Microstructure and creep behaviour of eutectic SnAg and SnAgCu solders

The paper presents creep data, that was gained on specimens of different microstructures. The three specimen types have been flip chip solder joints, pin trough hole solder joints and standard bulk solder specimens. The bulk solder specimen was a dog-bone type specimen (diameter=3 mm, LENGTH=117 mm). The pin trough hole solder joint consisted on a copper wire that was soldered into a hole of a double sided printed circuit board (thickness 1.5 mm). The flip chip solder joint specimen consisted of two silicon chips (4 mm × 4 mm), which were connected by four flip chip joints (one on each corner). SnAg and SnAgCu flip chip bumps (footprint 200 μm × 200 μm, joint height 165–200 μm, centre diameter 90…130 μm) were created by printing solder paste.Constant–load creep tests were carried out on all three specimen types at temperatures between 5 and 70 °C. Creep data was taken for strain rates between 10⁻¹⁰ and 10⁻³ s⁻¹. The specimens were tested in “as cast” condition and after thermal storage.The microstructural properties of the bulk specimens and real solder joints were examined using metallographic sectioning, optical microscopy techniques, and SEM-microprobe analysis. The results of the microstructural analysis were related to the investigated mechanical properties of the solders. Models of SnAg3.5 and SnAg4Cu0.5, that can be used with the ANSYS FEM software package, will be presented.     

Effect of primary creep and plasticity in the modeling of thermal fatigue of SnPb and SnAgCu solder joints

It has been conventional to simplify the thermo-mechanical modeling of solder joints by omitting the primary (transient) contributions to total creep deformation, assuming that secondary (steady-state) creep strain is dominant and primary creep is negligible. The error associated with this assumption has been difficult to assess because it depends on the properties of the solder joint and the temperature–time profile. This paper examines the relative contributions of plasticity, primary and secondary creep in Sn40Pb and Sn3.8Ag0.7Cu solders using the analysis of a trilayer solder joint structure with finite elements and a newly developed finite difference technique. The influences of temperature amplitude and ramp rate have been quantified. It was found that for the thermal profiles considered, the role of plasticity was negligible for trilayer assemblies with SnPb and SnAgCu solder interlayers. Furthermore, when primary creep was included for SnAgCu, the temperature-dependent yield strength was not exceeded and no plastic strains resulted. Neglect of primary creep can result in errors in the predicted stress and strain of the solder joint. Damage metrics based on the stabilized stress vs. strain hysteresis loop, for symmetric 5 min upper/lower dwell periods, differ widely when primary creep is considered compared to the secondary-only creep model. Creep strain energy density differences between the secondary-only and primary plus secondary creep models for SnPb were 32% (95 °C/min–Δ165 °C thermal profile), 32% (95 °C/min–Δ100 °C) and 35% (14 °C/min–Δ100 °C); similarly for SnAgCu, the differences were 29% (95 °C/min–Δ165 °C), 46% (95 °C/min–Δ100 °C) and 58% (14 °C/min–Δ100 °C). Accumulated creep strain differences between the secondary-only and primary plus secondary creep models for SnPb were 21% (95 °C/min–Δ165 °C), 25% (95 °C/min–Δ100 °C) and 25% (14 °C/min–Δ100 °C); similarly for SnAgCu the differences were 82% (14 °C/min–Δ100 °C), 89% (95 °C/min–Δ100 °C) and 100% (95 °C/min–Δ165 °C). In turn, these discrepancies can lead to errors in the estimation of the solder thermal fatigue life due to the changing proportion of primary creep strain to total inelastic strain under different thermal profiles, particularly for SnAgCu.     

