Effects on the microstructure and mechanical properties of Sn-0.7Cu lead-free solder with the addition of a small amount of magnesium

Abstract The influence of a small amount of magnesium (only 0.01 wt.%) added to the Sn-0.7Cu solder alloy during the aging process of microstructural evolution is studied along with the mechanical properties of the alloy. The experimental results indicate that the addition of magnesium decreases the tensile strength of the solders but improves their elongation. The solidification structure of eutectic Sn-0.7Cu consists of β-Sn, and the eutectic structure, which has extremely fine intermetallic nodules, Cu ₆ Sn ₅ , is located in the interdendritic region. When the magnesium is added to the Sn-0.7Cu alloy, the Sn dendrites become slightly coarser; in comparison, the melting point of the Sn-0.7Cu-0.01Mg alloy decreased by 2°C for the differential scanning calorimetry results of bulk alloy samples. Sn-0.7Cu-0.01Mg exhibits the lowest contact angles and the widest spreading areas. After aging, the Sn-0.7Cu and Sn-0.7Cu-0.01Mg solders show significant changes in strength, mainly because of the obvious increase in the thickness of the Cu ₆ Sn ₅ intermetallic layer.