Development, characterization and interface analysis of interconnections based on an isothermal solidification process

A new technology for fabrication of joints by controlled growth of intermetallic phases has been presented. The joints are fabricated at temperatures and times which are similar to the conventional soldering process. In contrast to conventional solder joints, the novel joints feature advantageous intrinsic properties of intermetallic phases, namely high thermal and mechanical stability. Fabrication of joints using this technique and correlation of the above characteristics with the morphology of joints is described. The developed technique is environmentally beneficial since only a small amount of nontoxic material is used to form the joints. In addition, this technique avoids the use of flux and hence harmful solvents like chlorofluorocarbons for cleaning, minimising health hazards.