Nucleation and Growth of Tin in Pb-Free Solder Joints

The solidification of Pb-free solder joints is overviewed with a focus on the formation of the βSn grain structure and grain orientations. Three solders commonly used in electronics manufacturing, Sn-3Ag-0.5Cu, Sn-3.5Ag, and Sn-0.7Cu-0.05Ni, are used as case studies to demonstrate that (I) growth competition between primary dendrites and eutectic fronts during growth in undercooled melts is important in Pb-free solders and (II) a metastable eutectic containing NiSn₄ forms in Sn-3.5Ag/Ni joints. Additionally, it is shown that the substrate (metallization) has a strong influence on the nucleation and growth of tin. We identify Co, Pd, and Pt substrates as having the potential to control solidification and microstructure formation. In the case of Pd and Pt substrates, βSn is shown to nucleate on the PtSn₄ or PdSn₄ intermetallic compound (IMC) reaction layer at relatively low undercooling of ~4 K, even for small solder ball diameters down to <200 μm.