Bulk metallic glass solder material

• US 20070034305A1
• Filed: 08/12/2005
• Published: 02/15/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 08/12/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Suh, Daewoong
• Granted Patent: US 7,628,871 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 148/561
• CPC Class Codes: B23K 1/0016 Brazing of electronic components
• CPC Class Codes: C22C 45/00 Amorphous alloys making amorphous non-ferrous alloys C22C1/11
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/3463 Solder compositions in relation to features of the printed circuit board or the mounting process
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/3494 Heating methods for reflowing of solder using integral heating means H05K1/0212

Abstract

High strength, reliable bulk metallic glass (BMG) solder materials formed from alloys possessing deep eutectics with asymmetric liquidous slopes. BMG solder materials are stronger and have a higher elastic modulus than, and therefore are less likely than crystalline solder materials to damage fragile low k interlayer dielectric (ILD) materials due to thermal stress in materials with different coefficients of thermal expansion (CTE). BMG solder materials may physically, electrically, or thermally couple a feature to another feature, or any combination thereof. For example, in an embodiment of the invention, a BMG solder material may physically and electrically couple an electronic component to a printed circuit board. In another embodiment of the invention, a BMG solder material may physically and thermally couple an integrated heat sink to a semiconductor device. Many embodiments of a BMG solder material are also lead-free, so they comply with lead-free product requirements, while providing a better solution than other lead-free solder materials such as tin-silver-copper.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

disposing an alloy proximate a first feature and a second feature;

heating the alloy to a first temperature; and

cooling the alloy to a second temperature, forming a bulk metallic glass solder material physically coupling the first feature and the second feature.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first feature and the second feature is electrically conductive.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the alloy takes the form of at least one of a liquid, a sphere, a pellet, a paste, a powder, a thick film, a thin film, a solid rod, and a flexible wire.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the bulk metallic glass solder material comprises a binary alloy including at least one of tin-indium including 45-60 wt. % tin, tin-zinc including 80-92 wt. % tin, tin-nickel including 95-99.9 wt. % tin, tin-copper including 95-99.9 wt. % tin, tin-silver including 90-98 wt. % tin, tin-aluminum including 95-99.9 wt. % tin, tin-arsenic including 95-99.9 wt. % tin, tin-gold including 80-95 wt. % tin, tin-cadmium including 60-70 wt. % tin, tin-dysprosium including 95-99 wt. % tin, tin-magnesium including 80-90 wt. % tin, tin-lead including 55-70 wt. % tin, tin-thallium including 50-65 wt. % tin, indium-bismuth including 60-70 wt. % indium, indium-zinc including 97-99 wt. % indium, indium-nickel including >

99 wt % indium, indium-copper including >

99 wt % indium, indium-silver including 95-99 wt. % indium, and indium-gold including >

99 wt % indium, indium-cadmium including 60-70 wt. % indium, and indium-gallium including 20-30 wt. % indium.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the bulk metallic glass solder material comprises a ternary alloy including at least one of tin (Sn) and indium (In).

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the bulk metallic glass solder material further comprises two of bismuth (Bi), zinc (Zn), nickel (Ni), copper (Cu), and silver (Ag).

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the alloy has a deep eutectic and asymmetric liquidous slopes.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the first temperature is at or above the melting temperature (T_m) of the alloy.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the second temperature is at or below the glass transition temperature (Tg) of the alloy.

10. A solder material, comprising:

an alloy, the alloy forming a bulk metallic glass material when heated at least to a first temperature and cooled to at least a second temperature.

11. The solder material of claim 10, wherein the alloy comprises a binary alloy including at least one of tin-indium including 45-60 wt. % tin, tin-zinc including 80-92 wt. % tin, tin-nickel including 95-99.9 wt. % tin, tin-copper including 95-99.9 wt. % tin, tin-silver including 90-98 wt. % tin, tin-aluminum including 95-99.9 wt. % tin, tin-arsenic including 95-99.9 wt. % tin, tin-gold including 80-95 wt. % tin, tin-cadmium including 60-70 wt. % tin, tin-dysprosium including 95-99 wt. % tin, tin-magnesium including 80-90 wt. % tin, tin-lead including 55-70 wt. % tin, tin-thallium including 50-65 wt. % tin, indium-bismuth including 60-70 wt. % indium, indium-zinc including 97-99 wt. % indium, indium-nickel including >

99 wt % indium, indium-copper including >

99 wt % indium, indium-silver including 95-99 wt. % indium, and indium-gold including >

99 wt % indium, indium-cadmium including 60-70 wt. % indium, and indium-gallium including 20-30 wt. % indium.

