Effects of AlN Nanoparticles on the Microstructure, Solderability, and Mechanical Properties of Sn-Ag-Cu Solder

The addition of nanosized AlN particles to Sn-3.0 wt pctAg-0.5 wt pctCu (SAC305) lead-free solder alloy has been investigated. The various weight fractions of AlN (0, 0.03, 0.12, 0.21, 0.60 wt pct) have been dispersed in SAC305 solder matrix by a mechanical mixing and melting route. The influences of AlN nanosized particles on the microstructure, mechanical properties, and solderability (e.g., spreadability and wettability) have been carried out. The structural and morphological features of the nanocomposite solder were characterized by scanning electron microscope (SEM), energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), and transmission electron microscope (TEM). The experimental results show that the best combination of solderability and mechanical properties is obtained at 0.21 wt pct AlN in the solder matrix. The reinforced composite solder with 0.21 wt pct AlN nanoparticles shows ≈25 pct improvement in ultimate tensile strength (UTS), and ≈4 pct increase in the spreadability. In addition, the results of microstructural analyses of composite solders indicate that the nanocomposite solder, especially reinforced with 0.21 wt pct of AlN nanoparticles, exhibits better microstructure and improved elongation percentage, compared with the monolithic SAC305 solder.