Thermomechanical fatigue behavior of Sn-Ag solder joints

Microstructural studies of thermomechanically fatigued actual electronic components consisting of metallized alumina substrate and tinned copper lead, soldered with Sn-Ag or 95.5Ag/4Ag/0.5Cu solder were carried out with an optical microscope and environmental scanning electron microscope (ESEM). Damage characterization was made on samples that underwent 250 and 1000 thermal shock cycles between −40°C and 125°C, with a 20 min hold time at each extreme. Surface roughening and grain boundary cracking were evident even in samples thermally cycled for 250 times. The cracks were found to originate on the free surface of the solder joint. With increased thermal cycles these cracks grew by grain boundary decohesion. The crack that will affect the integrity of the solder joint was found to originate from the free surface of the solder very near the alumina substrate and progress towards and continue along the solder region adjacent to the Ag₃Sn intermetallic layer formed with the metallized alumina substrate. Re-examination of these thermally fatigued samples that were stored at room temperature after ten months revealed the effects of significant residual stress due to such thermal cycles. Such observations include enhanced surface relief effects delineating the grain boundaries and crack growth in regions inside the joint.