A thermodynamics based damage mechanics constitutive model for low cycle fatigue analysis of microelectronics solder joints incorporating size effects

Below certain length scales and in the presence of a non-uniform plastic strain field the mechanical behavior of many metals and its alloys is substantially different from that in bulk specimens. In particular, an increase in resistance with decreasing size has been observed in Pb/Sn eutectic solder alloys which are extensively used in microelectronics packaging interconnects. Due to the high homologous temperature, the Pb/Sn solder exhibits creep–fatigue interaction and significant time, temperature, stress and rate dependent material characteristics. The simultaneous consideration of all the above mentioned factors makes constitutive modeling an extremely difficult task. In this paper, a viscoplastic constitutive model unified with a thermodynamics based damage evolution model is embedded into a couple stress framework in order to simulate low cycle fatigue response coupled to size effects. The model is implemented into commercial finite element code ABAQUS. The microbending experiment on thin nickel foils is used to validate the model. Analyses are performed on a thin layer solder joint in bending under cyclic loading conditions.     

The indenter tip radius effect in micro- and nanoindentation hardness experiments.

Nix and Gao established an important relation between the microindentation hardness and indentation depth. Such a relation has been verified by many microindentation experiments (indentation depths in the micrometer range), but it does not always hold in nanoindentation experiments (indentation depths approaching the nanometer range). Indenter tip radius effect has been proposed by Qu et al. and others as possibly the main factor that causes the deviation from Nix and Gao's relationship. We have developed an indentation model for micro- and nanoindentation, which accounts for two indenter shapes, a sharp, conical indenter and a conical indenter with a spherical tip. The analysis is based on the conventional theory of mechanism-based strain gradient plasticity established from the Taylor dislocation model to account for the effect of geometrically necessary dislocations. The comparison between numerical result and Feng and Nix's experimental data shows that the indenter tip radius effect indeed causes the deviation from Nix-Gao relation, but it seems not be the main factor. The project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (10121202) and the Ministry of Education of China (20020003023)     

Extraction of Mechanical Properties with Second Harmonic Detection for Dynamic Nanoindentation Testing

In this article, a new method based on the detection of the second harmonic of the displacement signal to determine mechanical properties of materials from dynamic nanoindentation testing, is presented. With this technique, the Young’s modulus and hardness of homogeneous materials can be obtained at small penetration depths from the measurement of the second harmonic amplitude. With this innovative method, the measurement of the normal displacement is indirectly used, avoiding the need for very precise contact detection. Moreover, the influence of the tip defect and thermal drift on the measurements are reduced. This method was used for dynamic nanoindentation tests performed on fused silica and on an amorphous polymer (PMMA) because these materials are supposed not to exhibit an indentation size effect at small penetration depths. The amplitude of the second harmonic of the displacement signal was correctly measured at small depths, allowing to calculate the Young’s modulus and the hardness of the tested materials. The mechanical properties calculated with this method are in good agreement with values obtained from classical nanoindentation tests.     

Phase field dependent viscoplastic behaviour of solder alloys

A phase field model is presented to describe the mechanical behaviour of microstructure dependent materials, which is demonstrated by applying it to eutectic tin–lead solder. This solder material is known to be heavily influenced by its continuously evolving microstructure. For the constitutive behaviour of the different phases the elasto-viscoplastic Perzyna model has been used. It is coupled to the phase field model through the constitutive parameters which are taken dependent on the mass fraction field resulting from the solution of the phase field equations.     

Finite element study for conical indentation of elastoplastic micropolar material

Numerous experiments have repetitively shown that the material behavior presents effective size dependent mechanical properties at scales of microns or submicrons. In this paper, the size dependent behavior of micropolar theory under conical indentation is studied for different indentation depths and micropolar material parameters. To illustrate the effectiveness of the micropolar theory in predicting the indentation size effect (ISE), an axisymmetric finite element model has been developed for elastoplastic contact analysis of the micropolar materials based on the parametric virtual principle. It is shown that the micropolar parameters contribute to describe the characteristic of ISE at different scales, where the material length scale regulates the rate of hardness change at large indentation depth and the value of micropolar shear module restrains the upper limit of hardness at low indentation depth. The simulation results showed that the indentation loads increase as the result of increased material length scale at any indentation depth, however, the rate of increase is higher for lower indentation depth, relative to conventional continuum. The numerical results are presented for perfectly sharp and rounded tip conical indentations of magnesium oxide and compared with the experimental data for hardness coming from the open literature. It is shown that the satisfactory agreement between the experimental data and the numerical results is obtained, and the better correlation is achieved for the rounded tip indentation compared to the sharp indentation.     

