Mechanical Characterization of Lead-Free Sn-Ag-Cu Solder Joints by High-Temperature Nanoindentation

The reliability of Pb-free solder joints is controlled by their microstructural constituents. Therefore, knowledge of the solder microconstituents’ mechanical properties as a function of temperature is required. Sn-Ag-Cu lead-free solder alloy contains three phases: a Sn-rich phase, and the intermetallic compounds (IMCs) Cu₆Sn₅ and Ag₃Sn. Typically, the Sn-rich phase is surrounded by a eutectic mixture of β-Sn, Cu₆Sn₅, and Ag₃Sn. In this paper, we report on the Young’s modulus and hardness of the Cu₆Sn₅ and Cu₃Sn IMCs, the β-Sn phase, and the eutectic compound, as measured by nanoindentation at elevated temperatures. For both the β-Sn phase and the eutectic compound, the hardness and Young’s modulus exhibited strong temperature dependence. In the case of the intermetallics, this temperature dependence is observed for Cu₆Sn₅, but the mechanical properties of Cu₃Sn are more stable up to 200°C.     

Influence of Dopant on Growth of Intermetallic Layers in Sn-Ag-Cu Solder Joints

The interfacial interaction between Cu substrates and Sn-3.5Ag-0.7Cu-xSb (x = 0, 0.2, 0.5, 0.8, 1.0, 1.5, and 2.0) solder alloys has been investigated under different isothermal aging temperatures of 100°C, 150°C, and 190°C. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was used to measure the thickness of the intermetallic compound (IMC) layer and observe the microstructural evolution of the solder joints. The IMC phases were identified by energy-dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (EDX) and x-ray diffractometry (XRD). The growth of both the Cu₆Sn₅ and Cu₃Sn IMC layers at the interface between the Cu substrate and the solder fits a power-law relationship with the exponent ranging from 0.42 to 0.83, which suggests that the IMC growth is primarily controlled by diffusion but may also be influenced by interface reactions. The activation energies and interdiffusion coefficients of the IMC formation of seven solder alloys were determined. The addition of Sb has a strong influence on the growth of the Cu₆Sn₅ layer, but very little influence on the formation of the Cu₃Sn IMC phase. The thickness of the Cu₃Sn layer rapidly increases with aging time and temperature, whereas the thickness of the Cu₆Sn₅ layer increases slowly. This is probably due to the formation of Cu₃Sn at the interface between two IMC phases, which occurs with consumption of Cu₆Sn₅. Adding antimony to Sn-3.5Ag-0.7Cu solder can evidently increase the activation energy of Cu₆Sn₅ IMC formation, reduce the atomic diffusion rate, and thus inhibit excessive growth of Cu₆Sn₅ IMCs. This study suggests that grain boundary pinning is one of the most important mechanisms for inhibiting the growth of Cu₆Sn₅ IMCs in such solder joints when Sb is added.     

Incorporation of Interfacial Intermetallic Morphology in Fracture Mechanism Map for Sn-Ag-Cu Solder Joints

A fracture mechanism map (FMM) is a powerful tool which correlates the fracture behavior of a material to its microstructural characteristics in an explicit and convenient way. In the FMM for solder joints, an effective thickness of the interfacial intermetallic compound (IMC) layer (t _eff) and the solder yield strength (σ _ys,eff) are used as abscissa and ordinate axes, respectively, as these two predominantly affect the fracture behavior of solder joints. Earlier, a definition of t _eff, based on the uniform thickness of IMC (t _u) and the average height of the IMC scallops (t _s), was proposed and shown to aptly explain the fracture behavior of solder joints on Cu. This paper presents a more general definition of t _eff that is more widely applicable to a range of metallizations, including Cu and electroless nickel immersion gold (ENIG). Using this new definition of t _eff, mode I FMM for SAC387/Cu joints has been updated and its validity was confirmed. A preliminary FMM for SAC387/Cu joints with ENIG metallization is also presented.     

Size and Volume Effects on the Strength of Microscale Lead-Free Solder Joints

The fracture behavior of microscale lead-free Sn-3.0Ag-0.5Cu solder joints of different sizes was investigated under quasistatic microtension loading. The experimental results show that the ultimate tensile strength of a joint does not always increase with decreasing thickness-to-diameter ratio (d/t), which is commonly regarded as the dominant factor for mechanical constraint in the joint. A clear joint volume effect on the strength has been found, i.e., the joint’s strength increases with decreasing joint volume ( V = \fracp4d² t ), \left( {V = {\frac{\pi }{4}}d^{2} t} \right), and the correlation follows an inverse proportional function reasonably well.     

