Study of low-temperature thermocompression bonding in Ag-In solder for packaging applications

Abstract

Low-temperature solders have wide applications in integrated circuits and micro-electromechanical systems packaging. In this article, a study on Ag-In solder for chip-to-chip thermocompression bonding was carried out. The resulting joint consists of AgIn 2 and Ag 9In 4 phases, with the latter phase having a melting temperature higher than 400°C. Complete consumption of In solder into a Ag-rich intermetallic compound is achieved by applying a bond pressure of 1.4 MPa at 180°C for 40 min. We also observe that the bonding pressure effect enables a Ag-rich phase to be formed within a shorter bonding duration (10 min) at a higher pressure of 1.6 MPa. Finally, prolonged aging leads to the formation of the final phase of Ag 9In 4 in the bonded joints. © 2008 TMS.