12. The solder material of claim 10, wherein the alloy has a deep eutectic and asymmetric liquidous slopes.

13. The solder material of claim 10, wherein the alloy comprises a ternary alloy including at least one of tin (Sn) and indium (In).

14. The solder material of claim 13, wherein the alloy further comprises two of bismuth (Bi), zinc (Zn), nickel (Ni), copper (Cu), and silver (Ag).

15. The solder material of claim 10, wherein the first temperature is at or above the melting temperature (T_m) of the alloy.

16. The solder material of claim 10, wherein the second temperature is at or below the glass transition temperature (Tg) of the alloy.

17. The solder material of claim 10, wherein the alloy takes the form of at least one of a liquid, a sphere, a pellet, a paste, a powder, a thick film, a thin film, a ribbon, a bar, and a flexible wire.

18. An article of manufacture, comprising:

a substrate;

a component; and

a bulk metallic glass solder material physically coupled to the substrate and the component.

19. The article of manufacture of claim 18, wherein the substrate is a printed circuit board.

20. The article of manufacture of claim 18, wherein the component is at least one of a surface mount component, a BGA component, and a through hole mount component.

21. The article of manufacture of claim 18, wherein the bulk metallic glass solder material comprises at least one of a binary alloy and a ternary alloy.

22. The article of manufacture of claim 18, wherein the bulk metallic glass solder material comprises an alloy including at least one of tin-indium including 45-60 wt. % tin, tin-zinc including 80-92 wt. % tin, tin-nickel including 95-99.9 wt. % tin, tin-copper including 95-99.9 wt. % tin, tin-silver including 90-98 wt. % tin, tin-aluminum including 95-99.9 wt. % tin, tin-arsenic including 95-99.9 wt. % tin, tin-gold including 80-95 wt. % tin, tin-cadmium including 60-70 wt. % tin, tin-dysprosium including 95-99 wt. % tin, tin-magnesium including 80-90 wt. % tin, tin-lead including 55-70 wt. % tin, tin-thallium including 50-65 wt. % tin, indium-bismuth including 60-70 wt. % indium, indium-zinc including 97-99 wt. % indium, indium-nickel including >

99 wt % indium, indium-copper including >

99 wt % indium, indium-silver including 95-99 wt. % indium, and indium-gold including >

99 wt % indium, indium-cadmium including 60-70 wt. % indium, and indium-gallium including 20-30 wt. % indium.

23. The article of manufacture of claim 18, wherein the bulk metallic glass solder material has a deep eutectic and asymmetric liquidous slopes.

24. An article of manufacture, comprising:

a first device;

a second device; and

a bulk metallic glass solder material disposed in substantial contact with the first device and the second device.

25. The article of manufacture of claim 24, wherein the first device comprises at least one of a semiconductor device or an integrated heat spreader.

26. The article of manufacture of claim 24, wherein the first device comprises a heat generating device.

27. The article of manufacture of claim 24, wherein the second device is a cooling device.

28. The article of manufacture of claim 27, wherein the cooling device comprises at least one of an integrated heat spreader, a heat sink, a thermoelectric cooler, a fan apparatus, a liquid cooling unit, a refrigeration unit and a multiphase cooling unit.

29. The article of manufacture of claim 24, wherein the bulk metallic glass solder material comprises an alloy including at least one of tin-indium including 45-60 wt. % tin, tin-zinc including 80-92 wt. % tin, tin-nickel including 95-99.9 wt. % tin, tin-copper including 95-99.9 wt. % tin, tin-silver including 90-98 wt. % tin, tin-aluminum including 95-99.9 wt. % tin, tin-arsenic including 95-99.9 wt. % tin, tin-gold including 80-95 wt. % tin, tin-cadmium including 60-70 wt. % tin, tin-dysprosium including 95-99 wt. % tin, tin-magnesium including 80-90 wt. % tin, tin-lead including 55-70 wt. % tin, tin-thallium including 50-65 wt. % tin, indium-bismuth including 60-70 wt. % indium, indium-zinc including 97-99 wt. % indium, indium-nickel including >

99 wt % indium, indium-copper including >

99 wt % indium, indium-silver including 95-99 wt. % indium, and indium-gold including >

99 wt % indium, indium-cadmium including 60-70 wt. % indium, and indium-gallium including 20-30 wt. % indium.

30. The article of manufacture of claim 24, wherein the bulk metallic glass solder material has a deep eutectic and asymmetric liquidous slopes.

31. The article of manufacture of claim 24, wherein the bulk metallic glass solder material comprises at least one of a binary alloy and a ternary alloy.