Interfacial characteristics and microstructural evolution of Sn-6.5Zn solder/Cu substrate joints during aging

The influence of isothermal aging at 150 °C on the microstructural characteristics and microhardness of the Sn-6.5Zn solder/Cu joint was studied. The mechanisms for the formation and evolution of intermetallic compound （IMC） at the interface of the Sn-6.5Zn/Cu joint were also analyzed. The results indicate that a continuous layer consisting of CuZn and Cu5Zn8 IMCs is formed in the interface zone. As the aging time prolongs, the thickness of the IMC layer first increases and then decreases, and the continuous and compactable layer is destroyed due to the decomposition of the Cu-Zn IMC layer. A discontinuous layer of Cu6Sn5 IMC is present within the Cu substrate near the decomposed region. The interface becomes rough and evident voids form after aging. The microhardness of the interface increases owing to the application of aging.

Sn nucleation and growth from Sn(II)dissolved in ethylene glycol:Electrochemical behavior and temperature effect

Thermodynamic and kinetic aspects of Sn nucleation and growth processes onto a glassy carbon electrode from SnCl2·2H2O dissolved in ethylene glycol solutions were studied.Typical reduction and oxidation peaks observed in voltammograms have demonstrated the capability of ethylene glycol solutions to electrodeposit Sn.The temperature-dependence of diffusion coefficient values derived from potentiodynamic and potentiostatic studies helped to determine and validate estimations of the activation energy for Sn(II)bulk diffusion.Chronoamperometric results have identified that,the suitable model to describe the early stage of Sn electrodeposition could be composed of Sn three-dimensional nucleation and diffusion-controlled growth and water reduction contributions,which was duly validated by theoretical and experimental approaches.From the model,typical kinetic parameters such as the nucleation frequency of Sn(A),number density of Sn nuclei(N_(0)),and diffusion coefficient of Sn(II)ions(D),were determined.The presence of Sn nuclei with excellent quality and their structures were verified using SEM,EDX,and XRD techniques.

Insight into the mechanisms and functions of spliceosomal snRNA pseudouridylation

Pseudouridines(Ψs) are the most abundant and highly conserved modified nucleotides found in various stable RNAs of all organisms. Most Ψs are clustered in regions that are functionally important for pre-m RNA splicing. Ψ has an extra hydrogen bond donor that endows RNA molecules with distinct properties that contribute significantly to RNA-mediated cellular processes. Experimental data indicate that spliceosomal sn RNA pseudouridylation can be catalyzed by both RNA-dependent and RNA-independent mechanisms. Recent work has also demonstrated that pseudouridylation can be induced at novel positions under stress conditions, suggesting a regulatory role for Ψ.

Binding SnO_(2)Nanoparticles with MoS_(2)Nanosheets Toward Highly Reversible and Cycle-Stable Lithium/Sodium Storage

SnO_(2),with its high theoretical capacity,abundant resources,and environmental friendliness,is widely regarded as a potential anode material for lithium-ion batteries(LIBs).Nevertheless,the coarsening of the Sn nanoparticles impedes the reconversion back to SnO_(2),resulting in low coulombic efficiency and rapid capacity decay.In this study,we fabricated a heterostructure by combining SnO_(2)nanoparticles with MoS_(2)nanosheets via plasma-assisted milling.The heterostructure consists of in-situ exfoliated MoS_(2)nanosheets predominantly in 1 T phase,which tightly encase the SnO_(2)nanoparticles through strong bonding.This configuration effectively mitigates the volume change and particle aggregation upon cycling.Moreover,the strong affinity of Mo,which is the lithiation product of MoS_(2),toward Sn plays a pivotal role in inhibiting the coarsening of Sn nanograins,thus enhancing the reversibility of Sn to SnO_(2)upon cycling.Consequently,the SnO_(2)/MoS_(2)heterostructure exhibits superb performance as an anode material for LIBs,demonstrating high capacity,rapid rate capability,and extended lifespan.Specifically,discharged/charged at a rate of 0.2 A g^(-1)for 300 cycles,it achieves a remarkable reversible capacity of 1173.4 mAh g^(-1).Even cycled at high rates of 1.0 and 5.0 A g^(-1)for 800 cycles,it still retains high reversible capacities of 1005.3 and 768.8 mAh g^(-1),respectively.Moreover,the heterostructure exhibits outstanding electrochemical performance in both full LIBs and sodium-ion batteries.

Effect of milling time on microstructure of Ti35Nb2.5Sn/10HA biocomposite fabricated by powder metallurgy and sintering

A new β-Ti based Ti35Nb2.5Sn/10 hydroxyapitite（HA） biocompatible composite was fabricated by mechanical milling and pulsed current activated sintering（PCAS）.The microstructures of Ti35Nb2.5Sn/10HA powder particles and composites sintered from the milled powders were studied.Results indicated that α-Ti phase began to transform into β-Ti phase after the powders were mechanically milled for 8 h.After mechanical milling for 12 h,α-Ti completely transformed into β-Ti phase,and the ultra fine Ti35Nb2.5Sn/10HA composite powders were obtained.And ultra fine grain sized Ti35Nb2.5Sn/10HA sintered composites were obtained by PCAS.The hardness and relative density of the sintered composites both increased with increasing the ball milling time.

Study of diffusion bonding of Ti-6Al-4V and ZQSn10-10 with metal interlayer

The diffusion bonding was carried out to join Ti alloy （Ti-6Al-4V） and tin-bronze （ ZQSn10-10 ） with Ni and Ni ＋ Cu interlayer. The microstructures of the diffusion bonded joints were analyzed by scanning electron microscope （SEM）, energy dispersive spectroscopy （ EDS ） and X-ray diffraction （ XRD ）. The results show that when the interlayer is Ni or Ni ＋ Cu transition metals both could effectively prevent the diffusion between Ti and Cu and avoid the formation of the Cu-Ti intermetallic compounds （Cu3Ti, CuTi etc. ）. But the Ni-Ti intermetallic compounds （NiTi, Ni3Ti） are formed on the Ti-6Al-4V/Ni interface. When the interlayer is Ni, the optimum bonding parameters are 830 ℃/10 MPa/30 min. And when the interlayer is Ni ＋ Cu, the optimum bonding parameters are 850 ℃/10 MPa/20 min. With the optimum bonding parameters, the tensile strength of the joints with Ni and Ni ＋ Cu interlayer both are 155.8 MPa, which is 65 percent of the strength of ZQSn10-10 base metal.

Effect of nano TiN/Ti refiner on as-cast and hot-working microstructure of commercial purity aluminum

A novel type nano TiN/Ti composite grain refiner （TiN/Ti refiner） was prepared by high energy ball milling, and its effect on as-cast and hot-working microstructure of commercial purity aluminum （pure Al） was investigated. The results show that TiN/Ti refiner exhibits excellent grain refining performances on pure Al. With an addition of 0.2% TiN/Ti refiner, the average grain size of pure Al decreases to 82 μm, which is smaller than that of pure Ti and Al 5Ti 1B master alloy as refiners. The microstructure of weld joint of pure Al with 0.1% TiN/Ti refiner is fine equiaxed grains and the hardness of weld joint is higher than that of the base metal. For pure Al with 40% cold deformation and recrystallization at 250 °C for 1.0 h, the grains of the sample added 0.1% Ti powder have an obvious grain growth behavior. In contrast, oriented grains caused by deformation have been eliminated, and there is no obvious grain growth in pure Al refined with 0.1% TiN/Ti refiner, indicating that nano TiN in the refiner inhibits the growth of grain during recrystallization.

Combined effects of Bi and Sb elements on microstructure,thermal and mechanical properties of Sn−0.7Ag−0.5Cu solder alloys

This research investigated the combined effects of addition of Bi and Sb elements on the microstructure,thermal properties,ultimate tensile strength,ductility,and hardness of Sn−0.7Ag−0.5Cu(SAC0705)solder alloys.The results indicated that the addition of Bi and Sb significantly reduced the undercooling of solders,refined theβ-Sn phase and extended the eutectic areas of the solders.Moreover,the formation of SbSn and Bi phases in the solder matrix affected the mechanical properties of the solder.With the addition of 3 wt.%Bi and 3 wt.%Sb,the ultimate tensile strength and hardness of the SAC0705 base alloy increased from 31.26 MPa and 15.07 HV to 63.15 MPa and 23.68 HV,respectively.Ductility decreased due to grain boundary strengthening,solid solution strengthening,and precipitation strengthening effects,and the change in the fracture mechanism of the solder alloys.

Fabrication of Sn Coatings on Alumina Balls by Mechanical Coating Technique and Relevant Process Analysis

Sn coatings were fabricated by mechanical coating technique for the first time. The coatings were characterized by XRD and SEM, among others. The SEM showed that the coatings had an irregular and uneven morphology. The influence of the rotation speed of planetary ball mill on the evolution and formation of the coatings was also investigated. The results indicated that continuous Sn coatings can be formed under a moderate rotation speed. In other words, the coatings cannot be formed when rotation speed was too high or too low. The evolution of the coatings was examined and discussed. The results showed that it followed the universal evolution law of metal coatings which included four stages. However, the exfoliation of the coatings was not seen even the milling time reached 30 h.

