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The purpose of the present work is to study the impacts of rapid cooling and Tb rare-earth additions on the structural, thermal and mechanical behavior of Bi–0.5Ag lead-free solder for high-temperature applications.

Effect of rapid solidification processing on structural, thermal and mechanical properties of Bi-Ag lead-free solder reinforced Tb rare-earth element.

The obtained results indicated that the microstructure consists of rhombohedral Bi-rich phase and Ag99.5Bi0.5 intermetallic compound (IMC). The addition of Tb could effectively reduce the onset and melting point. The elastic modulus of Tb-containing solders was enhanced to about 90% at 0.5 Tb. The higher elastic modulus may be attributed to solid solution strengthening effect, solubility extension, microstructure refinement and precipitation hardening of uniform distribution Ag99.5Bi0.5 IMC particles which can reasonably modify the microstructure, as well as inhibit the segregation and hinder the motion of dislocations.

It is recommended that the lead-free Bi-0.5Ag-0.5Tb solder be a candidate instead of common solder alloy (Sn-37Pb) for high temperature and high performance applications.

The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of Ce and Sb doping on the microstructure and thermal mechanical properties of Sn-1.0Ag-0.5Cu lead-free solder. The effects of 0.5%Sb and 0.07%Ce doping on microstructure, thermal properties and mechanical properties of Sn-1.0Ag-0.5Cu lead-free solder were investigated.

According to the mass ratio, the solder alloys were prepared from tin ingot, antimony ingot, silver ingot and copper ingot with purity of 99.99% at 400°C. X-ray diffractometer was adopted for phase analysis of the alloys. Optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive spectrometer were used to study the effect of the Sb and Ce doping on the microstructure of the solder. Then, the thermal characteristics of alloys were characterized by a differential scanning calorimeter (DSC). Finally, the ultimate tensile strength (UTS), elongation (EL.%) and yield strength (YS) of solder alloys were measured by tensile testing machine.

With the addition of Sb and Ce, the ß-Sn and intermetallic compounds of solders were refined and distributed more evenly. With the addition of Sb, the UTS, EL.% and YS of Sn-1.0Ag-0.5Cu increased by 15.3%, 46.8% and 16.5%, respectively. The EL.% of Sn-1.0Ag-0.5Cu increased by 56.5% due to Ce doping. When both Sb and Ce elements are added, the EL.% of Sn-1.0Ag-0.5Cu increased by 93.3%.

The addition of 0.5% Sb and 0.07% Ce can obtain better comprehensive performance, which provides a helpful reference for the development of Sn-Ag-Cu lead-free solder.

There are several lead-free solder alloys available in the industry. Over the years, the most favorable solder composition of tin-silver-copper (Sn-Ag-Cu [SAC]) has been vastly used and accepted for joining the electronic components. It is strongly believed that the silver (Ag) content has a significant impact on the solder mechanical behavior and thus solder thermal reliability performance. This paper aims to assess the mechanical response, i.e. creep response, of the SAC solder alloys with various Ag contents.

A three-dimensional nonlinear finite element simulation is used to investigate the thermal cyclic behavior of several SAC solder alloys with various silver percentages, including 1%, 2%, 3% and 4%. The mechanical properties of the unleaded interconnects with various Ag amounts are collected from reliable literature resources and used in the analysis accordingly. Furthermore, the solder creep behavior is examined using the two famous creep laws, namely, Garofalo’s and Anand’s models.

The nonlinear computational analysis results showed that the silver content has a great influence on the solder behavior as well as on thermal fatigue life expectancy. Specifically, solders with relatively high Ag content are expected to have lower plastic deformations and strains and thus better fatigue performance due to their higher strengths and failure resistance characteristics. However, such solders would have contrary fatigue performance in drop and shock environments and the low-Ag content solders are presumed to perform significantly better because of their higher ductility.

Generally, this research recommends the use of SAC solder interconnects of high silver contents, e.g. 3% and 4%, for designing electronic assemblies continuously exposed to thermal loadings and solders with relatively low Ag-content, i.e. 1% and 2%, for electronic packages under impact and shock loadings.

This paper aims to summarise the effects of ZnO nanoparticles (0.1, 0.3, 0.5, 0.7 and 1.0 Wt.%) on the structure, mechanical, electrical and thermal stability of Sn–3.5Ag–0.5Cu (SAC355) solder alloys for high-performance applications.

The phase identification and morphology of the solders were studied using X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy. Thermal parameters were investigated using differential scanning calorimetry. The elastic parameters such as Young's modulus (E) and internal friction (Q⁻¹) were investigated using the dynamic resonance technique, whereas the Vickers hardness (Hv) and creep indentation (n) were examined using a Vickers microhardness tester.

