Characterization of small-sized eutectic Sn-Bi solder bumps fabricated using electroplating

We studied the effects of the cooling rate during the reflow process on the microstructure of eutectic Sn-Bi solder bumps of various sizes fabricated by electroplating. To fabricate eutectic Sn-Bi solder bumps of less than 50 μm in diameter, Sn-Bi alloys were electroplated on Cu pads and reflowed at various cooling rates using the rapid thermal annealing system. The interior microstructure of electroplated bumps showed a fine mixture of Sn-rich phases and Bi-rich phases regardless of the cooling rate. Such an interior microstructure of electroplated bumps was quite different from the reported microstructure of vacuum-evaporated bumps. Ball shear tests were performed to study the effects of the cooling rate on the shear strength of the solder bumps and showed that the shear strength of the bumps increased with increasing cooling rate probably due to the reduced grain size. Soft fractures inside the solder bump were observed during the ball shear test regardless of the cooling rate.