Mechanical and Electrical Properties of Some Sn-Zn Based Lead-Free Quinary Alloys

Although there are many lead-free soldering alloys on the market, none of them have ideal qualities. The researchers are combining binary alloys with a variety of additional materials to create the soldering alloys’ features. The eutectic Sn-9Zn alloy is among them. This paper investigated the mechanical and electrical properties of Sn-9Zn-x (Ag, Cu, Sb);{x = 0.2, 0.4, and 0.6} lead-free solder alloys. The mechanical properties such as elastic modulus, ultimate tensile strength (UTS), yield strength (YS), and ductility were examined at the strain rates in a range from 4.17 10−3 s−1 to 208.5 10−3 s−1 at room temperature. It is found that increasing the content of the alloying elements and strain rate increases the elastic modulus, ultimate tensile strength, and yield strength while the ductility decreases. The electrical conductivity of the alloys is found to be a little smaller than that of the Sn-9Zn eutectic alloy.

Effect of Strain Rate on Tensile Behavior of Sn-9Zn-xAg-ySb;{(x, y) = (0.2, 0.6), (0.2, 0.8), (0.6, 0.2), (0.8, 0.2)} Lead-Free Solder Alloys

The tensile properties of Sn-9Zn-xAg-ySb;{(x, y) = (0.2, 0.6), (0.2, 0.8), (0.6, 0.2), (0.8, 0.2)} lead-free solders were investigated. All the test samples were annealed at 150°C for 1 hour. The tests are carried out at room temperature at the strain rate of 4.17 × 10-3 s-1, 20.85 × 10-3 s-1, and 208.5 × 10-3 s-1. It is seen that the tensile strength increases and the ductility decrease with increasing the strain rate over the investigated range. From the strain rate change test results, the strain sensitivity values are found in the range of 0.0831 to 0.1455 due to the addition of different alloying elements.

Effects of Ga,Al,Ag,and Ce multi-additions on the wetting characteristics of Sn-9Zn lead-free solder

An orthogonal method was used to evaluate the effects of Ga, Al, Ag, and Ce multi-additions on the wetting characteristics of Sn-9Zn lead-free solders by wetting balance method. The results show that the optimal loading of Ga, Al, Ag, and Ce was 0.2 wt.%, 0.002 wt.%, 0.25 wt.%, and 0.15 wt.%, respectively. Intermetallic compounds （IMCs） formed at the interface between Sn-9Zn-0.2Ga-0.002Al-0.25Ag- 0.15Ce solder and Cu substrate were investigated by scanning electron microscope （SEM） and energy dispersive spectroscopy （EDS） analysis. The SEM images illustrate that the IMCs can be divided into two portions from the substrate side to the solder side： a planar CusZns layer and an additional continuous scallop-like AgZn3 layer. The EDS analysis also shows that Ga segregates in the solder abutting upon the interface. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy （XPS） and Auger electron spectroscopy （AES） of the surface components of Sn-9Zn-0.2Ga-0.002Al- 0.25Ag-0.15Ce solder indicate that Al aggregates at the surface in the form of Al203 protective fdm, which prevents the further oxidation of the solder surface. On the other hand, Ce aggregates at the subsurface, which may reduce the surface tension of the solder and improve the wettability in consequence.

Effect of a Trace of Bi and Ni on the Microstructure and Wetting Properties of Sn-Zn-Cu Lead-Free Solder

The microstructure and melting behavior of Sn-9Zn-2Cu （SZC） lead-free solder with 3 wt pct Bi and various amount of Ni additions were studied. The wetting properties and the interracial reaction of Sn-Zn-Cu with Cu substrate were also examined. The results indicated that the addition of 3 wt pct Bi could decrease the melting point of the solder and Ni would refine the microstructure and the rod-shape Cu5Zn8 phase changed into square-shape （Cu, Ni）5Zn8 phase. The addition of Bi, Ni greatly improved the wettability of SZC solder. In addition, the interracial phase of the solders/Cu joint was typical planar Cu5Zn8 in SZC-3Bi-INi alloy.

Effect of diode-laser parameters on shear force of micro-joints soldered with Sn-Ag-Cu lead-free solder on Au/Ni/Cu pad

Soldering experiments with Sn-3.5Ag-0.5Cu lead-free solder on Au/Ni/Cu pad were carried out by means of diode-laser and IR reflow soldering methods respectively.The influence of different heating methods as well as output power of diode-laser on shear force of micro-joints was studied and the relationship between the shear force and microstructures of micro-joints was analyzed.The results indicate that the formation of intermetallic compound Ag3Sn is the key factor to affect the shear force and the fine eutectic network structures of micro-joints as well as the dispersion morphology of fine compound Ag3Sn,in which eutectic network band is responsible for the improvement of the shear force of micro-joints soldered with Sn-Ag-Cu lead-free solder.With the increases of output power of diode-laser,the shear force and the microstructures change obviously.The eutectic network structures of micro-joints soldered with diode-laser soldering method are more homogeneous and the grains of Ag3Sn compounds are finer in the range of near optimal output power than those soldered with IR reflow soldering method,so the shear force is also higher than that using IR reflow soldering method.When the output power value of diode-laser is about 41.0 W,the shear force exhibits the highest value that is 70% higher than that using IR reflow soldering method.

Effects of phosphorus addition on the properties of Sn-9Zn lead-free solder alloy

This article explores tile effects of phosphorus addition on the wettability between Sn-9Zn solder alloy and Cu substrates, the oxidation behavior and the corrosion behavior of Sn-9Zn solder alloy. Spreading test was used to characterize the wettability of Sn-9Zn-xP solder alloys to Cu substrates. The oxidation and corrosion behaviors of Sn- 9Zn-xP solder alloys were determined by means of weight gaining, and secondary ion mass spectrometry was used to analyze the oxygen content. The role and mechanism of P in the solder alloys were also discussed. It is found that the addition of P can significantly improve the wettability of the solder alloys. Incorporating P into Sn-9Zn solder alloy obviously decreases the oxygen content and enhances the oxidation and corrosion resistance. Microstructure observations show that an appropriate amount of P can greatly refine coarse rod-like Zn-rich phases in Sn-gZn solder alloy.

Formation of Bulk Intermetallic Compound AgaSn in Slowly-Cooled Lead-Free Sn-4.0 wt pct Ag Solders

Sn-Ag alloy system has been regarded as one of the most promising lead-free solder to substitute conventional Sn- Pb eutectic solder. But the formation of bulk Ag3Sn intermetallic compounds （IMCs） during reflow and post heat treatment significantly influences the performance of the solder joints. With an effort to clarify its microstructural evolution as a function of slow cooling rates, the fraction of bulk IMCs within the slowly solidified Sn-4.0 wt pct Ag solder was investigated by standard metallographic and compared with that detected by thermal analysis. It was found that the bulk IMCs fraction determined by thermal analysis corresponds quite well with the microstructure observation results. In accordance with the conventional solidification theory, the lower the applied cooling rate, the fewer the amount of bulk Ag3Sn IMCs formed in Sn-4.0 wt pct Ag alloy. In addition, Vickers hardness measurement results indicated that the relative coarse eutectic Ag3Sn IMCs distributing in the lamellar eutectic structure favored the improvement of the mechanical performance.

Effects of rapid solidification on the microstructure and microhardness of a lead-free Sn-3.5Ag solder

A lead-free Sn-3.5Ag solder was prepared by rapid solidification technology. The high solidification rate, obtained by rapid cooling, promotes nucleation, and suppresses the growth of Ag3Sn intermetallic compounds （IMCs） in Ag-rich zone, yielding fine Ag3Sn nanoparticulates with spherical morphology in the matrix of the solder. The large amount of tough homogeneously-dispersed IMCs helps to improve the surface area per unit volume and obstructs the dislocation lines passing through the solder, which fits with the dispersion-strengthening theory. Hence, the rapidly-solidified Sn-3.5Ag solder exhibits a higher rnicrohardness when compared with a slowly-solidified Sn-3.5Ag solder.

