Phase equilibria of the Sn-Ag-Cu-Ni quaternary system at the sn-rich corner

Knowledge of phase equilibria of the Sn-Ag-Cu-Ni quaternary system at the Sn-rich corner is important for the understanding of the interfacial reactions at the Sn-Ag-Cu/Ni contacts, which are frequently encountered in recent microelectronic products. Various Sn-Ag-Cu-Ni alloys were prepared and equilibrated at 250°C. The alloys were then quenched and analyzed. The phases were determined by metallography, compositional analysis, and x-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis. No quaternary phases were found. The isoplethal sections at 60at.%Sn, 70at.%Sn, 80at.%Sn, and 90at.%Sn at 250°C are determined. The phase equilibrium relationship was proposed based on the quaternary experimental results and the 250°C isothermal sections of the four constituent ternary systems, Sn-Ag-Cu, Sn-Ag-Ni, Sn-Cu-Ni, and Cu-Ag-Ni. Because there are no ternary phases in all these three systems, all the compounds are in fact binary compounds with various solubilities of the other two elements.