Investigation of Aging Induced Evolution of the Microstructure of SAC305 Lead Free Solder

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nianjun Fu ◽  
Jing Wu ◽  
Sudan Ahmed ◽  
Jeffrey C. Suhling ◽  
Pradeep Lall
Keyword(s):  
Cross Sections ◽  
Particle Diameter ◽  
Lead Free ◽  
Average Particle ◽  
Lead Free Solder ◽  
Average Particle Diameter ◽  
Free Solder ◽  
Induced Changes ◽  
Lead Free Solders ◽  
Particle Area

The most well-known and widely observed microstructural changes during aging are the coarsening of Ag3Sn and Cu6Sn5 intermetallic compounds (IMCs) present in the eutectic regions between β-Sn dendrites. In this investigation, Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) has been utilized to examine aging induced coarsening of IMCs occurring within lead free solders. Unlike many prior studies, fixed regions in the solder joint cross-sections were monitored throughout the aging process, rather than examining different samples and/or different regions after the various aging exposures. Sn-3.0Ag-0.5Cu (SAC305) lead free solder samples were formed with reflowed (RF) and water quenched (WQ) cooling profiles and resulting initial microstructures, and then polished microscopy cross-sections were prepared. Nanoindentation marks were added to the cross-sections at certain locations to facilitate locating the fixed regions of interest in subsequent microscopy observations. After preparation, the samples were then aged at T = 125 °C, and the microstructures were observed and recorded in the selected regions after various aging exposures using SEM. In addition, the coarsening of IMCs during aging has been quantitatively analyzed. Particularly, the aging induced changes in number of IMCs, total area of all IMCs, average particle area, and average particle diameter have been quantified for fixed regions in the samples.

Investigation of the Effects of High Temperature Aging on Mechanical Behavior and Microstructural Changes in Lead Free Solders

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jing Wu ◽  
Mohammad S. Alam ◽  
Jeffrey C. Suhling ◽  
Pradeep Lall
Keyword(s):  
Ostwald Ripening ◽  
Solder Joints ◽  
Particle Diameter ◽  
Lead Free ◽  
Average Particle ◽  
Lead Free Solder ◽  
Aging Effects ◽  
Sac305 Solder ◽  
Free Solder

Abstract Aging effects are common in lead free solder joints within electronic assemblies that are exposed to isothermal environments for extended periods. Such exposures lead to evolution of the solder microstructure, which results in changes in the mechanical properties and creep behavior of the solder joints. In our recent investigations, we have been utilizing Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) to better understand aging induced degradations. The microstructural evolutions were observed in SAC305 and SAC_Q (SAC+Bi) alloys exposed to isothermal conditions at T = 125 °C for several different regions from several different joints. The microstructures in several fixed regions of interest were recorded after predetermined time intervals of aging, which were 1 hour (up to 24 hours) and 10 hours (up to 150 hours) for the short term aging samples; and 250 hours (up to 2500 hours) for the long term aging samples. Using the recorded images and imaging processing software, the area and diameter of each IMC particle was tracked during the aging process. As expected, the quantitative analysis of the evolving SAC_Q 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 of slightly more than 100% for long term aging of 2500 hours. For SAC305, the average particle diameter was found to increase at three times the rate (increase of 200% after 2500 hours of aging). Thus, coarsening of IMC particles was greatly mitigated in the SAC_Q alloy relative to that observed in SAC305. Immediately after reflow solidification, Bismuth rich phases were present in the SAC_Q joints. During aging at T = 125 °C, the bismuth was observed to quickly go into solution both within the beta-Sn dendrites and in the intermetallic rich regions between dendrites. This resulted in solid solution strengthening of the lead free solder. It was also found that the aging-induced presence of bismuth in solution within the beta-Sn matrix provided an increased resistance to the Ostwald ripening diffusion process that coarsens the Ag3Sn IMC particles. The combination of these two effects in the SAC+Bi alloy lead to greatly improved resistance to aging induced effects relative to the SAC305 solder alloy. Finally, we have compared the time dependent evolution of microstructure with the degradation in strength during aging for of the two solder alloys, and good correlations were observed.

Effect of aluminum content on structure, transport and mechanical properties of Sn-Zn eutectic lead free solder alloy rapidly solidified from melt.