Microstructural analysis revealed that ZnO nanoparticles (NPs) were distributed uniformly throughout the Sn matrix. Furthermore, addition of 0.1, 0.3 and 0.7 Wt.% of ZnO NPs to the eutectic (SAC355) prevented crystallite size reduction, which increased the strength of the solder alloy. Mechanical parameters such as Young's modulus improved significantly at 0.1, 0.3 and 0.7 Wt.% ZnO NP contents compared to the ZnO-free alloy. This variation can be understood by considering the plastic deformation. The Vickers hardness value (Hv) increased to its maximum as the ZnO NP content increased to 0.5. A stress exponent value (n) of approximately two in most composite solder alloys suggested that grain boundary sliding was the dominant mechanism in this system. The electrical resistance (ρ) increased its maximum value at 0.5 Wt.% ZnO NPs content. The addition of ZnO NPs to plain (SAC355) solder alloys increased the melting temperature (T_m) by a few degrees.

Development of eutectic (SAC355) lead-free solder doped with ZnO NPs use for electronic packaging.

In the electronic assembly industry, low-temperature soldering holds great potential to be used in surface mounting technology. Tin–bismuth (Sn–Bi) eutectic alloys are lead-free solders applied in consumer electronics because of their low melting point, high strength and low cost. This paper aims to investigate how to address the problem of hot tear crack formation during Sn–Bi low-temperature solder (LTS) in the mass production of consumer electronics.

This paper explored the development of hot tear cracks during Sn–Bi soldering in the fabrication of flip chip ball grid arrays. Experiments were designed to simulate various conditions encountered in Sn–Bi soldering. Quantitative analysis was conducted on the number of hot tear cracks observed in different alloy compositions and solder volumes to explore the primary cause of hot tear cracks and possible methods to suppress crack formation.

Hot tear cracks existed in Sn–Bi solders with different bismuth (Bi) contents, but increasing the solder volume reduced the number of hot tear cracks. Experiments were designed to test the degree of chip transient thermal warpage with temperature change, and, according to the results, glue was dispensed in specific areas to reduce chip warpage deformation. Finally, the results of combined process experiments pointed to an effective method of low-temperature soldering to suppress hot tear cracks.

The study focuses on Sn–Bi solders only without other solder pastes such as SAC305 or Sn–Zn series.

With the growing popularity of smart electronics, especially in intelligent terminals, new energy vehicles electronics, solar photovoltaic and other field, there will be more and more demand for low- temperature, energy-saving, lead-free solders. Therefore, this study will help the industry to roll out LTS (Sn–Bi) solutions rapidly.

In the long term, lean and green manufacturing is expected to be essential for maintaining an advanced manufacturing industry across the world. Developing new LTSs and soldering processes is the most effective, direct solution for energy conservation and emission mitigation. With the growing popularity of smart electronics, especially in intelligent terminals, new energy vehicles and solar photovoltaics, there would be an increased demand for low-temperature, energy-saving, lead-free techniques.

Although there are many methods that can be used to suppress hot tear cracks, there is little research on how to control the hot tear cracks caused by the low-temperature soldering of Sn–Bi in laptop applications. The authors studied the hot tear cracks that developed during the world’s first mass production of 50 million personal laptops based on low-temperature Sn–Bi alloy solder pastes. By controlling the Bi content, redesigning the solder paste printing process (e.g. through a printer’s stencil) and adding dispensing processes, the authors obtained reliable and stable experimental data and conclusions.

Because of growing demand for slim, thin and cheap handheld devices, reduced-volume solder interconnects like land grid array (LGA) are becoming attractive and popular choices over the traditional ball grid array (BGA) packages. This study aims to investigate the mechanical shock and impact reliability of various solder alloys and BGA/LGA interconnect configurations.

Therefore, this paper uses drop testing experiments and numerical finite element simulations to evaluate and compare the reliability performance of both LGA and BGA components when exposed to drop and impact loadings. Additionally, three common solder alloys, including 63Sn37Pb, SAC305 and Innolot, are discussed.

The results of this study showed that electronic packages’ drop and impact reliability is strongly driven by the solder configuration and the alloy type. Particularly, the combination of stiff solder alloy and shorter joint, LGA’s assembled with SAC305, results in highly improved drop reliability. Moreover, the BGA packages’ performance can be considerably enhanced by using ductile and compliant solder alloys, that is, 63Sn37Pb. Finally, this paper discussed the failure mode of the various solder configurations and used simulation results to explain the crack and failure situations.

In literature, there is a lack of published work on the drop and impact reliability evaluation and comparison of LGA and BGA solders. This paper provides quantitative analysis on the reliability of lead-based and lead-free solders when assembled with LGA and BGA interconnects.

Pb-free solders have been developed to replace the standard Sn–Pb eutectic solder since the prohibition on Pb used in solders. The Sn–Ag–Cu series of lead-free solders is the most extensively used in the electronics industry. The Ag₃Sn, which forms during isothermal ageing, can significantly degrade solder joint reliability. Sn–Ag–Cu solder’s high price further hindered its use in the electronics industry. This paper aims to investigate different copper percentages into Sn–xCu solder alloy to improve its microstructure and strength performance.

The solder alloys used in this work were Sn–xCu, where x = 0.0, 0.3, 0.5, 0.7, 1.0 Wt.%, which was soldered onto electroless nickel immersion gold (ENIG) substrate using carbon dioxide (CO₂) gas laser. Then these samples were subjected to isothermal aging for 0, 200, 500, 1,000 and 2,000 h. The Sn–xCu solder alloy was fabricated through a powder metallurgy process.

