Effect of Sn Grain Orientation on Formation of Cu₆Sn₅ Intermetallic Compound Under Current Stressing

Solder joints with Cu/Sn-Ag/Cu structure and bump height of 15 μm have been used to investigate the electromigration phenomenon at different temperatures and current densities. Moreover, the grain orientation was analyzed using electron backscatter diffraction. It was found that the anisotropic properties of tin affected the formation rate of Cu-Sn intermetallic compounds (IMCs), and that the angle between the electron flow direction and tin grain orientation played an important role in the formation of Cu₆Sn₅ IMC. With changes in angle, the diffusion rate of copper atoms in tin also varied. When the c-axis of tin was parallel to the electron flux, copper atoms diffused rapidly, resulting in fast formation of Cu-Sn IMCs. On the other hand, if the angle between the c-axis of the grain and the electron flow direction was large, the tin grains were more resistant to Cu diffusion during current stressing, leading to a very slow IMC formation rate.