Interfacial reaction behavior and mechanical properties of 5A06 Al alloy soldered with Sn-1Ti-xGa solders at a low temperature

Active soldering of 5A06 Al alloy was performed at 300 ℃ by using Sn-1Ti and Sn-1Ti-0.3Ga active solders, respectively. Theeffects of soldering time on the microstructure and mechanical properties of the joints were investigated. The results showed that the Sn-1Tisolder broke the oxide film on the surface of the Al substrate and induced intergranular diffusion in the Al substrate. When Ga was added tothe solder, severe dissolution pits appeared in the Al substrate due to the action of Sn-1Ti-0.3Ga solder, and many Al particles were flakedfrom the matrix into the solder seam. Under thermal stress and the Ti adsorption effect, the oxide film cracked. With increasing solderingtime, the shear strength of 5A06 Al alloy joints soldered with Sn-1Ti and Sn-1Ti-0.3Ga active solders increased. When soldered for 90 min,the joint soldered with Sn-1Ti-0.3Ga solder had a higher shear strength of 22.12 MPa when compared to Sn-1Ti solder.

A comprehensive review of radiation effects on solder alloys and solder joints

In the realm of military and defence applications, exposure to radiation significantly challenges the performance and reliability of solder alloys and joints in electronic systems. This comprehensive review examines radiation-induced effects on solder alloys and solder joints in terms of microstructure and mechanical properties. In this paper, we evaluate the existing literature, including experimental studies and fundamental theory, to provide a comprehensive overview of the behavior of solder materials under radiation. A review of the literature highlights key mechanisms that contribute to radiation-induced changes in the microstructure, such as the formation of intermetallic compounds, grain growth,micro-voids and micro-cracks. Radiation is explored as a factor influencing solder alloy hardness,strength, fatigue and ductility. Moreover, the review addresses the challenges and limitations inherent in studying the effects of radiation on solder materials and offers recommendations for future research. It is crucial to understand radiation-induced effects on solder performance to design robust and radiationresistant electronic systems. A review of radiation effects on solder materials and their applications in electronics serves as a valuable resource for researchers, engineers, and practitioners in that field.

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.

Industrial Fusion Cascade Detection of Solder Joint

With the remarkable advancements in machine vision research and its ever-expanding applications,scholars have increasingly focused on harnessing various vision methodologies within the industrial realm.Specifically,detecting vehicle floor welding points poses unique challenges,including high operational costs and limited portability in practical settings.To address these challenges,this paper innovatively integrates template matching and the Faster RCNN algorithm,presenting an industrial fusion cascaded solder joint detection algorithm that seamlessly blends template matching with deep learning techniques.This algorithm meticulously weights and fuses the optimized features of both methodologies,enhancing the overall detection capabilities.Furthermore,it introduces an optimized multi-scale and multi-template matching approach,leveraging a diverse array of templates and image pyramid algorithms to bolster the accuracy and resilience of object detection.By integrating deep learning algorithms with this multi-scale and multi-template matching strategy,the cascaded target matching algorithm effectively accurately identifies solder joint types and positions.A comprehensive welding point dataset,labeled by experts specifically for vehicle detection,was constructed based on images from authentic industrial environments to validate the algorithm’s performance.Experiments demonstrate the algorithm’s compelling performance in industrial scenarios,outperforming the single-template matching algorithm by 21.3%,the multi-scale and multitemplate matching algorithm by 3.4%,the Faster RCNN algorithm by 19.7%,and the YOLOv9 algorithm by 17.3%in terms of solder joint detection accuracy.This optimized algorithm exhibits remarkable robustness and portability,ideally suited for detecting solder joints across diverse vehicle workpieces.Notably,this study’s dataset and feature fusion approach can be a valuable resource for other algorithms seeking to enhance their solder joint detection capabilities.This work thus not only presents a novel and effective solution for industrial solder joint detection but lays the groundwork for future advancements in this critical area.