Numerical and experimental indentation tests considering size effects

A series of nanoindentation experiments with maximum depths varying from 1200 to 2500 nm were conducted to study indentation size effects on copper, aluminium alloy and nickel. As expected, results from classical plasticity simulation deviate significantly from experimental data for indentation at micron and submicron levels. C⁰ continuity finite element analysis incorporating the conventional theory of mechanism-based strain-gradient (CMSG) plasticity has been carried out to simulate spherical and Berkovich indentation tests at micron level where size effect is observed. The results from both numerical and actual spherical and Berkovich indentation tests demonstrate that materials are significantly strengthened for deformation at this level and the proposed approach is able to provide reasonably accurate results.     

Computational modeling of phase separation and coarsening in solder alloys

Solders represent highly versatile and useful materials. They provide a broad range of technical applications such as soldering in automotive processing, microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) and solar panels. Due to the fascinating variety of microstructural changes solder materials underlie, their micromorphological dynamics have been extensively studied in the past decades by experimental, analytical and numerical approaches. The evolved microstructure exerts a significant effect, in particular, in very small components such as solder joints in microelectronic packages. In order to capture the essence of the microstructural evolution in solder alloys with a diffusion theory of heterogeneous solid mixtures we employ an extended Cahn–Hilliard phase-field model. In our contribution we introduce different numerical schemes to treat Cahn–Hilliard equation. Here we focus on the innovative isogeometric finite element approach and outline its considerable benefits in comparison to the other methods. To this end we present numerical simulations of phase decomposition and coarsening controlled by diffusion for eutectic binary solders Sn–Pb and Ag–Cu illustrating the versatility of this approach. A concluding computational study of a three-dimensional phase separation event within a solder ball geometry will corroborate the quality of our model.     

Analytical and experimental determination of the material intrinsic length scale of strain gradient plasticity theory from micro- and nano-indentation experiments

The enhanced gradient plasticity theories formulate a constitutive framework on the continuum level that is used to bridge the gap between the micromechanical plasticity and the classical continuum plasticity. They are successful in explaining the size effects encountered in many micro- and nano-advanced technologies due to the incorporation of an intrinsic material length parameter into the constitutive modeling. However, the full utility of the gradient-type theories hinges on one's ability to determine the intrinsic material length that scales with strain gradients, and this study aims at addressing and remedying this situation. Based on the Taylor's hardening law, a micromechanical model that assesses a nonlinear coupling between the statistically stored dislocations (SSDs) and geometrically necessary dislocations (GNDs) is used here in order to derive an analytical form for the deformation-gradient-related intrinsic length-scale parameter in terms of measurable microstructural physical parameters. This work also presents a method for identifying the length-scale parameter from micro- and nano-indentation experiments using both spherical and pyramidal indenters. The deviation of the Nix and Gao [Mech. Phys. Solids 46 (1998) 411] and Swadener et al. [J. Mech. Phys. Solids 50 (2002) 681; Scr. Mater. 47 (2002) 343] indentation size effect (ISE) models’ predictions from hardness results at small depths for the case of conical indenters and at small diameters for the case of spherical indenters, respectively, is largely corrected by incorporating an interaction coefficient that compensates for the proper coupling between the SSDs and GNDs during indentation. Experimental results are also presented which show that the ISE for pyramidal and spherical indenters can be correlated successfully by using the proposed model.     

纳米压痕仪接触投影面积标定方法的研究

基于Oliver与Pharr方法的纳米压痕实验以其简单方便获得广泛的应用，但众多因素对压 痕实验结果的影响范围并无明确的结论. 其中压痕接触面积的确定是一个重要环节，该因素 对实验结果，特别是小深度下的实验结果具有重要影响. 仔细分析了Oliver与Pharr 方法并进行了几种材料的纳米压痕实验，针对该方法在接触深度确定、不同深度范围下方法 的适用性进行了说明. 分析结果表明，对所有的材料使用统一的面积公式，只有在大压痕深 度时才是适用的，而在小压痕深度时可能带来较大的误差. 因此，应慎重使用由Oliver与 Pharr方法得到的小压痕深度的硬度数据.     

