled process was observed for the interfacial Ni-Sn compound formation of the Sn/Ni(P) reaction couple and the activation energy is calculated to be 42 KJ/mol. For the Sn0.7Cu/Ni(P), in the initial aging, a needle-shaped Ni-Sn compound layer formed on Ni(P). Then, it was gradually covered by a layer of the Cu-Sn compound in the later aging process. Hence, a mixture layer of Ni-Sn and Cu-Sn compounds formed at the interface. For the Sn3.0Cu/Ni(P), a thick Cu-Sn compound layer quickly formed on Ni(P), which retarded the Ni-Sn compound formation and resulted in a distinct Cu-Sn compound/Ni(P) interface. The shear test results show that the mixture interface of Sn0.7Cu bumps have fair shear strengths against the aging process. In contrast, the distinct Cu-Sn/Ni(P) interface of Sn3.0Cu solder bumps is relatively weak and exhibits poor resistance against the aging process. Upon the reflowing process, the gap formation at the Ni(P)/Cu interface caused a fast degradation in the interfacial strength for Sn solder bumps. For Sn0.7Cu and Sn3.0Cu solder bumps, Ni₃P formation was greatly retarded by the self-formed Cu-Sn compound layer. Therefore, Sn(Cu) solder bumps show better shear strengths over the Sn solder bump.     

Experimental characterization and mechanical behavior analysis of intermetallic compounds of Sn–3.5Ag lead-free solder bump with Ti/Cu/Ni UBM on copper chip

Due to today’s trend towards ‘green’ products, the environmentally conscious manufacturers are moving toward lead-free schemes for electronic devices and components. Nowadays the bumping process has become a branch of the infrastructure of flip chip bonding technology. However, the formation of excessively brittle intermetallic compound (IMC) between under bump metallurgy (UBM)/solder bump interface influences the strength of solder bumps within flip chips, and may create a package reliability issue. Based on the above reason, this study investigated the mechanical behavior of lead-free solder bumps affected by the solder/UBM IMC formation in the duration of isothermal aging. To attain the objective, the test vehicles of Sn–Ag (lead-free) and Sn–Pb solder bump systems designed in different solder volumes as well as UBM diameters were used to experimentally characterize their mechanical behavior. It is worth to mention that, to study the IMC growth mechanism and the mechanical behavior of a electroplated solder bump on a Ti/Cu/Ni UBM layer fabricated on a copper chip, the test vehicles are composed of, from bottom to top, a copper metal pad on silicon substrate, a Ti/Cu/Ni UBM layer and electroplated solder bumps. By way of metallurgical microscope and scanning-electron-microscope (SEM) observation, the interfacial microstructure of test vehicles was measured and analyzed. In addition, a bump shear test was utilized to determine the strength of solder bumps. Different shear displacement rates were selected to study the time-dependent failure mechanism of the solder bumps. The results indicated that after isothermal aging treatment at 150 °C for over 1000 h, the Sn–Ag solder revealed a better maintenance of bump strength than that of the Sn–Pb solder, and the Sn–Pb solder showed a higher IMC growth rate than that of Sn–Ag solder. In addition, it was concluded that the test vehicles of copper chip with the selected Ti/Cu/Ni UBMs showed good bump strength in both the Sn–Ag and Sn–Pb systems as the IMC grows. Furthermore, the study of shear displacement rate effect on the solder bump strength indicates that the analysis of bump strength versus thermal aging time should be identified as a qualitative analysis for solder bump strength determination rather than a quantitative one. In terms of the solder bump volume and the UBM size effects, neither the Sn–Ag nor the Sn–Pb solders showed any significant effect on the IMC growth rate.     

