Microstructural Response of Highly Porous Sintered Nano-silver Particle Die Attachments to Thermomechanical Cycling

Abstract This paper deals with the performance of sintered nano-silver bonds used as wide-bandgap power module die attachment technology. The paper specifically explores the fine-scale microstructures of highly porous sintered attachments under power cycling to provide a deeper understanding of the significance of porosity as a reliability-related microstructural parameter. Attachments prepared at 220°C using a pressure of 6 MPa for 1 s (parameters known to generate approximately 50% porosity from previous work) and subsequently subjected to 650,000 power cycles between 50°C and 200°C are assessed. A correlative workflow integrating x-ray computed tomography, focused ion beam (FIB) and electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) data is applied to merge meso- and nanoscale microstructural features to illuminate the degradation mechanisms. The as-sintered Ag layer has a high volume of heterogeneously distributed pores, and consists of randomly oriented equiaxed grains whose sizes vary depending on the local density of the region sampled. Power cycling promotes grain growth and the loss of twin boundaries, and these changes are more pronounced within more dense regions of the Ag attachment. In contrast, the copper substrate appears to undergo some grain refinement, with deformation twins visible within finer-grained zones during power cycling. Cracks, which appear to start off within the Ag layer, propagate across the Ag-Cu boundary and transgranularly through fine-grained regions within the copper with little tortuosity. These observations are discussed within the context of reliability behaviour. Graphical Abstract