Solderability and intermetallic compounds formation of Sn-9Zn-xAg lead-free solders wetted on Cu substrate

The eutectic Sn-9Zn alloy was doped with Ag （0 wt.%-1 wt.%） to form Sn-9Zn-xAg lead-free solder alloys. The effect of the addition of Ag on the microstructure and solderability of this alloy was investigated and intermetallic compounds （IMCs） formed at the solder/Cu interface were also examined in this study. The results show that, due to the addition of Ag, the microstructure of the solder changes. When the quantity of Ag is lower than 0.3 wt.%, the needle-like Zn-rich phase decreases gradually. However, when the quantity of Ag is 0.5 wt.%-1 wt.%, Ag-Zn intermetallic compounds appear in the solder. In particular, adding 0.3 wt.% Ag improves the wetting behavior due to the better oxidation resistance of the Sn-9Zn solder. The addition of an excessive amount of Ag will deteriorate the wetting property because the gluti- nosity and fluidity of Sn-9Zn-（0.5, 1）Ag solder decrease. The results also indicate that the addition of Ag to the Sn-Zn solder leads to the precipitation of ε-AgZn3 from the liquid solder on preformed interracial intermetallics （CusZn8）. The peripheral AgZn3, nodular on the Cu5Zn8 IMCs layer, is likely to be generated by a peritectic reaction L ＋ γ-Ag5Zns→AgZn3 and the following crystallization of AgZn3.

Wettability of Sn-Zn-Bi Based Lead-Free Solder with Rare Earths

Effect of different contents of La and Ga on the wettability and the mierostrueture of interface of Sn-8.9Zn- 2.7Bi trinary alloys was studied. The results show that different contents of La and Ga have significant effect on the wettability of Sn-Zn-Bi based lead-free solder under the condition of both atmosphere and nitrogen. By adding suitable amount of Ga, Cu and La to Sn-Zn-Bi solder, a new lead-free solder Sn-8.9Zn-2.7Bi- 1.0Ga-0.5Cu-0.2La with better wettability was prepared, which has a wetting angle of 25.1° to Cu.

Effects of Ni-Doping on Microstructures and Properties of Zn-20Sn High-Temperature Lead-Free Solders

In the present work, the effect of Ni doping on the microstructures and properties of Zn-20 Sn high temperature lead-free solder has been investigated. Interestingly,Ni was present as the form of Ni-Zn compounds in the microstructure of Zn-20 Sn-xNi alloy.When the Ni-doping amount was 0.2~0.4 wt.%, the presence of δ phase was found, and when the doping amoun was 0.8 wt.%, the presence of γ phase was observed. With the increase of Ni content, the liquidus temperature increased but the solidus temperature did not change obviously. In addition, the microhardness and electrical resistivities of Zn-20 Sn-xNi solder increased gradually. And the spreading area and shear strength increased firstly but decreased afterwards. When the content of Ni was 0.4 wt.%, the spreading area and shear strength of solder reached to be maximum. After the addition of 0.4 wt.% Ni, the microstructure of the interfacial intermetallic compound(IMC) layer of the interface didn't change, but the total thickness of the IMC layer reduced. The δ-phase was embedded in the grain boundary of ε-Cu Zn5, which hindered the diffusion of atoms. The thickness of IMC layer at the interface reduced, which led to the improvement of the shear strength of the interface.

Structure and Properties of Sn-9Zn Lead-Free Solder Alloy with Heat Treatment

The Sn-9Zn lead-free solder alloy was prepared by conventional casting technique then cold-rolled into long sheets of 1 mm thickness and 3 mm width. It was annealed at 80, 120 and 160°C for 60 min to investigate the effect of isochronal heat treatment on structure and mechanical properties of the cold rolled Sn-9Zn alloy. The results showed that, the crystallite size and lattice strain have opposite behavior with increasing annealing temperature due to recovery and recrystalization processes associated with the heat treatment process. Vickers micro-hardness number increases continuously from 155 to 180 MPa with increasing annealing temperature. Ultimate tensile strength (UTS) was also calculated. It was found that, it is equal to 61.4 MPa for the non annealed sample and slightly decreases to 60.5 and 58.2 MPa for samples annealed at 80 and 120°C, respectively. While, increases to 65.4 MPa for the sample annealed at 160°C. Also, ductility increases with increasing annealing temperature in opposite manor with the UTS. The new method for Micro-creep behavior as well as the creep rate calculated by this method has been characterized at room temperature.

