Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-2plfb Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-26T20:17:29.820Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Effect of Ag addition in Sn on growth of SnTe compound during reaction between molten solder and tellurium

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  31 January 2011

Chien-Neng Liao  and
Yen-Chun Huang
Yen-Chun Huang
Affiliation:
Department of Materials Science and Engineering, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu 30013, Taiwan
Get access

Abstract

SnTe is the most common compound formed at the bismuth telluride/metal soldered junction of thermoelectric modules. It affects the mechanical and electrical properties of the soldered junction. In the study we investigate the growth of SnTe compound during reaction between molten Sn–3.5Ag solder and tellurium at 250 °C. We found that the growth of SnTe is suppressed by Ag–Te bilayer compounds that block further reaction between liquid Sn and Te. With increasing reaction time, the SnTe morphology becomes rough as a result of coarsening of SnTe grains. The growth of SnTe grains follows the conservative ripening kinetics with the mean particle size proportional to one-third power of reaction time.

Keywords

Chemical reactionThermoelectricCompound
Type
Articles
Information
Journal of Materials Research , Volume 25 , Issue 2 , February 2010 , pp. 391 - 395
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2010

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

1.Liao, C.N., Lee, C.H., Chen, W.J.Effect of interfacial compound formation on electrical properties of solder-jointed bismuth telluride/copper junctions. Electrochem. Solid-State Lett. 10, 23 (2007)CrossRefGoogle Scholar
2.Huang, M.L., Loeher, T., Ostmann, A., Reichi, H.Role of Cu in dissolution kinetics of Cu metallization in molten Sn-based solders. Appl. Phys. Lett. 86, 181908 (2005)CrossRefGoogle Scholar
3.Hsu, S.C., Wang, S.J., Liu, C.Y.Effect of Cu content on interfacial reactions between Sn(Cu) alloys and Ni/Ti thin-film metallization. J. Electron. Mater. 32, 1214 (2003)CrossRefGoogle Scholar
4.Alieva, T.D., Barkhalov, B.Sh., Abdinov, D.Sh.Structures and electrical-properties of interfaces between Bi0.5Sb1.5Te3 (Bi2Te2.7Se0.3) crystals and some alloys. Inorg. Mater. 31, 178 (1995)Google Scholar
5.Chen, S.W., Chiu, C.N.Unusual cruciform pattern interfacial reactions in Sn/Te couples. Scr. Mater. 56, 97 (2007)CrossRefGoogle Scholar
6.Liao, C.N., Lee, G.H.Suppression of vigorous liquid Sn/Te reactions by Sn–Cu solder alloys. J. Mater. Res. 23, 3303 (2008)CrossRefGoogle Scholar
7.Karakaya, I., Thompson, W.T.The Ag–Te (silver–tellurium) system. J. Phase Equilib. 12, 56 (1991)CrossRefGoogle Scholar
8.Barin, I., Platzki, G.Thermochemical Data of Pure Substances (Wiley-VCH, New York 1995)1556CrossRefGoogle Scholar
9.Kim, H.K., Liou, H.K., Tu, K.N.Three-dimensional morphology of a very rough interface formed in the soldering reaction between eutectic SnPb and Cu. Appl. Phys. Lett. 66, 2337 (1995)CrossRefGoogle Scholar
10.Kim, H.K., Tu, K.N.Kinetic analysis of the soldering reaction between eutectic SnPb alloy and Cu accompanied by ripening. Phys. Rev. B 53, 16027 (1996)CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
11.Tu, K.N., Mayer, J.W., Feldman, L.C.Electronic Thin Film Science for Electrical Engineers and Materials Scientists (Macmillan, New York 1992)100Google Scholar
12.Balluffi, R.W., Allen, S.M., Carter, W.C.Kinetics of Materials (Wiley, Hoboken, NJ 2005) Chap. 15CrossRefGoogle Scholar