Reliability of lead-free solders in electronic packaging technology

The electromigration of flip chip solder bump (eutetic SnPb) has been studied at temperatures of 100, 125 and 150°C and current densities of 1.9 to 2.75 × 104 A/cm2. The under-bump-metallization on the chip side is thin film Al/Ni(V)/Cu and on the board side is thick Cu. By simulation, we found that current crowding occurs at the corner on the chip side where the electrons enter the solder ball. We are able to match this simulation to the real electromigration damage in the sample. The experimental result showed that voids initiated from the position of current crowding and propagated across the interface between UBM and the solder ball. The Cu-Sn intermetallic compounds formed during the reflow is known to adhere well to the thin film UBM, but they detached from the UBM after current stressing. Therefore, the UBM itself becomes part of the reliability problem of the flip chip solder joint under electromigration.; Currently there is a renewed interest in Sn whisker growth owing to the introduction of Pb-free solder in electronic manufacturing. The leadframe is electroplated or finished with a layer of Pb-free solder. The solder is typically pure Sn or eutectic SnCu (0.7 atomic % Cu). It is a serious reliability concern in the use of the eutectic SnCu solder as leadframe surface finish due to the growth of long whiskers on it. The origin of the driving force of compressive stress can be mechanical, thermal, and chemical. Among them, the chemical force is the most important contribution to the whisker growth and its origin is due to the reaction between Sn and Cu to form intermetallic compound (IMC) at room temperature. For whisker or hillock growth, the surface cannot be free of oxide and it must be covered with oxide and the oxide must be a protective one so that it removes effectively all the vacancy sources and sinks on the surface. Hence, only those metals, which grow protective oxides such as Al and Sn, are known to have hillock growth or whisker growth. We have performed synchrotron radiation micro-diffraction analysis of Sn whiskers grown on the finish of eutectic SnCu to measure the local stress level and the orientation of the grains around the whisker. Also, we examined the intermetallic compound which gives the compressive stress and the surface oxide on the solder finish by Focused Ion Beam (FIB) and Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM).