Effect of current on the growth of intermetallic compounds in Sn-3.0Ag-0.5Cu solder joints

The increasing miniaturization of electronic products has led to an increase in current density, making the effect of current on the mechanical behavior of solder joints significant, and the accurate characterization of the mechanical behavior of solder joints as a material for connecting electronic components is important to ensure the reliability of the package structure. The failure location of solder joints often occurs at intermetallic compounds (IMC), and the effect of high current on IMC layers is not yet completely understood. For this reason, this paper investigates the effect of different current duration and temperatures on the evolution of IMC morphology under current conditions with Sn3.0Ag0.5Cu solder, which is widely used in electronic packaging, and finds that current can significantly accelerate the growth of IMC. The IMC layer thickness, grain size distribution, and interfacial microstructure were characterized, and the effect of microstructure change on the mechanical behavior of the material was investigated. The effect of current on the IMC layer is further clarified to provide a basis for the life evaluation of the package structure.