Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Effect of Zn Addition on Interfacial Reactions Between Sn-4Ag Solder and Ag Substrates

  • Published:
Journal of Electronic Materials Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

In this study, the effect of Zn (Zn = 1 wt.%, 3 wt.%, and 7 wt.%) additions to Sn-4Ag solder reacting with Ag substrates was investigated under solid-state and liquid-state conditions. The composition and microstructure of the intermetallic compounds (IMCs) significantly changed due to the introduction of different Zn contents. In the case of Sn-4Ag solder with 1 wt.% Zn, a continuous Ag-Sn IMC layer formed on the Ag substrates; discontinuous Ag-Zn layers and Sn-rich regions formed on the Ag substrates under liquid-state conditions when the Sn-4Ag solders contained 3 wt.% and 7 wt.% Zn. If 3 wt.% Zn was added to Sn-4Ag solder, the Ag-Sn IMC would be transformed into a Ag-Zn IMC with increasing aging time. Rough interfaces between the IMCs and the Ag substrates were observed in Sn-4Ag-7Zn/Ag joints after reflowing at 260°C for 15 min; however, the interfaces between the IMCs and the Ag substrates became smooth for Sn-4Ag-1Zn/Ag and Sn-4Ag-3Zn/Ag joints. The nonparabolic growth mechanism of IMCs was probed in the Sn-4Ag-3Zn/Ag joints during liquid-state reaction, and can be attributed to the detachment of IMCs. On the other hand, the effect of gravity was also taken into account to explain the formation of IMCs at the three different interfaces (bottom, top, and vertical) during the reflow procedure.

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

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. M. Kerr, N. Chawla, Acta Mater. 52, 4527 (2004). doi:10.1016/j.actamat.2004.06.010

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. M. Abtew, G. Selvaduray, Mater. Sci. Eng. Rep. 27, 95 (2000). doi:10.1016/S0927-796X(00)00010-3

    Article  Google Scholar 

  3. T.C. Chang, M.H. Hon, M.C. Wang, J. Alloy. Compd. 352, 168 (2003). doi:10.1016/S0925-8388(02)01122-2

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. J.M. Song, G.F. Lan, T.S. Lui, L.H. Chen, Scripta Mater. 48, 1047 (2003). doi:10.1016/S1359-6462(02)00647-4

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. J. Yu, D.K. Joo, S.W. Shin, Acta Mater. 50, 4315 (2002). doi:10.1016/S1359-6454(02)00263-X

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. C.E. Ho, Y.W. Lin, S.C. Yang, C.R. Kao, D.S. Jiang, J. Electron. Mater. 35, 1017 (2006). doi:10.1007/BF02692562

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. C.E. Ho, S.C. Yang, C.R. Kao, J. Mater. Sci. Mater. Electron. 18, 155 (2007). doi:10.1007/s10854-006-9031-5

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. D.J. Lee, D.H. Baek, K.K. Lee, K.M. Lee, and Y.J. Seo, Z. Metallk. 96 (2), 148 (2005)

  9. J.M. Song, C.F. Huang, H.Y. Chuang, J. Electron. Mater. 35, 2154 (2006). doi:10.1007/s11664-006-0326-3

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Y. Kariya, M. Otsuka, J. Electron. Mater. 27, 1229 (1998). doi:10.1007/s11664-998-0074-7

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. S.K. Kang, D. Leonard, D.Y. Shih, L. Gignac, D.W. Henderson, S. Cho, et al. J. Electron. Mater. 35, 479 (2006). doi:10.1007/BF02690535

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. T. El-Ashram, R.M. Shalaby, J. Electron. Mater. 34, 212 (2005). doi:10.1007/s11664-005-0234-y

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. F.J. Wang, F. Gao, X. Ma, Y.Y. Qian, J. Electron. Mater. 35, 1818 (2006). doi:10.1007/s11664-006-0163-4

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. S.C. Yang, C.E. Ho, C.W. Chang, C.R. Kao, J. Mater. Res. 21, 2436 (2006). doi:10.1557/jmr.2006.0320

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Y.W. Yen, C.C. Jao, C. Lee, J. Mater. Res. 21, 2986 (2006). doi:10.1557/jmr.2006.0369

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. A. Fawzy, Mater. Charact. 58, 323 (2007). doi:10.1016/j.matchar.2006.05.013

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. A. El-Daly, A.M. Addel-Daiem, Phys. Status Solidi A 198 56 (2003). doi:10.1002/pssa.200306584

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. F.J. Wang, X. Ma, Y.Y. Qian, Scripta Mater. 53, 699 (2005). doi:10.1016/j.scriptamat.2005.05.013

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. E. Saiz, C.W. Hwang, K. Suganuma, A.P. Tomsia, Acta Mater. 51, 3185 (2003). doi:10.1016/S1359-6454(03)00140-X

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. M.O. Alam, Y.C. Chan, J. Appl. Phys. 97, 7904 (2003). doi:10.1063/1.1628387

    Article  Google Scholar 

  21. G.P. Vassilev, S.K. Evtimova, J.-C. Tedenac, E.S. Dobrev, J. Alloy. Compd. 334, 182 (2002). doi:10.1016/S0925-8388(01)01778-9

