Joints realized by sintering of pressureless Ag paste
ISSN: 0305-6120
Article publication date: 18 January 2019
Issue publication date: 7 June 2019
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper was to investigate an influence of a low temperature pressureless sintering process of silver paste on the quality of sintered joints.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors analyzed various curing conditions of the paste during its sintering process: 175°C/90 min, 200°C/60 min, 250°C/30 min, 250°C/60 min, 350°C/30 min and 350°C/60 min. They analyzed an influence of the surface plating applied on a ceramic substrate/layer (Cu, Ag, AgPt and Au thick film) on the joints quality. The authors analyzed microstructure and electrical resistance of the joints. They evaluated these properties from the point of view of thermal aging process and changing resistance, after a constant current loading of the sintered joints.
Findings
The nanoscale pressureless silver paste can be applied for replacing a pressure-assisted micro-sized silver paste. It was found that the quality of the metal plating applied on the ceramic substrate/layer has a significant impact on the quality of the sintered joints. Copper and AgPt plating have better impact on quality of sintered joints in compare with Ag plating.
Originality/value
This investigation of the quality of the pressureless sintered joints at the silver-silver interface reveals an evident cracking immediately after the silver paste curing. Rapid sintering process typical for silver-based films on the substrate is because of the inter-diffusion between the micro and nanoparticles of silver at interfacial interface.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
This work was supported by the Slovak Research and Development Agency under the contract No. APVV-14-0085: Development of New Generation Joints of Power Electronics Using Nonstandard Sn-Based Alloys. This work was supported by Cultural and Educational Grant Agency of the Ministry of Education, Science, Research and Sport of the Slovak Republic under the contract No. 021TUKE-4/2017: Promotion of modern teaching methods at the Laboratory of automotive electronics. This work was supported by VEGA project under the contract No. 1/0141/18: Experimental and theoretical behavior study of newly developed miniature touch capacitive and inductive sensors realized by film technologies. This paper was developed with support of the project “Centre of Excellence of Integrated Research and Exploitation the Advanced materials and Technologies in the Automotive Electronics”, ITMS 26220120055, that is co-financed from Structural Funds EU ERDF within Operational Program Research and Development OPVaV-2009/2.1/03-SOR.
Citation
Pietrikova, A., Girasek, T., Livovsky, L., Durisin, J. and Saksl, K. (2019), "Joints realized by sintering of pressureless Ag paste", Circuit World, Vol. 45 No. 1, pp. 2-8. https://doi.org/10.1108/CW-11-2018-0078
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
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