• Journal of the Microelectronics and Packaging Society
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.83-89
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• 2014

Solder paste plays a crucial role as the widely used joining material in surface mount technology (SMT). The understanding of its behaviour and properties is essential to ensure the proper functioning of the electronic assemblies. The composition of the solder paste is known to be directly related to its rheological behaviour. This paper provides a brief overview of the solder paste behaviour of four different solder paste formulations, stencil printing processes, and techniques to characterize solder paste behaviour adequately. The solder pastes are based on the Sn-3.0Ag-0.5Cu alloy, are different in their particle size, metal content and flux system. The solder pastes are characterized in terms of solder particle size and shape as well as the rheological characterizations such as oscillatory sweep tests, viscosity, and creep recovery behaviour of pastes.

• Journal of Korea Foundry Society
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.89-96
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• 2002

This study examined the effects of adding Zn to Sn-3.5Ag solder on the microstructure changes and behavior of interface reaction of the solder joint with Cu substrate. The solder/Cu joints were examined with microscope to observe the characteristics of microstructure changes and interfacial reaction layer with aging treatment for up to 120 days at $150^{\circ}C$. Results of the microstructure changes showed that the microstructures were coarsened with aging treatment, while adding 1%Zn suppresses coarsening microstructures. The Sn-3.5Ag/Cu had a fast growth rate of the reaction layer in comparison with the Sn-3.5Ag-1Zn at the aging temperature of $150^{\circ}C$. Through the SEM/EDS analysis of solder joint, it was proved that intermetallic layer was $Cu_6Sn_5$ phase and aged specimens showed that intermetallic layer grew in proportion to $t^{1/2}$, and the precipitate of $Ag_3Sn$ occur to both inner layer and interface of layer and solder. In case of Zn-containing composite solder, $Cu_6Sn_5$ phase formed at the side of substrate and Cu-Zn-Sn phase formed at the other side in double layer. It seems that Cu-Zn-Sn phase formed at solder side did a roll of banrier to suppress the growth of the $Cu_6Sn_5$ layer during the aging treatment.

• Journal of the Microelectronics and Packaging Society
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.13-19
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• 2018

The soldering property of Pb-containing solder(Sn-Pb) and Pb-free solders(Sn-3.0Ag-0.5Cu and Sn-1.0Ag-0.7Cu-1.6Bi-0.2In) for solar combiner box module was compared. The solar combiner box module was composed of voltage and current detecting modules, diode modules, and other modules. In this study, solder paste printability, printing shape inspection, solder joint property, X-ray inspection, and shear force measurements were conducted. For optimization of Pb-free soldering process, step 1 and 2 were divided. In the step 1 process, the printability of Pb-containing and Pb-free solder alloys were estimated by using printing inspector. Then, the relationship between void percentages and shear force has been estimated. Overall, the property of Pb-containing solder was better than two Pb-free solders. In the step 2 process, the property of reflow soldering for the Pb-free solders was evaluated with different reflow peak temperatures. As the peak temperature of the reflow process gradually increased, the void percentage decreased by 2 to 4%, but the shear force did not significantly depend on the reflow peak temperature by a deviation of about 0.5 kgf. Among different surface finishes on PCB, ENIG surface finish was better than OSP and Pb-free solder surface finishes in terms of shear force. In the thermal shock reliability test of the solar combiner box module with a Pb-free solder and OSP surface finish, the change rate of electrical property of the module was almost unchanged within a 0.3% range and the module had a relatively good electrical property after 500 thermal shock cycles.

• Journal of the Microelectronics and Packaging Society
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• v.12 no.2 s.35
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• pp.121-128
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• 2005

Solder joints in microelectronic devices are frequently operated at an elevated temperature in service. They also experience plastic deformation caused by temperature excursion and difference in thermal expansion coefficients. Deformed solders can go through a recovery and recrystallization process at an elevated temperature, which would alter their microstructure and mechanical properties. In this study, to predict the changes in mechanical properties of Pb-free solder joints at high temperatures, the high temperature microhardness of several Pb-free and composite solders was measured as a function of temperature, deformation, and annealing condition. Solder alleys investigated include pure Sn, Sn-0.7Cu, Sn-3.5Ag, Sn-3.8Ag-0.7Cu, Sn-2.8Ag-7.0Cu (composite), and Sn-2.7Ag-4.9Cu-2.9Ni (composite). Numbers are all in wt.$\%$ unless specified otherwise. Solder pellets were cast at two cooling rates (0.4 and $7^{\circ}C$/s). The pellets were compressively deformed by $30\%$ and $50\%$ and annealed at $150^{\circ}C$ for 2 days. The microhardness was measured as a function of indentation temperature from 25 to $130^{\circ}C$. Their microstructure was also evaluated to correlate with the changes in microhardness.