Pb-free Sn/3.5Ag electroplating bumping process and under bump metallization (UBM)

Pb-free solder is one of the biggest issues in today's electronic packaging industry. This paper introduces a newly developed Sn/3.5Ag alloy plating process for wafer level bumping. The effects of Under Bump Metallization (UBM) on the process, interfacial reaction, and mechanical strength have been investigated. Four different types of sputtering-based UBM layers-TiW/Cu/electroplated Cu, Cr/CrCu/Cu, NiV/Cu, and TiW/NiV-were fabricated with eutectic Pb/63Sn and Sn/3.5Ag solder. The result shows that the Sn/Ag solder gains Cu or Ni from UBM's and becomes Sn/Ag/Cu or Sn/Ag/Ni during reflow process. Sn/Ag solder has higher reactivity with Cu and Ni than Pb/63Sn. The Intermetallic Compound (IMC) spalling from the interface between UBM/solder has been observed on Cr/CrCu/Cu and TiW/NiV UBM's. However, the IMC spalling phenomena did not decrease the bump shear strength with a bump size of 110 /spl mu/m, whereas a size of 60 /spl mu/m brought a decrease in shear value and failure mode change.     

Plasma reflow bumping of Sn-3.5 Ag solder for flux-free flip chip package application

A new flux-free reflow process using Ar+10%H/sub 2/ plasma was investigated for application to solder bump flip chip packaging. The 100-/spl mu/m diameter Sn-3.5wt%Ag solder balls were bonded to 250-/spl mu/m pitch Cu/Ni under bump metallurgy (UBM) pattern by laser solder ball bonding method. Then, the Sn-Ag solder balls were reflowed in Ar+H/sub 2/ plasma. Without flux, the wetting between solder and UBM occurred in Ar+H/sub 2/ plasma. During plasma reflow, the solder bump reshaped and the crater on the top of bump disappeared. The bump shear strength increased as the Ni/sub 3/Sn/sub 4/ intermetallic compounds formed in the initial reflow stage but began to decrease as coarse (Cu,Ni)/sub 6/Sn/sub 5/ grew at the solder/UBM interface. As the plasma reflow time increased, the fracture mode changed from ductile fracture within the solder to brittle fracture at the solder/UBM interface. The off-centered bumps self-aligned to patterned UBM pad during plasma reflow. The micro-solder ball defects occurred at high power prolonged plasma reflow.     

Isothermal aging effects on the microstructure and solder bump shear strength of eutectic Sn37Pb and Sn3.5Ag solders

The reliability of the eutectic Sn37Pb (63%Sn37%Pb) and Sn3.5Ag (96.5%Sn3.5%Ag) solder bumps with an under bump metallization (UBM) consisting of an electroless Ni(P) plus a thin layer of Au was evaluated following isothermal aging at 150 °C. All the solder bumps remained intact after 1500 h aging at 150 °C. Solder bump microstructure evolution and interface structure change during isothermal aging were observed and correlated with the solder bump shear strength and failure modes. Cohesive solder failure was the only failure mode for the eutectic Sn37Pb solder bump, while partial cohesive solder failure and partial Ni(P) UBM/Al metallization interfacial delamination was the main failure mode for eutectic Sn3.5Ag solder bump.     

The microstructure characterization of ultrasmall eutectic Bi-Sn solder bumps on Au/Cu/Ti and Au/Ni/Ti under-bump metallization

The microstructure of the ultrasmall eutectic Bi-Sn solder bumps on Au/Cu/Ti and Au/Ni/Ti under-bump metallizations (UBMs) was investigated as a function of cooling rate. The ultrasmall eutectic Bi-Sn solder bump, about 50 μm in diameter, was fabricated by using the lift-off method and reflowed at various cooling rates using the rapid thermal annealing system. The microstructure of the solder bump was observed using a backscattered electron (BSE) image and the intermetallic compound was identified using energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) and an x-ray diffractometer (XRD). The Bi facet was found at the surface of the ultrasmall Bi-Sn solder bumps on the Au/Cu/Ti UBM in almost all specimens, and the interior microstructure of the bumps was changed with the solidification rate. The faceted and polygonal intermetallic compound was found in the case of the Bi-Sn solder bump on the Au (0.1 μm)/Ni/Ti UBM, and it was confirmed to be the (Au_1−x−yBi_xNi_y)Sn₂ phase by XRD. The intermetallic compounds grown form the Au (0.1 μm)/Ni/Ti UBM interface, and they interrupted the growth of Bi and Sn phases throughout the solder bump. The ultrasmall eutectic Bi-Sn solder bumps on the Au (0.025 μm)/Ni/Ti UBM showed similar microstructures to those on the Au/Cu/Ti UBM.     

