Transmission Electron Microscopy Characterization of Ni(V) Metallization Stressed Under High Current Density in Flip Chip Solder Joints

The Ni(V) under bump metallization (UBM) in flip chip solder joints is known to be consumed in a two-stage process during current stressing. The Ni(V) UBM transforms first to the “consumed Ni(V)” state. Then, this consumed Ni(V) transforms to a so-called porous structure. In this study, the details of the consumed Ni(V) and the porous structure were analyzed by transmission electron microscopy. Bright-field images showed that the consumed Ni(V) was a continuous layer without columnar structures and that the porous structure had many voids in the matrix. The compositional analyses showed that V atoms were immobile and trapped in the original Ni(V) layer. Cu and Sn atoms diffused into the original Ni(V) layer, and Ni atoms diffused outward. Selected-area diffraction patterns and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy of the porous structure showed that it was composed of an amorphous matrix with fine crystalline Cu6Sn5 and VSn2 phases.