Beyond lead: exploring fillers and reinforcements in lead-free solder technology

Due to tighter restrictions on the use of hazardous lead-bearing solder alloys, lead-free solder research has seen significant growth in recent years. The most common SAC alloys have emerged as viable candidates for the substitution of conventional Sn-Pb alloys among the representative lead-free solders (Sn-Cu, Sn-Bi, Sn-Zn, Sn-In, Sn-Ag, and Sn-Ag-Cu (SAC)). These alloys have limited use in contemporary microelectronic packaging devices due to various worries about the existence of brittle intermetallic compounds (IMCs) like Ag3Sn and Cu6Sn5 in these materials. Over the years, numerous lead-free solder alloy alternatives with nanoparticle reinforcement have been proposed as an alternative to limit the growth of IMCs and enhance solder joint durability. This paper details the development of lead-free solders with selected fillers and reinforcements to date. The thermal cyclic test method was also discussed as one of the alternatives for reliability test techniques to be explored in future studies on this topic. In conclusion, fillers and reinforcements are also essential for enhancing interconnection’s heat cycle efficiency. Exploring various fillers and reinforcements that can be used to advance lead-free solder technology with thermal cyclic methods will open more investigation opportunities for lead-free solders.

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