Preparation of Sn–3.5Ag nano-solder by supernatant process

The nano-scaled Sn–3.5Ag solder was prepared successfully by a supernatant process in the present study. The morphology of the nano-particle was investigated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM), respectively. It was found from the SEM micrographs that the average diameter of the particle was 137 nm with a standard deviation of ±5 nm. From the TEM studies it was revealed that the particles aggregated into larger particles and the shape of the elongated particles were irregular. The composition of the alloy was also measured by an electron probe microanalyzer (EPMA) and energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), qualitatively and quantitatively. The eutectic element, Ag with a weight percentage of 3.5%, was found to be homogenous over all of the particles. Furthermore, the microstructure of the Sn–3.5Ag alloy was identified by X-ray diffraction. It was found that the trace element, Ag was dissolved in the matrix, a tetragonal system, without an intermetallic phase.