Effect of Mo and ZrO_(2)nanoparticles addition on interfacial properties and shear strength of Sn58Bi/Cu solder joint

The influence of Mo and ZrO_(2)nanoparticles addition on the interfacial properties and shear strength of Sn58Bi solder joint was investigated.The interfacial microstructures of Sn58Bi/Cu,Sn58Bi+Mo/Cu and Sn58Bi+ZrO_(2)/Cu solder joints were analysed using a scanning electron microscope(SEM)coupled with energy dispersive X-ray(EDX)and the X-ray diffraction(XRD).Intermetallic compounds(IMCs)of MoSn_(2)are detected in the Sn58Bi+Mo/Cu solder joint,while SnZr,Zr_(5)Sn_(3),ZrCu and ZrSn_(2)are detected in Sn58Bi+ZrO_(2)/Cu solder joint.IMC layers for both composite solders comprise of Cu_(6)Sn_(5) and Cu_(3)Sn.The SEM images of these layers were used to measure the IMC layer’s thickness.The average IMC layer’s thickness is 1.4431μm for Sn58Bi+Mo/Cu and 0.9112μm for Sn58Bi+ZrO_(2)/Cu solder joints.Shear strength of the solder joints was investigated via the single shear lap test method.The average maximum load and shear stress of the Sn58Bi+Mo/Cu and Sn58Bi+ZrO_(2)/Cu solder joints are increased by 33%and 69%,respectively,as compared to those of the Sn58Bi/Cu solder joint.By comparing both composite solder joints,the latter prevails better as adding smaller sized ZrO_(2)nanoparticles improves the interfacial properties granting a stronger solder joint.

Microstructural evolution of Au-Sn solder prepared by laminate rolling during annealing process

The microstructural evolution and inteffacial reaction of the Au/Sn/Au/Sn/Au/Sn/Au couples were investigated during annealing at 453, 523, and 543 K for up to 240 h. The Au/Sn combination formed a rapid diffusion system. Even in rolled Au-Sn solder, three phases, such as AuSn, AuSn2, and AuSn4, were formed. After initial annealing at 453 K, the diffusion layers of AuSn, AuSn2, and AuSn4, which were formed after rolling, expanded gradually and then fully transformed into phase （containing Sn from 10% to 18.5%, mole fraction） and 6 （AuSn） phase. As a whole, the microstmcture of the couple was stable during annealing at 453 K. The solid-state interracial reaction was much faster at 523 K than at 453 K. After annealing at 523 K for 6 h, the AuSn, AuSn2, and AuSn4 were fully transformed into the phase and phase （AuSn）. In spite of the prolonged annealing time for up to 240 h, no significant change of the interfacial microstructure occurred, and the microstructure of the couple was stable during annealing at 523 K. When annealing at 543 K, however, the interfacial of Au/Sn was transformed into solid-liquid state, and the whole couple formed a eutecfic structure rapidly, causing the solder to be brittle. The study results clearly demonstrate that the service temperature of the Au-Sn solder should be lower than 543 K.

Effect of Sb content on properties of Sn-Bi solders

The effect of Sb content on the properties of Sn-Bi solders was studied. The nonequilibrium melting behaviors of a series of Sn-Bi-Sb solders were examined by differential scanning calorimetry （DSC）. The spreading test was carried out to characterize the wettability of Sn-Bi-Sb solders on Cu substrate. The mechanical properties of the solders/Cu joints were evaluated. The results show that the ternary alloy solders contain eutectic structure resulting from quasi-peritetic reaction. With the increase of Sb content, the amount of the eutectic structure increases. At a heating rate of 5 ℃/min, Sn-Bi-Sb alloys exhibit a higher melting point and a wider melting range. A small amount of Sb has an impact on the wettability of Sn-Bi solders. The reaction layers form during spreading process. Sb is detected in the reaction layer while Bi is not detected. The total thickness of reaction layer between solder and Cu increases with the increase of the Sb content. The shear strength of the Sn-Bi-Sb solders increases as the Sb content increases.

Design of Pb-free solders in electronic packaging by computational thermodynamics and kinetics

Computational thermodynamics and kinetics were used to design the Pb-free micro-solders for replacing the conventional Sn-Pb solders because of the health and environmental safety problem. On the basis of CALPHAD (Calculation of Phase Diagrams) method we can easily calculate properties such as the liquidus projection, isothermal and vertical sectional diagrams and phase fraction in multi-component system including Ag, Bi, Cu, In, Sb, Sn, Zn and Pb elements. In addition, other related information such as the surface tension, viscosity of the liquid phase and solidification simulation can also be obtained. DICTRA (Diffusion Controlled Transformation) software was used to simulate the interfacial reactions between substrate and Pb-free solders, which can easily give the information on the growth of intermetallic compounds and moving speed of interface between substrate and solders etc.

