Solder paste for reduction gas, and method for producing soldered product

1. A solder paste for use with a reducing gas during soldering, essentially consisting of:

a solder powder;

a thixotropic agent that is solid at normal temperature, wherein the thixotropic agent is one or more of: a compound containing an amide bond, a compound containing an polyamide obtained by condensation polymerization of a diamine with a dicarboxylic acid, sorbitol, a benzylidene sorbitol, hardened castor oil, beeswax and carnauba wax; and

a solvent for dispersing the solder powder and thixotropic agent, imparting a structural viscosity to gelate the solder paste, and allowing viscosity adjustment;

wherein the solder paste is free of reducing agents for removal of oxide films and free of activators for improvement of reducibility,

wherein the solder powder and the thixotropic agent melt at a temperature higher than the temperature for reduction with the reducing gas;

when the reducing gas is formic acid or hydrogen, and

wherein the solvent shows a weight loss of 25% or more at a rate of temperature increase of 10° C./min in thermogravimetry (TG) under normal pressure at 180° C.

2. A solder paste for use with a reducing gas during soldering, essentially consisting of:

a solder powder;

a thixotropic agent that is solid at normal temperature, wherein the thixotropic agent is one or more of: a compound containing an amide bond, a compound containing an polyamide obtained by condensation polymerization of a diamine with a dicarboxylic acid, sorbitol, a benzylidene sorbitol, hardened castor oil, beeswax and carnauba wax; and

a solvent for dispersing the solder powder and thixotropic agent, imparting a structural viscosity to gelate the solder paste, and allowing viscosity adjustment;

wherein the solder paste is free of reducing agents for removal of oxide films and free of activators for improvement of reducibility,

wherein the thixotropic agent is a thixotropic agent determined to have a wet-spreading area rate of 0 to 50% by the following procedures (1) to (5),

(1) Applying a paste obtained by removing the solder powder from the solder paste consisting of the solder powder, the thixotropic agent and the solvent to a thickness of 100 μm (metal mask thickness) in a 5×5 mm sized region on a nickel-plated copper substrate (20×20 mm, thickness 2 mm);

(2) Measuring the area of the paste one minute after the applying;

(3) Placing the copper substrate on a hot plate at normal temperature and heating the copper substrate until the copper substrate reaches a predetermined temperature;

(4) Removing the copper substrate from the hot plate when the predetermined temperature is reached and cooling the copper substrate; and

(5) Measuring the area of the paste on the copper substrate after the cooling;

where the predetermined temperature in the procedure (3) is a melting point of the thixotropic agent under normal pressure, and

wherein the solvent shows a weight loss of 25% or more at a rate of temperature increase of 10° C./min in thermogravimetry (TG) under normal pressure at 180° C.

3. The solder paste for use with a reducing gas according to claim 2 ,

wherein the solder powder and the thixotropic agent melt at a temperature higher than the temperature for reduction with the reducing gas when the reducing gas is formic acid or hydrogen.

4. The solder paste for use with a reducing gas according to claim 1 ,

wherein the thixotropic agent is an amide-based thixotropic agent.

5. The solder paste for use with a reducing gas during soldering, essentially consisting of:

a solder powder;

a thixotropic agent that is solid at normal temperature, wherein the thixotropic agent is one or more of: a compound containing an amide bond, a compound containing an polyamide obtained by condensation polymerization of a diamine with a dicarboxylic acid, sorbitol, a benzylidene sorbitol, hardened castor oil, beeswax and carnauba wax; and

a solvent for dispersing the solder powder and thixotropic agent, imparting a structural viscosity to gelate the solder paste, and allowing viscosity adjustment;

wherein the solder paste is free of reducing agents for removal of oxide films and free of activators for improvement of reducibility,

wherein the thixotropic agent is a thixotropic agent determined to have a wet-spreading area rate of 0 to 50% by the following procedures (1) to (5),

(1) Applying a paste obtained by removing the solder powder from the solder paste consisting of the solder powder, the thixotropic agent and the solvent to a thickness of 100 μm (metal mask thickness) in a 5×5 mm sized region on a nickel-plated copper substrate (20×20 mm, thickness 2 mm);

(2) Measuring the area of the paste one minute after the applying;

(3) Placing the copper substrate on a hot plate at normal temperature and heating the copper substrate until the copper substrate reaches a predetermined temperature;

(4) Removing the copper substrate from the hot plate when the predetermined temperature is reached and cooling the copper substrate; and

(5) Measuring the area of the paste on the copper substrate after the cooling;

where the predetermined temperature in the procedure (3) is the temperature for reduction with the reducing gas when the reducing gas is formic acid or hydrogen, and

wherein the solvent shows a weight loss of 25% or more at a rate of temperature increase of 10° C./min in thermogravimetry (TG) under normal pressure at 180° C.