Influence of rapid solidification on Sn-8Zn-3Bi alloy characteristics and microstructural evolution of solder/Cu joints during elevated temperature aging

The effects of rapid solidification on the microstructure and melting behavior of the Sn-8Zn-3Bi alloy were studied. The evolution of the microstructuraI characteristics of the solder/Cu joint after an isothermal aging at 150 ℃ was also analyzed to evaluate the interconnect reliability. Results showed that the Bi in Sn-8Zn-3Bi solder alloy completely dissolved in the Sn matrix with a dendritic structure after rapid solidification. Compared with as-solidified Sn-8Zn-3Bi solder alloy, the melting temperature of the rapid solidified alloy rose to close to that of the Sn-Zn eutectic alloy due to the extreme dissolution of Bi in Sn matrix. Meanwhile, the adverse effect on melting behavior due to Bi addition was decreased significantly. The interfacial intermetallic compound （IMC） layer of the solder/Cu joint was more compact and uniform. Rapid solidification process obviously depressed the formation and growth of the interfacial IMC during the high-temperature aging and improved the high-temperature stability of the Sn-8Zn-3Bi solder/Cu joint.

Surface quality, microstructure and mechanical properties of Cu-Sn alloy plate prepared by two-phase zone continuous casting

Cu-4.7%Sn （mass fraction） alloy plate was prepared by the self-developed two-phase zone continuous casting （TZCC） process. The relationship between process parameters of TZCC and surface quality of the alloy plate was investigated. The microstructure and mechanical properties of the TZCC alloy plate were analyzed. The results show that Cu-4.7%Sn alloy plate with smooth surface can be obtained by means of reasonable matching the entrance temperature of two-phase zone mold and the continuous casting speed. The microstructure of the TZCC alloy is composed of grains-covered grains, small grains with self-closed grain boundaries, columnar grains and equiaxed grains. Compared with cold mold continuous casting Cu-4.7%Sn alloy plate, the room temperature tensile strength and ductility of the TZCC alloy plate are greatly improved.

Online Social Support and Use of SNSs Among College Students Relationship to Online and Offiine Social Skills

The subjects of this study are college students aged between 18 to 26 years old from different majors. Investigated the use intensity and addiction of SNSs among college students, with variables of use behaviors and online social support are relate to their online social skills and offline social skills. Seven point Likert scale, descriptive statistics, One-way ANOVA and logistic regression were used to determine the correlations of different use intensities and levels of addiction. The results explored whether college students＇ online social skills, offline social skills, and online social support are correlated with use intensity and addiction. Long-term or high-frequency use of SNSs does not lead to equivalent social relationships on SNSs, yet addiction to SNSs can reflect the positive support and communication ability of college students in online interpersonal relationships.

Circumventing chemo-mechanical failure of Sn foil battery anode by grain refinement and elaborate porosity design

Tin (Sn) metal foil is a promising anode for next-generation high-energy–density lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) due to its high capacity and easy processibility. However, the pristine Sn foil anode suffers nonuniform alloying/dealloying reaction with lithium (Li) and huge volume variation, leading to electrode pulverization and inferior electrochemical performance. Herein, we proposed that reduced grain size and elaborate porosity design of Sn foil can circumvent the nonuniform alloy reaction and buffer the volume change during the lithiation/delithiation cycling. Experimentally, we designed a three-dimensional interconnected porous Sn (3DIP-Sn) foil by a facile chemical alloying/dealloying approach, which showed improved electrochemical performance. The enhanced structure stability of the as-fabricated 3DIP-Sn foil was verified by chemo-mechanical simulations and experimental investigation. As expected, the 3DIP-Sn foil anode revealed a long cycle lifespan of 4400 h at 0.5 mA cm^(−2) and 1 mAh cm^(−2) in Sn||Li half cells. A 3DIP-Sn||LiFePO_(4) full cell with LiFePO_(4) loading of 7.1 mg cm^(−2) exhibited stable cycling for 500 cycles with 80% capacity retention at 70 mA g^(−1). Pairing with high-loading commercial LiNi0.6Co0.2Mn0.2O_(2) (NCM622, 18.4 mg cm^(−2)) cathode, a 3DIP-Sn||NCM622 full cell delivered a high reversible capacity of 3.2 mAh cm^(−2). These results demonstrated the important role of regulating the uniform alloying/dealloying reaction and circumventing the localized strain/stress in improving the electrochemical performance of Sn foil anodes for advanced LIBs.

