Application of ZnO Nanoparticles in Sn99Ag0.3Cu0.7-Based Composite Solder Alloys

Abstract

The properties of Sn99Ag0.3Cu0.7 (SACX0307) solder alloy reinforced with ZnO nanoparticles were investigated. The primary ZnO particle sizes were 50, 100, and 200 nm. They were added to a solder paste at a ratio of 1.0 wt %. The wettability, the void formation, the mechanical strength, and the thermoelectric parameters of the composite solder alloys/joints were investigated. Furthermore, microstructural evaluations were performed using scanning electron and ion microscopy. ZnO nanoparticles decreased the composite solder alloys’ wettability, which yielded increased void formation. Nonetheless, the shear strength and the thermoelectric parameters of the composite solder alloy were the same as those of the SACX0307 reference. This could be explained by the refinement effects of ZnO ceramics both on the Sn grains and on the Ag3Sn and Cu6Sn5 intermetallic grains. This could compensate for the adverse impact of lower wettability. After improving the wettability, using more active fluxes, ZnO composite solder alloys are promising for high-power applications.

The influence of SACX0307-ZnO nanocomposite solder alloys on the optical and thermal properties of power LEDs

“…The addition of ZnO nanoparticles resulted in considerable refinement of the Sn grains in each case, from approximately 20–30 µm 2 to approximately 2–4 µm 2 . This shows that ZnO nanoparticles have an increased ability to limit grain growth during solid-state cooling (Skwarek et al , 2021). The Sn grain refinement did not depend on the ZnO particle sizes.…”

Influence of the soldering paste type on optical and thermal parameters of LED modules

“…The papers of Jiang et al (2018), Skwarek et al (2017) analyse the influence of the application of various admixtures in classic soldering pastes on the physical properties of the solder joints obtained. In particular, the papers of Skwarek et al (2021), Pietruszka et al (2021) consider the influence of admixtures in the standard solder paste on the thermal resistance of the soldered semiconductor devices. In the paper of Ptak et al (2020), the influence of the use of various ovens in the soldering process, characterised by both a different number of heating zones and temperature profile, on the thermal The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available on Emerald Insight at: https://www.emerald.com/insight/0954-0911.htm…”

“…In many studies, the influence of solder joint quality on the efficiency of dissipation of heat generated in semiconductor devices has been indicated (Ptak et al , 2020; Skwarek et al , 2021). In particular, in the papers of Dziurdzia et al (2019), Ptak et al (2020), special attention was paid to the problem of void formation in the solder joints.…”

Properties of nano-composite SACX0307-(ZnO, TiO2) solders

“…The latest method to improve the quality and reliability of the lead-free solder alloys is the use of ceramic reinforcement particles in the solder paste and create a so-called "composite solder alloy". A wide range of ceramics, like TiO2, ZrO2, Al2O3, Fe2O3, Si3Ni4, SiC, La2O3, were already used mostly in SAC015, SAC305, SAC405 alloys [3]. The size of the ceramic particles is in the submicron and mostly in the nano range, and they are used in the amount of 0.05 wt% to 2 wt%.…”

“…The size of the ceramic particles is in the submicron and mostly in the nano range, and they are used in the amount of 0.05 wt% to 2 wt%. The reinforcement particles have a strong effect, mostly on the grain growth during the solidification process, so they can result in a totally different microstructure (β-Sn grain size and IMC structure) [3]. The most applied ceramics are the TiO2 and the ZnO due to their relatively low prices and easy availability.…”