Fracture mechanics analysis of cracks in solder joint intermetallic compounds

The trend towards miniaturization of electronic products leads to the need for very small sized solder joints. Therefore, there is a higher reliability risk that too large a fraction of solder joints will transform into Intermetallic Compounds (IMCs) at the solder interface. In this paper, fracture mechanics study of the IMC layer for SnPb and Pb-free solder joints was carried out using finite element numerical computer modelling method. It is assumed that only one crack is present in the IMC layer. Linear Elastic Fracture Mechanics (LEFM) approach is used for parametric study of the Stress Intensity Factors (SIF, KI and KII), at the predefined crack in the IMC layer of solder butt joint tensile sample. Contrary to intuition, it is revealed that a thicker IMC layer in fact increases the reliability of solder joint for a cracked IMC. Value of KI and KII are found to decrease with the location of the crack further away from the solder interfaces while other parameters are constant. Solder thickness and strain rate were also found to have a significant influence on the SIF values. It has been found that soft solder matrix generates non-uniform plastic deformation across the solder-IMC interface near the crack tip that is responsible to obtain higher KI and KII.

Some properties of intermetallic compounds of Sn with noble metals relevant for hydrogen electrocatalysis

Using density functional theory and a model developed in our own group, we have investigated the suitability of three intermetallic compounds - AuSn, PdSn, and PtSn - as electrode materials for hydrogen oxidation in fuel cells, focusing on their CO tolerance and their catalytic properties. All three metals were found to have lower susceptibility to be poisoned by CO compared to platinum, but only PtSn promises to be a good catalyst for hydrogen oxidation. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Diffusion Studies in A(3)B Compounds with A15 Structure

There is a constant effort to understand the defect structure and diffusion behavior in intermetallic compounds with the A15 structure. Diffusion of elements in intermetallic compounds depends mainly on antisites and vacancies on different sublattices. In this article, we shall discuss the diffusion of elements in A(3)B compounds with the A15 structure.

Gibbs energies of formation of intermetallic phases in the systems Pt Mg, Pt Ca and Pt Ba and some applications

The standard Gibbs energies of formation of platinum-rich intermetallic compounds in the systems Pt-Mg, Pt-Ca, and Pt-Ba have been measured in the temperature range of 950 to 1200 K using solid-state galvanic cells based on MgF2, CaF2, and BaF2 as solid electrolytes. The results are summarized by the following equations: ΔG° (MgPt7) = −256,100 + 16.5T (±2000) J/mol ΔG° (MgPt3) = −217,400 + 10.7T (±2000) J/mol ΔG° (CaPt5) = −297,500 + 13.0T (±5000) J/mol ΔG° (Ca2Pt7) = −551,800 + 22.3T (±5000) J/mol ΔG° (CaPt2) = −245,400 + 9.3T (±5000) J/mol ΔG° (BaPt5) = −238,700 + 8.1T (±4000) J/mol ΔG° (BaPt2) = −197,300 + 4.0T (±4000) J/mol where solid platinum and liquid alkaline earth metals are selected as the standard states. The relatively large error estimates reflect the uncertainties in the auxiliary thermodynamic data used in the calculation. Because of the strong interaction between platinum and alkaline earth metals, it is possible to reduce oxides of Group ILA metals by hydrogen at high temperature in the presence of platinum. The alkaline earth metals can be recovered from the resulting intermetallic compounds by distillation, regenerating platinum for recycling. The platinum-slag-gas equilibration technique for the study of the activities of FeO, MnO, or Cr2O3 in slags containing MgO, CaO, or BaO is feasible provided oxygen partial pressure in the gas is maintained above that corresponding to the coexistence of Fe and “FeO.”