2015 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 2641-2648
Author(s):  
Rizk Mostafa Shalaby ◽  
Mohamed Munther ◽  
Abu-Bakr Al-Bidawi ◽  
Mustafa Kamal
Keyword(s):  
Mechanical Properties ◽  
Melting Point ◽  
Lead Free ◽  
Al Alloy ◽  
Lead Free Solder ◽  
Pronounced Increase ◽  
Mass Unit ◽  
Size Refinement ◽  
Free Solder ◽  
Lead Free Solders

The greatest advantage of Sn-Zn eutectic is its low melting point (198 oC) which is close to the melting point. of Sn-Pb eutectic solder (183 oC), as well as its low price per mass unit compared with Sn-Ag and Sn-Ag-Cu solders. In this paper, the effect of 0.0, 1.0, 2.0, 3.0, 4.0, and 5.0 wt. % Al as ternary additions on melting temperature, microstructure, microhardness and mechanical properties of the Sn-9Zn lead-free solders were investigated. It is shown that the alloying additions of Al at 4 wt. % to the Sn-Zn binary system lead to lower of the melting point to 195.72 ˚C.  From x-ray diffraction analysis, an aluminium phase, designated α-Al is detected for 4 and 5 wt. % Al compositions. The formation of an aluminium phase causes a pronounced increase in the electrical resistivity and microhardness. The ternary Sn-9Zn-2 wt.%Al exhibits micro hardness superior to Sn-9Zn binary alloy. The better Vickers hardness and melting points of the ternary alloy is attributed to solid solution effect, grain size refinement and precipitation of Al and Zn in the Sn matrix.  The Sn-9%Zn-4%Al alloy is a lead-free solder designed for possible drop-in replacement of Pb-Sn solders.  

scholarly journals Morphology and Degradation of Multicompartment Microparticles Based on Semi-Crystalline Polystyrene-block-Polybutadiene-block-Poly(L-lactide) Triblock Terpolymers

Polymers ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (24) ◽  
pp. 4358
Author(s):  
Nicole Janoszka ◽  
Suna Azhdari ◽  
Christian Hils ◽  
Deniz Coban ◽  
Holger Schmalz ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cross Sections ◽  
Ring Opening ◽  
Particle Diameter ◽  
Average Particle ◽  
Average Particle Diameter ◽  
Selective Degradation ◽  
The Core ◽  
Transmission Electron ◽  
And Control ◽  
Triblock Terpolymers

The confinement assembly of block copolymers shows great potential regarding the formation of functional microparticles with compartmentalized structure. Although a large variety of block chemistries have already been used, less is known about microdomain degradation, which could lead to mesoporous microparticles with particularly complex morphologies for ABC triblock terpolymers. Here, we report on the formation of triblock terpolymer-based, multicompartment microparticles (MMs) and the selective degradation of domains into mesoporous microparticles. A series of polystyrene-block-polybutadiene-block-poly(L-lactide) (PS-b-PB-b-PLLA, SBL) triblock terpolymers was synthesized by a combination of anionic vinyl and ring-opening polymerization, which were transformed into microparticles through evaporation-induced confinement assembly. Despite different block compositions and the presence of a crystallizable PLLA block, we mainly identified hexagonally packed cylinders with a PLLA core and PB shell embedded in a PS matrix. Emulsions were prepared with Shirasu Porous Glass (SPG) membranes leading to a narrow size distribution of the microparticles and control of the average particle diameter, d ≈ 0.4 µm–1.8 µm. The core–shell cylinders lie parallel to the surface for particle diameters d < 0.5 µm and progressively more perpendicular for larger particles d > 0.8 µm as verified with scanning and transmission electron microscopy and particle cross-sections. Finally, the selective degradation of the PLLA cylinders under basic conditions resulted in mesoporous microparticles with a pronounced surface roughness.

Solder Joint Reliability of Sn-Cu and Sn-Ag-Cu Lead-Free Solder Alloys Solidified on Copper Substrates with Different Surface Roughnesses

2015 ◽  
Vol 830-831 ◽  
pp. 265-269
Author(s):  
Satyanarayan ◽  
K.N. Prabhu
Keyword(s):  
Solder Joint ◽  
Solder Matrix ◽  
Lead Free ◽  
Lead Free Solder ◽  
Solder Alloys ◽  
Cu Substrate ◽  
Cu Substrates ◽  
Free Solder ◽  
Substrate Surfaces ◽  
Lead Free Solders

