A review: microstructure and properties of tin-silver-copper lead-free solder series for the applications of electronics

Abstract

Purpose The research on lead-free solder alloys has increased in past decades due to awareness of the environmental impact of lead contents in soldering alloys. This has led to the introduction and development of different grades of lead-free solder alloys in the global market. Tin-silver-copper is a lead-free alloy which has been acknowledged by different consortia as a good alternative to conventional tin-lead alloy. The purpose of this paper is to provide comprehensive knowledge about the tin-silver-copper series. Design/methodology/approach The approach of this study reviews the microstructure and some other properties of tin-silver-copper series after the addition of indium, titanium, iron, zinc, zirconium, bismuth, nickel, antimony, gallium, aluminium, cerium, lanthanum, yttrium, erbium, praseodymium, neodymium, ytterbium, nanoparticles of nickel, cobalt, silicon carbide, aluminium oxide, zinc oxide, titanium dioxide, cerium oxide, zirconium oxide and titanium diboride, as well as carbon nanotubes, nickel-coated carbon nanotubes, single-walled carbon nanotubes and graphene-nano-sheets. Findings The current paper presents a comprehensive review of the tin-silver-copper solder series with possible solutions for improving their microstructure, melting point, mechanical properties and wettability through the addition of different elements/nanoparticles and other materials. Originality/value This paper summarises the useful findings of the tin-silver-copper series comprehensively. This information will assist in future work for the design and development of novel lead-free solder alloys.

Optimized cerium addition for microstructure and mechanical properties of SAC305

“…Elemental phase compositions through EDS and SEM images are shown in Figure 4 to Figure 9. The IMCs (Cu 6 Sn 5 , Ag 3 Sn and CeSn 3 ) are located in eutectic regions while the concentrations of CeSn 3 is observed along the boundaries of these regions provide a barrier to the growth of grain boundaries (Aamir et al , 2019a). The EDS study also shows that the lower concentration of Ce addition causes a decrease in the interfacial energy of the grain boundaries which tends to avoid the formation of bulk IMCs (Aamir et al , 2019a).…”

“…Solder alloys are used to make electrical connections and provide support to the circuitry in electrical devices (Aamir et al , 2019a). They are of vital importance in portable devices in which the strength of the solder joint is crucial (Sabri et al , 2013).…”

Analysis of Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of Bismuth-Doped SAC305 Lead-Free Solder Alloy at High Temperature

“…Figure 3 shows the microstructural analysis of the SAC305 and Bi-doped SAC305 alloys and their verification of chemical composition by EDS is given in Figure 4. The results showed the presence of Ag3Sn and Cu6Sn5 IMCs, which were scattered over the Sn matrix [8]. The darker region shows the Sn-matrix and the eutectic area, the grey region indicates the presence of Sn-Cu, and the brighter regions along the grain colonies show the Sn-Ag IMCs.…”

“…[7]. However, lead (Pb) has been restricted for further use in electronic components due to the low electronics' recycling rate and the adverse impact of Pb on human health [8][9][10]. Therefore, researchers and several industry groups have developed various lead-free solders alloys to drift toward green electronics [11].…”

The Morphology of al Droplet in an Ultrasonic Oscillation Field: Kinetic and Equilibrium Thermodynamic Analysis

“…The kinetic control of wetting liquid has long been a cutting edge. However, researchers still can not break through plenty of difficulties in the manipulation of Al droplets at high temperatures 10 . Due to the strong reactivity between Al and solid substrate, the routine flowing path of metal liquid is always obstructed, when placing Al on SiC, Si 4 N 3 , and Al 2 O 3 surfaces at elevated holding temperatures [11][12][13] .…”