• Journal of the Korean institute of surface engineering
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• v.55 no.6
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• pp.408-416
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• 2022

In this study, the effect of Au-Sn alloy coating on reliability of electrical contacts was investigated via comparison with Au-Co alloy coating. The results show that Au-Sn alloy exhibited lower contact resistance and higher solder spreadability than those of Au-Co alloy after thermal aging. In the case of Au-Co alloy plating, the underlying Ni element diffused into Au-Co layer to form Ni oxides on surface during thermal aging, leading to increased contact resistance and decreased solder spreadability. Meanwhile, for Au-Sn alloy plating, Au-Ni-Sn metallic compound was formed at the interface between Au-Sn layer and underlying Ni layer. This compound acted as a diffusion barrier, thereby inhibiting the diffusion of Ni to Au-Sn layer during thermal aging. Consequently, Au-Sn alloy layer showed better contact reliability than that of Au-Co alloy layer.

• Journal of Welding and Joining
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• v.35 no.2
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• pp.1-5
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• 2017

Many microelectronic devices are miniaturizing the capacitance density and the size of the capacitor. Along with this miniaturization of electronic circuits, tantalum (Ta) capacitors have been on the market due to its large demands worldwide and advantages such as high volumetric efficiency, low temperature coefficient of capacitance, high stability and reliability. During a tantalum capacitor manufacturing process, arc welding has been used to weld base frame and sub frame. This arc welding may have limitations since the downsizing of the weldment depends on the size of welding electrode and the contact time may prevent from improving productivity. Therefore, to solve these problems, this study applies laser spot welding to weld nickel (Ni) and Au-Sn-Ni alloy using CW IR fiber laser with lap joint geometry. All laser parameters are fixed and the only control variable is laser irradiance time. Four different shapes, such as no melting upper workpiece, asymmetric spherical-shaped weldment, symmetric weldment, and, excessive weldment, are observed. This shape may be due to different temperature distribution and flow pattern during the laser spot cutting.

• Journal of the Korean institute of surface engineering
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• v.39 no.6
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• pp.276-281
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• 2006

In order to improve the performance of PPFs (Pre-Plated Frames), a PPF that employed a Cu-Sn alloy instead of conventionally used Ni was developed and then its properties were investigated. It was found that the electoplated Cu-Sn alloy layer was a mixture of uniformly distributed fine crystallites, resulting In better wettability and crack resistance than those of Ni PPF. Moreover, as in Cu/Ni/Pd/Au PPF, migration of copper atoms from the base metal to the top of the Cu/Cu-Sn/Pd/Au PPF surface was not found although the Cu-Sn layer itself contained considerable amount of copper. It was expected that, by using the newly developed Cu-Sn PPF, any possible heat generation and signal interrupt caused by an external electro-magnetic field could be reduced because the Cu-Sn layer was paramagnetic, i.e., nonmagnetic.

• Journal of the Microelectronics and Packaging Society
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• v.9 no.4
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• pp.1-9
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• 2002

The metallurgical reaction properties between the pad consisted of 0.5 $\mu\textrm{m}$Au/5 $\mu\textrm{m}$Ni/Cu layers on a conventional ball grid array (BGA) substrate and In-15 (wt.%)Pb-5Ag solder ball were characterized during the reflow process and solid aging. During the reflow process of 1 to 5 minutes, it was observed that thin $AuIn_2$ or Ni-In intermetallic layer was formed at the interface of solder/pad. The dissolution rate of the Au layer into the molten solder was about $2\times 10^{-3}$ $\mu\textrm{m}$/sec which is remarkably low in comparison with a eutectic Sn-37Pb solder. After solid aging treatment for 500 hrs at $130^{\circ}C$, the thickness of $Ni_{28}In_{72}$ intermetallic layer was increased to about 3 $\mu\textrm{m}$ in all the conditions nevertheless the initial reflow time was different. These result show that In atoms in the solder alloy were diffused through the $AuIn_2$ phase to react with underlaying Ni layer during solid aging treatment. From the microstructural observation and shear tests, the reaction properties between In-15Pb-5Ag alloy and Au/Ni surface finish were analyzed not to trigger Au-embrittlement in the solder joints unlike Sn-37Pb composition.

