Creep and Microstructural Evolution in Lead-Free Microelectronic Solder Joints

2003 ◽  
Author(s):  
I. Dutta ◽  
C. Park ◽  
S. Choi
Keyword(s):  
Microstructural Evolution ◽  
Life Prediction ◽  
Solder Joints ◽  
Creep Testing ◽  
Lead Free ◽  
Creep Model ◽  
Second Phase ◽  
Impression Creep ◽  
Microstructural Coarsening ◽  
Lead Free Solders

Microelectronic solder joints are typically exposed to aggressive thermo-mechanical cycling (TMC) conditions, resulting in significant strain-enhanced microstructural coarsening during service. This microstructural evolution produces continuously evolving mechanical properties during extended use. Since solder joint life is dictated largely by the creep strain range, it is necessary to develop microstructurally adaptive creep models for solders to enable accurate prediction of joint life. In this paper, we present (1) a new closed-form creep model incorporating microstructural coarsening in lead-free solders, which can be easily incorporated into life-prediction models; and (2) a methodology for impression creep testing of Sn-3.5Ag solders which can potentially enable creep testing of individual flip chip or BGA balls in a package. The proposed creep model incorporates the effects of both static and strain-enhanced coarsening of second phase intermetallic particles which are present in lead-free solders, and shows that as a joint undergoes TMC, the creep rate increases continuously, adversely impacting life. This inference is supported by the impression creep experiments, which are shown to capture the essential features of creep in Sn-Ag alloys, in accordance with the available literature. It is also shown that the creep resistance of a given alloy composition is strongly dependent on the microstructure, making it important that creep data used for joint life prediction be based on testing of actual joints or very tightly controlled microstructures.

Creep Behavior of Lead Free Solder Interconnects in Microelectronic Packages: Impression Creep Testing and Constitutive Modeling

2005 ◽  
Author(s):  
I. Dutta ◽  
D. Pan ◽  
S. Jadhav ◽  
R. Mahajan
Keyword(s):  
Creep Behavior ◽  
Solder Joints ◽  
Ball Grid Array ◽  
Creep Testing ◽  
Lead Free ◽  
Creep Model ◽  
Impression Creep ◽  
Creep Response ◽  
Microelectronic Packages ◽  
Free Solder

The creep behavior of ball grid array (BGA) or flip-chip (FC) solder joints during thermo-mechanical cycling associated with service often limits the reliability of microelectronic packages. In addition, the fine intermetallic precipitates (Ag3Sn and/or Cu6Sn5) in the microstructures of the new lead-free solders (Sn-Ag and Sn-Ag-Cu) can undergo significant in situ strain-enhanced coarsening during TMC, resulting in in-service evolution of the creep behavior of the joints. Since there are significant microstructural/ compositional differences between bulk solder samples and tiny microelectronic solder joints, it is critical to develop accurate creep testing methodologies on tiny life-sized solder joints and microstructurally adaptive constitutive creep models for the emerging Pb-free solder alloys. In this paper, we present creep data obtained from tests conducted on individual Sn4Ag0.5Cu ball grid array (BGA) solder balls attached to a packaging substrate, using a newly developed miniaturized impression creep apparatus, which affords high test throughput with minimal sample preparation. Coarsening of intermetallic particles is demonstrated to influence creep behavior in two ways. At low stresses, the creep rate increases proportionately with precipitate size. At high stresses, precipitate coarsening influences creep response by altering the threshold stress for particle-limited creep. Based on the experimental observations, a microstructurally adaptive creep model, which accounts for the effects of coarsening on the creep response of solder joints, and is capable of adjusting itself as solder joint microstructures evolve during service, is presented, along with experimental determination of the relevant coarsening kinetics parameters.

Time-Lapse Imagery and Quantitative Analysis of Microstructural Evolution of SAC305 BGA Joints During Extreme High Temperature Aging

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
KM Rafidh Hassan ◽  
Mohammad S. Alam ◽  
Jing Wu ◽  
Jeffrey C. Suhling ◽  
Pradeep Lall
Keyword(s):  
Mechanical Properties ◽  
Aging Time ◽  
Microstructural Evolution ◽  
Solder Joints ◽  
Time Lapse ◽  
Lead Free ◽  
Aging Effects ◽  
Extreme High Temperature ◽  
Lead Free Solders ◽  
Temperature Aging

Abstract Solder joints provide mechanical support, electrical and thermal interconnection between packaging levels in microelectronics assembly systems. Proper functioning of these interconnections and the reliability of the electronic packages depend largely on the mechanical properties of the solder joints. Lead free solders are common as interconnects in electronic packaging due to their relatively high melting point, attractive mechanical properties, thermal cycling reliability, and environment friendly chemical properties. However, environmental conditions, such as, operating temperature, aging temperature, and aging time significantly affect these properties due to the microstructural evolution of the solder that occurs during aging. Moreover, electronic devices, sometimes experience harsh environment applications including well drilling, geothermal energy, automotive power electronics, and aerospace engines, where solders are exposed to very high temperatures from T = 125–200 °C. Mechanical properties as well as microstructural study of lead free solders at elevated temperatures are limited in literature. Previous investigations on the microstructural evolution mainly emphasized on aging at temperatures up to 125 °C. In addition, those studies were limited on investigating the coarsening of Ag3Sn IMC particles within the beta-Sn matrix. In this work, the microstructural evolutions of SAC305 (96.5Sn-3.0Ag-0.5Cu) BGA joints were investigated for different aging conditions utilizing Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). In particular, our approach has been to monitor aging induced microstructural changes occurring within fixed regions in selected lead free solder joints and to create time-lapse imagery of the microstructure evolution. Aging was performed at T = 125, 150, and 175 °C for several durations up to 20 days, and the topography of the microstructure of a fixed region was captured using the SEM system. This process generated several images of the microstructure as the aging progressed. We have also explored the Mechanical behavior, and aging effects of SAC305 solder joints at the extreme high testing temperature of T = 150 °C using the method of nanoindentation. To study the aging effects, solder joints were preconditioned for 0, 1, 5, 10, and 30 days at T = 125 °C in a box oven. Nanoindentation testing was then performed on the aged specimens at a test temperature of T = 150 °C to extract the elastic modulus, hardness, and creep performance of the aged material. As expected, the analysis of the evolving SAC305 BGA microstructure showed a significant amount of diffusion of silver and copper in the beta-tin matrix during aging. In addition, a very remarkable growth of copper-tin layer at solder joint and copper pad interface in the PCB side has been visualized and measured with aging time and temperature. The Quantitative analysis of the evolving microstructure showed that the particles coalesced during aging leading to a decrease in the number of particles. This caused an increase in the average diameter of the particles, which helped us to build a model to guide the growth of IMC particles at extreme high temperature aging. Nanoindentation test results also showed a huge degradation in mechanical properties with aging time increment.