In the present work, the bond strength of Sn-0.7Cu, Sn-0.3Ag-0.7Cu, Sn-2.5Ag-0.5Cu and Sn-3Ag-0.5Cu lead free solders solidified on Cu substrates was experimentally determined. The bond shear test was used to assess the integrity of Sn–Cu and Sn–Ag–Cu lead-free solder alloy drops solidified on smooth and rough Cu substrate surfaces. The increase in the surface roughness of Cu substrates improved the wettability of solders. The wettability was not affected by the Ag content of solders. Solder bonds on smooth surfaces yielded higher shear strength compared to rough surfaces. Fractured surfaces revealed the occurrence of ductile mode of failure on smooth Cu surfaces and a transition ridge on rough Cu surfaces. Though rough Cu substrate improved the wettability of solder alloys, solder bonds were sheared at a lower force leading to decreased shear energy density compared to the smooth Cu surface. A smooth surface finish and the presence of minor amounts of Ag in the alloy improved the integrity of the solder joint. Smoother surface is preferable as it favors failure in the solder matrix.

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.

Evaluation of Emerging High Melting Point Lead-free Solder and Hybrid Sinter Paste as Attaching Material for Clip Bond Package

2020 ◽  
Vol 2020 (1) ◽  
pp. 000235-000241
Author(s):  
Fred Fuliang Le ◽  
Rinse van der Meulen ◽  
Yoon Kheong Leong ◽  
Manoj Balakrishnan ◽  
Zunyu Guan
Keyword(s):  
Melting Point ◽  
Lead Free ◽  
Lead Free Solder ◽  
Reliability Testing ◽  
High Melting ◽  
High Melting Point ◽  
Basic Scheme ◽  
Free Solder ◽  
Lead Free Solders ◽  
High Lead

Abstract High melting point (HMP) lead-free solder, hybrid sinter and transient liquidus phase sinter (TLPS) are the emerging lead-free alternatives for the potential replacement of high-lead solder. Lead-free solder is perfectly compatible with existing high-lead soldering processes for clip bond packages. The benefit of hybrid sinter is that it has much higher thermal and electrical conductivity than lead-free or high-lead solder. In this study, ten materials (including lead-free solders, hybrid sinter paste and TLPS) were first evaluated via die shear test. With the initial material screening, two lead-free solders (solder 1 and 2), two hybrid Ag sinter pastes (sinter i and ii) and one TLPS proceeded to internal sample assembly. For the lead-free solders, a process optimization with the aid of vacuum reflow was made to reduce void rate. Due to the slow and unbalanced inter-diffusion of Ag-Cu sintering than Ag-Ag sintering, optimizations to enhance the hybrid Ag sintering include Ag finishing for the die metallization and Ag plating for the clip and bond area of the leadframe. In 0-hour package electrical test, solder 1 and sinter i passed and were sent for reliability testing while solder 2, sinter ii and TLPS failed due to intermetallic compound (IMC) cracking, material bleeding and die cracking, respectively. In the reliability testing, a basic scheme of thermal cycling (TC) 1000 cycles, intermittent operating life (IOL) 750 hrs and highly accelerated temperature and humidity stress test (HAST) 96 hrs was defined for the early feasibility study. 1 of 75 sinter i units failed by TC 1000 cycles due to separation between silver sinter structure and die bottom metallization. Solder 1 passed the basic scheme without defects, and next the material workability and clip bond strength need to be improved to the equivalent level of high-lead solders.

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.

Intermetallic Study on the Modified Sn-3.5Ag-1.0Cu-1.0Zn Lead Free Solder

2016 ◽  
Vol 857 ◽  
pp. 3-7 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ramani Mayappan ◽  
Nur Nadiah Zainal Abidin ◽  
Noor Asikin Ab Ghani ◽  
Iziana Yahya ◽  
Norlin Shuhaime
Keyword(s):  
Electron Microscope ◽  
Powder Metallurgy ◽  
Joint Strength ◽  
Lead Free ◽  
Environmental Concerns ◽  
Lead Free Solder ◽  
Free Solder ◽  
Lead Free Solders ◽  
Powder Metallurgy Route ◽  
Scanning Electron

Due to environmental concerns, lead-free solders were introduced to replace the lead-based solders in microelectronics devices technology. Although there are many lead-free solders available, the Sn-Ag-Cu solders are considered the best replacement due to their good wettability and joint strength. Although the Sn-Ag-Cu solders are accepted widely, but there are still some room for improvement. In this study, 1wt% Zn, which can be considered high percentage for a dopant, was added into the solder via powder metallurgy route. The effects of adding this dopant into the Sn-3.5Ag-1.0Cu solder on the interface intermetallic and thickness were investigated. The intermetallics phases formed were observed under Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) and their thicknesses were measured. The SEM results showed the presence of Cu6Sn5, Cu3Sn and (Cu,Zn)6Sn5 intermetallics. It can be concluded that Zn behaved as retarding agent and significantly retarded the growth of Cu-Sn intermetallics.