Twinning behaviors of Mg-Sn alloy with basal or prismatic Mg_(2)Sn

The Mg-Sn alloys,with basal or prismatic Mg_(2)Sn laths,were employed to reveal the effect of precipitate orientation on twinning behavior quantitatively.The Mg-5wt.%Sn alloys with basal or prismatic Mg_(2)Sn were compressed to study the twinning behaviors.Subsequently,an Orowan strengthening model was developed to quantitatively investigate the critical resolved shear stress(CRSS)increment of precipitates on twinning.The results revealed that the prismatic precipitates hindered the transfer and growth of tensile twins more effectively compared with the basal precipitates.The decreased proportion of tensile twins containing prismatic Mg_(2)Sn might be attributed to a larger CRSS increment for tensile twins compared with that for basal precipitates.The obvious decreased twinning transfer in the alloy with prismatic Mg_(2)Sn could be due to its higher geometrically necessary dislocation and enhanced CRSS of tensile twins.Notably,the prismatic precipitates have a better hindering effect on tensile twins during compression.

Influence of Bi Addition on Pure Sn Solder Joints: Interfacial Reaction, Growth Behavior and Thermal Behavior

The effects of different Bi contents on the properties of Sn solders were studied. The interfacial reaction and growth behavior of intermetallic compounds（IMCs） layer（η-Cu6 Sn5 + e-Cu3 Sn） for various soldering time and the influence of Bi addition on the thermal behavior of Sn-x Bi solder alloys were investigated. The Cu6 Sn5 IMC could be observed as long as the molten solder contacted with the Cu substrate. However, with the longer welding time such as 60 and 300 s, the Cu3 Sn IMC was formed at the interface between Cu6 Sn5 and Cu substrate. With the increase of soldering time, the thickness of total IMCs increased, meanwhile, the grain size of Cu6 Sn5 also increased. An appropriate amount of Bi element was beneficial for the growth of total IMCs,but excessive Bi（≥ 5 wt%） inhibited the growth of Cu6 Sn5 and Cu3 Sn IMC in Sn-x Bi/Cu microelectronic interconnects. Furthermore, with the Bi contents increasing（Sn-10 Bi solder in this present investigation）, some Bi particles accumulated at the interface between Cu6 Sn5 layer and the solder.

Microstructure and mechanical behavior of Ti/Cu/Ti laminated composites produced by corrugated and flat rolling

Ti/Cu/Ti laminated composites were fabricated by corrugated rolling(CR) and flat rolling(FR) method.Microstructure and mechanical properties of CR and FR laminated composites were investigated by scanning electron microscopy, numerical simulation methods, peel and tensile examinations. The effect of CR and FR was comparatively analyzed. The results showed that the CR and FR laminated composites exhibited different effective plastic strain distributions of the Ti layer and Cu layer at the interface. The recrystallization texture, prismatic texture and pyramidal texture were developed in the Ti layer by CR, while the R-Goss texture and shear texture were developed in the Cu layer by CR. The typical deformation texture components were developed in the Ti layer and Cu layer of FR laminated composites. The CR laminated composites had higher bond strength, tensile strength and ductility.

Interfacial microstructure and mechanical properties of Ti-6Al-4V/Al7050 joints fabricated using the insert molding method

Ti-6Al-4V/Al7050 joints were fabricated by a method of insert molding and corresponding interfacial microstructure and mechanical properties were investigated. The interfacial thickness was sensitive to holding temperature during the first stage, and a good metallurgical bonding interface with a thickness of about 90 μm can be obtained at 750°C. X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, and thermodynamic analyses showed that the interface mainly contained intermetallic compound TiAl_3 and Al matrix. The joints featured good mechanical properties, i.e., shear strength of 154 MPa, tensile strength of 215 MPa, and compressive strength of 283 MPa, which are superior to those of joints fabricated by other methods. Coherent boundaries between Al/TiAl_3 and TiAl_3/Ti were confirmed to contribute to outstanding interfacial mechanical properties and also explained constant fracture occurrence in the Al matrix. Follow-up studies should focus on improving mechanical properties of the Al matrix by deformation and heat treatment.

