Characterization of hermetic wafer-level Cu-Sn SLID bonding

A flux-less copper-tin (Cu-Sn) solid-liquid inter-diffusion (SLID) bonding process, providing a cost-effective hermetic vacuum sealing at wafer-level, has been investigated. Observations have been made indicating that the storage time of Cu-Sn plated wafers before bonding is critical with regard to voiding. Growth of the intermediately formed intermetallic compound (IMC), Cu
6
Sn
5
, was investigated as a possible cause. Room temperature aging of Cu-Sn plated wafers prior to bonding was performed as well as annealing of un-bonded Cu-Sn plated wafers. The presence of large Cu
6
Sn
5
and Cu
3
Sn crystallites which nearly depleted the Sn was observed by optical microscopy after annealing. If large Cu
6
Sn
5
grains from opposite contact planes meet at the bond interface, voids are predicted to be formed during the subsequent stages of liquid inter-diffusion and solidification. Implications on the Cu-Sn bonding strategy based on the results are presented.