The Study on Different Percentages of Nickel (Ni) Addition on Sn0.7Cu Solder Alloy Properties

Abstract. The rapid development of electronic products has created challenges for designers and manufacturers in selecting the best electronic packaging materials for their products. Among these materials, lead-free solders have emerged as the best replacement for lead-containing solders, despite the fact that their performance still falls short of the original specification. The main of this research is to investigate the effect of Nickel (Ni) addition with different percentages into Sn0.7Cu solder alloy on the intermetallic compound formation (IMC) and growth at the solder joint interface. Based on weight percentage (wt.%) changes, the work was carried out by producing Sn0.7Cu-xNi (x = 0.0, 0.03, 0.05, 0.07). The type of IMC produced after reflowing when increasing the nickel addition in SnCu solder was decreased in thickness but smoother and finer. This study reveals that Ni as an excellent candidate for improving solder joint performance for Cu6Sn5 layer to form into (Cu,Ni)6Sn5 layer. Furthermore, the solder joint strength was found to be increased by increasing the Ni percentage which make Ni as a good candidate for improving the solder joint which focused for IMC layer formation.