High-Temperature Resistant Intermetallic Compound Joints for Si Chips and Cu Substrates

A thin-film joining method utilizing evaporated films as the joining material was newly developed for power semiconductor die attachment. When the evaporated films are completely transformed into intermetallic compounds (IMCs) with high melting points, the joint can exhibit the required high-temperature strength. In this study, a joint consisting of Cu₆Sn₅, (Ag,Cu)₃Sn, and Cu₃Sn IMCs was achieved at 573 K after 30 s. Results of nanoindentation tests revealed the hardness and elastic moduli of each IMC. In accelerated tests, a high-temperature strength of at least 15 MPa was shown for 3.6 Ms at 423 K or 500 cycles between 223 K and 403 K. These results suggest that the IMC joint has great potential as a die-attach material.     

Comparison of Sn-Ag-Cu Solder Alloy Intermetallic Compound Growth Under Different Thermal Excursions for Fine-PitchFlip-Chip Assemblies

The intermetallic compound (IMC) evolution in Cu pad/Sn-Ag-Cu solder interface and Sn-Ag-Cu solder/Ni pad interface was investigated using thermal shock experiments with 100-μm-pitch flip-chip assemblies. The experiments show that low standoff height of solder joints and high thermomechanical stress play a great role in the interfacial IMC microstructure evolution under thermal shock, and strong cross-reaction of pad metallurgies is evident in the intermetallic growth. Furthermore, by comparing the IMC growth during thermal aging and thermal shock, it was found that thermal shock accelerates IMC growth and that kinetic models based on thermal aging experiments underpredict IMC growth in thermal shock experiments. Therefore, new diffusion kinetic parameters were determined for the growth of (Cu,Ni)₆Sn₅ using thermal shock experiments, and the Cu diffusion coefficient through the IMC layer was calculated to be 0.2028 μm²/h under thermal shock. Finite-element models also show that the solder stresses are higher under thermal shock, which could explain why the IMC growth is faster and greater under thermal shock cycling as opposed to thermal aging.     

Effect of Ni-Coated Carbon Nanotubes on Interfacial Reaction and Shear Strength of Sn-Ag-Cu Solder Joints

In this study, varying weight percentages of Ni-coated carbon nanotubes (Ni-CNTs) were incorporated into Sn-Ag-Cu (SAC) solder matrix, to form composite solder. Up to 0.05% of Ni-CNTs were successfully incorporated. The interfacial microstructure and shear strength of solders on Ni/Au-finished Cu substrates were investigated after aging at 150°C for up to 42?days. Results revealed that, after soldering and aging for various lengths of time, the interfacial intermetallic compound (IMC) thickness of the unreinforced solder joint was observed to grow more significantly than that of the composite solder joints. Furthermore, the composite solder joints also showed lower diffusion coefficients (2.5?×?10^?15?cm²/s to 3.2?×?10^?15?cm²/s) compared with that of the SAC solder joints (4.9?×?10^?15?cm²/s). Shear test results revealed that as-soldered and aged composite solder joints had better ultimate shear strength than their monolithic counterparts and the shear strength of all aged solder joints decreased with increasing aging time.     

Sn-Ag-Cu无铅钎料互连焊点的电迁移研究进展

电迁移问题作为影响焊点可靠性的关键问题之一,容易导致焊点出现裂纹、丘凸和空洞等焊接缺陷.其失效机制有电流拥挤效应、焦耳热效应、极化效应和金属间化合物失效等.聚焦Sn-Ag-Cu系无铅钎料焊点的电迁移问题,介绍了这一领域电迁移的失效机制、影响因素和防止措施的研究现状,并展望了今后的研究发展趋势.     

Study of Solidification Cracks in Sn-Ag-Cu Lead-Free Solder Joints

In the present work, solidification cracks in Sn-Ag-Cu solder joints were investigated. Experimental results indicate that solidification cracks existed in significant numbers in the miniature Sn-Ag-Cu solder joints. In order to create solidification cracks in the miniature solder joints during solidification and evaluate the susceptibility of Sn-Ag-Cu alloys to solidification cracking, a copper self-restraint specimen was designed, which can simulate the process of solidification crack formation. The solidification crack susceptibility of the Sn-Ag-Cu solder alloy was evaluated using the total crack length of the solder joint. In addition, the effect of trace amounts of elemental additions on solidification cracking of Sn-Ag-Cu solder joints was studied. It was found that adding trace amounts of Ni or Ce could depress the solidification cracks in Sn-3.0Ag-0.5Cu solder joints. However, P additions aggravated the formation of solidification cracks.     

