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Sinter bonding of inkjet-printed Ag die-attach as an alternative to Ag paste

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Abstract

The application of inkjet printing technology to electronic packaging has spurred intense interest since inkjet printing promises superior precision in dispensing of interconnects in a digital and non-contact manner at relatively high speed. Correspondingly, in this study, the advantages and challenges of employing inkjet printing as a means for dispensing die-attach materials for advanced electronic packaging applications are discussed. Recently Ag sinter paste has emerged as an attractive substitute for solders, especially for high-temperature applications. As an alternative to Ag paste, the feasibility of employing an inkjet-printable Ag ink as a novel die-attach material was investigated. Inkjet-printable Ag inks contain a lower amount of Ag in comparison to Ag pastes, enabling a jetting process due to a lower viscosity. Ag particle size and its configuration in an ink are also different from a paste. Consequently, the sinter bonding of the printed Ag die-attach at different temperatures (up to 400 °C) and pressures (up to 20 MPa) was studied. It was revealed that a consistent and crack-free bond-line was produced by inkjet printing. The mechanical properties of the assemblies were subsequently assessed by shear strength analysis.

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Acknowledgements

This project has been supported by the COMET K1 center ASSIC (Austrian Smart Systems Integration Research Center). The COMET (Competence Centers for Excellent Technologies) Program is supported by BMVIT, BMWFW and the federal provinces of Carinthia and Styria. TEM and SEM investigations were carried out using the facilities at the University Service Center for Transmission Electron Microscopy (USTEM) at the Vienna University of Technology. The author gratefully acknowledges Alfred Binder for valuable discussions and the support of Andreas Steiger-Thirsfeld and Johannes Bernardi with the electron microscopy studies.

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  1. CTR Carinthian Tech Research, 9524, Villach, Austria

    Ali Roshanghias

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  1. Ali Roshanghias
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Correspondence to Ali Roshanghias.

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Roshanghias, A. Sinter bonding of inkjet-printed Ag die-attach as an alternative to Ag paste. J Mater Sci: Mater Electron 29, 11421–11428 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10854-018-9234-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10854-018-9234-6

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