Fluxless Sn–Ag bonding in vacuum using electroplated layers

A fluxless bonding process in vacuum environment using newly developed electroplated Sn–Ag multilayer structure at eutectic composition is presented. The new bonding process is entirely fluxless, or flux-free. It is performed in vacuum (100 mTorr), in which the oxygen content is reduced by a factor of 7600 comparing to air, to inhibit solder oxidation. In the design, Cr/Au dual layer is employed as the UBM as well as the plating seed layer. This UBM design, seldom used in the electronic industry, is explained in some details. To realize the fluxless possibility, a proper layer design of the solder structure is needed. In this connection, we wish to point out that it is hard to achieve fluxless bonding using Sn-rich alloys because these alloys have numerous Sn atoms on the surface that are easily oxidized. To prevent Sn oxidation, a thin Ag layer is plated immediately over Sn layer. XRD results confirm that this thin Ag layer does act as a barrier to prevent oxidation of the inner Sn layer. The resulting solder joints are void free as examined by a scanning acoustic microscope (SAM). SEM and EDX studies on the cross section of the joint indicate a homogeneous Sn-rich phase. The melting temperature is measured to be between 219 and 226 °C. This new fluxless bonding process is valuable in many applications where the use of flux is prohibited.