SnPb钎料合金的粘塑性Anand本构方程

采用统一型粘塑性本构 Anand方程描述了电子封装焊点 Sn Pb钎料合金的非弹性变形行为 ,基于 Sn Pb 合金的弹塑性蠕变本构方程和实验数据 ,确定了6 2 Sn36 Pb2 Ag、6 0 Sn40 Pb、96 .5 Sn3.5 Ag和 97.5 Pb2 .5 Sn四种钎料合金 Anand方程的材料参数 ,验证了粘塑性 Anand本构方程对 Sn Pb合金在恒应变速率和稳态塑性流动条件下应力应变行为的预测能力。结果表明 ,Anand方程能有效描述 Sn Pb钎料的粘塑性本构行为 ,并可应用于电子封装 Sn Pb焊点的可靠性模拟和失效分析     

The Influence of Indenter Tip Imperfection and Deformability on Analysing Instrumented Indentation Tests at Shallow Depths of Penetration on Stiff and Hard Materials

We report on the difficulties of extracting plastic parameters from constitutive equations derived by instrumented indentation tests on hard and stiff materials at shallow depths of penetration. As a general rule, we refer here to materials with an elastic stiffness more than 10 % of that of the indenter and a yield strain higher than 1 %, as well as to penetration depths less than ～ 5 times the characteristic tip defect length of the indenter. We experimentally tested such a material (an amorphous alloy) by nanoindentation. To describe the mechanical response of the test, namely the force-displacement curve, it is necessary to consider the combined effects of indenter tip imperfections and indenter deformability. For this purpose, an identification procedure has been carried out by performing numerical simulations (using Finite Element Analysis) with constitutive equations that are known to satisfactorily describe the behaviour of the tested material. We propose a straightforward procedure to address indenter tip imperfection and deformability, which consists of firstly taking account of a deformable indenter in the numerical simulations. This procedure also involves modifying the experimental curve by considering a truncated length to create artificially the material’s response to a perfectly sharp indentation. The truncated length is determined directly from the loading part of the force-displacement curve. We also show that ignoring one or both of these issues results in large errors in the plastic parameters extracted from the data.     

纳米压痕过程的三维有限元数值试验研究

采用有限元方法模拟了纳米压痕仪的加、卸载过程，三维有限元模型考虑了纳米压痕仪的标准Berkovich压头．介绍了有限元模型的几何参数、边界条件、材料特性与加载方式，讨论了摩擦、滑动机制、试件模型的大小对计算结果的影响，进行了计算结果与标准试样实验结果的比较，证实了模拟的可靠性．在此基础上，重点研究了压头尖端曲率半径对纳米压痕实验数据的影响．对比分析了尖端曲率半径r＝0与r＝100nm两种压头的材料压痕载荷—位移曲线．结果表明，当压头尖端曲率半径r≠0时，基于经典的均匀连续介质力学本构理论、传统的实验手段与数据处理方法，压痕硬度值会随着压痕深度的减小而升高．     

Creep characterization of transversely-isotropic metallic materials

A constitutive equation for modelling secondary creep in directionally-solidified eutectic alloys is proposed, based on a generalization of the Bailey-Norton law to transversely-isotropic materials. In addition to the power-law index, it is found that three material parameters are required to characterize secondary-creep behaviour and their experimental determination is discussed. The theory is compared with creep data obtained on a Co-Cr-C eutectic alloy.     

The Nano-Jackhammer effect in probing near-surface mechanical properties

Because of its ease of implementation and insensitivity to indenter drift, dynamic indentation techniques have been frequently used to measure mechanical properties of bulk and thin film materials as a function of indenter displacement. However, the actual effect of the oscillating tip on the material response has not been examined. Recently, it has been shown that the oscillation used with dynamic indentation techniques alters the measured hardness value of ductile metallic materials, especially at depths less than 200 nm. The alteration in the hardness is due to the added energy associated with the oscillation which assists dislocation nucleation. Atomistic simulations on nickel thin films agree with experiments that more dislocations are nucleated during dynamic indents than with quasi-static indents. Through the analysis of quasi-static and dynamic indents made into nickel single crystals and thin films, a theory to describe this phenomenon is presented. This is coined the Nano-Jackhammer effect, a combination of dislocation nucleation and strain rate sensitivity caused by indentation with a superimposed dynamic oscillation.     

基于微纳米压入法提取无铅焊料合金弹塑性力学参数的研究

本文通过微纳米压入法结合数值模拟研究了无铅焊料合金SnAg3.5 的弹塑性力学性能，分别采用圆柱形压头及两种不同锥角压头对无铅焊料合金进行压入测试：基于圆柱形压头测试过程中接触面积恒定的特点得到了无铅焊料的弹性模量，进一步采用塑性应变梯度理论对两种锥角压头的测试结果予以修正并通过数值模拟反分析得到相应的特征应力值，同时基于压入特征塑性应变与压头锥角的关系式得到两种不同锥角压头下的特征应变值，在此基础上经求解方程组得到焊料合金的初始屈服应力与应变强化因子，进而得到了焊料合金的幂强化弹塑性本构关系．该方法剔除了压入尺度效应的影响并保证了所得本构关系的唯一性，给出了一种通过原位压入测试表征金属材料弹塑性力学性能的有效方法．     

