Reliability of sintered Ag80-Al20 die attach nanopaste for high temperature applications on SiC power devices
Abstract The aim of this research work is to present a reliability analysis on the suitability of the Ag 80 –Al 20 sintered die attach nanopaste for high temperature applications on SiC power devices. Die back metallization studies pointed out that Ag and Au would be suitable candidates to form a strong bond between the SiC die and Ag 80 –Al 20 die attach for high temperature operations. The post-sintered Ag 80 –Al 20 die attach revealed a low modulus of elasticity at 9.8 GPa due to the formation of micro-pores during sintering. This also influenced the hardness and stiffness as well at 0.49 GPa and 30354.14 N/m, respectively. The electrical conductivity of the Ag 80 –Al 20 die attach material decreased slightly with increasing thermal aging repetitions. As the die attach material aged, it seemed to undergo a reduction in electrical performance, though as shown earlier the structure was still intact. This decomposition was suggested to occur due to the organic–metallic system’s composition itself, and the volatility of the residue organics.