Rapid formation of Ni3Sn4 joints for die attachment of SiC-based high temperature power devices using ultrasound-induced transient liquid phase bonding process

doi:10.1016/j.ultsonch.2016.12.026

Ultrasonics Sonochemistry

Volume 36, May 2017, Pages 420-426

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ultsonch.2016.12.026 Get rights and content

Highlights

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Ni₃Sn₄ joints were formed using an ultrasound-induced TLP bonding process within 8s.
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The sonochemical effects on the mechanism and kinetics of rapid growth of Ni₃Sn₄ IMCs were investigated.
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The morphology and orientation relationship of the Ni₃Sn₄ grains were investigated.
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The role of the morphologies of Ni₃Sn₄ grains in the shear strengths of joints was investigated.

Abstract

High melting point Ni₃Sn₄ joints for the die attachment of SiC-based high temperature power devices was successfully achieved using an ultrasound-induced transient liquid phase (TLP) bonding process within a remarkably short bonding time of 8 s. The formed intermetallic joints, which are completely composed of the refined equiaxial Ni₃Sn₄ grains with the average diameter of 2 μm, perform the average shear strength of 26.7 MPa. The sonochemical effects of ultrasonic waves dominate the mechanism and kinetics of the rapid formation of Ni₃Sn₄ joints.

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Acknowledgments

This research is sponsored by the Shandong Provincial Natural Science Foundation of China (ZR2016EEQ12) and the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 51405099 and U1537206) and Shanghai Aerospace Innovation Fund (Grant No. SAST 2015045) and the National Science and Technology Major Project (No. 2014ZX04001131).

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Microstructure and mechanical properties of electroplated Ni-Sn TLP bonded joints with different bonding and aging times
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Citation Excerpt :
However, it is quite challenging to obtain Ni-Sn TLP bonded joints with expected microstructure and satisfactory thermal reliability, since the performance highly depends on the substrate, deposition process, interlayer morphology and bonding profile. Therefore, further investigation of Ni-Sn TLP bonding for high-temperature electronic packaging is required [16]. Many studies have been conducted for Ni-Sn TLP bonded joints.
Much attention has been drawn to the Ni-Sn transient liquid phase (TLP) bonded joints for high-temperature electronic packaging applications since their inception. A comparative study of Ni-Sn TLP bonded joints with different interlayers was conducted. The evolution of microstructure and mechanical properties of joints with different bonding times was also investigated. In addition, the high-temperature (300 °C) thermal reliability of the Ni-Sn TLP bonded joints was explored with aging times from 0 h to 100 h. The results show that electroplated Ni-Sn TLP bonded joints exhibited a slightly higher average shear strength than those prepared using Sn foil and Sn_96.5Ag_3.5 paste. Also, the average shear strength of the electroplated Ni-Sn TLP bonded joints was greatly improved when the bonding time increased from 0.5 h to 5 h, while there was a continuous decrease in the average shear strength as the aging time was increased from 4 h to 100 h. During aging, the Ni/Ni₃Sn₂ interface was the preferential site for the nucleation of newly formed Ni₃Sn₂ intermetallic compounds (IMCs). Furthermore, the cross-sectional microstructure of the shear fractured joints after aging from 4 h to 100 h indicates that the shear fractures propagated through both the Ni₃Sn₄ IMCs and the Ni₃Sn₂/Ni₃Sn₄ interface.
Swirl-like Cu-Sn phase formation and the effects on the ultrasonic spot welded joint of Sn-coated Cu plates
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Previous studies have shown that sharp physical and chemical changes may induce the formation of swirl-like reaction phases in the ultrasonic spot welding (USW) of different materials. However, the mechanisms have not been well understood. In particular, swirl-like structures have seldom been discovered or discussed in the USW of Cu/Sn. In this study, swirl-like phases were observed in the USW of a Sn-coated T2 Cu plate with different welding energies (300−400 J). The evolution of the microstructure from the flat region to the swirl region was studied, the diffusion coefficient of Cu in Sn and the peak temperature of the interface during welding were theoretically calculated and experimentally verified, the formation mechanism of the swirl-like phases was discussed, and the relationship between the joint properties and welding energies was investigated. The results show that the content of Cu₃Sn increases, while that of Cu₆Sn₅ decreases gradually from the flat region to the swirl region and that grain refinement of Cu and IMCs occurs near the swirl regions. The greatly enhanced diffusivity shows that intense atomic diffusion takes place during the welding process. When the welding energy exceeds 300 J, the experimentally measured peak temperatures in the welding processes are higher than the theoretical values. The formation of the swirl-like phase is attributed to the uneven distribution of interfacial stress and the collapse of cavitation bubbles. When the welding energy reaches 400 J, the peak lap shear load of the welded specimen reaches 1008 N, and the associated fractures indicate the combined characteristics of ductility and brittleness.
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The high-melting-point joints by transient-liquid-phase are increasingly playing a crucial role in the die bonding for the high temperature electronic components. In this study, three kinds of Sn/Ni composite solder pastes composed of different sizes of Ni particles were synthesized to accelerate metallurgical reaction among Sn/Ni interfaces under the ultrasonic-assisted transient liquid phase (U-TLP) soldering. The temperature evolution, microstructure and mechanical property in joints composed by these composite solder pastes with or without ultrasonic energy were systemically investigated. The intermetallic joint consisted of high-melting-point sole Ni₃Sn₄ intermetallic compound with a little residual Ni was obtained under the conditions of no pressure and lower power (200 W) in a high-temperature duration of only 10 s, its shear strength was up to 45.3 MPa. Ultrasonic effects significantly accelerated the reaction among the interfaces of liquid Sn and solid Ni, which attributed to the temperature rise caused by acoustic cavitation because of large number of liquid/solid interfaces during U-TLP, resulting in accelerated solid/liquid interfacial diffusion and growth of intermetallic compounds. This intermetallic joint formed by U-TLP soldering has a promising potential for applications in high-power device packaging.

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Short communicationRapid formation of Ni3Sn4 joints for die attachment of SiC-based high temperature power devices using ultrasound-induced transient liquid phase bonding process

Highlights

Abstract

Graphical abstract

Section snippets

Acknowledgments

Mater. Sci. Eng. B

Scr. Mater.

J. Mater. Process. Technol.

Microelectron. Reliab.

Microelectron. Reliab.

Acta Mater.

Acta Mater.

Scr. Mater.

Ultrason. Sonochem.

Ultrason. Sonochem.

Acta Mater.

Ultrason. Sonochem.

Ultrason. Sonochem.

Intermetallics

J. Alloys Compd.

Evaluation of encapsulation materials for high-temperature power device packaging

IEEE Trans. Power Electron.

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Short communication
Rapid formation of Ni₃Sn₄ joints for die attachment of SiC-based high temperature power devices using ultrasound-induced transient liquid phase bonding process