Wetting and interfacial chemistry of SnZnCu alloys with Cu and Al substrates

Abstract

Wetting of Cu and Al pads by Sn-Zn eutectic-based alloys with 0.5, 1, and 1.5 wt.% of Cu was studied at 250°C, in the presence of ALU33® flux, with wetting times of 15, 30, 60, and 180 s, respectively. With increasing wetting time the wetting angle decreases only slightly and the angles on Cu pads are higher than those on Al pads. Selected, solidified solder-pad couples were cross-sectioned and subjected to SEM-EDS study of the interfacial microstructure. The results revealed that the microstructure of the SnZnCu/Cu interface is much different from SnZnCu/Al interface. In the first case continuous interlayers are observed while in the latter case there is no interlayer but the alloy dissolves the substrate along grain boundaries. © 2014 The Author(s).