Electromotive force measurements in liquid Ag-In-Pd lead-free alloys

Emf technique was employed to determine indium activities in the liquid Ag-In-Pd alloys using galvanic cells with yttria-stabilised-zirconia as solid electrolyte according to the scheme： kanthal/rhenium, Ag-In-Pd, In2O3 ｜ YSZ ｜ Ni, NiO, Pt. Composition and temperature measurement ranges were limited, because of very steep liquidus surface; 35 compositions for Xpd up to 0.3 were investigated and at temperatures from near-liquidus up to 1700 K. High temperature experiments required special moly furnace to be constructed with unique automatic gas supply system for fumace winding protective atmosphere. Emf readings were taken and recorded by automatic data acquisition system. Linear dependence of emf on temperature was observed for all compositions investigated, and results were approximated by straight line equa- tions. Then In activities were calculated using well-known relations and taking into account correction for thermoelectric power between kanthal and platinum. Results are to be used along with other existing data to perform assessment of the ternary system under accord.

Solder joint geometry of tin-lead alloy and its application in electronic packaging

By employing the minimum energy theorem, the Potential energy controlling equation, which consists of surface energy and gravitational energy for molten meniscus, was investigated. The soder joint geometry of molten tin-lead soder alloy for chip component and thin quad flat package were simulated with finite element method. The simulation results 0f solder joint geometry are coincident well with the experimental results. The solder joint geometry was applied to study the solder joint reliability for chip component RC3216.The thermal cycling tests revealed that the solder joint geometry plays an important ro1e in solder joint reliability.

Wetting Behavior and Interfacial Reactions in (Sn-9Zn)-2Cu/Ni Joints during Soldering and Isothermal Aging

The wetting property of （Sn-9Zn）-2Cu （wt pct） on Ni substrate and the evolution of interracial microstructure in （Sn-9Zn）-2Cu/Ni joints during soldering as well as isothermal aging were studied. The wetting ability of eutectic Sn-gZn solder on Ni substrate was markedly improved by adding 2 wt pct Cu into this solder alloy. Plate-like Cu5Zn8 intermetallic compounds （IMCs） were detected in （Sn-9Zn）-2Cu solder matrix. A continuous NisZn21 IMC layer was formed at （Sn-9Zn）-2Cu/Ni interface after soldering. This IMC layer kept its type and integrality even after aging at 170℃ for up to 1000 h. At the early aging stage （before 500 h）, the IMC layer grew fast and its thickness followed a linear relationship with the square root of aging time. Thereafter, however, the thickness increased very slowly with longer aging time. When the joints were aged for 1000 h, a new IMC phase, （Cu,Ni）5Zn8, was found in the matrix near the interface. The formation of （Cu,Ni）5Zns phase can be attributed to the diffusion of Ni atoms into the solder matrix from the substrate.

Effects of Al, Ga, and Ag on the anti-oxidation and wetting reactions of Sn-gZn-X solders

The effects of Ca, Al, and Ag on the anti-oxidation of Sn-9Zn-X solders and the interface reactions between the solders and Cu substrate were investigated by Auger electron spectroscopy （ AES ） and scanning electron microscope （SEM） analysis, respectively. The mechanism of improving the wettability of Sn-9Zn lead-free solder by adding Ca, Al, and Ag was also revealed. The AES analysis indicated that Al and Ga might enrich on the molten solder surface which resulted in improving the anti-oxidation of Sn-9Zn-O. O05Al and Sn-9Zn-O. 3Ga alloys. The addition of Ga reduced the apparent activation energy and promoted the interface reaction. With the addition of 0. 3 wt. % Ag, some scallop-like intermetallic compounds （IMCs） formed at the interface, according to the energy dispersive spectroscopy （EDS） analysis, these scallop-like IMCs might be the mixture of Ag-Zn and Cu-Sn compounds.

