Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-rcrh6 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-28T08:08:42.872Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Study of the undercooling of Pb-free, flip-chip solder bumps and in situ observation of solidification process

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  03 March 2011

Sung K. Kang*
Affiliation:
IBM T.J. Watson Research Center, Yorktown Heights, New York 10598
M.G. Cho
Affiliation:
IBM T.J. Watson Research Center, Yorktown Heights, New York 10598
P. Lauro
Affiliation:
IBM T.J. Watson Research Center, Yorktown Heights, New York 10598
Da-Yuan Shih
Affiliation:
IBM T.J. Watson Research Center, Yorktown Heights, New York 10598
*
a) Address all correspondence to this author. e-mail: [email protected]
Get access

Abstract

The undercooling of flip-chip Pb-free solder bumps was investigated by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) to understand the effects of solder composition and volume, with and without the presence of an under bump metallurgy (UBM). A large amount of the undercooling (as large as 90 °C) was observed with Sn-rich, flip-chip size solder bumps sitting in a glass mold, while the corresponding undercooling was significantly reduced in the presence of a wettable UBM surface. In addition, the solidification of an array of individual solder bumps was monitored in situ by a video imaging technique during both heating-up and cooling-down cycles. Data obtained by the optical imaging method were used to complement the DSC thermal measurements. A random solidification of the array of bumps was demonstrated during cooling, which also spans a wide temperature range of 40–80 °C. In contrast, an almost simultaneous melting of the bumps was observed during heating.

Type
Rapid Communications
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2007

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

1Puttlitz, K.J.: Sn-Ag and Sn-Ag-X solders and properties, in Handbook of Lead-Free Solder Technology for Microelectronic Assemblies edited by Puttlitz, K.J. and Stalter, K.A. (Marcel Dekker, Inc., New York, 2004), pp. 239280.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
2Chawla, N., Chada, S., Kang, S., Lin, K., Lucas, J., and Turbini, L.: Symposium on Lead-free Solder Implementation: Reliability, Alloy Development, and New Technology, 2006 TMS Annual Meeting, San Antonio, TX, March 13–15, 2006.Google Scholar
3Kang, S.K., Choi, W.K., Shih, D.Y., Henderson, D.W., Gosselin, T., Sarkhel, A., Goldsmith, C., and Puttlitz, K.: Formation of Ag3Sn plates in Sn-Ag-Cu alloys and optimization of their alloy composition, in Proc. 53rd ECTC New Orleans, LA, May 2003 (IEEE, Piscataway, NJ, 2003) pp. 6470.Google Scholar
4Kang, S.K., Lauro, P., Shih, D.Y., Henderson, D.W., and Puttlitz, K.J.: The microstructure, solidification, mechanical properties, and thermal fatigue behavior of lead (Pb)-free solders and solder joints used in microelectronic applications. IBM J. Res. Dev. 49, 606 (2005).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
5Kang, S.K., Choi, W.K., Shih, D.Y., Henderson, D.W., Gosselin, T., Sarkhel, A., Goldsmith, C., and Puttlitz, K.J.: Study of Ag3Sn plate formation in the solidification of near ternary eutectic Sn–Ag–Cu alloys. JOM 55, 63 (2003).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
6Kinyanjui, R., Lehman, L.P., Zavalij, L., and Cotts, E.: Effect of sample size on the solidification of temperature and microstructure of SnAgCu near eutectic alloys. J. Mater. Res. 20, 2914 (2004).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
7Anderson, I.E. and Harringa, J.L.: Suppression of void coalescence in thermal aging of tin-silver-copper-X solder joints. J. Electron. Mater. 35(1), 94 (2006).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
8Kang, S.K., Leonard, D., Shih, D.Y., Gignac, L., Henderson, D.W., Cho, S., and Yu, J.: Interfacial reactions of Sn–Ag–Cu solders modified by minor Zn alloying addition. J. Electron. Mater. 35, 479 (2006).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
9de Sousa, I., Henderson, D.W., Patry, L., Kang, S.K., and Shih, D.Y.: The influence of low level doping on the thermal evolution of SAC alloy solder joints with Cu pad structures, in Proc. 56th ECTC (IEEE, Piscataway, NJ, 2006), pp. 14541461.Google Scholar
10Gruber, P.A., Belanger, L., Brouillette, G.P., Donovitch, D.H., Laundreville, J.L., Naugle, D.T., Obserson, V.A., Shih, D.Y., Tessler, C.L., and Turgeon, M.R.: Low-cost wafer bumping. IBM J. Res. Dev. 49, 621 (2005).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
11Shim, J.H., Oh, C.S., Lee, B.J., and Lee, D.N.: Thermodynamic assessment of the Cu–Sn system. Z. Metallkd. 87, 205 (1996).Google Scholar