Evaluation of Cu-bumps with lead-free solders for flip-chip package applications

Low cost electroplated Cu-bump with environmental friendly Sn solder was developed for flip-chip applications. The seed layer used was Ti/WN_x/Ti/Cu where WN_x was used as the Cu diffusion barrier and Ti was used to enhance the adhesion between bump and the chip pad. Thick negative photoresist (THB JSR-151N) with a high aspect ratio of 2.4 was used for electroplating of copper bump and Sn solder. The Sn solder cap was reflowed at 225° for 6 min at N₂ atmosphere. No wetting phenomenon was observed for the Sn solder as evaluated by energy-dispersed spectroscopy (EDS). The Cu-bump with Ti/WN_x/Ti/Cu seed layer not only have higher shear force than the Cu-bump with Ti/Cu seed layer but also has higher resistance to fatigue failure than the Au, SnCu, SnAg bumps.     

Interfacial reaction between multicomponent lead-free solders and Ag,Cu, Ni,and Pd substrates

The interfacial reaction between two prototype multicomponent lead-free solders, Sn-3.4Ag-1Bi-0.7Cu-4In and Sn-3.4Ag-3Bi-0.7Cu-4In (mass%), and Ag, Cu, Ni, and Pd substrates are studied at 250°C and 150°C. The microstructural characterization of the solder bumps is carried out by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) coupled with energy dispersive x-ray analysis. Ambient temperature, isotropic elastic properties (bulk, shear, and Young’s moduli and Poisson’s ratio) of these solders along with eutectic Sn-Ag, Sn-Bi, and Sn-Zn solders are measured. The isotropic elastic moduli of multicomponent solders are very similar to the eutectic Sn-Ag solder. The measured solubility of the base metal in liquid solders at 250°C agrees very well with the solubility limits reported in assessed Sn-X (X=Ag, Cu, Ni, Pd) phase diagrams. The measured contact angles were generally less than 15° on Cu and Pd substrates, while they were between 25° and 30° on Ag and Ni substrates. The observed intermediate phases in Ag/solder couples were Ag₃Sn after reflow at 250°C and Ag₃Sn and ζ (Ag-Sn) after solid-state aging at 150°C. In Cu/solder and Ni/solder couples, the interfacial phases were Cu₆Sn₅ and (Cu,Ni)₆Sn₅, respectively. In Pd/solder couples, only PdSn₄ after 60-sec reflow, while both PdSn₄ and PdSn₃ after 300-sec reflow, were observed.     

Effects of self-aligned electroplating Cu pillar/Sn-xAg bump on dense Al lines for chip-to-package connection

Self-aligned electroplating is applied to form the Cu pillar/Sn-Ag bump for semiconductor device packaging, while passivation SiN cracks are usually observed at the bump edge on the bump of the array (BOA). In this paper, the simulation method was used to investigate the mechanism of SiN cracks and then, the bump process was optimized to improve the mechanical properties of the Cu pillar/Sn-Ag bump. It was found that higher reflow rounds could improve the shear strength due to the large degree of contact between the rugged scallop-like shape of the Cu₆Sn₅ and the Sn-Ag solder. The fracture plane cleaved between the Sn-Ag and Cu₆Sn₅ interface is consistent with the simulation results. The hardness of the Sn‒Ag solder is proportional to the reflow rounds, and the amount of Ag₃Sn phase precipitation within the Sn-Ag solder contributes to the hardness value. In contrast, the disadvantage is that thermal residual stress could deteriorate the SiN crack, especially for a BOA structure The study concludes that an optimal bump process, including Sn-2%Ag solders at 260 °C for 30 s, could obtain a high shear strength and appropriate solder hardness without passivated SiN cracking.     

