Local and Global Properties of a Lead-Free Solder

Elastic and viscous properties including Young’s modulus, hardness, creep rate sensitivity, and fatigue resistance of Sn-1.2Ag-0.5Cu-0.05Ni lead-free solder have been investigated. The properties of bulk specimens and in situ solder balls are compared. Experiments show good correlations of Young’s modulus and creep rate sensitivity between conventional measurements and nanoindentation results on bulk specimens. Further mechanical properties of the beach-ball microstructure in solder balls are characterized by nanoindentation. The load–partial unload technique has been used to determine the variation in mechanical properties with increasing depth of penetration into the intermetallic inclusions in the in situ solder. The fatigue resistances of the bulk specimens and solder balls are compared by using the novel nanoimpact method. In comparison with bulk specimens, it is found that in situ solder has higher Young’s modulus, lower creep strain rate sensitivity, and better fatigue resistance. The effects of soldering and the scale differences strongly affect the mechanical and fatigue properties of in situ solder.