Abstract
Copper-based leadframe sheets were oxidized in two kinds of hot alkaline solutions to form brown-oxide or black-oxide layer on the surface. The oxide coated leadframe sheets were molded with epoxy molding compound (EMC). After post mold curing, the oxide-coated EMC-leadframe joints were machined to form sandwiched Brazil-nut (SBN) specimens. The SBN specimens were used to measure the fracture toughness of the EMC/leadframe interfaces under mixed-mode (mode I + mode II) loading conditions. Fracture surfaces were analyzed by various equipment to investigate failure path. The results revealed that the failure paths were strongly dependent on the oxide type. In case of brown oxide, hackle-type failure was observed and failure path lay near the EMC/CuO interface with a little inclining to CuO at all case. On the other hand, in case of black oxide, quite different failure path was observed with respect to the distance from the tip of pre-crack and phase angle. Different failures occurred with oxide type is presumed to be due to the difference in microstructure of the oxides.