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Publication Type: search.filters.UBSTyp.DissertationInstitute: search.filters.UBSInstitut.Max-Planck-Institut für Intelligente SystemeInstitute: search.filters.UBSInstitut.Sonstige Einrichtung

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    ItemOpen Access
    Whisker formation on Sn thin films
    (2010) Sobiech, Matthias Lukas; Mittemeijer, Eric Jan (Prof. Dr. Ir.)
    The system Sn on Cu will usually be applied for interconnection of modern electronic systems, i.e. for mechanical, thermal and electrical “integration” of electronic components (e.g. composed of Cu) on rigid substrates (i.e. printed circuit boards) by (e.g. Sn) solder-joint technology. Nowadays Sn is the material of choice for this purpose because the up to now commonly and successfully used SnPb alloys for soldering and coating applications are prohibited by law since 1st July 2006 due to environmental concerns (Pb-free and “green” legislation). However, it is well known since nearly 60 years that pure Sn thin films deposited on Cu substrates are very prone to spontaneous formation of needle-like Sn single-crystals, called whiskers, during ageing at room temperature. Such filamentary Sn whiskers exhibiting growth rates of about 1 Å/sec constitute an issue of great technological relevance for Sn coated leadframe legs of modern microelectronic devices because whisker-induced short-circuit failures of various electronic devices have resulted in enormous financial damage including breakdowns of satellites, computer centres and military and medical devices. Unfortunately, profound knowledge on this controversially discussed phenomenon of whisker-growth is still lacking. Therefore, particularly in recent years, the electronic industry promotes scientific activities to arrive at fundamental understanding of Sn whisker formation in order to implement industrially reliable (accelerated) whisker tests and/or mitigation strategies. Against the above background, the present thesis focuses in particular on revealing the driving force for Sn whiskering in the system Sn on Cu during room temperature ageing and thus to devise a coherent understanding of the processes leading to the formation and growth of Sn whiskers. The obtained fundamental interrelations of microstructural evolution, phase formation, residual stress development and the associated whiskering of Sn thin films electro- and sputter-deposited on Cu as well as of SnPb thin films electrodeposited on Cu during ageing at room temperature have lead to a qualitative understanding of whisker growth in terms of localized Coble-creep. On this basis, whisker mitigation strategies can be proposed.
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    ItemOpen Access
    X-ray investigation of Nb/O interfaces
    (2008) Delheusy, Mélissa; Dosch, Helmut (Prof. Dr.)
    X-ray free electron lasers and the future International Linear Collider project are based on the performance of niobium superconducting rf cavities for efficient particle acceleration. A remarkable increase of the rf accelerating field is usually achieved by low-temperature annealing of the cavities (T<150°C, several hours). The microscopic origin of this effect has remained unclear; however, it has been argued that a redistribution of subsurface interstitial oxygen into niobium is involved. In this study, the near surface structure of oxidized niobium single crystals and its evolution upon vacuum annealing has been studied by means of non-destructive in-situ surface sensitive x-ray techniques: x-ray reflectivity (XRR), grazing incidence x-ray diffraction (GIXD), diffuse scattering (GIDXS), crystal truncation rods measurements (CTRs), and high-resolution core-level spectroscopy (HRCLS). A first insight into the interplay between the oxide formation/dissolution and the occurrence of subsurface interstitial oxygen has been given. The natural oxide on Nb(110) and Nb(100) surfaces is constituted of Nb2O5, NbO2 and NbO, from the surface to the interface. It reduces progressively upon heating from Nb2O5 to NbO2 at low temperatures, and to NbO at 300°C. The Nb(110)/NbO(111) interface presents a Nishiyma-Wassermann epitaxial orientation relationship. The depth-distribution of interstitial oxygen is established indicating that most of the oxygen is located in the direct vicinity of the oxide/niobium interface. No evidence of oxygen depletion below the oxide layer is observed for the low temperature thermal treatments and surface preparations investigated in this study.