Comparative simulation study of the structure of the plastic zone produced by nanoindentation

Using molecular-dynamics simulation, we study nanoindentation in fcc (Cu and Al) and bcc (Fe and Ta) metals by a spherical indenter and investigate the size of the plastic zone generated. We find that while it does not strongly depend on crystal structure, surface orientation, and indentation parameters, the extent of the plastic zone is substantially larger before the retraction of the indenter. After retraction, the results are in good agreement with available published data. Plasticity develops by the generation, propagation and reaction of dislocations; they fall into two groups, those that adhere to the indentation pit, and those that have been emitted either into the substrate interior or glide along the surface. The total length of the dislocation network generated roughly follows available geometrical estimates; results for individual surface orientations may, however, differ quite strongly. The radial distribution of the dislocations attached to the indentation pit is computed; as a rule it shows a maximum at some depth below the indentation pit.     

Sample boundary effect in nanoindentation of nano and microscale surface structures

Nanoindentation is a widely used technique to characterize mechanical properties of materials in small volumes. When the sample size is comparable to the indent size, the indentation-induced plastic zone can be affected by the sample boundary which may cause inaccurate interpretation of the mechanical properties. In this study, the sample boundary effect is investigated by performing experiments and atomistic simulations of nanoindentation into nano- and micro-scale Au pillars and bulk Au (0 0 1) surfaces. In experiments, a more compliant deformation is observed in pillar indentations compared to bulk Au. The elastic modulus decreases with increasing indent size over sample size ratio. Atomistic simulations are performed to gain insights on the mechanisms of pillar deformation and pillar boundary effect. The reduced modulus has a similar trend of decrease with increasing indent size over sample size ratio. Significantly different dislocation activities and dislocation interactions with the pillar boundary contribute to the lower value of the reduced modulus in the pillar indentation. The presence of the free surface would allow the dislocations to annihilate, causing a higher plastic recovery during the pillar unloading process.     

Finite Element Simulation of Hot Nanoindentation in Vacuum

A finite element model is developed to investigate technical issues associated with hot nanoindentation measurements in vacuum, e.g. thermal expansion-induced drift and temperature variations at the contact region between the cold indenter tip and hot specimen. With heat conduction properly accounted for, the model is able to reasonably reproduce experimental indentation measurements on fused silica and copper—two materials with significantly different thermal and mechanical properties—at several temperatures. Temperature and loading rate effects on thermal drift are established using this model and an analytical expression for predicting thermal drift is numerically calibrated. The model also captures details of the indentation process that are not directly accessible experimentally, and reaffirms the need for operational refinements in order to acquire high temperature indentation data of high quality, especially in a vacuum environment. Such information can guide experiments aimed at understanding thermally-activated phenomena in materials.     

纳米压痕法测磁控溅射铝薄膜屈服应力

为了在考虑残余应力下测量出磁控溅射铝薄膜的屈服应力,提出了一种实验测量方法,通过曲率测试法和球形压头纳米压痕法测出磁控溅射铝薄膜的屈服应力．建立球形压痕力学模型,并用ANSYS对球形压痕进行力学有限元仿真,利用直流磁控溅射技术在硅基上淀积一层1 μm厚的铝薄膜,首先通过曲率测试法测量膜内等双轴残余应力,再利用最小二乘曲线拟合法从薄膜/基底系统的球形压头纳米压痕实验数据中提取出铝薄膜的屈服应力,测得磁控溅射铝薄膜的屈服应力为371 MPa．该方法也可以用来研究其他材料的薄膜和小体积材料的力学特性．     

Atomistic simulations of elastic deformation and dislocation nucleation during nanoindentation

Nanoindentation experiments have shown that microstructural inhomogeneities across the surface of gold thin films lead to position-dependent nanoindentation behavior [Phys. Rev. B (2002), to be submitted]. The rationale for such behavior was based on the availability of dislocation sources at the grain boundary for initiating plasticity. In order to verify or refute this theory, a computational approach has been pursued. Here, a simulation study of the initial stages of indentation using the embedded atom method (EAM) is presented. First, the principles of the EAM are given, and a comparison is made between atomistic simulations and continuum models for elastic deformation. Then, the mechanism of dislocation nucleation in single crystalline gold is analyzed, and the effects of elastic anisotropy are considered. Finally, a systematic study of the indentation response in the proximity of a high angle, high sigma (low symmetry) grain boundary is presented; indentation behavior is simulated for varying indenter positions relative to the boundary. The results indicate that high angle grain boundaries are a ready source of dislocations in indentation-induced deformation.