Effect of solder creep on the reliability of large area die attachment

High temperature solders have been widely used for power device die attachment. One typical solder is Pb92.5In5Ag2.5, which is a ternary eutectic alloy with a eutectic temperature of 310°C. Such a Pb-based solder has a low Young's modulus, a low yield strength, and a high strain prior to failure. So it can be used to attach large size silicon die to mismatched substrates. In this paper, stresses and strains have been studied on a large size power MOSFET attachment using the Pb92.5In5Ag2.5 solders. A commercial finite element analysis software is employed as the simulation tool. Three types of substrates, pure copper, copper–tungsten composite, and pure molybdenum are used in the study, where molybdenum has the closest coefficient of thermal expansion to silicon. In addition to the plastic deformation simulation of the solder, a creep model of the solder was incorporated due to the low melting temperature of the solder alloy. Firstly, stresses and strains are calculated during the cooling cycle after attachment. It is found that the creep strain is the dominant plastic strain at low cooling rate (10°C/min). Also, the maximum Von Mises stress in the Si chip is decreased from 174 to 62.7 MPa after adding creep strain. As expected, the maximum creep strain happens to the die-to-copper substrate attach. Simulation on temperature cycling is done from −55°C to +150°C. The peak Von Mises stress occurs at the low temperature extreme and holds steadily during the soaking period, indicating insignificant contribution from creep. The Von Mises stress at the high temperature extreme is much lower and decreases with holding time. Significant plastic deformation of the solder layer is observed in cooling cycles. For silicon to copper substrate attach, its plastic deformation increases with each cycle. For all three substrates used, considerable solder creep is observed at heating cycles. The creep strain is much larger than the rate-independent plastic strain in the solder alloy for all three types of substrates. It is concluded that solder creep is the dominant factor affecting long term reliability of power semiconductor die attachment.     

Effects of build-up printed circuit board thickness on the solderjoint reliability of a wafer level chip scale package (WLCSP)

The creep analyses of solder-bumped wafer level chip scale package (WLCSP) on build-up printed circuit board (PCB) with microvias subjected to thermal cyclic loading are presented. The emphasis of this study is placed on the effects of the thickness of the PCB with a microvia build-up layer on the solder joint reliability of the WLCSP assembly. The 62Sn-2Ag-36Pb solder joints are assumed to follow the Garofalo-Arrhenius creep constitutive law. The shear stress and creep shear strain hysteresis loops, shear stress range, creep shear strain range, and creep strain energy density range at different locations in the corner solder joint are presented for a better understanding of the thermal-mechanical behaviors of the solder-bumped WLCSP on build-up PCB with microvias. It is found that, due to the large coefficient of thermal expansion of the build-up resin, the effects of thickness of the PCB with microvia build-up layer become much more significant than that without the microvia build-up layer     

Quantification of creep strain in small lead-free solder joints with the in situ micro electronic-resistance measurement

Single shear lap creep specimens with a 1 mm² cross sectional area (similar in size to small lead-free solder joints used in electronic packaging and jointing) between thin copper strips were developed and fabricated using lead-free solder (Sn–3.5Ag) to quantify their creep strain with in situ micro electronic-resistance measurement. Where the solder joints’ micro electronic-resistance is in situ measured by an electronic testing system (tailor-made for the micro electronic-resistance and stress measurement) and recorded by a PC via serial port, then all data of micro electronic-resistance and elapsing time are formed in curves. They are used to describe the solder joints’ micro electronic-resistance and electronic-resistance strain varied with time. Most of curves can reveal the continual development of damage and fracture mechanisms which are consistent with observations generated by literatures. The quantitative relationship between electronic-resistance strain and mechanical-creep strain was proved theoretically using a mathematic model. These mean that the in situ micro electronic-resistance measurement can be used as an alternative quantification of creep strain in small lead-free solder joints. Thus, provide an alternative and simplified evaluation method about the reliability of a solder joint.     

Thermomechanical Stress and Strain in Solder Joints During Electromigration

Thermomechanical stress and strain in the solder joints of a dummy area array package were studied as electromigration occurred. A current density of 0.4 × 10⁴ A/cm² was applied to this package, constructed with 9 × 9 solder joints in a daisy chain, to perform the electromigration test. After 37 h, the first joint on the path of the electron flow broke off at the cathode, and the first three solder joints all exhibited a typical accumulation of intermetallic compounds at the anode. Different solder joints exhibited dissimilar electromigration states, such as steady state and nonsteady state. Finite element analysis indicated that during steady-state electromigration, although the symmetrical structure produced uniform distributions of current density and Joule heating in all solder joints, the distribution of temperature was nonuniform. This was due to the imbalanced heat dissipation, which in turn affected the distribution of thermomechanical stress and strain in the solder joints. The maximum thermomechanical stress and strain, as well the highest temperature and current crowding, appeared in the Ni/Cu layer of each joint. The strain in the Ni/Cu layer was significant along the z-axis, but was constrained in the x–y plane. The thermomechanical stress and strain increased with advancing electromigration; thus, a potential delamination between the Ni/Cu layer and the printed circuit board could occur.     

