Reliability Assessment of Sinter and Solder Interconnections at Power Module-Heatsink Level

Abstract:
This paper delves into the critical role that power devices to heatsink interconnect material have for guaranteeing performance and reliability after successful connection. Therefore, a comparison between the performance and reliability of nanomaterial-based pressure assisted sinter technology against high-performance flux-less solder alloys was done. The assessment tests included Power Cycling Tests and Thermal Cycling Tests according to ECPE Automotive Qualification Guideline AQG324. Additionally, a comparison on how the results from these two tests match each other was done. Lastly, failure analysis through a combination of Confocal Scanning Acoustic Microscopy (C-SAM), optical observation, and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) was performed.