Transient liquid phase bonding as a joining technique for high-temperature power electronics

Fundamental aspects of transient liquid phase (TLP) bonding in the Cu-Sn system have been studied, with the objective of assessing the utility of the bonding technique in joining high-temperature SiC devices to direct bond copper (DBC) substrates in power electronic packages. This technique can be implemented at relatively low temperatures (in comparison to the melting point of Cu), yet provide bonds that have composition and properties that are similar to those of Cu.; The bonding parameters of time, temperature, and interlayer thickness were probed. Additionally, two methods for the introduction of the interlayer were used: one based on the use of foils and the other based on electron beam deposition. The resulting microstructures were characterized using scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive X-ray analysis. Microstructures consisting of the phases Cu₆Sn₅, Cu₃Sn, Cu ₄₁Sn₁₁, and (Cu) were produced. The time required to form a bond with the targeted microstructure, notably that of (Cu), was found to be dominated by the consumption of intermediate phases, as dictated by diffusion, and thus scaled quadratically with initial interlayer thickness. Two types of bonding defects were obtained: one due to surface contamination and the other caused by the consumption of Sn through the formation of the Cu ₆Sn₅ intermetallic in the solid state during heating. The successful production of samples devoid of such defects was via electron beam deposition of the interlayer material, with sufficient thickness to ensure ample material for the formation of the transient liquid phase following solid state intermetallic formation. The mechanical properties of these bonds were measured and compared with those made with Sn foil. The toughness of the bonds in samples where the Sn interlayer was introduced by electron beam deposition was greater than that of samples that used an interlayer of Sn foil. The difference was attributed to the higher level of porosity and defects in the foil samples. The strengths of the bonds displayed a similar trend and were rationalized in terms of the corresponding differences in toughness and flaw size. Finally, the Ag-In system was investigated as a potentially superior alternative to Cu-Sn. The consumption of intermediate phases in this system occurred in about 1/10 of the time required for the Cu-Sn system, thereby demonstrating that comparable bonds, containing only the corresponding solid solution, could be produced at lower combinations of time and temperature.