Environmentally friendly solders 3-4 beyond Pb-based systems

Based on environmental considerations, global economic pressures, enacted by legislations in several countries, have warranted the elimination of lead from solders used in electronic applications. Sn3.5Ag, SnAgCu, and Sn0.7Cu have emerged among various lead-free candidates as the most promising solder alloys to be utilized in microelectronic industries. However, with the vast development and miniaturization of modern electronic packaging, new requirements such as superior service capabilities have been posed on lead-free solders. In order to improve the comprehensive property of the solder alloys, two possible approaches were adopted in the current research and new materials developed were patented. One approach was involved with the addition of alloying elements to make new ternary or quaternary solder alloys. Proper addition of rare earth element such as La and Ce have rendered solder alloys with improved mechanical properties, especially creep rupture lives of their joints. Another approach, the composite approach, was developed mainly to improve the service temperature capability of the solder alloys. Composite solders fabricated by mechanically incorporating various reinforcement particles to the solder paste have again exhibited enhanced properties without altering the existing processing characteristics. The recent progress and research efforts carried out on lead-free solder materials in Beijing University of Technology were reported. The effects of rare earth addition on the microstructure, processing properties, and mechanical properties were presented. The behaviors of various Sn-3.5Ag based composite solders were also explicated in terms of the roles of reinforcement particles on intermetallic growth, steady-state creep rate, the onset of tertiary creep, as well as the overall creep deformation in the solder joints. Thermomechanical fatigue (TMF) behavior of the solder alloys and composite solders were investigated with different parameters such as ramp rate, dwell time, etc. The damage accumulation features and residual mechanical properties of the thermomechanically-fatigued composite solder joints were compared with non-composite solder joints. To match the lead-free alloys, various types of water soluble no-clean soldering flux have also been developed and their properties were presented.

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.

Creep behavior of SnAgCu solders with rare earth Ce doping

Extensive testing was carried out to study the effects of rare earth Ce doping on the properties of SnAgCu solder alloys.The addition of 0.03%(mass fraction) rare earth Ce into SnAgCu solder may improve its mechanical properties,but slightly lower its melting temperature.The tensile creep behavior of bulk SnAgCuCe solders was reported and compared with SnAgCu solders.It is found that SnAgCuCe solders show higher creep resistance than SnAgCu alloys.Moreover,Dorn model and Garofalo model are successfully used to describe the creep behavior of SnAgCu and SnAgCuCe alloys.The parameters of the two creep constitutive equations for SnAgCu and SnAgCuCe solders are determined from separated constitutive relations and experimental results.Nonlinear least-squares fitting is selected to determine the model constants.The experimental data of the stress-creep strain rate curves are in good agreement with the theoretical ones.

Wetting kinetics of SiC nanoparticle reinforced Sn-Pb eutectic solders

SiC nanoparticles reinforced eutectic Sn-Pb solder were prepared by mechanical mixing method. Reactive wetting of the resultant composite solders on Cu substrates was investigated using real time, in-situ visualization of the triple-line movement. It was found that spreading rates of all solder pastes in this work do not obey Tanner＇ s law of non-reactive spreading. SiC nano-particles slow down both the pre-melting and post-melting spreading rates of composite solder pustes. As the content of SiC nano-particles increase, the melting point of composite solders decrease, and the spreading time of molten composite solder pastes increases.

Influence of Cu content on microstructure,grain orientation and mechanical properties of Sn-xCu lead-free solders

The effect of Cu content on the microstructure,grain orientation and mechanical properties of Sn-xCu(x=0-4.0 wt.%)lead-free solder was studied.Results showed that added Cu induced the formation of intermetallic phases.Only theη-Cu;Sn;andε-Cu;Sn phases were present in theβ-Sn matrix.For all contents,the strongly preferred orientation of theβ-Sn phase was formed on the{001}plane.In Sn doped with 1.0 wt.%Cu,theη-Cu;Sn;phase exhibited the preferred orientation of{0001}plane,whereas doping with 3.0 or 4.0 wt.%Cu transformed the preferred orientation to the{010}plane.In addition,only the{0001}and{■}planes were present in theε-Cu;Sn phase.The high Cu contents contributed to an increased number of low-angle boundaries,high residual strain,tensile strength and microhardness.