Effect of Aging on the Properties of Intermetallic Layers in SAC+Bi Solder Joints

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohammad Ashraful Haq ◽  
Mohd Aminul Hoque ◽  
Jeffrey C. Suhling ◽  
Pradeep Lall
Keyword(s):  
Solder Joints ◽  
Lead Free ◽  
Lead Free Solder ◽  
Aging Condition ◽  
Sac305 Solder ◽  
The Poor ◽  
Free Solder ◽  
Lead Free Solders ◽  
Overall Reliability ◽  
Intermetallic Layers

Abstract A major problem faced by electronic packaging industries is the poor reliability of lead free solder joints. One of the most common methods utilized to tackle this problem is by doping the alloy with other elements, especially bismuth. Researches have shown Bismuth doped solder joints to mostly fail near the Intermetallic (IMC) layer rather than the bulk of the solder joint as commonly observed in traditional SAC305 solder joints. An understanding of the properties of this IMC layer would thus provide better solutions on improving the reliability of bismuth doped solder joints. In this study, the authors have used three different lead free solders doped with 1%, 2% and 3% bismuth. Joints of these alloys were created on copper substrates. The joints were then polished to clearly expose the IMC layers. These joints were then aged at 125 °C for 0, 1, 2, 5 and 10 days. For each aging condition, the elastic modulus and the hardness of the IMC layers were evaluated using a nanoindenter. The IMC layer thickness and the chemical composition of the IMC layers were also determined for each alloy at every aging condition using Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and EDS. The results from this study will give a better idea on how the percentage of bismuth content in lead free solder affects the IMC layer properties and the overall reliability of the solder joints.

Nanoindentation Characterization of Lead-free Solders and Intermetallic Compounds under Thermal Aging

2010 ◽  
Vol 2010 (1) ◽  
pp. 000314-000318
Author(s):  
Tong Jiang ◽  
Fubin Song ◽  
Chaoran Yang ◽  
S. W. Ricky Lee
Keyword(s):  
Mechanical Properties ◽  
Thermal Aging ◽  
Solder Joints ◽  
Lead Free ◽  
Small Range ◽  
Lead Free Solder ◽  
Solder Alloys ◽  
Aging Test ◽  
Free Solder ◽  
Lead Free Solders

The enforcement of environmental legislation is pushing electronic products to take lead-free solder alloys as the substitute of traditional lead-tin solder alloys. Applications of such alloys require a better understanding of their mechanical behaviors. The mechanical properties of the lead-free solders and IMC layers are affected by the thermal aging. The lead-free solder joints on the pads subject to thermal aging test lead to IMC growth and cause corresponding reliability concerns. In this paper, the mechanical properties of the lead-free solders and IMCs were characterized by nanoindentation. Both the Sn-rich phase and Ag3Sn + β-Sn phase in the lead-free solder joint exhibit strain rate depended and aging soften effect. When lead-free solder joints were subject to thermal aging, Young's modulus of the (Cu, Ni)6Sn5 IMC and Cu6Sn5 IMC changed in very small range. While the hardness value decreased with the increasing of the thermal aging time.

Strain Rate Effects and Rate-Dependent Constitutive Models of Lead-Based and Lead-Free Solders

2009 ◽  
Vol 77 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Fei Qin ◽  
Tong An ◽  
Na Chen
Keyword(s):  
Strain Rate ◽  
Impact Analysis ◽  
Solder Joints ◽  
High Strain ◽  
Drop Impact ◽  
Lead Free ◽  
Strain Rates ◽  
High Strain Rates ◽  
Rate Dependent ◽  
Lead Free Solders

As traditional lead-based solders are banned and replaced by lead-free solders, the drop impact reliability is becoming increasingly crucial because there is little understanding of mechanical behaviors of these lead-free solders at high strain rates. In this paper, mechanical properties of one lead-based solder, Sn37Pb, and two lead-free solders, Sn3.5Ag and Sn3.0Ag0.5Cu, were investigated at strain rates that ranged from 600 s−1 to 2200 s−1 by the split Hopkinson pressure and tensile bar technique. At high strain rates, tensile strengths of lead-free solders are about 1.5 times greater than that of the Sn37Pb solder, and also their ductility are significantly greater than that of the Sn37Pb. Based on the experimental data, strain rate dependent Johnson–Cook models for the three solders were derived and employed to predict behaviors of solder joints in a board level electronic package subjected to standard drop impact load. Results indicate that for the drop impact analysis of lead-free solder joints, the strain rate effect must be considered and rate-dependent material models of lead-free solders are indispensable.

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