• Proceedings of the International Microelectronics And Packaging Society Conference
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• 2002.05a
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• pp.183-188
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• 2002

With the contact pad consisted of $0.5{\mu}{\textrm}{m}$ $Au/5{\mu}{\textrm}{m}$ Ni/Cu layers on a conventional ball grid array(BGA) substrate, metallurgical reaction properties between the pad and In-15(wt.%)Pb-5Ag solder alloy were studied after reflow and solid aging. In as-reflow condition, thin AuIn$_2$or Ni$_{28}$In$_{72}$ intermetallic layer was formed at the solder/pad interface according to reflow time. Dissolution of the Au layer into the molten solder was remarkably limited in comparison with eutectic Sn-37Pb alloy. After solid aging of 300 hrs, thickness of In-Ni layer increased to about $2{\mu}{\textrm}{m}$ in the both as-reflow case. It was observed that In atoms diffuse through the AuIn$_2$phase to react with underlaying Ni layer. The metallurgical reaction properties between In-l5Pb-7Ag alloy and Au/Ni surface finish were analysed to result in suppression of Au-embrittlement in the solder joints.

• Proceedings of the KIEE Conference
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• 2003.10a
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• pp.273-275
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• 2003

본 실험은 고출력 반도체 레이저의 p-side-down 마운팅용 솔더로서 AuSn 합금 솔더(80wt%:20wt%)의 적합성에 대해 연구하였다. $1{\mu}m$이하의 균일도로 폴리싱 된 Cu heat sink의 표면에 두께 $1{\mu}m$의 Ni로 코팅을 한다음, AuSn 다층박막은 e-beam 증착기로 AuSn 합금 솔더는 열증착기로 각각 증착하였다. 열처리는 산화 방지를 위해 $N_2$ 분위기에서 행하였으며, 동일한 압력으로 마운팅을 하였다. 표면의 거칠기와 형상은 AFM(Atomic Force Microscope)과 SEM(Scanning Electron Microscopy)으로 그리고 Au와 Sn의 성분비는 AES(Auger Electron Spectroscopy) 로 비교하였다. 또한 CW(연속발진)을 통한 L-I(Light-Current)측정을 통해 본딩상태를 비교하였다.

• Korean Journal of Metals and Materials
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• v.48 no.11
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• pp.1041-1046
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• 2010

The reactions between a Sn-3.0Ag-0.5Cu solder alloy and electroless Ni/electroless Pd/immersion Au (ENEPIG) surface finishes with various Pd layer thicknesses (0, 0.05, 0.1, 0.2, $0.4{\mu}m$) were examined for the effect of the Pd layer on the massive spalling of the $(Cu,Ni)_6Sn_5$ layer during reflow at $235^{\circ}C$. The thin layer deposition of an electroless Pd (EP) between the electroless Ni ($7{\mu}m$) and immersion Au ($0.06{\mu}m$) plating on the Cu substrate significantly retarded the massive spalling of the $(Cu,Ni)_6Sn_5$ layer during reflow. Its retarding effect increased with an increasing EP layer thickness. When the EP layer was thin (${\leq}0.1{\mu}m$), the retardation of the massive spalling was attributed to a reduced growth rate of the $(Cu,Ni)_6Sn_5$ layer and thus to a lowered consumption rate of Cu in the bulk solder during reflow. However, when the EP layer was thick (${\geq}0.2{\mu}m$), the initially dissolved Pd atoms in the molten solder resettled as $(Pd,Ni)Sn_4$ precipitates near the solder/$(Cu,Ni)_6Sn_5$ interface with an increasing reflow time. Since the Pd resettlement requires a continuous Ni supply across the $(Cu,Ni)_6Sn_5$ layer from the Ni(P) substrate, it suppressed the formation of $(Ni,Cu)_3Sn_4$ at the $(Cu,Ni)_6Sn_5/Ni(P)$ interface and retarded the massive spalling of the $(Cu,Ni)_6Sn_5$ layer.

