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Effect of Joint Scale and Processing on the Fracture of Sn-3Ag-0.5Cu Solder Joints: Application to Micro-bumps in 3D Packages

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Abstract

In 3-dimensional (3D) packages, a stack of dies is vertically connected to each other using through-silicon vias and very thin solder micro-bumps. The thinness of the micro-bumps results in joints with a very high volumetric proportion of intermetallic compounds (IMCs), rendering them much more brittle compared to conventional joints. Because of this, the reliability of micro-bumps, and the dependence thereof on the proportion of IMC in the joint, is of substantial concern. In this paper, the growth kinetics of IMCs in thin Sn-3Ag-0.5Cu joints attached to Cu substrates were analyzed, and empirical kinetic laws for the growth of Cu6Sn5 and Cu3Sn in thin joints were obtained. Modified compact mixed mode fracture mechanics samples, with adhesive solder joints between massive Cu substrates, having similar thickness and IMC content as actual micro-bumps, were produced. The effects of IMC proportion and strain rate on fracture toughness and mechanisms were investigated. It was found that the fracture toughness G C decreased with decreasing joint thickness (h Joint). In addition, the fracture toughness decreased with increasing strain rate. Aging also promoted alternation of the crack path between the two joint–substrate interfaces, possibly proffering a mechanism to enhance fracture toughness.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Mechanical and Materials Engineering, Washington State University, PO Box 642920, Pullman, WA, 99164-2920, USA

    B. Talebanpour, Z. Huang, Z. Chen & I. Dutta

Authors
  1. B. Talebanpour
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  2. Z. Huang
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  3. Z. Chen
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  4. I. Dutta
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Correspondence to I. Dutta.

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Talebanpour, B., Huang, Z., Chen, Z. et al. Effect of Joint Scale and Processing on the Fracture of Sn-3Ag-0.5Cu Solder Joints: Application to Micro-bumps in 3D Packages. J. Electron. Mater. 45, 57–68 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11664-015-4066-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11664-015-4066-0

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