• Journal of the Microelectronics and Packaging Society
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• v.10 no.4
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• pp.39-46
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• 2003

Sn-Cu eutectic solder bump was fabricated by electroplating for flip chip and its characteristics were studied. A Si-wafer was used as a substrate and the UBM(Under Bump Metallization) of Al(400 nm)/Cu(300 nm)/Ni(400 nm)/Au(20 nm) was coated sequentially from the substrate to the top by an electron beam evaporator. The experimental results showed that the plating ratio of the Sn-Cu increased from 0.25 to 2.7 $\mu\textrm{m}$/min with the current density of 1 to 8 A/d$\m^2$. In this range of current density the plated Sn-Cu maintains its composition nearly constant level as Sn-0.9∼1.4 wt%/Cu. The solder bump of typical mushroom shape with its stem diameter of 120 $\mu\textrm{m}$ was formed through plating at 5 A/d$\m^2$ for 2 hrs. The mushroom bump changed its shape to the spherical type of 140 $\mu\textrm{m}$ diameter by air reflow at $260^{\circ}C$. The homogeneity of chemical composition for the solder bump was examined, and Sn content in the mushroom bump appears to be uneven. However, the Sn distributed more uniformly through an air reflow.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.22 no.10
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• pp.545-551
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• 2012

In semiconductor manufacturing, the circuit integrity of packaged BGA devices is tested by measuring electrical resistance using test sockets. Test sockets have been reported to often fail earlier than the expected life-time due to high contact resistance. This has been attributed to the formation of Sn oxide films on the Au coating layer of the probe pins loaded on the socket. Similar to contact failure, and known as "fretting", this process widely occurs between two conductive surfaces due to the continual rupture and accumulation of oxide films. However, the failure mechanism at the probe pin differs from fretting. In this study, the microstructural processes and formation mechanisms of Sn oxide films developed on the probe pin surface were investigated. Failure analysis was conducted mainly by FIB-FESEM observations, along with EDX, AES, and XRD analyses. Soft and fresh Sn was found to be transferred repeatedly from the solder bump to the Au surface of the probe pins; it was then instantly oxidized to SnO. The $SnO_2$ phase is a more stable natural oxide, but SnO has been proved to grow on Sn thin film at low temperature (< $150^{\circ}C$). Further oxidation to $SnO_2$ is thought to be limited to 30%. The SnO film grew layer by layer up to 571 nm after testing of 50,500 cycles (1 nm/100 cycle). This resulted in the increase of contact resistance and thus of signal delay between the probe pin and the solder bump.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.10 no.12
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• pp.853-863
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• 2000

In this study, a new UBM materials system for solder flip chip interconnection of Cu pads were investigated using electroless copper (E-Cu) and electroless nickel (E-Ni) plating method. The interfacial reaction between several UBM structures and Sn-36Pb-2Ag solder and its effect on solder bump joint mechanical reliability were investigated to optimife the UBM materials design for solder bump on Cu pads. Fer the E-Cu UBM, continuous coarse scallop-like $Cu_{6}$ $Sn_{5}$ , intermetallic compound (IMC) was formed at the solder/E-Cu interface, and bump fracture occurred this interface under relative small load. In contrast, Fer the E-Ni/E-Cu UBM, it was observed that E-Ni effectively limited the growth of IMC at the interface, and the Polygonal $Ni_3$$Sn_4$ IMC was formed because of crystallographic mismatch between monoclinic $Ni_3$$Sn_4$ and amorphous E-Ni phase. Consequently, relatively higher bump adhesion strength was observed at E-Ni/E-Cu UBM than E-Cu UBM. As a result, it was fecund that E-Ni/E-Cu UBM material system was a better choice for solder flip chip interconnection on CU PadS.

• Journal of the Microelectronics and Packaging Society
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.55-62
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• 2023

In this study, Sn-3.0Ag-0.5Cu (wt.%, SAC305) solder dipping process was performed between Ni-foam skeleton with different pore per inch (PPI) to fabricate Ni-foam/SAC305 composite solder, and then applied to the transient liquid phase (TLP) bonding process to evaluate the microstructure and mechanical properties of the bonded joint. The Ni-foam/SAC305 composite solder preform consisted of Ni-foam and SAC305, and an intermetallic compound (IMC) having a (Ni,Cu)₃Sn₄ composition was formed at the Ni-foam interface. During TLP bonding process, the IMC at the Ni-foam interface was converted to (Ni,Cu)₃Sn₄+Au, and as the bonding time increased, the Ni-foam and SAC305 continuously reacted, and the bonded joint was converted into an IMC. And it was confirmed that the 130 PPI Ni-foam/SAC305 composite solder joint was converted into an IMC at the fastest rate. As a result of performing a shear test to confirm the effect of Ni-foam on mechanical properties, solder joints under all conditions exhibited excellent mechanical properties of 50 MPa or more in the early stages of the TLP bonding process, and the shear strength tends to increase as the bonding time increases.

