The intermetallic compounds (IMCs) formed during the reflow and aging of Sn3Ag0.5Cu and Sn3Ag0.5Cu0.06Ni0.01Ge solder BGA packages with Au/Ni surface finishes were investigated. After reflow, the thickness of (Cu, Ni, Au)6Sn5 interfacial IMCs in Sn3Ag0.5Cu0.06Ni0.01Ge was similar to that in the Sn3Ag0.5Cu specimen. The interiors of the solder balls in both packages contained Ag3Sn precipitates and brick-shaped AuSn4 IMCs. After aging at 150°C, the growth thickness of the interfacial (Ni, Cu, Au)3Sn4 intermetallic layers and the consumption of the Ni surface-finished layer on Cu the pads in Sn3Ag0.5Cu0.06Ni0.01Ge solder joints were both slightly less than those in Sn3Ag0.5Cu. In addition, a coarsening phenomenon for AuSn4 IMCs could be observed in the solder matrix of Sn3Ag0.5Cu, yet this phenomenon did not occur in the case of Sn3Ag0.5Cu0.06Ni0.01Ge. Ball shear tests revealed that the reflowed Sn3Ag0.5Cu0.06Ni0.01Ge packages possessed bonding strengths similar to those of the Sn3Ag0.5Cu. However, aging treatment caused the ball shear strength in the Sn3Ag0.5Cu packages to degrade more than that in the Sn3Ag0.5Cu0.06Ni0.01Ge packages.

After reflow of Sn-3.8Ag-0.7Cu and Sn-20In-2Ag-0.5Cu solder balls on Au/Ni surface finishes in ball grid array (BGA) packages, scallop-shaped intermetallic compounds (Cu0.70Ni0.28Au0.02)6Sn5 (IM1a) and (Cu0.76Ni0.24)6(Sn0.86In0.14)5 (IM1b), respectively, appear at the interfaces. Aging at 100°C and 150°C for Sn-3.8Ag-0.7Cu results in the formation of a new intermetallic phase (Cu0.70Ni0.14Au0.16)6Sn5 (IM2a) ahead of the former IM1a intermetallics. The growth of the newly appeared intermetallic compound, IM2a, is governed by a parabolic relation with an increase in aging time, with a slight diminution of the former IM1a intermetallics. After prolonged aging at 150°C, the IM2a intermetallics partially spall off and float into the solder matrix. Throughout the aging of Sn-20In-2Ag-.5Cu solder joints at 75°C and 115°C, partial spalling of the IM1b interfacial intermetallics induces a very slow increase in thickness. During aging at 115°C for 700 h through 1,000 h, the spalled IM1b intermetallics in the solder matrix migrate back to the interfaces and join with the IM1b interfacial intermetallics to react with the Ni layers of the Au/Ni surface finishes, resulting in the formation and rapid growth of a new (Ni0.85Cu0.15)(Sn0.71In0.29)2 intermetallic layer (IM2b). From ball shear tests, the strengths of the Sn-3.8Ag-0.7Cu and Sn-20In-2Ag-0.5Cu solder joints after reflow are ascertained to be 10.4 N and 5.4 N, respectively, which drop to lower values after aging.

Intermetallic compounds formed during the soldering reactions between Sn-3.5Ag and Cu at temperatures ranging from 250°C to 375°C are investigated. The results indicate that scallop-shaped η-Cu6(Sn0.933 Ag0.007)5 intermetallics grow from the Sn-3.5Ag/Cu interface toward the solder matrix accompanied by Cu dissolution. Following prolonged or higher temperature reactions, ɛ-Cu3 (Sn0.996 Ag0.004) intermetallic layers appear behind the Cu6(Sn0.933 Ag0.007)5 scallops. The growth of these interfacial intermetallics is governed by a kinetic relation: ΔX=tn, where the n values for η and ɛ intermetallics are 0.75 and 0.96, respectively. The mechanisms for such nonparabolic growth of interfacial intermetallics during the liquid/solid reactions between Sn-3.5Ag solders and Cu substrates are probed.

For the development of a low-melting-point filler metal for brazing aluminum alloys, a series of Al–Si–Cu–Zn alloys has been studied. Through differential thermal analysis (DTA) analysis, the melting temperatures of such Al–Si–Cu–Zn filler metals were determined. The results show that the addition of 10–30 wt.% copper into the traditional Al–12 wt.% Si filler metal causes its solidus temperature to decrease by about 60 °C. An addition of 10–30 wt.% zinc into such Al–Si–Cu ternary alloys will cause their solidus temperatures to drop further to a value lower than 500 °C. Metallographic observations indicate that the addition of zinc into the Al–Si–Cu alloys inhibits the formation of the Al–Si, Al–Cu and Al–Si–Cu eutectic phases. The remaining phases are a CuAl2 intermetallic compound, an α-Al solid solution and silicon particles.

Al-Si-Cu-based filler metals have been used successfully for brazing 6061 aluminum alloy as reported in the authors’ previous studies. For application in heat exchangers during manufacturing, the brazeability of 3003 aluminum alloy with these filler metals is herein further evaluated. Experimental results show that even at such a low temperature as 550 °C, the 3003 alloys can be brazed with the Al-Si-Cu fillers and display bonding strengths that are higher than 77 MPa as well. An optimized 3003 joint is attained in the brazements with the innovative Al-7Si-20Cu-2Sn-1Mg filler metal at 575 °C for 30 min, which reveals a bonding strength capping the 3003 Al matrix.

The interfacial reactions between In49Sn solders and Ag thick films at temperatures ranging from 200°C to 350°C have been studied. The intermetallic compound formed at the Ag/In49Sn interface is Ag2In enveloped in a thin layer of AgIn2. Through the measurement of the thickness decrease of Ag thick films, it has been determined that the reaction kinetics of Ag2In has a linear relation to reaction time. Morphology observations indicated that the linear reaction of Ag2In was caused by the floating of Ag2In into the In49Sn solder as a result of the In49Sn solder penetrating into the porous Ag thick film. A sound joint can be obtained when a sufficient thickness of the Ag thick film (over 19.5 µm) reacts with the In49Sn solder. In this case, the tensile tested specimens fracture in the In49Sn matrix.

The corrosion behavior of Al–Si–Cu–(Sn, Zn) filler metals in a 3.5% NaCl aqueous solution were studied using electrochemical tests. The results showed that the addition of Sn or Zn to the Al–Si–Cu filler metal raised its corrosion current density sharply and caused its corrosion potential to become more active. Sn or Zn elements exert harmful effects on such low-melting-point brazing filler metals in that the corrosion resistance is degenerated, and damage is accelerated with an increase in the Sn or Zn content. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) micrographs of the corroded surfaces of these Al–Si–Cu–(Sn, Zn) filler metals indicate that the Al-rich phase (i.e., Al–Si, Al–Si–Cu, and Al–Si–Cu–Sn eutectic phases) dissolves preferentially, while the Si particles and CuAl2(θ) intermetallic compounds remain intact.