SBIR Phase II: Lead-Free Solder Process

This Small Business Innovation Research Project (SBIR) Phase II project will advance the development of an electrochemical process, addressing the need for elimination of the use of lead-based finishes and solders in the printed circuit board, electronics packaging and semiconductor industries. This technology utilizes pulsed electrolysis to deposit a lead-free tin solder with the desired grain size, matte finish and control of internal stresses, to avoid whisker growth which can lead to component failure. The Phase II objectives/research tasks include: 1) pilot-scale facilities design and modification for electro-deposition of lead-free solder onto full size printed circuit boards and wafers, 2) demonstration and optimization of the process to deposit lead-free solder for chip and wafer scale packaging, 3) development of analysis methods to characterize deposit properties and evaluate the correlations between the process and deposit properties, 4) demonstration of qualification and reliability tests for tin whisker evaluation and characterization of corresponding acceleration factors, and 5) comparison of the data to that obtained by other alternatives lead-free materials, e.g. tin-silver. The anticipated results of the Phase II program are a marketable manufacturing process/manufacturing tool in the form of an electrochemical module incorporating the lead-free process. Commercially the project addresses the needs of the printed circuit board and semiconductor industry, to minimize chemical waste and environmental impact and at the same time increase cost-effectiveness.