Lateral Diffusion Spreading of Two Competitive Intermetallic Phases over Free Surface

Abstract

The kinetics of growth and lateral spreading of intermetallic layers during surface interdiffusion in Cu – Sn system has been studied in a temperature range 160 – 200oC by the methods of optical microscopy, SEM provided with X-ray microprobe, and AFM. Lateral phase spreading over the surface is characterized by competition between two phases: Cu6Sn5 and Cu3Sn. A steady state solution for concentration distribution on the surface of growing intermetallic phases, as well as kinetic equations of lateral spreading of growing phase layers have been obtained. By comparison of experimental data on intermetallic growth kinetics with the proposed theory, the dynamic surface diffusion coefficients have been calculated.