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  22. J.M. Song, K.L. Lin, J. Mater. Res. 19, 2719 (2004). doi:10.1557/JMR.2004.0356

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  23. J.M. Song, K.L. Lin, J. Mater. Res. 18, 2060 (2003). doi:10.1557/JMR.2003.0290

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  24. M.D. Cheng, S.S. Wang, T.H. Chuang, J. Electron. Mater. 31, 171 (2002). doi:10.1007/s11664-002-0202-8

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  25. C.H. Wang, S.W. Chen, Acta Mater. 54, 247 (2006). doi:10.1016/j.actamat.2005.09.006

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  26. T. Lauril, V. Vuorinen, J.K. Kivilahti, Mater. Sci. Eng. Rep. 49, 1 (2005). doi:10.1016/j.mser.2005.03.001

    Article  Google Scholar 

  27. J.F. Li, S.H. Mannan, M.P. Clode, K. Chen, D.C. Whalley, C. Liu, et al. Acta Mater. 55, 737 (2007). doi:10.1016/j.actamat.2006.09.003

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  28. H.F. Hsu, S.W. Chen, Acta Mater. 52, 2541 (2004). doi:10.1016/j.actamat.2004.02.002

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  29. C.M. Chen, K.J. Wang, K.C. Chen, J. Alloy. Compd. 432, 122 (2007). doi:10.1016/j.jallcom.2006.05.116

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  30. H.K. Kim, K.N. Tu, Phys. Rev. B 53, 16028 (1996). doi:10.1103/PhysRevB.53.16027

    Google Scholar 

  31. G. Ghosh, J. Electron. Mater. 33, 1080 (2004). doi:10.1007/s11664-004-0108-8

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  32. P.Y. Yeh, J.M. Song, K.L. Lin, J. Electron. Mater. 35, 978 (2006). doi:10.1007/BF02692557

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  33. S.C. Yang, C.E. Ho, C.W. Chang, C.R. Kao, J. Appl. Phys. 101, 084911 (2007). doi:10.1063/1.2717564

    Article  Google Scholar 

  34. L. Muldawer, J. Appl. Phys. 22, 663 (1951). doi:10.1063/1.1700024

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  35. R. Hultgren, P.D. Desai, D.T. Hawkins, M. Gleioser, K.K. Kelley, Selected Values of Thermodynamic Properties of Binary Alloys (ASM International, Metals Park, OH, 1973)

    Google Scholar 

  36. J.-W. Jang, L.N. Ramanathan, J.-K. Lin, D.R. Frear, J. Appl. Phys. 95, 8286 (2004). doi:10.1063/1.1739530

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  37. Y.-W. Yen, W.-K. Liou, J. Mater. Res. 22, 2663 (2007). doi:10.1557/jmr.2007.0339

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  38. J.Y. Tsai, Y.C. Hu, C.M. Tsai, C.R. Kao, J. Electron. Mater. 32, 1203 (2003). doi:10.1007/s11664-003-0012-7

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  39. G.Z. Pan, A.A. Liu, H.K. Kim, K.N. Tu, P.A. Totta, Appl. Phys. Lett. 71, 2946 (1997). doi:10.1063/1.120224

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  40. A. Umantsev, J. Appl. Phys. 101, 024910 (2007). doi:10.1063/1.2424530

    Article  Google Scholar 

  41. Q.S. Zhu, Z.F. Zhang, J.K. Shang, Z.G. Wang, Mater. Sci. Eng. A 435–436, 588 (2006). doi:10.1016/j.msea.2006.07.100

    Google Scholar 

  42. Y.H. Xia, X.M. Xie, C.H. Lu, J.L. Chang, J. Alloy. Compd. 417, 143 (2006). doi:10.1016/j.jallcom.2005.09.051

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  43. G.P. Vassilev, E.S. Dobrev, S.K. Evtimova, J.C. Tedenac, J. Alloy. Compd. 327, 285 (2001). doi:10.1016/S0925-8388(01)01562-6

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  44. H.K. Kim, K.N. Tu, P.A. Totta, Appl. Phys. Lett. 68, 2204 (1996). doi:10.1063/1.116013

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank W. Gao, H.H. Su, Q.S. Zhu, J.T. Fan, X.H. An, and F. Yang for sample preparation, SEM observations, stimulating discussion, and corrections of the final manuscript. This work was financially supported by National Basic Research Program of China under Grant No. 2004CB619306 and the National Outstanding Young Scientist Foundation under Grant No. 50625103.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Shenyang National Laboratory for Materials Science, Institute of Metal Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 72 Wenhua Road, Shenyang, 110016, People’s Republic of China

    H.F. Zou & Z.F. Zhang

Authors
  1. H.F. Zou
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Z.F. Zhang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Z.F. Zhang.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Zou, H., Zhang, Z. Effect of Zn Addition on Interfacial Reactions Between Sn-4Ag Solder and Ag Substrates. J. Electron. Mater. 37, 1119–1129 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11664-008-0490-8

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11664-008-0490-8

Keywords

Search

Navigation