• Journal of the Microelectronics and Packaging Society
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• v.11 no.1
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• pp.1-6
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• 2004

The requirements for harsh environment electronic controllers in automotive applications have been steadily becoming more and more stringent. Electronic substrate technologists have been responding to this challenge effectively in an effort to meet the performance, reliability and cost requirements. An effect of the plasma cleaning at the ECM(Engine Control Module) alumina substrate and the intermetallic compound layer between Sn-37wt%Pb solder and pad joints after reflow soldering has been studied. Organic residual carbon layer was removed by the substrate plasma cleaning. So the interfacial adhesive strength was enhanced. As a result of AFM measurement, conductor pad roughness were increased from 304 nm to 330 nm. $Cu_6/Sn_5$ formed during initial reflow process at the interface between TiWN/Cu pad and solder grew by the succeeding reflow process, so the grains became coarse. A cellular-shaped $Ag_3Sn$ was observed at the interface between Ag-Pd conductor pad and solder. The diameters of the $Ag_3Sn$ grains ranged from about 0.1∼0.6 $\mu\textrm{m}$. And a needle-shaped was also observed at the inside of the solder.

• Journal of Welding and Joining
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.498-504
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• 2002

Fluxless flip chip bonding process using plasma treatment instead of flux was investigated. The effect of plasma process parameters on tin-oxide etching characteristics were estimated with Auger depth profile analysis. The die shear test was performed to evaluate the adhesion strength of the flip chip bonded after plasma treatment. The thickness of oxide layer on tin surface was reduced after Ar+H2 plasma treatment. The addition of H2 improved the oxide etching characteristics by plasma. The die shear strength of the plasma-treated Sn-Pb solder flip chip was higher than that of non-treated one but lower than that of fluxed one. The difference of the strength between plasma-treated specimen and non-treated one increased with increase in bonding temperature. The plasma-treated flip chip fractured at solder/TSM interface at low bonding temperature while the fracture occurred at solder/UBM interface at higher bonding temperature.

• Journal of the Microelectronics and Packaging Society
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.29-34
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• 2020

The behavior of brittle fracture of electroless nickel immersion gold (ENIG) /Sn-3.0wt.%Ag-0.5wt.%Cu (SAC305) solder joints was evaluated. The pH of the electroless nickel plating solution for ENIG surface treatment was changed from 4.0 to 5.5. As the pH of the Ni plating solution increased, pin hole in the Ni-P layer increased. The thickness of the interfacial intermetallic compound (IMC) of the solder joint increased with pH of Ni plating solution. The high speed shear strength of the SAC305 solder joint on ENIG surface finish decreased with the pH of the Ni plating solution. In addition, the brittle fracture rate of the solder joint was the highest when the pH of the Ni plating solution was 5.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Automotive Engineers
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.134-141
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• 2013

Reflow soldering process is essential in electronic package. Reflow process for a long time results from the decrease of reliability because IMC is formed excessively. Solder alloys of Sn-37Pb and Sn-Ag with different kinds of Cu contents (0, 0.5 and 1 wt.%) as compared with Ni and Cu plate joints are investigated according to varying reflow time. The interfaces of solder joints are observed to analyze IMC (intermetallic compound) growth rate by scanning electron microscope (SEM). Shear test is also performed by using SP (Share-Punch) tester. The test results are compared with the solder joints of two different plates (Ni and Cu plate). $Cu_6Sn_5$ IMCs are formed on Cu plate interfaces after reflows in all samples. Ni3Sn4 and $(Cu,Ni)_6Sn_5$ IMCs are also formed on Ni plate interfaces. The IMC layer forms are affected by reflow time and contents of solder alloy. These results show that mechanical strength of solder joints strongly depends on thickness and shape of IMC.

• ETRI Journal
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• v.38 no.6
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• pp.1163-1171
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• 2016

Integration technologies involving flexible substrates are receiving significant attention owing the appearance of new products regarding wearable and Internet of Things technologies. There has been a continuous demand from the industry for a reliable bonding method applicable to a low-temperature process and flexible substrates. Up to now, however, an anisotropic conductive film (ACF) has been predominantly used in applications involving flexible substrates; we therefore suggest low-temperature lead-free soldering and bonding processes as a possible alternative for flex-on-flex applications. Test vehicles were designed on polyimide flexible substrates (FPCBs) to measure the contact resistances. Solder bumping was carried out using a solder-on-pad process with Solder Bump Maker based on Sn58Bi for low-temperature applications. In addition, thermocompression bonding of FPCBs was successfully demonstrated within the temperature of $150^{\circ}C$ using a newly developed fluxing underfill material with fluxing and curing capabilities at low temperature. The same FPCBs were bonded using commercially available ACFs in order to compare the joint properties with those of a joint formed using solder and an underfill. Both of the interconnections formed with Sn58Bi and ACF were examined through a contact resistance measurement, an $85^{\circ}C$ and 85% reliability test, and an SEM cross-sectional analysis.

• Journal of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.267-271
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• 2004

The joint strength and fracture surface of Sn-Pb solder bump in photo diode packages after isothermal aging testing were studied experimentally. Cu/Sn-Pb solders were adopted, and aged for up to 900 hours at 12$0^{\circ}C$ and 17$0^{\circ}C$ to analyze the effect of intermetallic compound(IMC). In 900-hour aging experiments, the maximum shea strength of Sn-Pb solder decreased by 20％ and 9％. The diffraction patterns of Cu$_{6}$Sn$_{5}$, scallop-shape IMC, and planar-shape Cu$_3$Sn were observed by Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM).EM).