Journal of Materials Science, Vol.45, No.16, 4339-4344, 2010
Wetting of Cu by Bi-Ag based alloys with Sn and Zn additions
Contact angles on copper substrate of Bi-Ag-Sn and Bi-Ag-Zn ternary alloys containing 3, 6, and 9 at.% of Sn and Zn, respectively, were studied with the sessile drop method. Wetting tests were carried out at 573 and 603 K with or without the use of a flux. Without the flux, the examined alloys do not wet copper, i.e., the observed contact angles are higher than 90A degrees. However, in the presence of the flux wetting of copper is observed. In the case of alloys with Sn, the contact angles decrease with increasing content of Sn, while in the case of alloys with Zn no such tendency is observed. Solidified solder-substrate couples were cross-sectioned and examined with scanning electron microscopy coupled with electron dispersive X-ray analysis.