• Journal of the Microelectronics and Packaging Society
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• v.12 no.1 s.34
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• pp.47-52
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• 2005

Worldwide movement for prohibition of Pb usage drives imminent implementation of Pb-free solders in microelectronic packaging industry. Reliability information of Pb-free solders has not been completely constructed yet. One of the potential reliability concerns of Pb-free solders is allotropic transformation of Sn known as tin pest. Volume increase during the formation of tin pest could deteriorate the reliability of solder joints. It was also reported that the addition of soluble elements (i.e. Pb, Bi, and Sb) into Sn can effectively suppress the tin pest. However, the mechanical properties of the tin pest resistant alloys have not been studied in detail. In this study, lap shear creep test was conducted with Sn and Sn-0.7Cu based solder alloys doped with minor amount of Bi or Sb. Shear strain rates of the alloy were generally higher than those of Sn-3.5Ag based alloys. Rupture strains and corresponding Monkman- Grant products were largest for Sn-0.5Bi alloy and smallest for Sn-0.7Cu-0.5Sb alloy. Rupture surface Sn-0.5Bi alloy showed highly elongated $\beta$-Sn globules necked to rupture by shear stresses, while elongation of $\beta$-Sn globules of Sn-0.7Cu-0.5Sb alloy was relatively smaller.

• Journal of Korea Foundry Society
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.245-251
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• 1997

Solderability, interfacial reaction and mechanical properties of joint between Sn-Bi-Ag base solder and Cu-substrate were studied. Solders were subjected to aging treatments to see the change of mechanical properties for up to 30 days at $100^{\circ}C$, and then also examined the changes of microstructure and morphology of interfacial compound. Sn-Bi-Ag base solder showed about double tensile strength comparing to Pb-Sn eutectic solder. Addition of 0.7wt%Al in the Sn-Bi-Ag alloy increase spread area on Cu substrate under R-flux and helps to reduce the growth of intermetallic compound during heat-treatment. According to the aging experiments of Cu/solder joint, interfacial intermetallic compound layer was exhibited a parabolic growth to aging time. The result of EDS, it is supposed that the soldered interfacial zone was composed of $Cu_6Sn_5$.

• Journal of Welding and Joining
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.61-67
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• 2005

Since lead (Pb)-free solders for electronics have higher melting points than that of eutectic Sn-Pb solder, they need higher soldering temperatures. In order to decrease the soldering temperature we tried to coat Sn-Bi layer on $Sn-3.5\%Ag$ solder by electroplating, which applies the mechanism of transient liquid phase bonding to soldering. During heating Bi will diffuse into the $Sn-3.5\%Ag$ solder and this results in decreasing soldering temperature. As bonding samples, the 1608 capacitor electroplated with Sn, and PCB, its surface was finished with electroless-plated Ni/Au, were selected. The $Sn-95.7\%Bi$ coated Sn-3.5Ag was supplied as a solder between the capacitor and PCB land. The samples were reflowed at $220^{\circ}C$, which was lower than that of normal reflow temperature, $240\~250^{\circ}C$, for the Pb-free. As experimental result, the joint of $Sn-95.7\%Bi$ coated Sn-3.5Ag showed high shear strength. In the as-reflowed state, the shear strength of the coated solder showed 58.8N, whereas those of commercial ones were 37.2N (Sn-37Pb), 31.4N (Sn-3Ag-0.5Cu), and 40.2N (Sn-8Zn-3Bi). After thermal shock of 1000 cycles between $-40^{\circ}C$ and $+125^{\circ}C$, shear strength of the coated solder showed 56.8N, whereas the previous commercial solders were in the range of 32.3N and 45.1N. As the microstructures, in the solder $Ag_3Sn$ intermetallic compound (IMC), and along the bonded interface $Ni_3Sn_4$ IMC were observed.

• Journal of Welding and Joining
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• v.31 no.1
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• pp.6-10
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• 2013

• Korean Journal of Metals and Materials
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• v.48 no.11
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• pp.1041-1046
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• 2010

The reactions between a Sn-3.0Ag-0.5Cu solder alloy and electroless Ni/electroless Pd/immersion Au (ENEPIG) surface finishes with various Pd layer thicknesses (0, 0.05, 0.1, 0.2, $0.4{\mu}m$) were examined for the effect of the Pd layer on the massive spalling of the $(Cu,Ni)_6Sn_5$ layer during reflow at $235^{\circ}C$. The thin layer deposition of an electroless Pd (EP) between the electroless Ni ($7{\mu}m$) and immersion Au ($0.06{\mu}m$) plating on the Cu substrate significantly retarded the massive spalling of the $(Cu,Ni)_6Sn_5$ layer during reflow. Its retarding effect increased with an increasing EP layer thickness. When the EP layer was thin (${\leq}0.1{\mu}m$), the retardation of the massive spalling was attributed to a reduced growth rate of the $(Cu,Ni)_6Sn_5$ layer and thus to a lowered consumption rate of Cu in the bulk solder during reflow. However, when the EP layer was thick (${\geq}0.2{\mu}m$), the initially dissolved Pd atoms in the molten solder resettled as $(Pd,Ni)Sn_4$ precipitates near the solder/$(Cu,Ni)_6Sn_5$ interface with an increasing reflow time. Since the Pd resettlement requires a continuous Ni supply across the $(Cu,Ni)_6Sn_5$ layer from the Ni(P) substrate, it suppressed the formation of $(Ni,Cu)_3Sn_4$ at the $(Cu,Ni)_6Sn_5/Ni(P)$ interface and retarded the massive spalling of the $(Cu,Ni)_6Sn_5$ layer.