Nuclear Translocation and Activation of YAP by Hypoxia Contributes to Chemoresistance of SN38 in Hepatocellular Carcinoma Cells

Hypoxia was a prominent feature of hepatocellular carcinoma cells （HCC）, contributing to therapeutic resistance towards a variety chemotherapeutic agents including Topoisomerase I inhibitor SN38, with mechanism not yet fully understood, thus remaining a major clinical challenge. Herein, we present evidences that the hypoxia-in- duced nuclear translocation and accumulation of Yes-associated protein （YAP） acts as a survival input to promote hypoxic-resistance to SN38 in HCC. YAP induction by hypoxia was not mediated by HIF-lα, since the manipula- tion of HIF-1α either by COC12, exogenous expression nor siRNA of HIF-1α imposed any effect on the phosphoryla- tion or total level of YAP. Instead, mevalonate-HMG-CoA reductase （HMGCR） pathway may modulate the YAP pathway under hypoxia. Combined YAP inhibition by either siRNA or HMGCR inhibitor statins with SN38 achieved improved anti-cancer activities in HCC cells. Moreover, the increased anti-cancer efficacy of statins combined with irinotecan （the prodrug of SN-38 ） was further validated in a human HCC HepG2 xenografl model in nude mice. Taken together, our findings identify YAP as a novel mechanism of hypoxic-resistance to SN38. These results un- veil the combined suppression of YAP （ for instance , statins） and SN38 as a potential promising strategy to enhance treatment response of HCC patients, particularly those with advanced stage suffering from hypoxic resistance.

Influence of Thermal Cycling on the Microstructure and Shear Strength of Sn3.5Ag0.75Cu and Sn63Pb37 Solder Joints on Au/Ni Metallization

The influence of thermal cycling on the microstructure and joint strength of Sn3.5Ag0.75Cu （SAC） and Sn63Pb37 （SnPb） solder joints was investigated. SAC and SnPb solder balls were soldered on 0.1 and 0.9 μm Au finished metallization, respectively. After 1000 thermal cycles between -40℃ and 125℃, a very thin intermetallic compound （IMC） layer containing Au, Sn, Ni, and Cu formed at the interface between SAC solder joints and underneath metallization with 0.1 μm Au finish, and （Au, Ni, Cu）Sn4 and a very thin AuSn-Ni-Cu IMC layer formed between SAC solder joints and underneath metallization with 0.9 μm Au finish. For SnPb solder joints with 0.1 μm Au finish, a thin （Ni, Cu, Au）3Sn4 IMC layer and a Pb-rich layer formed below and above the （Au, Ni）Sn4 IMC, respectively. Cu diffused through Ni layer and was involved into the IMC formation process. Similar interfacial microstructure was also found for SnPb solder joints with 0.9μm Au finish. The results of shear test show that the shear strength of SAC solder joints is consistently higher than that of SnPb eutectic solder joints during thermal cycling.

Preventing formation of intermetallic compounds in ultrasonic-assisted Sn soldering of Mg/Al alloys through pre-plating a Ni coating layer on the Mg substrate

Magnesium and aluminum alloys are widely used in various industries because of their excellent properties,and their reliable connection may increase application of materials.Intermetallic compounds(IMCs)affect the joint performance of Mg/Al.In this study,AZ31 Mg alloy with/without a nickel(Ni)coating layer and 6061 Al alloy were joined by ultrasonic-assisted soldering with Sn-3.0Ag-0.5Cu(SAC)filler.The effects of the Ni coating layer on the microstructure and mechanical properties of Mg/Al joints were systematically investigated.The Ni coating layer had a significant effect on formation of the Mg_(2)Sn IMC and the mechanical properties of Mg/Al joints.The blocky Mg_(2)Sn IMC formed in the Mg/SAC/Al joints without a Ni coating layer.The content of the Mg_(2)Sn IMC increased with increasing soldering temperature,but the joint strength decreased.The joint without a Ni coating layer fractured at the blocky Mg_(2)Sn IMC in the solder,and the maximum shear strength was 32.2 MPa.By pre-plating Ni on the Mg substrate,formation of the blocky Mg_(2)Sn IMC was inhibited in the soldering temperature range 240–280℃and the joint strength increased.However,when the soldering temperature increased to 310℃,the blocky Mg_(2)Sn IMC precipitated again in the solder.Transmission electron microscopy showed that some nano-sized Mg_(2)Sn IMC and the(Cu,Ni)_(6)Sn_(5)phase formed in the Mg(Ni)/SAC/Al joint soldered at 280℃,indicating that the Ni coating layer could no longer prevent diffusion of Mg into the solder when the soldering temperature was higher than 280℃.The maximum shear strength of the Mg(Ni)/SAC/Al joint was 58.2 MPa for a soldering temperature of 280℃,which was 80.7%higher than that of the Mg/SAC/Al joint,and the joint was broken at the Mg(Ni)/SAC interface.Pre-plating Ni is a feasible way to inhibit formation of IMCs when joining dissimilar metals.