Y2O3增强Sn-3Ag-0.5Cu复合无铅钎料

研究了稀土氧化物颗粒增强复合无铅钎料Sn-3Ag-0.5Cu-Y2O3的钎焊接头的显微组织形貌、性能特点及有关影响机制.结果表明:Y2O3增强颗粒均匀分布于Sn-3Ag-0.5Cu钎料基体中,不仅细化了钎焊接头中共晶相Ag3Sn和Cu6Sn5相颗粒尺寸,而且也显著提高了钎焊接头的剪切强度.另外适量Y2O3颗粒的添加对钎料润湿性影响不大.     

Ball Impact Responses of Ni- or Ge-Doped Sn-Ag-Cu Solder Joints

In this work, we present ball impact test (BIT) responses and fractographies obtained at an impact velocity of 500 mm/s on Sn-4Ag-0.5Cu, Sn-1Ag-0.5Cu, Sn-1Ag-0.5Cu-0.05Ni, Sn-1.2Ag-0.5Cu-0.05Ni, and Sn-1Ag-0.5Cu-0.05Ge package-level solder joints. The solder joints are bonded on substrate pads of either immersion tin (IT) or direct solder on pad (DSOP) surface finishes. Differences of BIT results with respect to multi-reflow are also reported. Taking the impact energy as an indication of board-level drop reliability of the solder joints, the BIT results indicate that better reliability can be achieved by adopting Sn-Ag-Cu solder alloys with low Ag weight contents as well as IT substrate pad finish rather than DSOP. Moreover, the addition of Ni or Ge to the solder alloy provides a large improvement; Ni alters the interfacial intermetallic compound (IMC) structure while Ge enhances the mechanical behavior of the bulk solder.     

The Influence of Sn Orientation on Intermetallic Compound Evolution in Idealized Sn-Ag-Cu 305 Interconnects: an Electron Backscatter Diffraction Study of Electromigration

Previous research showed the relationship between Sn grain orientation and the intermetallic growth rate in Sn-Ag-Cu (SAC)305 interconnects. Samples with the Sn c-axis aligned parallel to the current flow have an intermetallic compound growth rate significantly faster than samples with the c-axis perpendicular to the current flow. This study continues the previous research by investigating intermetallic growth in polygranular joints and in joints that have a thin Ni layer at the cathodic or anodic interface of the interconnect. Planar SAC305 interconnects were sandwiched between two Cu pads (sometimes incorporating a thin Ni layer at the interface) and subjected to uniaxial current. The crystallographic orientation of Sn in these samples was characterized with electron backscatter diffraction before and after electromigration testing. The results show that polycrystalline joints have relatively slow intermetallic growth rates, close to those found in single-crystal joints with the c-axis perpendicular to the current. When a Ni layer was present on the anode side, the intermetallic grew at a rate comparable to that in samples without a Ni layer. However, when the Ni layer was on the cathode side, the intermetallic growth was significantly retarded. The measured growth rates of the intermetallic, combined with literature values for the diffusion of Cu in Sn, were used to calculate values for the effective charge, z ^*, which is significantly smaller for samples with current parallel to the c-axis than for either polycrystalline samples or samples with the c-axis perpendicular to the electron flow.     

Impact of Thermal Cycling on Sn-Ag-Cu Solder Joints and Board-Level Drop Reliability

The electronic packaging industry uses electroless nickel immersion gold (ENIG) or Cu-organic solderability preservative (Cu-OSP) as a bonding pad surface finish for solder joints. In portable electronic products, drop impact tests induce solder joint failures via the interfacial intermetallic, which is a serious reliability concern. The intermetallic compound (IMC) is subjected to thermal cycling, which negatively affects the drop impact reliability. In this work, the reliability of lead-free Sn-3.0Ag-0.5Cu (SAC) soldered fine-pitch ball grid array assemblies were investigated after being subjected to a combination of thermal cycling followed by board level drop tests. Drop impact tests conducted before and after thermal aging cycles (500, 1000, and 1500 thermal cycles) show a transition of failure modes and a significant reduction in drop durability for both SAC/ENIG and SAC/Cu-OSP soldered assemblies. Without thermal cycling aging, the boards with the Cu-OSP surface finish exhibit better drop impact reliability than those with ENIG. However, the reverse is true if thermal cycle (TC) aging is performed. For SAC/Cu-OSP soldered assemblies, a large number of Kirkendall voids were observed at the interface between the intermetallic and Cu pad after thermal cycling aging. The void formation resulted in weak bonding between the solder and Cu, leading to brittle interface fracture in the drop impact test, which resulted in significantly lower drop test lifetimes. For SAC/ENIG soldered assemblies, the consumption of Ni in the formation of NiCuSn intermetallics induced vertical voids in the Ni(P) layer.     

