Thermodynamic Description of the Quaternary Ag-Cu-In-Sn System

Abstract

Due to new regulations, the classic Sn-37Pb (wt.%) solder must be replaced by lead-free material. There are many alloys that could be used instead of this classic lead solder, including quaternary Ag-Cu-In-Sn alloy. The CALPHAD method was used for thermodynamic description of this quaternary system. Good agreement between calculation and available experimental information was found. Solidification of the promising lead-free solder Sn-1.5Ag-0.7Cu-9.5In (wt.%) was performed using the Scheil approach, and good agreement between this calculation and differential thermal analysis results was found. The obtained set of Gibbs energy functions can be used in the future for expanding the quaternary system to high-order ones.

Thermodynamic Modeling of the Ag-Cu-Sn Ternary System

“…The experimental results [18][19][20][21][22][23][24][25][26][27] summarized in Table 1 do not include the stable ternary intermetallic compounds. According to the thermodynamic calculations of the Ag-Cu-Sn ternary system [21,24,25,28], thermodynamic properties of the ternary liquid alloys were not considered in the calculated results of Moon et al [21], Ohnuma et al [24] and Yen et al [25], while the isothermal sections and vertical sections of phase relations calculated by Gierlotka et al [28] were obviously different from the determined experimental results [18,[24][25][26][27]. The liquidus projection of the Ag-Cu-Sn ternary system in the Ag-Cu-rich part was studied experimentally by Gebhardt et al [18].…”

“…Experimental studies and thermodynamic calculations of phase equilibria of the Ag-Cu-Sn ternary system were performed [18][19][20][21][22][23][24][25][26][27][28][29]. Gebhardt et al [18] systematically conducted the experimental study of the Ag-Cu-Sn ternary system.…”

“…Several isothermal sections and vertical sections of the Ag-Cu-Sn ternary system were determined by Ohnuma et al [24], Yen et al [25], Marjanovic et al [26] and Fima et al [27]. Based on the experimental results, the Ag-Cu-Sn ternary system was calculated by Moon et al [21], Ohnuma et al [24], Yen et al [25], Gierlotka et al [28] and the unpublished COST 531 Database for Lead-free Solders [29]. Recently, Luef et al [30] experimentally determined the mixing enthalpy of the liquid phase in the Ag-Cu-Sn ternary system, and Kopyto et al [31] experimentally determined the activity of Sn in the liquid phase, which was not considered in these thermodynamic calculations of the Ag-Cu-Sn ternary system reported by [21,24,25].…”

Wafer Level Solid Liquid Interdiffusion Bonding: Formation and Evolution of Microstructures

“…Moreover, the formation and evolution of microstructures is examined by utilizing thermodynamic calculations. [45][46][47] The stabilizing effect (i.e. the higher (more negative) value for Gibbs energy of formation) of In on Cu-Sn IMCs of Cu 6 Sn 5 and Cu 3 Sn is analysed and the effects on chemical potentials and driving forces diffusion are discussed.…”

“…the higher (more negative) value for Gibbs energy of formation) of In on Cu-Sn IMCs of Cu 6 Sn 5 and Cu 3 Sn is analysed and the effects on chemical potentials and driving forces diffusion are discussed. 46,47…”