High-reliability Sn37Pb/Sn58Bi composite solder joints by solid-liquid low-temperature soldering

As the feature sizes of integrated circuits approach their physical limits, 3D packaging has emerged as a crucial technology for enhancing integration and extending Moore's Law. To meet the future requirements for low-temperature solder and interconnect processes in aerospace 3D packaging, this study combined Sn37Pb solder balls with Sn58Bi solder paste to prepare uniform composite solder joints under reflow conditions of 180°C for 10 minutes (CS-180–10) and 190°C for 1 minute (CS-190–1). The Bi atoms dissolved in the Pb phase strengthened the composite solder and made the crystal structure more ordered and predictable. The composite solder joints formed under both process conditions exhibited shear strengths higher than those of Sn37Pb solder joints prepared at 220°C for 1 minute, both before and after aging at 100°C. The fracture mode of the composite solder joints transitioned from ductile to mixed ductile-brittle with aging. Additionally, the composite solder demonstrated better creep resistance than SnPb solder at all tested strain rates in nanoindentation tests. Compared to CS-180–10, the lower heat input CS-190–1 featured finer Pb phases and Pb grains, better wettability, and better thermal stability. CS-190–1 showed only a 5.9 % decrease in shear strength after 42 days of aging at 100°C. This study offers a new solution for low-temperature, high-reliability interconnections in future aerospace integrated circuit 3D packaging.