A study in flip-chip UBM/bump reliability with effects of SnPb solder composition

This paper aims to investigate the electromigration phenomenon of under-bump-metallization (UBM) and solder bumps of a flip-chip package under high temperature operation life test (HTOL). UBM is a thin film Al/Ni(V)/Cu metal stack of 1.5 μm; while bump material consists of Sn/37Pb, Sn/90Pb, and Sn/95Pb solder. Current densities of 2500 and 5000 A/cm² and ambient temperatures of 150–160 °C are applied to study their impact on electromigration. It is observed that bump temperature has more significant influence than current density does to bump failures. Owing to its higher melting point characteristics and less content of Sn phase, Sn/95Pb solder bumps are observed to have 13-fold improvement in Mean-Time-To-Failure (MTTF) than that of eutectic Sn/37Pb. Individual bump resistance history is calculated to evaluate UBM/bump degradation. The measured resistance increase is from bumps with electrical current flowing upward into UBM/bump interface (cathode), while bumps having opposite current polarity cause only minor resistance change. The identified failure sites and modes from aforementioned high resistance bumps reveal structural damages at the region of UBM and UBM/bump interface in forms of solder cracking or delamination. Effects of current polarity and crowding are key factors to observed electromigration behavior of flip-chip packages.     

Manufacturing and materials properties of Ti/Cu/ElectrolessNi/solder bump on Si

This work attempted to fabricate the solder bump with the structure: Si/Ti/Cu/Electroless Ni/solder. The shear strength of the solder bump, with bump pad of 60 μm in diameter, is around 15 g/bump prior to and after reflow. The solder bumps fractured at the solder. Humidity test at 85% of relative humidity at 85°C and a high temperature treatment at 150°C for 1000 h tend to downgrade the shear strength of the solder portion of the bump, yet not the interface. Both treatments enhance the growth of intermetallic compound (IMC) formed between Ni and solder. The barrier effect of electroless nickel deposit was investigated     

Under bump metallurgy study for Pb-free bumping

The demand for Pb-free and high-density interconnection technology is rapidly growing. The electroplating-bumping method is a good approach to meet finepitch requirements, especially for high-volume production, because to volume change of patterned-solder bumps during reflow is not so large compared with the stencil-printing method. This paper proposes a Sn/3.5 Ag Pb-free electroplating-bumping process for high-density Pb-free interconnects. It was found that a plated Sn/Ag bump becomes Sn/Ag/Cu by reflowing when Cu containing under bump metallurgy (UBM) is used. Another important issue for future flip-chip interconnects is to optimize the UBM system for high-density and Pb-free solder bumps. In this work, four UBM systems, sputtered TiW 0.2 μm/Cu 0.3 μm/electroplated Cu 5 μm, sputtered Cr 0.15 μm/Cr-Cu 0.3 μm/Cu 0.8 μm, sputtered NiV 0.2 μm/Cu 0.8 μm, and sputtered TiW 0.2 μm/NiV 0.8 μm, were investigated for interfacial reaction with electroplated Pb/63Sn and Sn/3.5Ag solder bumps. Both Cu-Sn and Ni-Sn intermetallic compound (IMC) growth were observed to spall-off from the UBM/solder interface when the solder-wettable layer is consumed during a liquid-state “reflow” process. This IMC-spalling mechanism differed depending on the barrier layer material.     

