• Journal of the Microelectronics and Packaging Society
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.1-9
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• 2002

The intermetallic formation between Sn-Ag-(Cu) solders and metal pads in a real BGA package was characterized using SEM, EDS, and XRD. The intermetallic phase formed in the interface between Sn-Ag-Cu and Au/Ni/Cu pad is likely to be ternary compound of $(Cu,Ni)_6Sn_5$ from EDS analysis High concentration of Cu was observed in the solder/Ni interface. XRD analysis confirmed that $\eta -Cu_6 Sn_5$ type was intermetallic phase formed in the interface between Cu containing solders and Ni substrates and $Ni_3$Sn_4$ intermetallic was formed in the Sn-Ag solder/Ni interface. The thickness of intermetallic phase increased with the reflow times and Cu concentration in solder.

• Proceedings of the International Microelectronics And Packaging Society Conference
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• 2003.11a
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• pp.84-87
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• 2003

Since Pb-free solder alloys have been used extensively in microelectronic packaging industry, the interaction between UBM (Under Bump Metallurgy) and solder is a critical issue because IMC (Intermetallic Compound) at the interface is critical for the adhesion of mechanical and the electrical contact for flip chip bonding. IMC growth must be fast during the reflow process to form stable IMC. Too fast IMC growth, however, is undesirable because it causes the dewetting of UBM and the unstable mechanical stability of thick IMC. UP to now. Ni and Cu are the most popular UBMs because electroplating is lower cost process than thin film deposition in vacuum for Al/Ni(V)/Cu or phased Cr-Cu. The consumption rate and the growth rate of IMC on Ni are lower than those of Cu. In contrast, the wetting of solder bumps on Cu is better than Ni. In addition, the residual stress of Cu is lower than that of Ni. Therefore, the alloy of Cu and Ni could be used as optimum UBM with both advantages of Ni and Cu. In this paper, the interfacial reactions of Sn-3.5Ag-0.7Cu solder on Ni-xCu alloy UBMs were investigated. The UBMs of Ni-Cu alloy were made on Si wafer. Thin Cr film and Cu film were used as adhesion layer and electroplating seed layer, respectively. And then, the solderable layer, Ni-Cu alloy, was deposited on the seed layer by electroplating. The UBM consumption rate and intermetallic growth on Ni-Cu alloy were studied as a function of time and Cu contents. And the IMCs between solder and UBM were analyzed with SEM, EDS, and TEM.

• Journal of the Microelectronics and Packaging Society
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.25-31
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• 2010

In this study, we investigated the morphology and thermal stability of interfacial phases in joint between lead free solder(Sn-3.0Ag-0.5Cu) and electroless Ni-W-P under bump metallizations(UBM) with different tungsten contents as a function of thermal aging. Content of phosphorus of each deposits was fixed at 8 wt.%, and content of tungsten was variated each 0, 3, 6 and 9 wt.%. Specimens were prepared by reflowing at $255^{\circ}C$, aging range was $200^{\circ}C$ and up to 2 weeks. After reflow process, in the electroless Ni(W)-P/solder joint, the interfacial intermetallic compound(IMC) was showed both $(Cu,Ni)_6Sn_5$ and $(Ni,Cu)_3Sn_4$. UBM and generated IMC at the interface of lead free solder was proportionally increased with aging time. The thickness of IMC was increased because the generation rate of $Ni(W)_3P$ decreased with increasing contents of W.

• Journal of the Microelectronics and Packaging Society
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.35-39
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• 2012

We studied interfacial reaction and bonding characteristics of a flip chip bonding with the viewpoint of formation behavior of intermetallic compounds. For this purpose, Sn-0.7Cu and Sn-3Cu solders were reflowed on the Al/Cu and Al/Ni UBMs. When Sn-0.7Cu was reflowed on the Al/Cu UBM, no intermetallic compounds were formed at the solder/UBM interface. The $Cu_6Sn_5$ intermetallic compounds formed by reflowing Sn-3Cu solder on the Al/Cu UBM were spalled from the interface, resulting in delamination of the solder/UBM interface. On the other hand, the $(Cu,Ni)_6Sn_5$ intermetallic compounds were formed by reflowing of Sn-0.7Cu and Sn-3Cu on the Al/Ni UBM and the interfacial bonding between the Sn-Cu solders and the Al/Ni UBM was kept stable.

