An Investigation of Diffusion Barrier Characteristics of an Electroless Co(W, P) Layer to Lead-Free SnBi Solder

Abstract

Diffusion barrier characteristics for eutectic SnBi solder/electroless Co(W,P) couples were investigated via liquid-state aging at 250 degrees C and solid-state aging at 120 degrees C. At the couple interface, CoSn(3) intermetallic compound (IMC) spallation was observed for the SnBi/amorphous Co(W,P) couple subjected to liquid-state aging. In contrast, no spallation of IMCs was observed for the SnBi/amorphous Co(W,P) couples subjected to solid-state aging. For the SnBi/polycrystalline Co(W,P) couple, a thick IMC layer was observed adjacent to a tungsten-enriched amorphous interfacial layer regardless of aging conditions. IMC formation in all samples indicated that Co(W,P) is essentially a sacrificial barrier to SnBi solder. However, amorphous Co(W,P) might also exhibit stuffed-type barrier behavior due to its relatively high phosphorus (P) content. Analytical results indicated that the P content in Co(W,P) is a crucial factor affecting the structural evolution at the SnBi/electroless Co(W,P) interface.