Effect of antimony on vigorous interfacial reaction of Sn-Sb/Te couples

A vigorous reaction between molten Sn-Sb solder and Te substrate leads to a thick SnTe-Sn mixture layer at the soldered junction. The effect of Sb addition in Sn on the kinetics of Sn-Sb/Te interfacial reaction and formation of SnTe-Sn reaction layer is reported. Sb element was found to expedite the growth of SnTe-Sn reaction layer in the Sn-Sb/Te couples dramatically. With increasing Sb content in Sn-Sb solder, the growth rate of SnTe-Sn reaction layer increases while both the size of SnTe grains and the fraction of Sn in SnTe-Sn decrease. The thickness of SnTe-Sn layer follows a parabolic law with reaction time for Sn-Sb/Te couples, unlike the linear dependence with time for Sn/Te couples. An apparent diffusivity of 2 x 10(-7) cm(2)/s was determined for Sn transport through the SnTe-Sn layer in the Sn-Sb/Te couples reacting at 250 degrees C. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.