• Journal of the Microelectronics and Packaging Society
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• v.11 no.3 s.32
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• pp.37-45
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• 2004

Electroless Ni(P) has been widely used for under bump metallization (UBM) of flip chip and surface finish layer in microelectronic packaging because of its excellent solderability, corrosion resistance, uniformity, selective deposition without photo-lithography, and also good diffusion barrier. However, the brittle fracture at solder joints and the spatting of intermetallic compound (IMC) associated with electroless Ni(P) are critical issues for its successful applications. In the present study, the mechanism of IMC spatting and microstructure change of the Ni(P) film were investigated with varying P content in the Ni(P) film (4.6,9, and $13 wt.\%$P). A reaction between Sn penetrated through the channels among $Ni_3Sn_4$ IMCs and the P-rich layer ($Ni_3P$) of the Ni(P) film formed a $Ni_3SnP$ layer. Thickening of the $Ni_3SnP$ layer led to $Ni_3Sn_4$ spatting. After $Ni_3Sn_4$ spatting, the Ni(P) film directly contacted the molten solder and the $Ni_3P$ phase further transformed into a $Ni_2P$ phase. During the crystallization process, some cracks formed in the Ni(P) film to release tensile stress accumulated from volume shrinkage of the film.

• Journal of the Microelectronics and Packaging Society
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• v.7 no.2
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• pp.55-62
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• 2000

The wetting balance test was performed in an attempt to estimate the wetting properties of the UBM-coated Si-wafer on one side to the Sn-Pb solder. The wetting curves of the one and both side-coated UBM layers had the similar shape and the parameters characterizing the curve shape showed the similar transition tendency to the temperature. The wetting property estimation was possible with the new wettability indices from the wetting curves of one side-coated specimen; $F_{min}$, $F_{s}t_{s}$ and $t_s$. For UBM of Si-chip, Au/Cu/Cr UBM was better than Au/Ni/Ti in the point of wetting time. The contact angle of the one side coated Si-plate to the Sn-Pb solder could be calculated from the force balance equation by measuring the static state force and the tilt angle.

• Tribology and Lubricants
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.173-177
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• 2012

We used contact resonance force microscopy (CRFM) technique to determine the quantitative elastic properties of multiple materials integrated on the sub micrometer scale. The CRFM approach measures the frequencies of an AFM cantilever's first two flexural resonances while in contact with a material. The plain strain modulus of an unknown or test material can be obtained by comparing the resonant spectrum of the test material to that of a reference material. In this study we examined the following bumping materials for flip chip by using copper electrode as a reference material: NiP, Solder (Sn-Au-Cu alloy) and under filled epoxy. Data were analyzed by conventional beam dynamics and contact dynamics. The results showed a good agreement (~15% difference) with corresponding values determined by nanoindentaion. These results provide insight into the use of CRFM methods to attain reliable and accurate measurements of elastic properties of materials on the nanoscale.

• Journal of the Microelectronics and Packaging Society
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• v.14 no.3
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• pp.21-27
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• 2007

Nickel bumps for ACF(anisotropic conductive film) flip chip application were fabricated by electroless and electro plating and their mechanical properties and impact reliability were examined through the compressive test, bump shear test and drop test. Stress-displacement curves were obtained from the load-displacement data in the compressive test using nano-indenter. Electroplated nickel bumps showed much lower elastic stress limits (70MPa) and elastic moduli ($7.8{\times}10^{-4}MPa/nm$) than electroless plated nickel bumps ($600-800MPa,\;9.7{\times}10^{-3}MPa/nm$). In the bump shear test, the electroless plated nickel bumps were deformed little by the test blade and bounded off from the pad at a low shear load, whereas the electroplated nickel bumps allowed large amount of plastic deformation and higher shear load. Both electroless and electro plated nickel bumps bonded by ACF flip chip method showed high impact reliability in the drop impact test.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.9 no.11
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• pp.1095-1101
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• 1999

Electroless Ni plating is applied to form bumps and UBM layer for flip chip interconnection. Characteristics of electroless Ni are also investigated. Zincate pretreatment is analyzed and plated layer characteristics are investigated according to variables like temperature, pH and heat treatment. Based on these observations, characteristics dependence to each variables and optimum electroless Ni plating conditions for flip-chip interconnection are suggested. Electroless Ni has 10wt% P, $60\mu\Omega$-cm resistivity, 500HV hardness and amorphous structure. It changes crystallized structure and hardness increases after heat treatment After interconnection of electroless Ni bumps by ACF flip chip method, we show their advantages and possibility in microelectronic package applications.

• Journal of the Microelectronics and Packaging Society
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• v.14 no.4
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• pp.79-85
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• 2007

This study was focused on the feasibility of ultrasonic bonding of Au stud flip chip bumps on the flexible printed circuit board (FPCB) with three different surface finishes: organic solderability preservative (OSP), electroplated Au and electroless Ni/immersion Au (ENIG). The Au stud flip chip bumps were successfully bonded to the bonding pads of the FPCBs, irrespective of surface finish. The bonding time strongly affected the joint integrity. The shear force increased with increasing bonding time, but the 'bridge' problem between bumps occurred at a bonding time over 2 s. The optimum condition was the ultrasonic bonding on the OSP-finished FPCB for 0.5 s.