Microstructure characterization showed that Cu addition resulted in fine and rounded shape of Cu–Sn–Ni particles. Shear strength of Sn–xCu solder joints was increased with increasing Cu content, but at aging duration of 1,000 h, it dropped slightly. It is believed that the strength improved due to the increment of diffusion rate during isothermal aging.

In a Cu–Sn solder, the recommended amount is 1.0 Wt.% of Cu. In extensive aging procedures, it was discovered that Sn1.0Cu solder improved the reliability of solder joints. The findings indicated that the innovative solder alloys might satisfy the needs of high-reliability applications.

The study shows that the right amount of Cu enhances the solidification of Sn–Cu solder, increasing the shear force of the Cu–Sn solder joint. The Sn1.0Cu exhibits a ductile fracture on the top microstructure, improving the joint’s average shear strength.

The purpose of this study is to delve into the mechanism of Si3N4 nanowires (NWs) in Sn-based solder, thereby furnishing a theoretical foundation for the expeditious design and practical implementation of innovative lead-free solder materials in the electronic packaging industry.

This study investigates the effect of adding Si₃N₄ NWs to Sn58Bi solder in various mass fractions (0, 0.1, 0.2, 0.4, 0.6 and 0.8 Wt.%) for modifying the solder and joining the Cu substrate. Meanwhile, the melting characteristics and wettability of solder, as well as the microstructure, interfacial intermetallic compound (IMC) and mechanical properties of joint were evaluated.

The crystal plane spacing and lattice constant of Sn and Bi phase increase slightly. A minor variation in the Sn58Bi solder melting point was caused, while it does not impact its functionality. An appropriate Si₃N₄ NWs content (0.2∼0.4 Wt.%) significantly improves its wettability, and modifies the microstructure and interfacial IMC layer. The shear strength increases by up to 10.74% when adding 0.4 Wt.% Si₃N₄ NWs, and the failure mode observed is brittle fracture mainly. However, excessive Si₃N₄ will cause aggregation at the junction between the solder matrix and IMC layer, this will be detrimental to the joint.

The Si₃N₄ NWs were first used for the modification of lead-free solder materials. The relative properties of composite solder and joints were evaluated from different aspects, and the optimal ratio was obtained.

This study aims to review the effect of copper percentage in Sn-based solder alloys (Sn-xCu, x = 0–5 Wt.%) on intermetallic compound (IMC) formation and growth after laser soldering.

This study reviews the interfacial reactions at the solder joint interface, solder joint morphology and the theory on characterizing the formation and growth of IMCs. In addition, the effects of alloying and strengthening mechanism, including wettability, melting and mechanical properties are discussed.

This paper presents a comprehensive overview of the composition of tin-copper (Sn-Cu) solders with a potential to enhance their microstructure, mechanical characteristics and wettability by varying the Cu percentage. The study found that the best Cu content in the Sn-xCu solder alloy was 0.6–0.7 Wt.%; this composition provided high shear strength, vibration fracture life value and ideal IMC thickness. A method of solder alloy preparation was also found through powder metallurgy and laser soldering to improve the solder joint reliability.

This study focuses on interfacial reactions at the solder joint interface, solder joint morphology, modelling simulation of joint strength and the theory on characterising the formation and growth of IMC.

The paper comprehensively summarises the useful findings of the Sn-Cu series. This information will be important for future trends in laser soldering on solder joint formation.

This study aims to investigate the thermal fracture mechanism of moisture-preconditioned SAC305 ball grid array (BGA) solder joints subjected to multiple reflow and thermal cycling.

The BGA package samples are subjected to JEDEC Level 1 accelerated moisture treatment (85 °C/85%RH/168 h) with five times reflow at 270 °C. This is followed by multiple thermal cycling from 0 °C to 100 °C for 40 min per cycle, per IPC-7351B standards. For fracture investigation, the cross-sections of the samples are examined and analysed using the dye-and-pry technique and backscattered scanning electron microscopy. The packages' microstructures are characterized using an energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy approach. Also, the package assembly is investigated using the Darveaux numerical simulation method.

The study found that critical strain density is exhibited at the component pad/solder interface of the solder joint located at the most distant point from the axes of symmetry of the package assembly. The fracture mechanism is a crack fracture formed at the solder's exterior edges and grows across the joint's transverse section. It was established that Au content in the formed intermetallic compound greatly impacts fracture growth in the solder joint interface, with a composition above 5 Wt.% Au regarded as an unsafe level for reliability. The elongation of the crack is aided by the brittle nature of the Au-Sn interface through which the crack propagates. It is inferred that refining the solder matrix elemental compound can strengthen and improve the reliability of solder joints.

Inspection lead time and additional manufacturing expenses spent on investigating reliability issues in BGA solder joints can be reduced using the study's findings on understanding the solder joint fracture mechanism.

Limited studies exist on the thermal fracture mechanism of moisture-preconditioned BGA solder joints exposed to both multiple reflow and thermal cycling. This study applied both numerical and experimental techniques to examine the reliability issue.