Effects of Ag contents in Sn-xAg lead-free solders on microstructure,corrosion behavior and interfacial reaction with Cu substrate

The effects of Ag on the microstructure and corrosion behavior of pre-soldering Sn-xAg lead-free solders,and on the formation of intermetallic layer of the solders with Cu substrate were investigated.The Ag contents(x)were 0,3.0,3.5,4.0,and5.0 wt.%.The Ag content played a role in the morphology of Ag3 Sn phase in the solders.The microstructure analysis showed that theβ-Sn phase was surrounded by eutectic networks in the 3.0 Ag and 3.5 Ag solders and large plate-like Ag3 Sn formed in the 4.0 Ag and5.0 Ag solders.Nonetheless,the Ag content slightly impacted the corrosion behavior of the as-cast solders as characterized using potentiodynamic polarization test.After soldering,only a single layer of a Cu6 Sn5 intermetallic compound formed at the Sn-xAg/Cu interface.By comparison,the Cu6 Sn5 intermetallic layer of the Ag-doped solders was thinner than that of the 0Ag solder.The fine Ag3 Sn particles in the eutectic networks precipitating in the 3.0 Ag and 3.5 Ag solders effectively hindered the growth of Cu6 Sn5 grains compared to large plate-like Ag3 Sn in the 4.0 and 5.0Ag solders.

Effects of cooling rates on microstructure and microhardness of lead-free Sn-3.5%Ag solders

The microstructure and microhardness of Sn-3.5%Ag solders were explored in the cooling rate ranging from 0.08 to 104 K/s. Under rapid cooling condition, the strong kinetic undercooling effect leads to the actual solidification process starting at the temperature lower than the equilibrium eutectic point, and the actual metastable eutectic point shifts to the higher Ag concentration. Hence, the higher the applied cooling rate is, the more the volume fraction of primary β-Sn crystal forms. At the same time, the separation of primary β-Sn crystal favors restraining the formation of bulk Ag3Sn intermetallic compounds (IMCs) in solder due to the mismatch crystalline orientation relationship, those Ag3Sn phase separating through the eutectic reaction could hardly cling to the primary β-Sn crystal and grow up. Additionally, the Vickers hardness test shows that fine β-Sn and spherical Ag3Sn phase in the rapidly solidified alloy strongly improves the microhardness of the Sn-3.5%Ag solder.

Mechanical properties of QFP micro-joints soldered with lead-free solders using diode laser soldering technology

Soldering experiments of quad flat package(QFP) devices were carried out by means of diode laser soldering system with Sn-Ag-Cu and Sn-Cu-Ni lead-free solders, and competitive experiments were also carried out not only with Sn-Pb eutectic solders but also with infrared reflow soldering method. The results indicate that under the conditions of laser continuous scanning mode as well as the fixed laser soldering time, an optimal power exists, while the optimal mechanical properties of QFP micro-joints are gained. Mechanical properties of QFP micro-joints soldered with laser soldering system are better than those of QFP micro-joints soldered with IR reflow soldering method. Fracture morphologies of QFP micro-joints soldered with laser soldering system exhibit the characteristic of tough fracture, and homogeneous and fine dimples appear under the optimal laser output power.

Effect of Nd and La on surface tension and wettability of Sn-8Zn-3Bi solders

Maximum bubble pressure measurement was employed to evaluate surface tension of Sn-8Zn-3Bi- (00.15)Nd and Sn-8Zn-3Bi-(00.15)La solder melts. Wetting balance method was used to measure wetting force and wetting time on Cu substrate of the two group solders. The experimental results show that minute amount of Nd or La addition to Sn-8Zn-3Bi solder causes significant decrease of the surface tension of the solder melts at 200240℃ and Nd addition is more effective on reduction of surface tension than that of La. Nd or La addition has the effect on enhancing the wetting force of the solder melts on Cu substrate, which results from the decrease of interfacial tension between the solder melt and Cu substrate. The wetting force reaches the maximum when 0.1% Nd is added to the base alloy. The contact angle between Sn-8Zn-3Bi base solders and Cu substrate decreases with the addition of Nd or La and the minimum of the contact angle is obtained from the solder with 0.1% Nd addition.

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.

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.

Influence of Mn on wettability and microstructure of low-silver lead-free solders

The influence of Mn on wettability and microstructure of low-silver solders was investigated. Mn degrades the wettability of low-silver solders, while the wettability of the Mn doping solders does not change with Mn content in a linear way. As a result of Mn doping, the cellular/dendritic β-Sn and the eutectic phase are refined. It indicates that Mn promotes the spontaneous and heterogeneous nucleation process of the solder alloys. The growth of intermetallic compound on the joint inter＇ace during soldering is also restrained. Aging experiment shows that Mn suppresses the growth of Cu3Sn and Cu6Sn5 layers at the joint interface.