Effects of TMF heating rates on damage accumulation and resultant mechanical behavior of Sn–Ag based solder joints

Solder joint reliability depends on several service parameters such as temperature extremes encountered, dwell times at these temperatures, and the ramp-rates representing the rate at which the temperature changes are imposed. TMF of Sn–Ag based solder alloy joints of realistic dimensions were carried out with dwell of 115 min and 20 min at 150 °C and −15 °C, respectively. Different heating rates were obtained by controlling the power input during heating part of TMF cycles. Surface damage and residual mechanical strength of these solder joints were characterized after 0, 250, 500, and 1000 TMF cycles to evaluate the role of TMF heating rate on the solder joint integrity.     

Fatigue analysis of miniaturized lead-free solder contacts based on a novel test concept

The paper presents the method of generating lifetime-prediction-laws on special prepared very stiff specimen. The combination of thin- and thick-film technology allows building up test samples on ceramic very similar to electronic packages including the measurement issues. Influences of pad surface metallurgy, microstructure of solder, ineutectic solder alloys and assembly process parameter are regarded now. The investigation objects provide monitoring of electrical and mechanical damage process of SnAgCu solder bump. Different thermo-mechanical loads will be applied in temperature ranges of 0 to +80 °C, −40 to +125 °C and −50 to +150 °C, where the temperature gradient and cycle frequency also vary. A Variation of four different chip sizes allows the determination of fatigue laws for each temperature profile, to be able to compare in between them. The results of these tests will give universal lifetime-prediction laws for SnAgCu base solder joints. Main goals are to find coefficients for lifetime prediction models such as Coffin–Manson- or Norris–Landzberg-relation, which are transferable in between different electronic packages.     

Compression Stress–Strain Behavior of Sn-Ag-Cu Solders

New Pb-free alloys that are variations of the Sn-Ag-Cu (SAC) ternary system, having reduced Ag content, are being developed to address the poor shock load survivability of current SAC305, SAC396, and SAC405 compositions. However, the thermal mechanical fatigue properties must be determined for the new alloys in order to develop constitutive models for predicting solder joint fatigue. A long-term study was initiated to investigate the time-independent (stress–strain) and time-dependent (creep) deformation properties of the alloy 98.5Sn-1.0Ag-0.5Cu (wt.% SAC105). The compression stress–strain properties, which are reported herein, were obtained for the solder in as-cast and aged conditions. The test temperatures were −25°C, 25°C, 75°C, 125°C, and 160°C and the strain rates were 4.2 × 10⁻⁵ s⁻¹ and 8.3 × 10⁻⁴ s⁻¹. The SAC105 performance was compared with that of the 95.5Sn-3.9Ag-0.6Cu (SAC396) solder. Like the SAC396 solder, the SAC105 microstructure exhibited only small microstructural changes after deformation. The stress–strain curves showed work-hardening behavior that diminished with increased temperature to a degree that indicated dynamic recrystallization activity. The aging treatment had a small effect on the stress–strain curves, increasing the degree of work hardening. The yield stresses of SAC105 were significantly less than those of SAC396. The aging treatment caused a small drop in yield stress, as is observed with the SAC396 material. The static modulus values of SAC105 were lower than those of SAC396 and exhibited both temperature and aging treatment dependencies that differed from those of the SAC396 material. These trends clearly show that the stress–strain behavior of Sn-Ag-Cu solders is sensitive to the specific, individual composition.     