Gibbs energies of formation of rare earth MPt5 compounds

The Gibbs energies of formation of MPt5 (MNd, Dy, Ho, Er) intermetallic compounds were determined in the temperature range 900–1100 K using the solid state cell Ta,M+MF3¦CaF2¦MPt5+Pt+MF3,Ta For M ≡ Sm, a mixture of Gd + GdF3 was used as the reference electrode. In the case of Eu, a mixture of Eu + EuF2 served as the reference electrode. The trifluorides of Sm and Eu are not stable in equilibrium with the metal. The fluoride phase coexisting with a SmPt5 + Pt mixture is SmF3, whereas EuF2 is the equilibrium phase in contact with EuPt5 + Pt. All the MPt5 compounds studied (except EuPt5) exhibit similar stability. Europium is divalent in the pure metal and trivalent in EuPt5. The energy required for the promotion of divalent Eu to the trivalent state accounts for the less negative Gibbs energy of formation of EuPt5. The enthalpies of formation of all the MPt5 compounds obtained in this study are in good agreement with Miedema's model.

Formation and structure of LaNi2 intermetallic compound under high pressure

The Cubic LaNi2 Laves phase has been synthesized under high pressure. The effects of temperature and pressure on the stability of the Laves phase have been studied. High pressure also induces the phase transitions from intermetallic compounds La2Ni3 and LaNi2.286 to the Laves phase.

ELECTROCHEMICAL FORMATION OF NI-Y INTERMETALLIC COMPOUND LAYER IN MOLTEN CHLORIDE

The reduction of Y(III) ions in molten chloride is known to be a one-step three electron reaction [1, 2, 3], but a voltammogram of YCl3 in molten LiCl-KCl-NaCl at a nickel electrode shows at least two reduction peaks of Y(III) ions, indicating the possibility of formation of Ni-Y intermetallic compounds. Using a galvanostatic electrolysis method, samples were prepared at several current densities at 450, 500, 600 and 700-degrees-C, respectively, and were identified with X-ray diffraction (XRD) and electron probe microanalysis (EPMA) methods. The results show that Ni2Y, Ni2Y3 and NiY can be produced by electrolysis and Ni2Y is found to be the predominant Ni-Y intermetallic compound under the experimental conditions. Nickel appears to diffuse in Ni2Y faster than yttrium, and the diffusion process is the rate determining step during Ni2Y formation.

Intermetallic phase detection in lead-free solders using synchrotron X-ray diffraction

The high-intensity, high-resolution x-ray source at the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (ESRF) has been used in x-ray diffraction (XRD) experiments to detect intermetallic compounds (IMCs) in lead-free solder bumps. The IMCs found in 95.5Sn3.8Ag0.7Cu solder bumps on Cu pads with electroplated-nickel immersion-gold (ENIG) surface finish are consistent with results based on traditional destructive methods. Moreover, after positive identification of the IMCs from the diffraction data, spatial distribution plots over the entire bump were obtained. These spatial distributions for selected intermetallic phases display the layer thickness and confirm the locations of the IMCs. For isothermally aged solder samples, results have shown that much thicker layers of IMCs have grown from the pad interface into the bulk of the solder. Additionally, the XRD technique has also been used in a temperature-resolved mode to observe the formation of IMCs, in situ, during the solidification of the solder joint. The results demonstrate that the XRD technique is very attractive as it allows for nondestructive investigations to be performed on expensive state-of-the-art electronic components, thereby allowing new, lead-free materials to be fully characterized.

Effect of adding 0.3wt% Ni into the Sn-0.7wt% Cu solder - Part II: Growth of intermetallic layer with Cu during wetting and aging

The growth behavior of intermetallic layer with or without adding 0.3 wt% Ni into the Sn-0.7Cu solder was studied during the wetting reaction on Cu-substrate and thereafter in solid-state aging condition. The Cu-solder reaction couple was prepared at 255, 275 and 295 °C for 10 s. The samples reacted at 255 °C were then isothermally aged for 2-14 days at 150 °C. The reaction species formed for the Sn-0.7Cu/Cu and Sn-0.7Cu-0.3Ni/Cu soldering systems were Cu6Sn5 and (CuNi)6Sn5, respectively. The thickness of the intermetallic compounds formed at the solder/Cu interfaces and also in the bulk of both solders increased with the increase of reaction temperature. It was found that Ni-containing Sn-0.7Cu solder exhibited lower growth of intermetallic layer during wetting and in the early stage of aging and eventually exceeded the intermetallic layer thickness of Sn-0.7Cu/Cu soldering system after 6 days of aging. As the aging time proceeds, a non-uniform intermetallic layer growth tendency was observed for the case of Sn-0.7Cu-0.3Ni solder. The growth behavior of intermetallic layer during aging for both solders followed the diffusion-controlled mechanism. The intermetallic layer growth rate constants for Sn-0.7Cu and Sn-0.7Cu-0.3Ni solders were calculated as 1.41 × 10-17 and 1.89 × 10-17 m2/s, respectively which indicated that adding 0.3 wt% Ni with Sn-0.7Cu solder contributed to the higher growth of intermetallic layer during aging. © 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Effect of reflow profile and thermal cycle ageing on the intermetallic formation and growth in lead-free soldering