• Proceedings of the KWS Conference
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• 2004.05a
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• pp.81-83
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• 2004

최근 대두되고 있는 환경오염문제로 인해 전자산업에서는 전 세계적으로 Pb 솔더에 관한 규제가 진행중에 있다. 이에 Pb free 솔더에 관한 연구가 활발히 진행 중에 있으며 그 중 Sn-Ag계 solder는 유력한 대체 solder로 대두되고 있다. (중략)

• Journal of the Microelectronics and Packaging Society
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.53-57
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• 2013

Although the lowering of Ag content in Sn-3.0Ag-0.5Cu is known to improve the mechanical shock reliability of the solder joint, it is also known to be detrimental to the solderbility. In this study, the quaternary alloying effect of In and the minor alloying effects of Mn and Pd on the solderability, thermal cycling and mechanical shock reliabilities of the low Ag content Sn-1.2Ag-0.7Cu solder were investigated using board-level BGA packages. The solderability of Sn-1.2Ag-0.7Cu-0.4In was proved to be comparable to that of Sn-3.0Ag-0.5Cu but its thermal cycling reliability was inferior to that of Sn-3.0Ag-0.5Cu. While the 0.03 wt% Pd addition to the Sn-1.2Ag-0.7Cu-0.4In decreased the solderability and reliabilities of solder joint, the 0.1 wt% Mn addition was proved to be beneficial especially for the mechanical shock reliability compared to those of Sn-3.0Ag-0.5Cu and Sn-1.0Ag-0.5Cu compositions. It was considered to be due that the Mn addition decreased the Young's modulus of low Ag content Pb-free solders.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers
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• v.23 no.8
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• pp.611-616
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• 2010

This study investigated the characteristics of fracture behavior and mode on solder joints before and after thermal shock test for automotive application component using Sn-3.0Ag-0.5Cu solder, which has a outstanding property as lead-free solder. The shear strength was decreased with thermal cycle number, after 432 cycles of thermal shock test. In addition, fracture mode was verified to ductile, brittle fracture and base materials fracture such as different kind fractured mode using SEM and EDS. Before the thermal shock, the fractured mode was found to typical ductile fracture in solder layer. After thermal shock test, especially, Ag was found on fractured portion as roughest surface. Moreover, it occurred delamination between a PCB and a Cu land. Before thermal shock test, most of fractured mode in solder layer has dimples by ductile fracture. However, after thermal shock test, the fractured mode became a combination of ductile and brittle fracture, and it also could find that the fracture behavior varied including delamination between substrate and Cu land.

• Journal of the Microelectronics and Packaging Society
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• v.8 no.3
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• pp.43-47
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• 2001

Sn-3Ag-8Bi-5In was developed for the intermediate melting point solder. Although In-contained solder is expensive, its melting point is lower than these of Sn-Ag-Cu alloys. Sn-3Ag-8Bi-5In solder used for this research has a melting range of 188~$204^{\circ}C$. On this study wetting characteristics of Sn-3Ag-8Bi-5In were evaluated in order to investigate its availability as a Pb-free solder. Wettabilities of Sn-37Pb and Sn-3.5Ag solders were also studied to compare these of the Sn-3Ag-8Bi-5In. Experimental results showed that the zero-cross-time and wetting time at $240^{\circ}C$ for the Sn-3Ag-8Bi-5In were 1.1 and 2.2 second respectively. These values are a little better than these of Sn-37Pb and Sn-3.5Ag solders. The equilibrium wetting farce of the Sn-3Ag-8Bi-5In was 5.8 mN at $240^{\circ}C$, and it was tuned out to be a little higher than that of Sn-3.5Ag and lower than that of Sn-37Pb.

• Journal of the Microelectronics and Packaging Society
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• v.11 no.4 s.33
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• pp.43-48
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• 2004

Electromigration of Sn-3.5Ag-0.5Cu solder bumps was investigated with current densities of $3{\~}4{\times}10^4 A/cm^2$ at temperatures of $130{\~}160^{\circ}C$ using flip chip specimens which consisted of upper Si chip and lower Si substrate. Electromigration failure of the Sn-3.5Ag-0.5Cu solder bump occurred with complete consumption of Cu UBM and void formation at cathode side of the solder bump. The activation energies for electromigration of the Sn-3.5Ag-0.5Cu solder bump were measured as 0.61 eV at current density of $3{\times}10^4 A/cm^2$, 0.63 eV at $3.5{\times}10^4 A/cm^2$, and 0.77 eV at $4{\times}10^4 A/cm^2$, respectively.

• Proceedings of the International Microelectronics And Packaging Society Conference
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• 2003.09a
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• pp.147-163
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• 2003

European Union bans the usage of Pb in electronics from July 1 st, 2006. The Near-eutectic Sn-Ag-Cu alloys are the leading candidate Pb-free solders (for SMT card assembly). .The microstructure of Sn-Ag-Cu alloys is discussed in terms of solidification, composition and cooling rate. Methods of controlling Ag3Sn plates are discussed. .Thermo-mechanical fatigue behaviors of Sn-Ag-Cu solder joints are reviewed. Tin pest, whisker growth, electromigration of Pb-free solders are discussed.