Study of Thermal Aging Effects on Intermetallic Growth Mechanisms and Shear Strength Behavior of Wafer-Level Solder Bumps

The effect of wafer-level solder bump size on solder bump shear strength and intermetallic growth as a function of time, at different storage temperatures is studied, using solder bumps of two different heights: 95 $mu{hbox {m}}$ (SB95) and 142 $mu{hbox {m}}$ (SB142). Smaller solder bumps (SB95) lead to a faster decrease in bump shear strength. Increasing aging temperature and time brings about an increase in the final fracture area of the solder, from a ductile to a quasi-brittle failure mode. It is observed that the smaller solder bump (SB95) exhibits a faster rate of increase in final fracture area, than the bigger bump. A linear decrease of solder bump shear strength with intermetallic thickness is established for the systems studied. Degradation of solder bump shear strength is found to be affected by the relative volume of the solder bump with respect to Ni/Au, such that a lower solder bump to Ni/Au volume ratio leads to faster shear strength degradation, due to the consumption of Cu in the bulk solder bump and the formation of brittle intermetallics. The overall intermetallic growth activation energies for the two solder bump sizes are found to be comparable, at 0.85– 0.86 eV. For this study, $({hbox {Cu}},{hbox {Ni}})_{6} {hbox {Sn}}_{5}$, is initially formed, at the solder bump-to-under bump metallization (UBM) interface, followed by the formation of $({hbox {Ni}},{hbox {Cu}})_{3} {hbox {Sn}}_{4}$, between the UBM and the $({hbox {Cu}},{hbox {Ni}})_{6} {hbox {Sn}}_{5}$ intermetallic layer.      

Effects of Cu contents in Pb-free solder alloys on interfacial reactions and bump reliability of Pb-free solder bumps on electroless Ni-P under-bump metallurgy

Using the screen-printed solder-bumping technique on the electroless plated Ni-P under-bump metallurgy (UBM) is potentially a good method because of cost effectiveness. As SnAgCu Pb-free solders become popular, demands for understanding of interfacial reactions between electroless Ni-P UBMs and Cu-containing Pb-free solder bumps are increasing. It was found that typical Ni-Sn reactions between the electroless Ni-P UBM and Sn-based solders were substantially changed by adding small amounts of Cu in Sn-based Pb-free solder alloys. In Cu-containing solder bumps, the (Cu,Ni)₆Sn₅ phase formed during initial reflow, followed by (Ni,Cu)₃Sn₄ phase formation during further reflow and aging. The Sn3.5Ag solder bumps showed a much faster electroless Ni-P UBM consumption rate than Cu-containing solder bumps: Sn4.0Ag0.5Cu and Sn0.7Cu. The initial formation of the (Cu,Ni)₆Sn₅ phase in SnAgCu and SnCu solders significantly reduced the consumption of the Ni-P UBM. The more Cu-containing solder showed slower consumption rate of the Ni-P UBM than the less Cu-containing solder below 300°C heat treatments. The growth rate of the (Cu,Ni)₆Sn₅ intermetallic compound (IMC) should be determined by substitution of Ni atoms into the Cu sublattice in the solid (Cu,Ni)₆Sn₅ IMC. The Cu contents in solder alloys only affected the total amount of the (Cu,Ni)₆Sn₅ IMC. More Cu-containing solders were recommended to reduce consumption of the Ni-based UBM. In addition, bump shear strength and failure analysis were performed using bump shear test.     

Properties of quad flat package joints using Sn-Zn-Bi solder with varying lead-plating materials

The effects of plating materials (Sn-10Pb, Sn-3.5Ag, Sn-3Bi, Sn-0.7Cu, and Au/Pd/Ni) on Cu leads on quad flat package (QFP) joints using a Sn-8Zn-3Bi solder were investigated. The joints with Sn-3.5Ag plating and Sn-8Zn-3Bi solder had the slowest growth rate of interfacial reaction layers and the highest strength. The Ag dissolution into the interfacial reaction layers causes this increased strength. The Sn-Ag plating is the best plating material for Cu leads among the five kinds of plating using Sn-8Zn-3Bi solder.     

