Effects of Nanoparticle Addition on the Reliability of Sn-Based Pb-Free Solder Joints Under Various Conditions: A Review

In order to satisfy the needs of electronic industries for high-reliability joints, different kinds of nanoparticles were incorporated into conventional Pb-free solders to enhance the performance of solder joints by researchers for decades. It is reported that doping certain nanoparticles to the solder can promote the wettability and strength of the solder, refine the grain size of solder and intermetallic compounds, and inhibit IMC layer growth. In this paper, the effects and the corresponding mechanism of nanoparticle addition on the reliability of Sn-based Pb-free solder joints in various conditions are comprehensively analyzed and summarized such as under thermal aging, thermal cycling, thermal shock, electromigration and so on. In addition, directions for future study about the reliability of nanoparticles-doped solder joints were discussed, so as to provide theoretical support for developing high-reliability nanocomposite solder joints.