Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Enhancing mechanical properties via adding Ni and Zn in Cu/Sn3.5Ag/Cu transient liquid phase bonding for advanced electronic packaging

  • Published:
Journal of Materials Science: Materials in Electronics Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Recently, the transient liquid phase (TLP) bonding process has become a promising method in advanced electronic packaging. Full intermetallic compounds joints provide good strength and reliable high-melting-point phase after bonding. However, Kirkendall voids and the preferred orientation of Cu6Sn5 may deteriorate the reliability in conventional Cu/Sn/Cu bumps. To resolve these problems and further enhance the mechanical proprieties, Ni and Zn are used to modify the overall microstructures of the TLP bond. After the addition of Ni and Zn, the strength of Cu18Ni/Sn3.5Ag/Cu and Cu18Ni18Zn/Sn3.5Ag/Cu bump increased significantly, as compared to Cu/Sn3.5Ag/Cu. Both Cu18Ni/Sn3.5Ag/Cu and Cu18Ni18Zn/Sn3.5Ag/Cu bump demonstrated outstanding strength and toughness. Moreover, microstructure, grain, and mechanical analyses are employed to elucidate the mechanisms behind the strengthening effect of Ni and Zn in Cu18Ni/Sn3.5Ag/Cu and Cu18Ni18Zn/Sn3.5Ag/Cu bump.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6

Similar content being viewed by others

Data availability

We ensured that all data and materials as well as software application or custom code support their published claims and comply with field standards.

References

  1. S.F. Choudhury, L. Ladani, Local shear stress-strain response of Sn-3.5Ag/Cu solder joint with high fraction of intermetallic compounds: Experimental analysis. J. Alloy. Compd. 680, 665–676 (2016)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. C.-Y. Ho et al., Bump height confinement governed solder alloy hardening in Cu/SnAg/Ni and Cu/SnAgCu/Ni joint assemblies. J. Alloy. Compd. 600, 199–203 (2014)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. W.-Y. Chen, J.-G. Duh, Suppression of Cu3Sn layer and formation of multi-orientation IMCs during thermal aging in Cu/Sn–3.5Ag/Cu–15Zn transient liquid-phase bonding in novel 3D-IC technologies. Mater. Lett. 186, 279–282 (2017)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. W.-Y. Chen, R.-W. Song, J.-G. Duh, Grain structure modification of Cu-Sn IMCs by applying Cu-Zn UBM on transient liquid-phase bonding in novel 3D-IC technologies. Intermetallics 85, 170–175 (2017)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. P. Yao et al., Shear strength and fracture mechanism for full Cu-Sn IMCs solder joints with different Cu3Sn proportion and joints with conventional interfacial structure in electronic packaging. Solder. Surf. Mount Technol. 31(1), 6–19 (2019)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. A.M. Gusak, K.N. Tu, C. Chen, Extremely rapid grain growth in scallop-type Cu6Sn5 during solid–liquid interdiffusion reactions in micro-bump solder joints. Scripta Mater. 179, 45–48 (2020)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. D. Mu et al., Investigating the mechanical properties, creep and crack pattern of Cu6Sn5 and (Cu,Ni)6Sn5 on diverse crystal planes. Mater. Sci. Eng. 566, 126–133 (2013)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. D. Mu et al., Growth orientations and mechanical properties of Cu6Sn5 and (Cu,Ni)6Sn5 on poly-crystalline Cu. J. Alloy. Compd. 536, 38–46 (2012)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. C.-Y. Yu, W.-Y. Chen, J.-G. Duh, Improving the impact toughness of Sn–Ag–Cu/Cu–Zn Pb-free solder joints under high speed shear testing. J. Alloy. Compd. 586, 633–638 (2014)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. X. Zhang et al., Effect of Ni addition to the Cu substrate on the interfacial reaction and IMC growth with Sn3.0Ag0.5Cu solder. Appl. Phys. A 124(4), 315 (2018)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. H.-K. Cheng et al., Interfacial reactions between Cu and SnAgCu solder doped with minor Ni. J. Alloy. Compd. 622, 529–534 (2015)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. G. Zeng et al., The influence of Ni and Zn additions on microstructure and phase transformations in Sn–0.7Cu/Cu solder joints. Acta Mater. 83, 357–371 (2015)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. C.-Y. Yu, W.-Y. Chen, J.-G. Duh, Suppressing the growth of Cu–Sn intermetallic compounds in Ni/Sn–Ag–Cu/Cu–Zn solder joints during thermal aging. Intermetallics 26, 11–17 (2012)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. G. Zeng et al., Effect of Zn, Au, and In on the polymorphic phase transformation in Cu6Sn5 intermetallics. J. Mater. Res. 27(20), 2609–2614 (2012)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. W.-Y. Chen, C.-Y. Yu, J.-G. Duh, Improving the shear strength of Sn–Ag–Cu–Ni/Cu–Zn solder joints via modifying the microstructure and phase stability of Cu–Sn intermetallic compounds. Intermetallics 54, 181–186 (2014)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. C.-Y. Yu et al., Effects of minor Ni doping on microstructural variationsand interfacial reactions in Cu/Sn-3.0Ag-0.5Cu-xNi/Au/Ni sandwich structures. J. Electron. Mater. 39(12), 2544–2552 (2010)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. J. Wu, C.R. Kao, J. Yang. Mechanical reliability assessment of Cu_6Sn_5 intermetallic compound and multilayer structures in Cu/Sn interconnects for 3D IC applications. In: 2019 IEEE 69th Electronic Components and Technology Conference (ECTC). 2019