Solder joint reliability of TFBGA assemblies with fresh and reworked solder balls

In this article, the solder joint reliability of thin and fine-pitch BGA (TFBGA) with fresh and reworked solder balls is investigated. Both package and board level reliability tests are conducted to compare the solder joint performance of test vehicle with fresh and reworked solder balls. For package level reliability test, ball shear test is performed to evaluate the joint strength of fresh and reworked solder balls. The results show that solder balls with rework process exhibit higher shear strength than the ones without any rework process. The results also exhibit that the different intermetallic compound (IMC) formation at solder joints of fresh and reworked solder balls is the key to degradation of shear strength. For board level reliability tests, temperature cycling and bending cyclic tests are both applied to investigate the fatigue life of solder joint with fresh and reworked solder balls. It is observed that package with reworked solder ball has better fatigue life than the one with fresh solder ball after temperature cyclic test. As for bending cyclic test, in addition to test on as-assembled packages, reworked and fresh samples are subjected to heat treatment at 150 °C for 100 h prior to the bending cyclic test. The purpose is to let Au–Ni–Sn IMC resettle at solder joints of fresh solder ball and examine the influence of Au–Ni–Sn IMC on the fatigue life of solder joints (Au embrittlement effect). The final results confirm that reworked solder balls have better reliability performance than fresh one since Au embrittlement dose exist at fresh solder ball.     

Solder joint reliability evaluation of chip scale package using a modified Coffin–Manson equation

Thermal cycle tests were performed for chip scale package (CSP) solder joints with Sn–37mass%Pb under several thermal cycle conditions. Under the conventional thermal cycle conditions, which heat up to approximately 100 °C, microstructure coarsening occurred and solder joints were fractured. The thermal fatigue lives followed the modified Coffin–Manson equation. The exponential factors m and n, and the activation energy Q in that equation were evaluated as 0.33, −1.9 and 15.5 kJ/mol, respectively. When the maximum temperature is room temperature and the temperature range is very narrow, the solder joint fracture occurred without microstructure coarsening, and the thermal fatigue life does not follow the modified Coffin–Manson equation.     

Time-independent elastic–plastic behaviour of solder materials

For a long time, constitutive modelling of solders has focused onto the elastic and creep properties. Indeed, the creep model describes the behaviour of solder joints under thermal cycling quite properly. However, in applications such as hand held electronic devices or automotive products, the pure mechanical impact like shock, bending and twisting may even matter more than sole thermo-mechanical fatigue.Therefore the time-independent behaviour of SnPb37, SnAg3.5 and SnAg4Cu0.5 has been investigated on flip chip solder joints. In the experimental tests a cyclic triangular strain wave with constant frequency but different amplitudes was used as the load function. This way the test enables to account for Bauschinger effects. The strain wave amplitudes ranged from Δ=0.25% to 4%, the strain wave frequency was fixed at f=1 Hz. The test temperature ranged from T=5 to 50 °C.The test specimen consisted of two silicon chips (3.3 × 3.3 mm²) bonded by 4 flip chip joints (one at each corner). A specially designed Micro Shear Tester has been used for the experiments with this type of specimen. In contrast to similar setups, it is actively compensated for its finite stiffness. Therefore, it is able to record force–displacement hysteresis with a resolution of better than 1 mN and 20 nm, respectively. Based on these measurements, the parameters of the constitutive equations have been evaluated by FEM analysis. This way, the complex stress state within the sample during the test has been considered precisely providing for high accuracy of the parameter extracted.As a typical application, a three point bending experiment has been simulated by FEM applying different constitutive models for the solder material. Comparing the results, it becomes clear: All the three contributions, i.e., the elastic, the creep, and the time-independent plastic material behaviour, are required in the model. Otherwise it would be incomplete and hence insufficient for assisting in the design of today's electronics packages even with respect to the most frequent load cases.     

Effects of different drop test conditions on board-level reliability of chip-scale packages

In this study, reliability performances of board-level chip-scale packages subjected to four JEDEC drop test conditions: A (500 G; 1.0 ms), B (1500 G; 0.5 ms), F (900 G; 0.7 ms), and H (2900 G; 0.3 ms) were evaluated experimentally and numerically. For each of the test conditions, over 80% of the failed solder joints fractured on the package side. Among the four test conditions, condition A led to the best drop resistance while condition H the worst. Though drop resistances resulted from conditions B and F were close to each other, the former contained a greater portion of failure identified as test board pad peeling. Numerical solutions of interfacial stresses, obtained by the transient finite element analysis, provided a supporting basis for the crack propagation observed from the experiments, for which the crack initiated from the inner corner of the solder joint on the package side and propagated outwards. The strain rates were found to be within 10² s⁻¹ for the four drop test conditions. Using computed maximum interfacial normal and shear stresses, a fatigue reliability model that predicts the drop counts for different drop test conditions was established.     

