The constitutive response of three solder materials

• Published in: Journal of alloys and compounds 2012-05, Vol.524, p.32-37
• Main Authors: Perez-Bergquist, Alejandro G., Cao, Fang, Perez-Bergquist, Sara J., Lopez, Mike F., Trujillo, Carl P., Cerreta, Ellen K., Gray, George T.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Alloys; Applied sciences; Brazing. Soldering; Coarsening; Devices; Elasticity. Plasticity; Electronics; Exact sciences and technology; Failure; Joining, thermal cutting: metallurgical aspects; Mechanical properties; Mechanical properties and methods of testing. Rheology. Fracture mechanics. Tribology; Metals. Metallurgy; Microstructure; Plastic deformation; Solder; Solders; Strain rate; Strain rate sensitivity; Temperature dependence
• ISSN: 0925-8388; 1873-4669
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jallcom.2012.02.049

► The full constitutive response of three solder materials. ► Test temperatures from −196°C to 60°C and strain rates from 10−3 to >103s−1. ► Substitutes for leaded solders from a mechanical/microstructural properties view. As increasing worldwide demand for portable consumer electronics drives development of smaller, faster, more powerful electronic devices, components in these devices must become smaller, more precise, and more robust. Often, failure of these devices comes as a result of failure of the package (i.e. when a mobile phone is dropped) and specifically comes as a result of failure of solder interconnects. As a result, stronger more reliable solder materials are needed. In this paper, the constitutive responses of three solder materials (Sn63Pb37, Sn62Pb36Ag2, and Sn96.5Ag3Cu0.5) are analyzed as a function of temperature (−196°C to 60°C) and strain rate (10−3 to >103s−1). The lead-free Sn96.5Ag3Cu0.5 possessed the highest yield stress of the three solders at all tested strain rates and temperatures, and all solder microstructures which displayed a mechanical response that was sensitive to temperature exhibited grain coarsening with increasing plastic strain, even at room temperature.