  18. D. Mu, H. Huang, K. Nogita, Anisotropic mechanical properties of Cu6Sn5 and (Cu, Ni)6Sn5. Mater. Lett. 86, 46–49 (2012)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. W.-Y. Chen et al., Growth orientation of Cu–Sn IMC in Cu/Sn–3.5Ag/Cu–xZn microbumps and Zn-doped solder joints. Mater. Lett. 134, 184–186 (2014)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. F. Gao, T. Takemoto, H. Nishikawa, Effects of Co and Ni addition on reactive diffusion between Sn–3.5Ag solder and Cu during soldering and annealing. Mater. Sci. Eng. 420(1), 39–46 (2006)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  21. Y.-C. Wang et al., Diversifying grain orientation and expediting 10 µm Cu/Sn/Cu TLP bonding process with Ni doping. J. Mater. Sci. 32(2), 2639–2646 (2021)

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  22. J.-M. Song et al., Relationship between nanomechanical responses of interfacial intermetallic compound layers and impact reliability of solder joints. Nanomaterials 10(8), 1456 (2020)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  23. Y.M. Leong et al., Microstructure and mechanical properties of Sn–1.0Ag–0.5Cu solder with minor Zn additions. J. Mater. Sci. 30(13), 11914–11922 (2019)

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  24. S. Chen, W. Zhou, P. Wu, Effect of Zn Additions on the Mechanical Properties of Cu6Sn5-Based IMCs: Theoretical and Experimental Investigations. J. Electron. Mater. 44(10), 3920–3926 (2015)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  25. W.-Y. Chen et al., Retarding the Cu–Sn and Ag–Sn intermetallic compounds by applying Cu–xZn alloy on micro-bump in novel 3D-IC technologies. J. Mater. Sci. 26(4), 2357–2362 (2015)

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  26. L. Jiang, N. Chawla, Mechanical properties of Cu6Sn5 intermetallic by micropillar compression testing. Scripta Mater. 63(5), 480–483 (2010)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  27. T.-T. Chou et al., Enhancement of the mechanical strength of Sn-3.0Ag-0.5Cu/Ni joints via doping minor Ni into solder alloy. Mater. Lett. 235, 180–183 (2019)

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

Financial support from the Ministry of Science and Technology, Taiwan, under the Contract No. 110-2221-E-007-021-MY2 is much appreciated. The technical support of FE-EPMA in the Precision Instrument Center of National Tsing Hua University is also appreciated.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Materials Science and Engineering, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu, Taiwan

    Zih-You Wu, Tzu-Chia Wang, Yu-Ching Wang, Rui-Wen Song & Jenq-Gong Duh

  2. Precision Instrument Center, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu, Taiwan

    Su-Yueh Tsai

  3. No. 101, Sec. 2, Kuang-Fu Road, Hsinchu, 30013, Taiwan

    Jenq-Gong Duh

Authors
  1. Zih-You Wu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Tzu-Chia Wang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Yu-Ching Wang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Rui-Wen Song
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Su-Yueh Tsai
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Jenq-Gong Duh
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Contributions

ZYW: Conceptualization, Writing—original draft. TCW: Resources. YCW: Resources. RWS: Resources, Validation. SYT: Resources. JGD: Conceptualization, Project administration, Supervision, Writing—review & editing.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Jenq-Gong Duh.

Ethics declarations

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.

Additional information

Publisher’s Note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Wu, ZY., Wang, TC., Wang, YC. et al. Enhancing mechanical properties via adding Ni and Zn in Cu/Sn3.5Ag/Cu transient liquid phase bonding for advanced electronic packaging. J Mater Sci: Mater Electron 33, 3016–3023 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10854-021-07501-1

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10854-021-07501-1

Search

Navigation