Temperature profile effects in accelerated thermal cycling of SnPb and Pb-free solder joints

Accelerated thermal cycling (ATC) has been widely used in the microelectronics industry for reliability assessment. ATC testing decreases life cycle test time by one or more of the following means: increasing the heating and cooling rate, decreasing the hold time, or increasing the range of the applied temperature. The relative effect of each of these cycle parameters and the failure mechanisms they induce has been the subject of many studies; however uncertainty remains, particularly regarding the role of the heating and cooling rate. In this research, three conditions with two ramp rates (14 °C/min and 95 °C/min) and two temperature ranges (ΔT = 0–100 °C and −40 to 125 °C) were applied to resistor 2512 and PBGA 256 test vehicles assembled with SnPb and Pb-free solders. The test results showed that the higher ramp rate reduced the testing time while retaining the same failure modes, and that the damage per cycle increased with the temperature difference. For the resistors, the Pb-free solder joints lasted longer than the SnPb joints at the smaller ΔT, but were inferior at the larger ΔT. In contrast, the Pb-free solder joints in the PBGA test vehicles lasted longer than the SnPb solder under both conditions.     

Methodology for Analyzing Slip Behavior in Ball Grid Array Lead-Free Solder Joints After Simple Shear

To examine how a lead-free solder joint deforms requires understanding of both the elastic and plastic stress and strain behavior. While elastic properties are extremely anisotropic, as discussed in a companion paper, plastic response is also anisotropic, and depends on crystal orientation and the imposed stress state. The relative ease of activating different slip systems (SS) was examined by analyzing the geometry of deformation in samples where a group of four solder balls were sheared to a set displacement at a shear strain rate of ~3 × 10⁻⁶/s. By using orientation mapping and Schmid factor analysis, it was possible to identify which SS were most likely to be responsible for observed shape changes. This allows identification of which SS are more facile, which is a necessary foundation required to develop accurate crystal plasticity-based constitutive models for deformation of Sn. Preliminary results are compared with the literature, showing that slip in [001] directions is especially easy, and slip on {211} planes is less likely. These results show that the stress–strain response to a shear displacement differs considerably in each lead-free solder joint in a package, depending on the Sn crystal orientations and their location within the ball and the array.     

热循环加载条件下SMT焊点应力应变过程的有限元分析

ＳＭＴ焊 热循环条件下的应力应变过程分析是ＳＭＴ焊点可靠性的重要方向。本文采用粘弹塑性材料模式描述ＳｎＰｂ钎料的力学本构响应，对非城堡型ＬＣＣＣ焊蹼结构进行三维有限元分析，考察焊点在热循环加载过程中的应力应变等力学行为。研究结果表明，焊点钎料内的高应力发生在热循环的低温阶段，升降温过程中的蠕变和非弹性应变的累积显著，蠕变应变在非弹性应变中占主导地位，应力应变滞后环在热循环的最初几个周期内就能很快稳     

Properties of low temperature Sn–Ag–Bi–In solder systems

The metallurgical and mechanical properties of Sn–3.5 wt%Ag–0.5 wt%Bi–xwt%In (x = 0–16) alloys and of their joints during 85 °C/85% relative humidity (RH) exposure and heat cycle test (−40–125 °C) were evaluated by microstructure observation, high temperature X-ray diffraction analysis, shear and peeling tests. The exposure of Sn–Ag–Bi–In joints to 85 °C/85%RH for up to 1000 h promotes In–O formation along the free surfaces of the solder fillets. The 85°C/85%RH exposure, however, does not influence the joint strength for 1000 h. Comparing with Sn–Zn–Bi solders, Sn–Ag–Bi–In solders are much stable against moisture, i.e. even at 85 °C/85%RH. Sn–Ag–Bi–In alloys with middle In content show severe deformation under a heat cycles between −40 °C and 125 °C after 2500 cycles, due to the phase transformation from β-Sn to β-Sn + γ-InSn₄ or γ-InSn₄ at 125 °C. Even though such deformation, high joint strength can be maintained for 1000 heat cycles.     