6. A method for producing a soldered product, comprising:

providing a solder paste according to claim 1 ;

applying the solder paste to a soldering target;

evaporating the solvent by heating the soldering target with the solder paste applied thereto to any temperature lower than a melting temperature of the solder powder;

concurrently with or after the evaporating, reducing the solder powder left as a result of the evaporating and the soldering target with the reducing gas at any temperature lower than a melting temperature of the solder powder; and

after the reducing, melting the solder powder by heating the soldering target to any temperature equal to or higher than a melting temperature of the solder powder.

7. The method for producing a soldered product according to claim 6 ,

further comprising placing the soldering target in a vacuum;

wherein, in the evaporating, the solvent is evaporated by heating the soldering target in the vacuum.

8. The method for producing a soldered product according to claim 7 ,

wherein, in the evaporating, gaps are formed between the solder powder particles as a result of evaporation of the solvent, and

wherein, in the reducing, the soldering target is reduced by introducing the reducing gas into the gaps after the soldering target is placed in the vacuum.

9. The method for producing a soldered product according to claim 7 ,

wherein, in the melting, the solder powder is melted by heating the soldering target to a melting temperature of the solder powder or higher after the soldering target is placed in the vacuum, and

further comprising:

after the melting, breaking the vacuum where the solder powder is placed by increasing pressure to compress or eliminate cavities (voids) in the solder powder; and

after the breaking, cooling the soldering target.

10. The method for producing a soldered product according to claim 7 ,

wherein the reducing gas is a formic acid gas in the reducing.

11. The solder paste for use with a reducing gas according to claim 2 ,

wherein the thixotropic agent is an amide-based thixotropic agent.

12. A method for producing a soldered product, comprising:

providing a solder paste according to claim 2 ;

applying the solder paste to a soldering target;

evaporating the solvent by heating the soldering target with the solder paste applied thereto to any temperature lower than a melting temperature of the solder powder;

concurrently with or after the evaporating, reducing the solder powder left as a result of the evaporating and the soldering target with the reducing gas at any temperature lower than a melting temperature of the solder powder; and

after the reducing, melting the solder powder by heating the soldering target to any temperature equal to or higher than a melting temperature of the solder powder.

13. The method for producing a soldered product according to claim 12 ,

further comprising placing the soldering target in a vacuum;

wherein, in the evaporating, the solvent is evaporated by heating the soldering target in the vacuum.

14. The method for producing a soldered product according to claim 13 ,

wherein, in the evaporating, gaps are formed between the solder powder particles as a result of evaporation of the solvent and

wherein, in the reducing, the soldering target is reduced by introducing the reducing gas into the gaps after the soldering target is placed in the vacuum.

15. The method for producing a soldered product according to claim 13 ,

wherein, in the melting, the solder powder is melted by heating the soldering target to a melting temperature of the solder powder or higher after the soldering target is placed in the vacuum, and

further comprising:

after the melting, breaking the vacuum where the solder powder is placed by increasing pressure to compress or eliminate cavities (voids) in the solder powder; and

after the breaking, cooling the soldering target.

16. The method for producing a soldered product according to claim 13 ,

wherein the reducing gas is a formic acid gas in the reducing.

17. The solder paste for use with a reducing gas according to claim 5 ,

wherein the solder powder and the thixotropic agent melt at a temperature higher than the temperature for reduction with the reducing gas when the reducing gas is formic acid or hydrogen.

18. The solder paste for use with a reducing gas according to claim 5 ,

wherein the thixotropic agent is an amide-based thixotropic agent.

19. A method for producing a soldered product, comprising:

providing a solder paste according to claim 5 ;

applying the solder paste to a soldering target;

evaporating the solvent by heating the soldering target with the solder paste applied thereto to any temperature lower than a melting temperature of the solder powder;

concurrently with or after the evaporating, reducing the solder powder left as a result of the evaporating and the soldering target with the reducing gas at any temperature lower than a melting temperature of the solder powder; and

after the reducing, melting the solder powder by heating the soldering target to any temperature equal to or higher than a melting temperature of the solder powder.

20. The method for producing a soldered product according to claim 19 ,

further comprising placing the soldering target in a vacuum;

wherein, in the evaporating, the solvent is evaporated by heating the soldering target in the vacuum.

21. The method for producing a soldered product according to claim 20 ,

wherein, in the evaporating, gaps are formed between the solder powder particles as a result of evaporation of the solvent, and

wherein, in the reducing, the soldering target is reduced by introducing the reducing gas into the gaps after the soldering target is placed in the vacuum.

22. The method for producing a soldered product according to claim 20 ,

wherein, in the melting, the solder powder is melted by heating the soldering target to a melting temperature of the solder powder or higher after the soldering target is placed in the vacuum, and

further comprising:

after the melting, breaking the vacuum where the solder powder is placed by increasing pressure to compress or eliminate cavities (voids) in the solder powder; and

after the breaking, cooling the soldering target.

23. The method for producing a soldered product according to claim 20 ,

wherein the reducing gas is a formic acid gas in the reducing.