The formation and growth of intermetallic compound layer thickness is one of the important issues in search for reliable electronic and electrical connections. Intermetallic compounds (IMCs) are an essential part of solder joints. At low levels, they have a strengthening effect on the joint; but at higher levels, they tend to make solder joints more brittle. If the solder joint is subjected to long-standing exposure of high temperature, this could result in continuous growth of intermetallic compound layer. The brittle intermetallic compound layer formed in this way is very much prone to fracture and cold therefore lead to mechanical and electrical failure of the joint. Therefore, the primary aim of this study is to investigate the growth of intermetallic compound layer thickness subjected to five different reflow profiles. The study also looks at the effect of three different temperature cycles (with maximum cycle temperature of 25 0C, 40 0C and 60 0C) on intermetallic compound formation and their growth behaviour.. Two different Sn-Ag-Cu solder pastes (namely paste P1 and paste P2) which were different in flux medium, were used for the study. The result showed that the growth of intermetallic compound layer thickness was a function of ageing temperature. It was found that the rate of growth of intermetallic compound layer thickness of paste P1 was higher than paste P2 at the same temperature condition. This behaviour could be related to the differences in flux mediums of solder paste samples used.

Non-Fermi-liquid behavior in UCu(4+x)Al(8-x) compounds

We report on experimental studies of the Kondo physics and the development of non-Fermi-liquid scaling in UCu(4+x)Al(8-x) family. We studied 7 different compounds with compositions between x = 0 and 2. We measured electrical transport (down to 65 mK) and thermoelectric power (down to 1.8 K) as a function of temperature, hydrostatic pressure, and/or magnetic field. Compounds with Cu content below x = 1.25 exhibit long-range antiferromagnetic order at low temperatures. Magnetic order is suppressed with increasing Cu content and our data indicate a possible quantum critical point at x(cr) approximate to 1.15. For compounds with higher Cu content, non-Fermi-liquid behavior is observed. Non-Fermi-liquid scaling is inferred from electrical resistivity results for the x = 1.25 and 1.5 compounds. For compounds with even higher Cu content, a sharp kink occurs in the resistivity data at low temperatures, and this may be indicative of another quantum critical point that occurs at higher Cu compositions. For the magnetically ordered compounds, hydrostatic pressure is found to increase the Neel temperature, which can be understood in terms of the Kondo physics. For the non-magnetic compounds, application of a magnetic field promotes a tendency toward Fermi-liquid behavior. Thermoelectric power was analyzed using a two-band Lorentzian model, and the results indicate one fairly narrow band (10 meV and below) and a second broad band (around hundred meV). The results imply that there are two relevant energy scales that need to be considered for the physics in this family of compounds. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Synthesis and Characterization of Ordered Intermetallic Nanostructured PtSn/C and PtSb/C and Evaluation as Electrodes for Alcohol Oxidation

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Hydrogen oxidation on ordered intermetallic phases of platinum and tin - A combined experimental and theoretical study

Hydrogen oxidation on the surfaces of the intermetallic compounds Pt 3Sn, PtSn and PtSn2 has been studied by the rotating disc electrode technique. Pt3Sn and PtSn were found to be good catalysts, about as good as Pt, while PtSn2 was inactive over the investigated range of potentials. Underpotential deposition of hydrogen is observed only on Pt3Sn. These results are explained by theoretical calculations based on a theory developed within our own group, and by density functional theory. © 2012 Elsevier B.V.