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Formation of a Diffusion Barrier-Like Intermetallic Compound to Suppress the Formation of Micro-voids at the Sn-0.7Cu/Cu Interface by Optimal Ga Additions

  • Interfacial Stability in Multi-component Systems
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Abstract

Kirkendall micro-voids observed within ϵ-Cu3Sn or at the bulk Sn solder/Cu interface are undesirable imperfections in solder joints in electronic interconnections that significantly decrease the reliability of the joint. Recent studies have shown that micro-alloying could alter these interfacial reactions and improve the mechanical properties. In this study, we investigated the Cu-Ga-Sn phase equilibria at 200°C and the interfacial reactions between Cu substrate and Ga-doped Sn-0.7Cu solders with doping levels of 1.0, 2.0, and 3.0 wt.%. The assembled diffusion couples were isothermally annealed at 200°C for different time periods. The results showed that the thickness of the typical Cu-Sn IMCs (η-Cu6Sn5 and ϵ-Cu3Sn) progressively decreased along with the formation of the γ-Cu9Ga4 phase as the Ga-doping concentration was increased. The η-Cu6Sn5 and ϵ-Cu3Sn were completely suppressed and substituted by the γ-Cu9Ga4 phase when the Ga-doping concentration was 3 wt.%. More interestingly, the γ-Cu9Ga4 was the only IMC formed at the Sn-0.7Cu-3.0 Ga/Cu interface even when aging at 200°C for up to 1000 h, implying that the undesired defectiveness of Kirkendall micro-voids is possibly prevented by controlling the formation of the interfacial phase.

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Acknowledgements

The authors gratefully acknowledge financial sponsorship provided by the Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST) in Taiwan (109-2636-E-006-012). This work was also partially supported by the Hierarchical Green-Energy Materials (Hi-GEM) Research Center, from the Featured Areas Research Center Program within the framework of the Higher Education Sprout Project by the Ministry of Education (MOE) and the Ministry of Science and Technology (108-3017-F-006 -003) in Taiwan.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Materials Science and Engineering, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, 70101, Taiwan

    Ting-Li Yang, Yu-chen Liu, Chih-han Yang, Yi-kai Kuo & Shih-kang Lin

  2. Hierarchical Green-Energy Materials (Hi-GEM) Research Center, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, 70101, Taiwan

    Shih-kang Lin

  3. Center for Micro/Nano Science and Technology, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, 70101, Taiwan

    Shih-kang Lin

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  1. Ting-Li Yang
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  2. Yu-chen Liu
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Correspondence to Shih-kang Lin.

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Yang, TL., Liu, Yc., Yang, Ch. et al. Formation of a Diffusion Barrier-Like Intermetallic Compound to Suppress the Formation of Micro-voids at the Sn-0.7Cu/Cu Interface by Optimal Ga Additions. JOM 72, 3538–3546 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11837-020-04302-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11837-020-04302-5

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