• Proceedings of the International Microelectronics And Packaging Society Conference
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• 2002.05a
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• pp.85-91
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• 2002

Even though electroless Hi and Sn-Ag-Cu solder are widely used materials in electronic packaging applications, interfacial reactions of the ternary Ni-Cu~Sn system have not been known well because of their complexity. Because the growth of intermetallics at the interface affects reliability of solder joint, the intermetallics in Ni-Cu-Sn system should be identified, and their growth should be investigated. Therefore, in present study, interfacial reactions between electroless Ni UB7f and 95.5Sn-4.0Ag-0.5Cu alloy were investigated focusing on morphology of the IMCs, thermodynamics, and growth kinetics. The IMCs that appear during a reflow and an aging are different each other. In early stage of a reflow, ternary IMC whose composition is Ni$_{22}$Cu$_{29}$Sn$_{49}$ forms firstly. Due to the lack of Cu diffusion, Ni$_{34}$Cu$_{6}$Sn$_{60}$ phase begins growing in a further reflow. Finally, the Ni$_{22}$Cu$_{29}$Sn$_{49}$ IMC grows abnormally and spalls into the molten solder. The transition of the IMCs from Ni$_{22}$Cu$_{29}$Sn$_{49}$ to Ni$_{34}$Cu$_{6}$Sn$_{60}$ was observed at a specific temperature. From the measurement of activation energy of each IMC, growth kinetics was discussed. In contrast to the reflow, three kinds of IMCs (Ni$_{22}$Cu$_{29}$Sn$_{49}$, Ni$_{20}$Cu$_{28}$Au$_{5}$, and Ni$_{34}$Cu$_{6}$Sn$_{60}$) were observed in order during an aging. All of the IMCs were well attached on UBM. Au in the quaternary IMC, which originates from immersion Au plating, prevents abnormal growth and separation of the IMC. Growth of each IMC is very dependent to the aging temperature because of its high activation energy. Besides the IMCs at the interface, plate-like Ag3Sn IMC grows as solder bump size inside solder bump. The abnormally grown Ni$_{22}$Cu$_{29}$Sn$_{49}$ and Ag$_3$Sn IMCs can be origins of brittle failure.failure.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Manufacturing Technology Engineers
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.187-192
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• 2011

UBM(Under Bump Metallurgy) is very important for successful realization of Flip-Chip technology. In this study, it is investigated the interfacial reactions between various Sn-Ag solder alloys and Ni-P/Au UBM and Cu plate finish. It is also evaluated the shear strength by using the micro shear-punch test method for Sn-37Pb alloy, binary and ternary alloys of environment-friendly Pb-free solder alloys which are applied in the electronic packages. In terms of interfacial microstructure, the Pb-free solder joints have thicker IMCs than the Sn-Pb solder joints. The thickness of IMC is related to Reflow time. The IMC has been observed to grow with the increase in Reflow time. As a result of the shear test, in case of Max. shear strength, Pb-free solder showed the highest strength value and Sn-37Pb showed the lowest strength value 10 be generally condition of Reflow time.

• Proceedings of the International Microelectronics And Packaging Society Conference
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• 2004.02a
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• pp.37-59
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• 2004

In the case of Ni/Au finished pad on the package side, the solder joint of SnAgCu system can bring brittle fracture under impact load such as drop test. Therefore, it's difficult to prevent the brittle fracture of lead-free solder, by controlling Cu content. The failure locus existing on the interface between $(Ni,Cu)_3Sn_4\;and\;(Cu,Ni)_6Sn_5$ IMC layers must be changed to other site in order to avoid brittle fracture due to impact load. It was not found any clear evidence that there were two IMC layers exist. But it was strongly assumed these were two layers which have different Cu-Ni composition. From the above analysis it was assumed that Cu atom in the solder alloy or substrate seemed to affect IMC composition and cause to IMC brittle fracture.