An alloy suitable for use in a ball grid array or chip scale package comprising from 0.05-1.5 wt. % copper, from 0.1-2 wt. % silver, from 0.005-0.3 wt % nickel, from 0.003-0.3 wt % chromium, from 0-0.1 wt. % phosphorus, from 0-0.1 wt. % germanium, from 0-0.1 wt. % gallium, from 0-0.3 wt. % of one or more rare earth elements, from 0-0.3 wt. % indium, from 0-0.3 wt. % magnesium, from 0-0.3 wt. % calcium, from 0-0.3 wt. % silicon, from 0-0.3 wt. % aluminum, from 0-0.3 wt. % zinc, from 0-2 wt. % bismuth, from 0-1 wt. % antimony, from 0-0.2 wt % manganese, from 0-0.3 wt % cobalt, from 0-0.3 wt % iron, and from 0-0.1 wt % zirconium, and the balance tin, together with unavoidable impurities.
1. An alloy suitable for use in a ball grid array or chip scale package, the alloy comprising:
from 0.05-1.5 wt. % copper;
from 0.1-2 wt. % silver;
from 0.005-0.3 wt % nickel;
from 0.003-0.3 wt % chromium;
from 0-0.1 wt. % phosphorus;
from 0-0.1 wt. % germanium;
from 0-0.1 wt. % gallium;
from 0-0.3 wt. % of one or more rare earth elements;
from 0-0.3 wt. % indium;
from 0-0.3 wt. % magnesium;
from 0-0.3 wt. % calcium;
from 0-0.3 wt. % silicon;
from 0-0.3 wt. % aluminum;
from 0-0.3 wt. % zinc;
from 0-2 wt. % bismuth;
from 0-1 wt. % antimony;
from 0-0.2 wt % manganese;
from 0-0.3 wt % cobalt;
from 0-0.3 wt % iron;
from 0-0.1 wt % zirconium; and
the balance tin, together with unavoidable impurities.
2. An alloy as claimed in claim 1 comprising from 0.03 to 0.07 wt % nickel.
3. An alloy as claimed in claim 1 comprising from 0.04 to 0.08 wt % nickel.
4. An alloy as claimed in claim 1 comprising from 0.01 to 0.07 wt % chromium.
5. An alloy as claimed in claim 4 comprising from 0.02 to 0.06 wt % chromium.
6. An alloy as claimed in claim 1 comprising from 0.1 to 1 wt. % Cu.
7. An alloy as claimed in claim 6 comprising from 0.1 to 0.9 wt. % Cu.
8. An alloy as claimed in claim 1 comprising from 0.1 to 1 wt. % Ag.
9. An alloy as claimed in claim 8 comprising from 0.1 to 0.5 wt. % Ag.
10. An alloy as claimed in claim 1 comprising from 0.02-0.2 wt. % of at least one of cobalt and iron.
11. An alloy as claimed in claim 1 comprising from 0.02-0.3 wt. % iron.
12. An alloy as claimed in claim 1 comprising from 0.01-0.15 wt. % manganese.
13. An alloy as claimed in claim 1 comprising from 0.05-0.3 wt. % indium.
14. An alloy as claimed in claim 1 comprising from 0.01-0.3 wt. % silicon.
15. An alloy as claimed in claim 1 comprising from 0.008-0.3 wt. % aluminum.
16. An alloy as claimed in claim 1 comprising from 0.01-0.3 wt. % zinc.
17. An alloy as claimed in claim 1 comprising from 0.05-1 wt. % antimony.
18. An alloy as claimed in claim 1 comprising from 0.05 to 1 wt. % bismuth.
19. An alloy as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said one or more rare earth elements comprises one or more elements selected from cerium, lanthanum, neodymium and praseodymium.
20. An alloy as claimed in claim 1 comprising from 0.1 to 0.8 wt. % Cu, from 0.1 to 1.5 wt. % Ag, from 0.03 to 0.15 wt % nickel and from 0.01 to 0.07 wt % chromium.