Thermomigration Induced Strain Field Simulation for Microelectronic Lead Free Solder Joints

2006 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shidong Li ◽  
Minghui Lin ◽  
Mohd F. Abdulhamid ◽  
Cemal Basaran
Keyword(s):  
Electronic Equipment ◽  
Lead Free ◽  
Lead Free Solder ◽  
Strain Fields ◽  
Vibration Load ◽  
Nonlinear Mechanical ◽  
Free Solder ◽  
Lead Free Solders ◽  
Fully Coupled ◽  
Theoretical Developments

Many factors such as high intensity current, thermal load, shock load, vibration load and etc., can induce the failure in electronic equipment. It is common for electronic equipment to be subjected to a combination of the loads mentioned above simultaneously. In this paper, qualitative finite element simulations of thermomigration induced strain fields in lead free solders are conducted using a fully coupled displacement-diffusion model [1] with nonlinear mechanical material properties. The solutions are discussed and compared to experimental data as well as theoretical developments from literature.

Evolution of Lead Free Solder Material Behavior Under Elevated Temperature Aging

2007 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hongtao Ma ◽  
Jeffrey C. Suhling ◽  
Yifei Zhang ◽  
Pradeep Lall ◽  
Michael J. Bozack
Keyword(s):  
Elevated Temperature ◽  
Room Temperature ◽  
Solder Joints ◽  
Material Behavior ◽  
Lead Free ◽  
Lead Free Solder ◽  
Room Temperature Aging ◽  
Free Solder ◽  
Lead Free Solders ◽  
Temperature Aging

The microstructure, mechanical response, and failure behavior of lead free solder joints in electronic assemblies are constantly evolving when exposed to isothermal aging and/or thermal cycling environments. In our prior work on aging effects (Ma, et al., ECTC 2006), we demonstrated that the observed material behavior variations of SAC405 and SAC305 lead free solders during room temperature aging (25 °C) were unexpectedly large and universally detrimental to reliability. Such effects for lead free solder materials are much more dramatic at the higher aging temperatures (e.g. 100–150 °C) typical of the harsh environments present in high performance computing and in automotive, aerospace, and defense applications. However, there has been little work in the literature, and the work that has been done has concentrated on the degradation of solder ball shear strength (e.g. Dage Shear Tester). Current finite element models for solder joint reliability during thermal cycling accelerated life testing are based on traditional solder constitutive and failure models that do not evolve with material aging. Thus, there will be significant errors in the calculations with the new lead free SAC alloys that illustrate dramatic aging phenomena. In the current work, we have explored the effects of elevated temperature isothermal aging on the mechanical behavior and reliability of lead free solders. The effects of aging on mechanical behavior have been examined by performing stress-strain and creep tests on SAC405 and SAC305 samples that were aged for various durations (0–6 months) at several elevated temperatures (80, 100, 125, and 150 °C). Analogous tests were performed with 63Sn-37Pb eutectic solder samples for comparison purposes. Variations of the temperature dependent mechanical properties (elastic modulus, yield stress, ultimate strength, creep compliance, etc.) were observed and modeled as a function of aging time and temperature. In this paper, we have concentrated our efforts on presenting the results for samples aged at 125 °C. In addition, the new elevated temperature aging data were correlated with our room temperature results from last year’s investigation. The results obtained in this work have demonstrated the significant effects of elevated temperature exposure on solder joints. As expected, the mechanical properties evolved at a higher rate and experienced larger changes during elevated temperature aging (compared to room temperature aging). After approximately 200 hours of aging, the lead free solder joint material properties were observed to degrade at a nearly constant rate. We have developed a mathematical model to predict the variation of the properties with aging time and aging temperature. Our data for the evolution of the creep response of solders with elevated temperature aging show that the creep behavior of lead free and tin-lead solders experience a “crossover point” where lead free solders begin to creep at higher rates than standard 63Sn-37Pb solder for the same stress level. Such an effect is not observed for solder joints aged at room temperature, where SAC alloys always creep at lower rates than Sn-Pb solder.

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