Sn60Pb40 solder powders produced by the planar flow casting atomization process

Conventional planar flow casting(PFC) is one of rapid solidification processes for the fabrication of microcrystalline or amorphous ribbons.Based on the conventional PFC process,the planar flow casting atomization(PFCA) process has been developed,which is a new rapid solidification process for the production of metal powder directly from alloy melts.A prototype experimental apparatus was designed and manufactured.With the apparatus,Sn60Pb40 alloy solder powders were prepared,and the effects of the main technological parameters on the powder size distribution and morphology were experimentally studied.The experimental investigations indicate that the metal powders produced by the PFCA process can be classified by velocity;and fine spherical tin-lead alloy solder powders can be fabricated by adjusting the technical parameters.The new PFCA process has such features as high productivity and efficiency,low energy consumption,simple operation,short technological process,and large gross yield.

热浸镀锡电子铜带材回流焊过程中镀锡层的微观结构及缺陷分析

热浸镀锡电子铜带材是高端连接器和PCB(Printed circuit board)所需的关键导体材料,该材料在回流焊过程中产生的缺陷严重影响其服役性能。采用扫描电镜(SEM)、能谱仪(EDS)对热浸镀锡铜带材回流焊过程中缺陷组织类型及分布形态进行表征,并对回流焊锡珠样品、回流焊非正常样品和回流焊正常样品的表层形貌进行对比。结果表明:回流焊过程中,样品镀层中均产生了不同程度的孔洞缺陷,孔洞尺寸在0.2~36μm,孔洞的产生与基体合金类型、基体合金厚度和镀层厚度无明显关联;孔洞形态并不一致,发现了孔洞边缘呈现出立体网状结构、边缘参差不齐、孔洞中存在小颗粒的现象。回流焊过程中,镀锡层中Cu、Sn元素发生了重新分布,不同缺陷所造成的元素分布情况并不相同。镀层结构中,化合物层、多相界面间高低起伏与镀层表面高度起伏无明显关联。

铜基板面积、焊锡和导电铜箔厚度对高功率密度LED极限光电性能的影响

高功率密度LED器件能实现传统光源和普通LED器件无法实现的诸多功能,将半导体照明技术链推向了一个崭新的高度。在实际应用中,单颗LED器件需要在数百瓦及近100 A电流下工作,铜基板面积、焊锡和导电铜箔厚度均会对该类型LED器件的极限光电性能这一关键指标产生显著影响。本文将单颗极限电功率为300 W和200 W的两种规格的LED蓝光和白光器件,分5μm、100μm和200μm三个焊锡厚度,分别贴片焊接在直径为20 mm、25 mm和32 mm三种不同面积的热电分离铜凸台基板上,测试了当散热器温度分别为25℃、50℃、75℃和100℃时蓝光LED器件光功率、白光LED光通量及其灯板导线焊点间的电压随电流的变化。同时,还研究了铜基板的导电铜箔厚度分别为70μm和140μm时,极限电功率为150 W的蓝光LED器件的I-L特性和I-V特性,并对其极限发光进行了研究。研究结果表明,焊锡厚度、铜基板面积和导电铜箔厚度均会对LED的极限发光强度和工作电压产生明显影响;减小焊锡厚度和增加铜基板面积能显著提高高功率LED器件的极限光强,P110和T90两种规格蓝光LED器件极限光功率的提升幅度高达16%和19%,白光器件极限光通量的提升幅度均高达15%左右;当铜箔厚度由70μm增加到140μm、散热器温度为25℃时,P70蓝光LED的极限光功率提升幅度为9.2%,50℃和75℃时极限光功率提升幅度为12.9%,100℃时极限光功率提升幅度为16.4%。