A reliability comparison of electroplated and stencil printed flip-chip solder bumps based on UBM related intermetallic compound growth properties

The effects of under bump metallurgy (UBM) microstructures on the intermetallic compound (IMC) growth of electroplated and stencil printed eutectic Sn-Pb solder bumps were investigated. The process parameters and their effects on UBM surface morphology and UBM shear strength were studied. For the electroplating process, the plating current density was the dominant factor to control the Cu UBM microstructure. For the stencil printing process, the zincation process has the most significant effect on the Ni UBM surface roughness and Ni grain sizes. In both processes, the good adhesion of UBM to aluminum can be obtained under suitable UBM processing conditions. Samples with different UBM microstructures were prepared using the two processes. The resulting samples were thermal aged at 85/spl deg/C, 120/spl deg/C, and 150/spl deg/C. It was observed that the Cu UBM surface roughness had larger effect on the IMC growth and solder ball shear strength than the Ni UBM surface roughness. The thickness of Cu/sub 3/Sn and Cu/sub 6/Sn/sub 5/ IMC depended strongly on the UBM microstructure. However, for Ni/Au UBM, no significant dependence was observed. More likely, the thickness of Au-Ni-Sn IMC near the IMC/solder interface was controlled by the amount of gold and the gold diffusion rate in the solder. Shear tests were performed after thermal aging tests and thermal/humidity tests. Different failure modes of different sample groups were analyzed. Electroless Ni UBM has been developed because it is a mask-less, low-cost process compared to electroplated Cu UBM. This study demonstrated that the process control was much easier for Ni UBM due to its lower reactivity with Sn material. These properties made Ni UBM a promising candidate for the lead-free solder applications.     

Manufacturing of Cu/electroless nickel/Sn-Pb flip chip solder bumps

A process for manufacturing Cu/electroless Ni/Sn-Pb solder bump is discussed in this paper. An attempt to replace zincation with a Cu film as an active layer for the electroless Ni (EN) deposition on Al electrode on Si wafer is presented. Cu/electroless Ni is applied as under bump metallurgy (UBM) for solder bump. The Cu film required repeated etches with nitric acid along with activation to achieve a satisfactory EN deposit. Fluxes incorporating rosin and succinic acid were investigated for wetting kinetics and reflow effectiveness of the electroplated solder bump. The solder plating current density and the reflow condition for achieving solder bumps with uniform bump height were described. The Cu/EN/Sn-Pb solder system was found to be successfully produced on Al terminal in this study that avoids using zincating process     

Sn-Zn-Al Pb-free solder—An inherent barrier solder for Cu contact

Flip chip solder bumps were produced on Cu contact applying Sn-9Zn-xAl Pb-free solder by dipping method. The solder bumps were tested under 85 C/85% RH (relative humidity) or at 150 C for 1000 hours to explore the shear strength and the interfacial interaction behavior. Experimental results revealed that Al and Zn, while not Sn, diffuse to the Cu/solder interface during the extended period test. A thin layer of Al_4.2Cu_3.2Zn_0.7 compound, characterized by XRD, was formed at the interface of the as-produced solder bump. This compound which resulted from the gathering of Al at the interface, provides a barrier to Sn diffusion toward Cu substrate and, thus, no Cu-Sn compound was detected. This is the first time to find a Sn-containing solder which, in contact with Cu, does not form Cu-Sn intermetallic compound during heat treatment and, thus, the Sn-Zn-Al solder is termed an inherent barrier solder.     

化学镀Ni-P在纯锡凸点的应用及界面研究

采用化学镀Ni-P作UBM阻挡层,利用电镀的方法制备了面阵列和周边排布的无铅纯锡凸点,凸点高度为85±2μm,一致性良好。研究了不同回流温度下纯锡焊球的剪切强度、断裂模式和与Ni-P层反应生成的金属间化合物。结果表明,纯锡凸点回流时与Ni-P生成针状Ni3Sn4,凸点剪切强度达到92MPa以上。剪切断裂为韧性断裂,随着回流温度提高及回流时间延长,Ni3Sn4相由针状向块状转变,Ni-P层与Ni3Sn4层间生成层状Ni3P相,粗化的Ni3Sn4相受压应力向焊球内部脱落。