Crystal structure of Cu-Sn-in alloys around the η-phase field studied by neutron diffraction

Abstract

The study of the Cu-Sn-In ternary system has become of great importance in recent years, due to new environmental regulations forcing to Eliminate the use of Pb from bonding technologies for electronic devices. A key relevant issue concerns the intermetallic phases which grow in the bonding zone and are determining in their quality and performance. In this work, we focus in the η-phase (Cu2In or Cu6Sn5) that exists in both end binaries and as a ternary phase. We present a neutron diffraction study of the constitution and crystallography of a series of alloys around the 60 at.% Cu composition, and with In contents ranging from 0 to 25 at.%, quenched from 300oC. The alloys were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), probe microanalysis (EPMA) and high-resolution neutron diffraction (ND). The Rietveld refinement of neutron diffraction data allowed to improve the currently available model for site ccupancies in the hexagonal η-phase in the binary Cu-Sn as well as in ternary alloys. For the first time, structural data is reported in the ternary Cu-Sn-In η-phase as a function of composition, information that is of fundamental technological importance as well as valuable input data for the ongoing modelling of the ternary phase diagram.