• Korean Journal of Metals and Materials
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• v.47 no.9
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• pp.580-585
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• 2009

The effects of shear speed and tip height on the high speed shear test of Sn-3.0wt.%Ag-0.5wt.%Cu ball joints were investigated. Solder balls of $450{\mu}m$ in diameter were reflowed at $245^{\circ}C$ on a FR4 PCB (Printed Circuit Board) in order to obtain a sample for the high-speed shear test. The UBM was comprised of Cu/Ni/Au, and the shear speed and tip height varied from 0.5 to 3.0 m/s, and from 10 to $135{\mu}m$, respectively. According to the experimental results, faster shear speed enhanced the shear strength of the solder joints, regardless of the tip height. The fraction of ductile (solder) fracture decreased when the shearing speed was raised from 0.5 to 3.0 m/s. With an increasing tip height from 10 to 50 and $135{\mu}m$, the fracture mode changed from pad lift to mixed (ductile and brittle) and ductile fracture, respectively, while the shearing energy also increased in the same order. The shear energy had a proportional relationship with the fraction of the solder fracture.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.30 no.6
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• pp.285-291
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• 2020

Recent advances in technology using ultra-thin noble metal film in oxide/metal/oxide structures have attracted attention because this material is a promising alternative to meet the needs of transparent conduction electrodes (TCE). AZO/Ag/AZO multilayer films are prepared by magnetron sputtering for Cu₂ZnSn(S,Se)₄ (CZTSSe) of kesterite solar cells. It is shown that the electrical and optical properties of the AZO/Ag/AZO multilayer films can be improved by the very low resistivity and surface plasmon effects due to the deposition of different thicknesses of Ag layer between oxide layers fixed at AZO 30 nm. The AZO/Ag/AZO multilayer films of Ag 15 nm show high mobility of 26.4 ㎠/Vs and low resistivity and sheet resistance of 3.58^⁎10^-5 Ωcm and 5.0 Ω/sq. Also, the AZO/Ag (15 nm)/AZO multilayer film shows relatively high transmittance of more than 65 % in the visible region. Through this, we fabricated CZTSSe thin film solar cells with 7.51 % efficiency by improving the short-circuit current density and fill factor to 27.7 mV/㎠ and 62 %, respectively.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Safety
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• v.30 no.6
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• pp.7-11
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• 2015

The present study investigates the impact shear strength of thermal aged Sn-3Ag-0.5Cu lead-free solder joints at impact speeds ranging from 0.5 m/s to 2.5 m/s. The specimens were thermal aged for 24, 100, 250 and 1000 hours at $100^{\circ}C$. The experimental results demonstrate that the shear strength of the solder joint decreases with an increase in the load speed and aging time. The shear strength of the solder joint aged averagely decreased by 43% with an increase in the strain rate. For the as-reflowed specimens, the mode II stress intensity factor ($K_{II}$) of interfacial IMC between Sn-3.0Ag-0.5Cu and a copper substrate also was found to decrease from $1.63MPa.m^{0.5}$ to $0.97MPa.m^{0.5}$ in the speed range tested here. The degradations in the shear strength and fracture toughness of the aged solder joints are mainly caused by the growth of IMC layers at the solder/substrate interface.

• Journal of Welding and Joining
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• v.34 no.1
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• pp.26-34
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• 2016

Automotive today has been transforming to an electronic product by adopting a lot of convenience and safety features, suggesting that joining materials and their mechanical reliabilities are getting more important. In this study, a Sn-Cu-Cr-Ca solder composition having a high melting temperature ($>230^{\circ}C$) was fabricated and its joint properties and reliability was investigated with an aim to evaluate the suitability as a joining material for electronics of engine room. Furthermore, mechanical properties change under complex environment were compared with several existing solder compositions. As a result of contact angle measurement, favorable spreadability of 84% was shown and the average shear strength manufactured with corresponding composition solder paste was $1.9kg/mm^2$. Also, thermo-mechanical reliability by thermal shock and vibration test was compared with that of the representative high temperature solder materials such as Sn-3.5Ag, Sn-0.7Cu, and Sn-5.0Sb. In order to fabricate the test module, solder balls were made in joints with ENIG-finished BGA and then the BGA chip was reflowed on the OPS-finished PCB pattern. During the environmental tests, resistance change was continuously monitored and the joint strength was examined after tests. Sn-3.5Ag alloy exhibited the biggest degradation rate in resistance and shear stress and Sn-0.7Cu resulted in a relatively stable reliability against thermo-mechanical stress coming from thermal shock and vibration.

• Journal of the Microelectronics and Packaging Society
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.71-77
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• 2011

Main parameters of the screen printing were determined and the printing parameters were optimized for 0402, 0603, and 1005 chips in this study. The solder pastes used in this study were Sn-3.0Ag-0.5Cu and Sn-0.7Cu. The process parameters were stencil thickness, squeegee angle, printing speed, stencil separating speed and gap between stencil and PCB. The printing pressure was fixed at 2 $kgf/cm^2$. From ANOVA results, the stencil thickness and the squeegee angle were determined to be main parameters for the printing efficiency. The printing efficiency was optimized with varying two main parameters, the stencil thickness and the squeegee angle. The printing efficiency increased as the squeegee angle was lowered under 45o for all chips. For the 0402 and the 0603 chips, the printing efficiency increased as the stencil thickness decreased. On the other hand, for the 1005 chip, the printing efficiency increased as the stencil thickness increased.