Modeling and analysis of 96.5Sn-3.5Ag lead-free solder joints ofwafer level chip scale package on buildup microvia printed circuit board

In this study, time-temperature-dependent nonlinear analyses of lead-free solder bumped wafer level chip scale package (WLCSP) on microvia buildup printed circuit board (PCB) assemblies subjected to thermal cycling conditions are presented. The lead-free solder considered is 96.5Sn-3.5Ag. The 62Sn-2Ag-36Pb solder is also considered to establish a baseline. These two solder alloys are assumed to obey the Garofalo-Arrhenius steady-state creep constitutive law. The shear stress and shear creep strain hysteresis loops, shear stress history, shear creep strain history, and creep strain density range at the corner solder joint are presented for a better understanding of the thermal-mechanical behavior of the lead-free solder bumped WLCSP on microvia buildup PCB assemblies     

CCGA packages for space applications

Commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) area array packaging technologies in high reliability versions are now being considered for applications, including use in a number of NASA electronic systems being utilized for both the Space Shuttle and Mars Rover missions. Indeed, recently a ceramic package version specifically tailored for high reliability applications was used to provide the processing power required for the Spirit and Opportunity Mars Rovers built by NASA-JPL. Both Rovers successfully completed their 3-months mission requirements and continued exploring the Martian surface for many more moths, providing amazing new information on previous environmental conditions of Mars and strong evidence that water exists on Mars.Understanding process, reliability, and quality assurance (QA) indicators for reliability are important for low risk insertion of these newly available packages in high reliability applications. In a previous investigation, thermal cycle test results for a non-functional daisy-chained peripheral ceramic column grid array (CCGA) and its plastic ball grid array (PBGA) version, both having 560 I/Os, were gathered and are presented here. Test results included environmental data for three different thermal cycle regimes (−55/125 °C, −55/100 °C, and −50/75 °C). Detailed information on these—especially failure type for assemblies with high and low solder volumes—are presented. The thermal cycle test procedure followed those recommended by IPC-9701 for tin–lead solder joint assemblies. Its revision A covers guideline thermal cycle requirements for Pb-free solder joints. Key points on this specification are also discussed.In a recent investigation a fully populated CCGA with 717 I/Os was considered for assembly reliability evaluation. The functional package is a field-programmable gate array that has much higher processing power than its previous version. This new package is smaller in dimension, has no interposer, and has a thinner column wrapped with copper for reliability improvement. This paper will also present thermal cycle test results for assemblies of this and its plastic package version with 728 I/Os, both of which were exposed to four different cycle regimes. Two of these cycle profiles are specified by IPC-9701A for tin–lead, namely, −55 to 100 °C and −55 to 125 °C. One is a cycle profile specified by Mil-Std-883, namely, −65/150 °C, generally used for ceramic hybrid packages screening and qualification. The last cycle is in the range of −120 to 85 °C, a representative of electronic systems directly exposed to the Martian environment without use in a thermal control enclosure. Per IPC-9701A, test vehicles were built using daisy chain packages and were continuously monitored and/or manually checked for opens at intervals. The effects of many process and assembly variables—including corner staking commonly used for improving resistance to mechanical loading such as drop and vibration loads—were also considered as part of the test matrix. Optical photomicrographs were taken at various thermal cycle intervals to document damage progress and behavior. Representative samples of these are presented along with cross-sectional photomicrographs at higher magnification taken by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) to determine crack propagation and failure analyses for packages.     

Creep of thermally aged SnAgCu-solder joints

The creep behaviour of Sn96.5Ag3.5- and Sn95.5Ag3.8Cu0.7-solder was studied specifically for its dependence on technological and environmental factors. The technological factors considered were typical cooling rates and pad metallizations for solder joints in electronic packaging. The environmental factors included microstructural changes as a result of thermal aging of solder joints. Creep experiments were conducted on three types of specimens—flip–chip joints, PCB solder joints and bulk specimens. flip–chip specimens were altered through the selection of various under bump metallizations (Cu vs. NiAu), cooling rates (40 K/min vs. 120 K/min), and thermal storage (24 h, 168 h, and 1176 h at 125 °C). PCB solder joints were studied by using a copper pin soldered into a thru-hole connection on a printed circuit board having a NiAu metallization. Bulk specimens contained the pure alloys. The creep behaviour of the SnAg and SnAgCu solders varied in dependence of specimen type, pad metallization and aging condition. Constitutive models for SnAg and SnAgCu solders as they depend on the reviewed factors are provided.