Electromigration of SnBi Solder for Second-Level Interconnect
Section: Board Assembly


Project Leaders

Project Leader
Prabjit Singh, IBM
 
Co-Leaders






Raiyo Aspandiar, Intel

 
Hemant M. Shah, Intel 

Call-for-Participation Webinar

Presentation: Call-for-Participation Webinar (January 11 & 13, 2022)


Statement of Work and Project Statement

Background

The low melting temperature of 138°C makes SnBi alloys attractive for assembling thermally warpage-prone high-density microelectronic packaging. However, Bi has a high propensity for electromigration and segregation at the anode under high current density conditions. This can lead to potentially brittle solder joints with high electrical resistance over time in the field. There is need to explore ways to mitigate such shortcoming and develop SnBi solder joints that maintain their performance and reliability over the product life. This iNEMI project plans to explore the potential to reduce electromigration in low height solder joints by taking advantage of mechanical and/or chemical back stresses. 

Objective

The overall project objective is to determine the boundaries of the envelope formed by joint height, temperature, current density and PCB finishes within which the solder joint will operate reliably over the product life. 

The project has multiple phases planned. The first phase will:

  • Establish an appropriate test vehicle for electromigration study of solder joints, including a convenient means of achieving various joint heights.
  • Investigate the role of back pressure in reducing electromigration in eutectic SnBi solder joints by determining the rate of electromigration of SnBi solder joints with and without diffusion barriers as a function of current density, temperature and joint height.

Contact

Haley Fu
haley.fu@inemi.org