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Intermetallic growth kinetics for Sn-Ag, Sn-Cu, and Sn-Ag-Cu lead-free solders on Cu, Ni, and Fe-42Ni substrates

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Abstract

Soldering with the lead-free tin-base alloys requires substantially higher temperatures (∼235–250°C) than those (213–223°C) required for the current tin-lead solders, and the rates for intermetallic compound (IMC) growth and substrate dissolution are known to be significantly greater for these alloys. In this study, the IMC growth kinetics for Sn-3.7Ag, Sn-0.7Cu, and Sn-3.8Ag-0.7Cu solders on Cu substrates and for Sn-3.8Ag-0.7Cu solder with three different substrates (Cu, Ni, and Fe-42Ni) are investigated. For all three solders on Cu, a thick scalloped layer of η phase (Cu6Sn5) and a thin layer of ε phase (Cu3Sn) were observed to form, with the growth of the layers being fastest for the Sn-3.8Ag-0.7Cu alloy and slowest for the Sn-3.7Ag alloy. For the Sn-3.8Ag-0.7Cu solder on Ni, only a relatively uniform thick layer of η phase (Cu,Ni)6Sn5 growing faster than that on the Cu substrate was found to form. IMC growth in both cases appears to be controlled by grain-boundary diffusion through the IMC layer. For the Fe-42Ni substrate with the Sn-3.8Ag-0.7Cu, only a very thin layer of (Fe,Ni)Sn2 was observed to develop.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. EMC2, 176 South St., 01748, Hopkinton, MA

    N. Dariavach, P. Callahan & J. Liang

  2. Marquette University, 53201, Milwaukee, WI

    R. Fournelle

Authors
  1. N. Dariavach
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  2. P. Callahan
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  3. J. Liang
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  4. R. Fournelle
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Dariavach, N., Callahan, P., Liang, J. et al. Intermetallic growth kinetics for Sn-Ag, Sn-Cu, and Sn-Ag-Cu lead-free solders on Cu, Ni, and Fe-42Ni substrates. J. Electron. Mater. 35, 1581–1592 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11664-006-0152-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11664-006-0152-7

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