Material Shear Strength Assessment of AU/20SN Interconnection for High Temperature Applications

Abstract

AbstractWhen a power module is under a continuous electrical load, a temperature effect is induced by the current load in the module configuration. The joint material therefore has long-term temperature and mechanical loadings under supplied power. A long-term temperature load can change the material and mechanical properties, including voiding, cracking, creeping and fracturing. Au/20Sn eutectic alloy, a highly temperature resistant material, is typically used for electric interconnections in high-power modules. The Au/20Sn is converted into AuSn and an Au5Sn intermetallic compound (IMC) by solid liquid inter-diffusion (SLID) bonding to form joints with high melting points. In this study, a test vehicle based on an actual power module was designed and fabricated to investigate and understand the material properties and mechanical behavior of Au/20Sn solder under a temperature load. The joint microstructure exhibited variation under different thermal treatment conditions such as temperature and load durations. The shear strength test was conducted to examine the mechanical strength of the joints under different thermal load conditions. The failure mode of the joint was further determined using fracture morphology after the shear test. Finally, the shear strength of Au/20Sn was identified to investigate the high temperature resistance of joints under different temperatures. The mechanical strengths of joints under different temperature loads are expressions of different mechanical characteristics and can be used to determine reliability at an intended high application temperature.