Hiroaki Tatsumi

A novel metal-to-metal bonding process through in-situ formation of Ag nanoparticles using Ag2O microparticles

The metal-to-metal bonding has been successfully achieved via the bonding process using Ag metallo-organic nanoparticles at a bonding temperature of around 300-, which can be alternative to the current microsoldering in electronics assembly using high-temperature solders. However, further reduction of bonding temperature and/or bonding pressure is needed. In the present research, a novel bonding process through in-situ formation of Ag nanoparticles instead of the filler material of the Ag metallo-organic nanoparticles has been developed. The Ag nanoparticles can form by the reduction of Ag2O particles. In this study, the Ag2O particles were mixed with triethylene glycol as a reducing agent to form a paste for bonding. The Au coated cylindrical specimens were bonded using the paste. The Ag nanoparticles formed at around 130 to 160 through the reduction process of Ag2O particles with triethylene glycol. The Ag nanoparticles were immediately sintered each other due to a great surface energy per volume. A transmission electron microscope observation revealed that the sintered Ag metallurgically bonded to the Au substrate at around 160 and a dense Ag layer formed after further heating. The tensile strength of the joint bonded at 250 under a bonding pressure of 5MPa was around 60MPa

Evaluation of Interfacial Bonding Utilizing Ag2O-Derived Silver Nanoparticles Using TEM Observation and Molecular Dynamics Simulation

The interfacial bonding utilizing Ag2O-derived silver nanoparticles was evaluated using TEM observation and molecular dynamics simulation. The TEM observation reveals that the crystal orientation of the sintered silver corresponded to that of the gold substrate. This is considered that the epitaxial layer of silver was formed through in-situ formation of silver nanoparticles from Ag2O paste, and oriented in the direction of the gold crystal. MD simulation successfully recreated the sintering behavior of silver nanoparticles and the gold substrate. The simulation results clearly showed the epitaxial layers of silver atoms were formed on the substrate. The existence of the closed pore indicates the acceleration of the sintering between nanoparticles and the gold substrate to minimize the total sum of surface energy and grain boundary energy.

Low Temperature Sintering Bonding Process Using Ag Nanoparticles Derived from Ag2O for Packaging of High-Temperature Electronics

A novel bonding process using Ag2O paste composed of Ag2O particles and a reducing agent has been proposed as a Pb-free alternative of high melting point solders in electronics packaging. Ag2O paste formed Ag nanoparticles through the redox reaction in the bonding process and in-situ formed Ag nanoparticles sintered immediately. While the bonding process using Ag metallo-organic nanoparticles, which have been proposed, was unfavorable to the bonding at 250 degree Celsius or lower in terms of requiring removal of stable organic shells, the bonding process using Ag2O paste demonstrated the possibility of further low-temperature bonding.

Sintering Mechanism of Composite Ag Nanoparticles and its Application to Bonding Process-Effects of Ag2CO3 Contents on Bondability to Cu-

We have proposed a novel bonding process using composite Ag nanoparticles composed of Ag metallo-organic nanoparticles and Ag2CO3 for an application to the assembly of electronic devices. In this research, the sintering mechanisms of the composite Ag nanoparticles are discussed based on the results of the observation of the sintering behaviors and the investigation of the thermal characteristics. Moreover, Cu specimens were bonded using the composite Ag nanoparticles for measuring the bonding strengths. Based on the results, the effects of the Ag2CO3 contents in the composite Ag nanoparticles and the bonding conditions on the bondability were evaluated. As a result, it was found that the composite Ag nanoparticles were sintered rapidly because of the interaction between the Ag metallo-organic nanoparticles and Ag2CO3. Thereby, the bondability was improved by optimizing the contents of Ag2CO3 in the composite Ag nanoparticles.