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Current-induced growth of P-rich phase at electroless nickel/Sn interface

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  23 February 2011

Qiliang Yang,
Panju Shang,
Jing D. Guo,
Zhiquan Liu and
Jian-Ku Shang
Zhiquan Liu
Affiliation:
Shenyang National Laboratory for Materials Science Institute of Metal Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang 110016, China
Jian-Ku Shang*
Affiliation:
Shenyang National Laboratory for Materials Science Institute of Metal Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang 110016, China; and Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801
*
a) Address all correspondence to this author. e-mail: jkshang@uiuc.edu
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Abstract

The role of high current stressing during growth of the P-rich phase at the electroless Ni/Sn interface was examined by transmission electron microscopy. Prior to current stressing, two layers of Ni12P5, columnar Ni12P5 and noncolumnar Ni12P5, were formed after soldering. Upon electric stressing, the two layers of P-rich phase showed opposite growth patterns at the two opposing electrode interfaces. At the cathode, columnar growth of the P-rich phase was greatly enhanced while growth of the noncolumnar layer was inhibited. By contrast, the opposite was found at the anode where the current stressing promoted the noncolumnar growth but suppressed the growth of the columnar layer. Such a strong polarity effect resulted from directional electromigration of the key reaction species, nickel, to and from the interfacial reaction fronts. As a result of the difference in reaction mechanism, overall growth of the P-rich phase was much faster at the cathode during current stressing.

Keywords

NiPackagingSn

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Type
Articles
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Journal of Materials Research , Volume 24 , Issue 9 , September 2009, pp. 2767 - 2774
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2009

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