In-air sintering of copper nanoparticle paste with pressure-assistance for die attachment in high power electronics

In-air sintering of copper nanoparticle paste with pressure-assistance for die attachment in high power electronics

Zhang, B. (TU Delft Electronic Components, Technology and Materials)
Damian, A.A. (TU Delft Electrical Engineering, Mathematics and Computer Science; NXP Semiconductors)
Zijl, Jurrian (Besi Netherlands B.V.)
van Zeijl, H.W. (TU Delft Electronic Components, Technology and Materials)
Zhang, Y. (TU Delft Transport and Planning; State Key Laboratory of Precision Electronic Manufacturing Technology and Equipment; Guangdong University of Technology)
Fan, J. (TU Delft Electronic Components, Technology and Materials; Center for Shanghai Silicon Carbide Power Devices Engineering & Technology Research; Fudan University)
Zhang, Kouchi (TU Delft Electronic Components, Technology and Materials)

Electrical Engineering, Mathematics and Computer Science

2021

There is a high demand for the implementation of metallic nanoparticle (NP) sintering technology for die attach in high-power electronics. The performance of this technology is superior to that of the technology involving the use of lead-free solders. Although Cu NP paste is potentially a low-cost material, it faces the challenge of oxidation during sintering. This may result in a significant deterioration of the mechanical, thermal, and electrical properties. Therefore, there are limited studies on the in-air sintering of Cu NP pastes. The present study demonstrated the in-air pressure-assisted low-temperature sintering of a commercial Cu NP paste. Furthermore, the sintering was performed without using a protective atmosphere, unlike that in most of the previously reported investigations. The sintering behavior was investigated at three levels of temperatures (200–240 °C) and five levels of pressures (5–25 MPa). The joints that were sintered at high temperatures and pressures exhibited condensed microstructures and high bonding strengths. High sintering temperatures accelerated the diffusion between Cu NPs, while high sintering pressure facilitated the removal of evaporated organic compounds and the air between NPs. This not only facilitated sintering but also prevented the oxidation of Cu. The optimal sintering conditions promoted the formation of 3D connections between the Cu NPs, thereby increasing the shear strength of the sample. The samples that were sintered at 240 °C and 10 MPa experiences the highest increase in the shear strength, furthermore, the microstructures were optimized under this condition. The shear strength of 28.1 ± 8.47 MPa was achieved under this condition, which satisfied the requirements for die attach in high power electronics applications, moreover, the sintering process was moderate and cost-effective. Therefore, the optimal sintering temperature and pressure for the in-air sintering of the Cu NP paste was concluded to be 240 °C and 10 MPa, respectively. The results indicated that in-air sintering with pressure assistance can be applied for die attach in the high-power electronics.

http://resolver.tudelft.nl/uuid:d0c7e90d-77a0-46cc-b799-e95beb42dfa5

https://doi.org/10.1007/s10854-020-05196-4

0957-4522

Journal of Materials Science: Materials in Electronics, 32 (4), 4544-4555

Institutional Repository

journal article

© 2021 B. Zhang, A.A. Damian, Jurrian Zijl, H.W. van Zeijl, Y. Zhang, J. Fan, Kouchi Zhang