Development of Ag–In Alloy Pastes by Mechanical Alloying for Die Attachment of High-Power Semiconductor Devices

Abstract

Sintered silver paste is widely used as the die-attachment material for power semiconductors. However, sintered silver joints encounter problems, such as severe coarsening of sintered pores and oxidation issues, in harsh high-temperature environments. These lead to the deterioration of the die-attachment joints. In this paper, a novel method of sintering silver joints is demonstrated, where silver–indium alloy paste is used to improve the reliability of sintered Ag joints. The silver–indium (Ag–In) alloy paste was fabricated through mechanical alloying using the ball-milling technique. The well-bonded sintered Ag–In alloy joints inhibited pore coarsening better than pure sintered Ag joints and significantly enhanced the mechanical properties at high operating temperatures. Lastly, an oxidation mechanism for the sintered joint was proposed, and strategies to prevent such high-temperature oxidation were discussed.

Microstructure and Bonding Strength of Low-Temperature Sintered Ag/Nano-Ag Films/Ag Joints

“…There has been a global increase in the electric vehicle market as a result of both the consumer demands and the government regulations for more environmentally friendly transportation solutions [1,2]. Power electronic devices, which enable the transmission and conversion of electrical power, play a critical role in the propulsion system of electric vehicles [3,4].…”