• Korean Journal of Metals and Materials
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• v.47 no.12
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• pp.842-851
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• 2009

The long-term reliability of Sn-0.3wt%Ag-0.7wt%Cu solder joints was evaluated and compared with Sn-3.0wt%Ag-0.5wt%Cu under thermal shock conditions. Test vehicles were prepared to use Sn-0.3Ag-0.7Cu and Sn-3.0Ag-0.5Cu solder alloys. To compare the shear strength of the solder joints, 0603, 1005, 1608, 2012, 3216 and 4232 multi-layer ceramic chip capacitors were used. A reflow soldering process was utilized in the preparation of the test vehicles involving a FR-4 material-based printed circuit board (PCB). To compare the shear strength degradation following the thermal shock cycles, a thermal shock test was conducted up to 2,000 cycles at temperatures ranging from $-40^{\circ}C$ to $85^{\circ}C$, with a dwell time of 30 min at each temperature. The shear strength of the solder joints of the chip capacitors was measured at every 500 cycles in each case. The intermetallic compounds (IMCs) of the solder joint interfaces werealso analyzed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS). The results showed that the reliability of Sn-0.3Ag-0.7Cu solder joints was very close to that of Sn-3.0Ag-0.5Cu. Consequently, it was confirmed that Sn-0.3Ag-0.7Cu solder alloy with a low silver content can be replaced with Sn-3.0Ag-0.5Cu.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Machine Tool Engineers
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.137-143
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• 2008

Thermal fatigue life prediction for solder joints becomes the most critical issue in present microelectronic packaging industry. And lead-free solder is quickly becoming a reality in electronic manufacturing fields. This trend requires life prediction models for new solder alloy systems. This paper describes the life prediction models for SnAgCu and SnPb solder joints, based upon non-linear finite element analysis (FEA). In case of analyses of the SnAgCu solder joints, two kinds of shapes are used. As a result, it is found that the SnAgCu solder has longer fatigue life than the SnPb solder in temperature cycling analyses.

• Journal of Welding and Joining
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.92-98
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• 2003

This paper describes the numerical prediction of the thermal fatigue life of a $\mu$BGA(Micro Ball Grid Array) solder joint. Finite element analysis(FEA) was employed to simulate thermal cycling loading for solder joint reliability. Strain values, along with the result of mechanical fatigue tests for solder alloys were then used to predict the solder joint fatigue life using the Coffin-Manson equation. The results show that Sn-3.5mass%Ag solder had the longest thermal fatigue life in low cycle fatigue. Also a practical correlation for the prediction of the thermal fatigue life was suggested by using the dimensionless variable ${\gamma}$, which was possible to use several lead free solder alloys for prediction of thermal fatigue life. Furthermore, when the contact angle of the ball and chip has 50 degrees, solder joint has longest fatigue life.

• Journal of Welding and Joining
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.89-96
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• 2000

As solder becomes small and fine, the reliability and solderability of solder joint are the critical issue in present electronic packaging industry. Besides the use of lead(Pb) containing solders for the interconnections of microelectronic subsystem assembly and packaging has enviromental problem. In this study, using Sn/Pb and Sn/Ag eutectic solder paste, in order to obtain decrease of solder joint strength with increasing aging time, initial solder joint strength and aging strength after 1000 hour aging at $100^{\circ}C$ were measured by peel test. And in order to obtain the growth of intermetallic compound(IMC) layer thickness, IMC layer thickness was measured by scanning electron microscope(SEM). As a result, solder joint strength was decreased with increasing aging time. The mean IMC layer thickness was increased linearly with the square root of aging time. The diffusion coefficient(D) of IMC layer was found to $1.29{\times}10^{-13}{\;}cm^2/s$ at using Sn/Pb solder paste, 7.56{\times}10^{-14}{\textrm}{cm}^2/s$ at using Sn/Ag solder paste.

• Journal of Welding and Joining
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• v.20 no.6
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• pp.59-59
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• 2002

Sn-Ag-Cu solder is known as most competitive in many kinds of Pb-free solders. In this study, effects of solderability with plated layers such as Cu, Cu/Sn, Cu/Ni and Cu/Ni/Au were investigated. Sn-3.5Ag-0.7Cu solder balls were reflowed in commercial reflow machine (peak temp. : 250℃ and conveyer speed : 0.6m/min). In wetting test, immersion speed was 5mm/sec., immersion time 5sec., immersion depth 4mm and temperature of solder bath was 250℃. Wettability of Sn-3.5Ag-0.7Cu on Cu, Cu/Sn (5㎛), Cu/Ni (5㎛), and Cu/Ni/Au (5㎛/500Å) layers was investigated. Cu/Ni/Au layer had the best wettability as zero cross time and equilibrium force, and the measured values were 0.93 sec and 7mN, respectively. Surface tension of Sn-3.5Ag-0.7Cu solder turmed out to be 0.52N/m. The thickness of IMC is reduced in the order of Cu, Cu/Sn, Cu/Mi and Cu/Ni/Au coated layer. Shear strength of Cu/Ni, Cu/Sn and Cu was around 560gf but Cu/Ni/Au was 370gf.

• Journal of Welding and Joining
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• v.20 no.6
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• pp.783-788
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• 2002

Sn-Ag-Cu solder is known as most competitive in many kinds of Pb-free solders. In this study, effects of solderability with plated layers such as Cu, Cu/Sn, Cu/Ni and Cu/Ni/Au were investigated. Sn-3.5Ag-0.7Cu solder balls were reflowed in commercial reflow machine (peak temp.:$250^{\circ}C$and conveyer speed:0.6m/min). In wetting test, immersion speed was 5mm/sec., immersion time 5sec., immersion depth 4mm and temperature of solder bath was $250^{\circ}C$. Wettability of Sn-3.5Ag-0.7Cu on Cu, Cu/Sn ($5\mu\textrm{m}$), Cu/Ni ($5\mu\textrm{m}$), and Cu/Ni/Au ($5\mu\textrm{m}/500{\AA}$) layers was investigated. Cu/Ni/Au layer had the best wettability as zero cross time and equilibrium force, and the measured values were 0.93 sec and 7mN, respectively. Surface tension of Sn-3.5Ag-0.7Cu solder turmed out to be 0.52N/m. The thickness of IMC is reduced in the order of Cu, Cu/Sn, Cu/Mi and Cu/Ni/Au coated layer. Shear strength of Cu/Ni, Cu/Sn and Cu was around 560gf but Cu/Ni/Au was 370gf.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Manufacturing Technology Engineers
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• v.18 no.5
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• pp.449-454
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• 2009

This paper presents an experimental study on the failure characteristics of SnAgCu lead-free solder balls. To estimate the effect of Ag, three types of SnAgCu balls are first prepared by varying the weight percent of Ag(1.0, 3.0, 4.0 wt%) and then analyzed by reliability tests such as thermal shock, high speed ball shear, and drop tests. Thermal shock test reveals that the higher the weight percent of Ag is, the longer the fatigue lift becomes. To the contrary, high speed ball-shear test and drop test show that the shear strength and the fracture toughness of solder balls are inversely proportional to the weight percent of Ag, respectively, Reasons for these observations will be further investigated In the future work.

• Journal of the Microelectronics and Packaging Society
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.49-55
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• 2011

The failure of electronic instruments is mostly caused by heat and shock. This shock causes the crack initiation at the solder joint interface of PCB component which is closely related with the formation of intermetallic compound(IMC). The Ag content in Pb-free Sn-xAg-0.5Cu solder alloy used in this study was 1.0, 1.2 and 3.0 wt.%, respectively. After soldering with PCB component, isothermal aging was performed to 1000 hrs. The growth of IMC layer was observed during isothermal aging. The drop impact property of solder joint was evaluated by impact bending test method. The solder joint made with the solder containing lower Ag content showed better impact bending property compared with that with higher Ag content. On the contrary to this result, the solder joint made with solder containing higher Ag content showed better impact bending property after aging. It should be caused by the formation of fine $Ag_3Sn$, which relieved the impact. It showed consequently the different effect of fine $Ag_3Sn$ and coarse $Cu_6Sn_5$ particles formed in the IMC layer on the impact bending property.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers A
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• v.28 no.12
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• pp.1856-1863
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• 2004

In the last 50 years, lead-contained solder materials have been the most popular interconnect materials used in the electronics industry. Recently, lead-free solders are about to replace lead-contained solders for preventing environmental pollutions. However, the reliability of lead-free solders is not yet satisfactory. Several researchers reported that lead-contained solders have a good fatigue property. The others published that the lead-free solders have a longer thermal fatigue life. In this paper, the reason for the contradictory results published on the estimation of fatigue life of lead-free solder is investigated. In the present study, fatigue behavior of 63Sn37Pb, and two types of lead-free solder joints were compared using pseudo-power cycling testing method, which provides more realistic load cycling than chamber cycling method does. Pseudo-power cycling test was performed in various temperature ranges to evaluating the shear strain effect. A nonlinear finite element model was used to simulate the thermally induced visco-plastic deformation of solder ball joint in BGA packages. It was found that lead-free solder joints have a good fatigue property in the small temperature range condition. That condition induce small strain amplitude. However in the large temperature range condition, lead-contained solder joints have a longer fatigue life.

• Journal of Welding and Joining
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.61-67
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• 2005

Since lead (Pb)-free solders for electronics have higher melting points than that of eutectic Sn-Pb solder, they need higher soldering temperatures. In order to decrease the soldering temperature we tried to coat Sn-Bi layer on $Sn-3.5\%Ag$ solder by electroplating, which applies the mechanism of transient liquid phase bonding to soldering. During heating Bi will diffuse into the $Sn-3.5\%Ag$ solder and this results in decreasing soldering temperature. As bonding samples, the 1608 capacitor electroplated with Sn, and PCB, its surface was finished with electroless-plated Ni/Au, were selected. The $Sn-95.7\%Bi$ coated Sn-3.5Ag was supplied as a solder between the capacitor and PCB land. The samples were reflowed at $220^{\circ}C$, which was lower than that of normal reflow temperature, $240\~250^{\circ}C$, for the Pb-free. As experimental result, the joint of $Sn-95.7\%Bi$ coated Sn-3.5Ag showed high shear strength. In the as-reflowed state, the shear strength of the coated solder showed 58.8N, whereas those of commercial ones were 37.2N (Sn-37Pb), 31.4N (Sn-3Ag-0.5Cu), and 40.2N (Sn-8Zn-3Bi). After thermal shock of 1000 cycles between $-40^{\circ}C$ and $+125^{\circ}C$, shear strength of the coated solder showed 56.8N, whereas the previous commercial solders were in the range of 32.3N and 45.1N. As the microstructures, in the solder $Ag_3Sn$ intermetallic compound (IMC), and along the bonded interface $Ni_3Sn_4$ IMC were observed.