21. An alloy as claimed in claim 1 in the form of a bar, a stick, a solid or flux cored wire, a foil or strip, a preform, or a powder or paste (powder plus flux blend), or solder spheres for use in ball grid array joints, or a pre-formed solder piece.
22. An alloy as claimed in claim 1 wherein the alloy demonstrates a greater than 80% decrease in Mode 4 brittle failures in comparison to a comparative alloy having the same constituents except having no Ni and Cr, wherein Mode 4 failure is a joint failure and intermetallic compound failure occurring at a solder pad interface.
23. The alloy of claim 1 consisting essentially of said:
from 0.05-1.5 wt. % copper;
from 0.1-2 wt. % silver;
from 0.005-0.3 wt % nickel;
from 0.003-0.3 wt % chromium;
from 0-0.1 wt. % phosphorus;
from 0-0.1 wt. % germanium;
from 0-0.1 wt. % gallium;
from 0-0.3 wt. % of one or more rare earth elements;
from 0-0.3 wt. % indium;
from 0-0.3 wt. % magnesium;
from 0-0.3 wt. % calcium;
from 0-0.3 wt. % silicon;
from 0-0.3 wt. % aluminum;
from 0-0.3 wt. % zinc;
from 0-2 wt. % bismuth;
from 0-1 wt. % antimony;
from 0-0.2 wt % manganese;
from 0-0.3 wt % cobalt;
from 0-0.3 wt % iron;
from 0-0.1 wt % zirconium; and
the balance tin, together with unavoidable impurities.
24. The alloy of claim 1 consisting of said:
from 0.05-1.5 wt. % copper;
from 0.1-2 wt. % silver;
from 0.005-0.3 wt % nickel;
from 0.003-0.3 wt % chromium;
from 0-0.1 wt. % phosphorus;
from 0-0.1 wt. % germanium;
from 0-0.1 wt. % gallium;
from 0-0.3 wt. % of one or more rare earth elements;
from 0-0.3 wt. % indium;
from 0-0.3 wt. % magnesium;
from 0-0.3 wt. % calcium;
from 0-0.3 wt. % silicon;
from 0-0.3 wt. % aluminum;
from 0-0.3 wt. % zinc;
from 0-2 wt. % bismuth;
from 0-1 wt. % antimony;
from 0-0.2 wt % manganese;
from 0-0.3 wt % cobalt;
from 0-0.3 wt % iron;
from 0-0.1 wt % zirconium; and
the balance tin, together with unavoidable impurities.
25. The alloy of claim 1 consisting essentially of said:
from 0.05-1.5 wt. % copper;
from 0.1-2 wt. % silver;
from 0.005-0.3 wt % nickel;
from 0.003-0.3 wt % chromium;
from 0-0.1 wt. % phosphorus;
from 0-2 wt. % bismuth;
the balance tin, together with unavoidable impurities.
26. The alloy of claim 1 consisting of said:
from 0.05-1.5 wt. % copper;
from 0.1-2 wt. % silver;
from 0.005-0.3 wt % nickel;
from 0.003-0.3 wt % chromium;
from 0-0.1 wt. % phosphorus;
from 0-2 wt. % bismuth;
the balance tin, together with unavoidable impurities.
27. A soldered ball grid array or chip scale package joint comprising an alloy as defined in claim 1 .
28. The soldered joint of claim 27 wherein the alloy comprises 0.05 to 1 wt % bismuth.
29. The soldered joint of claim 27 wherein the alloy comprises from 0.1 to 0.8 wt. % Cu, from 0.1 to 1.5 wt. % Ag, from 0.03 to 0.15 wt % nickel and from 0.01 to 0.07 wt % chromium.
30. The soldered joint of claim 27 wherein the alloy consists essentially of said:
from 0.05-1.5 wt. % copper;
from 0.1-2 wt. % silver;
from 0.005-0.3 wt % nickel;
from 0.003-0.3 wt % chromium;
from 0-0.1 wt. % phosphorus;
from 0-2 wt. % bismuth;
the balance tin, together with unavoidable impurities.