Enhancing the Ductility of Sn-Ag-Cu Lead-Free Solder Joints by Addition of Compliant Intermetallics

Tin (Sn)-rich lead (Pb)-free solders containing rare-earth (RE) elements have been shown to exhibit desirable attributes of microstructural refinement and enhanced ductility relative to conventional Sn-3.9Ag-0.7Cu lead-free solder, due to the unique mechanical properties of RE-Sn intermetallics. However, the roles of soft intermetallic phase in the enhanced ductility of Pb-free solder still need to be further investigated. In this paper, Ca and Mn were selected as doping elements for Sn-Ag-Cu solder. The mechanical properties of Ca-Sn and Mn-Sn intermetallics as a function of indentation depth were measured by nanoindentation using the continuous stiffness method (CSM). The microstructure and mechanical properties of as-reflowed Ca- and Mn-containing Sn-Ag-Cu solder joints were studied and compared with those of conventional Sn-Ag-Cu and RE-containing solder joints. It is shown that soft intermetallics result in higher ductility in Pb-free solders.     

Effect of Ag Content on Solidification Cracking Susceptibility of Sn-Ag-Cu Solder Joints

In the present work, the effect of Ag content on solidification cracking susceptibility of Sn-Ag-Cu solder joints has been investigated. Solders containing 1.0 wt.% to 3.8 wt.% Ag were used in the experiment. Solidification cracks were created using a copper self-restraint specimen, which could simulate the process of solidification cracking. Meanwhile, solidification cracking susceptibility was evaluated by comparing the total crack length of the solder joint. The results indicate that solidification cracks exist in solder joints with 1.0 wt.% to 3.0 wt.% Ag content, whereas there are no cracks in Sn-3.8Ag-0.7Cu solder joints. When the Ag content increases from 1.0 wt.% to 3.0 wt.%, the total crack length of Sn-Ag-Cu solder joints increases to a maximum and then drops to zero when the Ag content reaches 3.8 wt.%. In addition, the susceptibility to solidification cracking is observed as follows: SAC207 > SAC305 > SAC107 > SAC387.     

Test of Mechanical Failure for Via Holes and Solder Joints of Complex Interconnect Structure

It is known that certain faults associated with the process might be generated in any phases of the fabrication and assembly of the complex interconnection structure in a high-speed PCB composed of via holes, solder joints and traces, which will inevitably discount the electrical performance of the circuit. To address the issue, a fault-voltage detection method is proposed in this paper, firstly the equivalent fault circuit of the complex interconnection structure in high-speed PCB is scanned to extract the fault voltage, then the optimal function curve can be fitted out by the least squares method based on the faultless voltage. The empirical research on the via hole crack and solder joint void have validated that this method can effectively avoid the false tests derived under the low-frequency, major-fault and high-frequency, minor-fault conditions, and can also depict more accurately how the fault parameter varies with the changes in the frequency and fault degree, and it bears a relatively strong applicability in minor-fault of hiht-speed PCB tests.     

Sn-Ag-Cu系无铅焊锡的力学性能和实用性能

研究添加稀土Ce对Sn-Ag-Cu合金的力学性能和实用性能的影响,利用光学显微镜、SEM、EDX对合金的组织、形貌、成分进行分析。结果表明,在Sn-Ag-Cu系无铅焊锡中添加稀土Ce可以细化合金组织,使合金成分分布更加均匀;稀土Ce的添加可以明显提高合金的延伸率;添加Ce后延伸率提高了6.1%,从而使力学性能大大提高;适量稀土的加入使焊料与基体结合更加紧密,外观平整,对合金的实用性能有很大提高。     

Effects of Phenolic Resin Addition on the Electrical Conductivity and Mechanical Strength of Nano-Copper Paste Formed Cu-Cu Joints

Cu-Cu joints bonded by nano-copper pastes with different amounts of phenolic resin were developed at a low temperature (240°C) and a low pressure (1 MPa). The shear strengths of the joints were measured and the bonding layers were observed by scanning electron microscopy. The electrical conductivity of the joints was tested by a parameter analyzer. The results indicated that 2% phenolic resin in the pastes doubled the shear strength of Cu-Cu joints compared to joints made with 0%, 5% and 8% phenolic, because it filled the voids and coated sintered Cu nanoparticles in the joints without affecting the electrical conductivity of the Cu-Cu joint. This was because 2% phenolic paste prevented Cu nanoparticles from oxidation. However, 8% phenolic resin led to an increase of electrical resistivity due to the insulating property of phenolic resin, and a decrease of shear strength due to the hindrance to sintering between the nanoparticles.