Effect of epoxy resin addition on properties and corrosion behavior of sintered joints in power modules serviced offshore

Effect of epoxy resin addition on properties and corrosion behavior of sintered joints in power modules serviced offshore

Wang, Xinyue (Fudan University)
Yang, Zhoudong (Fudan University)
Wang, Boya (Fudan University)
Chen, Wei (Fudan University)
Zhang, Kouchi (TU Delft Electronic Components, Technology and Materials)
Zhang, Jing (Heraeus Materials Technology Shanghai Ltd.)
Fan, J. (TU Delft Electronic Components, Technology and Materials; Fudan University)
Liu, P. (TU Delft Electronic Components, Technology and Materials; Fudan University)

2023

Power modules applied in offshore applications are facing risks of corrosion failures on die-attach materials due to high humidity and H₂S exposure. To investigate such corrosion behavior for sintered die-attach materials, we conducted a study with four groups of samples fabricated using copper and silver metal particles under different solvent systems. Such samples were firstly subjected to high-humidity-H₂S conditions for 168 h to simulate the harsh offshore environment. After undergoing corrosion, the primary compounds formed were CuO/Cu₂O and Ag₂S through SEM, XRD, and XPS analysis. Notably, the incorporation of epoxy resin into sintered copper joints resulted in a remarkable reduction in corrosion and a substantial improvement in electrical conductivity after the reaction. In contrast, while the addition of epoxy did not evidently reduce corrosion in silver joints, it did lead to a significant increase in shear strength. Furthermore, to gain further insights into the effect of epoxy resin on corrosion behavior, electrochemical analysis, and molecular dynamics simulations were conducted. Finally, the mechanical reliability of the corroded copper and silver joints was evaluated through thermal shock tests. In summary, sintered copper joints exhibited better anti-corrosion behaviors than sintered silver under high humidity and H₂S exposure, especially with the addition of epoxy resin. However, the corrosion products of sintered copper suffered from a sharp decrease in shear strength after thermal shock tests than sintered silver, which is probably due to the coefficient of thermal expansion mismatch.

Die-attach
Electrochemical analysis
Gas corrosion
Molecular dynamics simulation
Power module packaging
Sintered joint

http://resolver.tudelft.nl/uuid:efae1187-df0b-4dc0-8eb0-b72f36048a9d

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jmrt.2023.07.098

2238-7854

Journal of Materials Research and Technology, 25, 6593-6612

Institutional Repository

journal article

© 2023 Xinyue Wang, Zhoudong Yang, Boya Wang, Wei Chen, Kouchi Zhang, Jing Zhang, J. Fan, P. Liu