31. The soldered joint of claim 27 wherein the alloy demonstrates a greater than 80% decrease in Mode 4 brittle failures in comparison to a comparative alloy having the same constituents except having no Ni and Cr, wherein Mode 4 failure is a joint failure and intermetallic compound failure occurring at a solder pad interface.
32. An alloy suitable for use in a ball grid array or chip scale package, the alloy comprising:
from 0.5-1.5 wt. % copper;
from 0.1-2 wt. % silver;
from 0.005-0.3 wt % nickel;
from 0.003-0.3 wt % chromium;
from 0-0.1 wt. % phosphorus;
from 0-0.1 wt. % germanium;
from 0-0.1 wt. % gallium;
from 0-0.3 wt. % of one or more rare earth elements;
from 0-0.3 wt. % indium;
from 0-0.3 wt. % magnesium;
from 0-0.3 wt. % calcium;
from 0-0.3 wt. % silicon;
from 0-0.3 wt. % aluminum;
from 0-0.3 wt. % zinc;
from 0-2 wt. % bismuth;
from 0-1 wt. % antimony;
from 0-0.2 wt % manganese;
from 0-0.3 wt % cobalt;
from 0-0.3 wt % iron;
from 0-0.1 wt % zirconium; and
the balance tin, together with unavoidable impurities.
33. An alloy as claimed in claim 32 comprising from 0.03 to 0.07 wt % nickel.
34. An alloy as claimed in claim 32 comprising from 0.01 to 0.07 wt % chromium.
35. An alloy as claimed in claim 32 comprising from 0.5 to 0.9 wt % copper.
36. An alloy as claimed in claim 32 comprising from 0.03 to 0.07 wt % nickel, from 0.01 to 0.07 wt % chromium, and from 0.5 to 0.9 wt % copper.
37. An alloy as claimed in claim 32 wherein the Ni and Cr are present in a sum concentration between 0.01 and 0.2 wt %.
38. An alloy as claimed in claim 32 wherein the Ni and Cr are present in a sum concentrations between 0.05 and 0.12 wt %.
39. An alloy suitable for use in a ball grid array or chip scale package, the alloy comprising:
from 0.05-1.5 wt. % copper;
from 0.1-2 wt. % silver;
from 0.005-0.3 wt % nickel;
from 0.003-0.3 wt % chromium;
from 0-0.1 wt. % phosphorus;
from 0-0.1 wt. % germanium;
from 0-0.1 wt. % gallium;
from 0-0.3 wt. % of one or more rare earth elements;
from 0-0.3 wt. % indium;
from 0.01-0.3 wt. % magnesium;
from 0-0.3 wt. % calcium;
from 0-0.3 wt. % silicon;
from 0-0.3 wt. % aluminum;
from 0-0.3 wt. % zinc;
from 0-2 wt. % bismuth;
from 0-1 wt. % antimony;
from 0-0.2 wt % manganese;
from 0-0.3 wt % cobalt;
from 0-0.3 wt % iron;
from 0-0.1 wt % zirconium; and
the balance tin, together with unavoidable impurities.
40. An alloy suitable for use in a ball grid array or chip scale package, the alloy comprising:
from 0.05-1.5 wt. % copper;
from 0.1-2 wt. % silver;
from 0.005-0.3 wt % nickel;
from 0.003-0.3 wt % chromium;
from 0-0.1 wt. % phosphorus;
from 0-0.1 wt. % germanium;
from 0-0.1 wt. % gallium;
from 0-0.3 wt. % of one or more rare earth elements;
from 0-0.3 wt. % indium;
from 0-0.3 wt. % magnesium;
from 0.01-0.3 wt. % calcium;
from 0-0.3 wt. % silicon;
from 0-0.3 wt. % aluminum;
from 0-0.3 wt. % zinc;
from 0-2 wt. % bismuth;
from 0-1 wt. % antimony;
from 0-0.2 wt % manganese;
from 0-0.3 wt % cobalt;
from 0-0.3 wt % iron;
from 0-0.1 wt % zirconium; and
the balance tin, together with unavoidable impurities.