Microstructure and mechanical properties of Si3N4/Cu joints brazed using CuSnTi and In-alloyed CuSnTi active brazing fillers in vacuum
摘要
Si3N4-based copper-clad laminates (CCLs) possess outstanding insulation, thermal conductivity and thermal shock resistance, with wide applications in electronic devices. Nevertheless, Si3N4/Cu joints suffer from large residual stress and high fabrication cost, and heat accumulation easily induces module failure under high chip power density. Herein, low-cost CuSnTi filler was adopted to braze Si3N4 ceramic and Cu, and the influence of brazing temperature on interfacial microstructure and mechanical performance was investigated. The CuSnTi filler exhibits good wettability on Si3N4, and the joint interfacial structure is Si3N4/TiN + CuTi + Ti5Si3 + CuTi2 + Sn3Ti5 + Cu(s, s)/Cu. With temperature rising from 850 to 1000 °C, joint peel strength increases steadily and peaks at 33.63 N/mm at 1000 °C, owing to the thickened TiN layer and residual stress relaxation of Ti5Si3. To lower the brazing temperature, 10 wt.% In was added into CuSnTi to fabricate composite filler. The optimized temperature drops to 850 °C while peel strength remains 25.55 N/mm. In dissolves in Cu matrix to reduce melting point and improve filler fluidity, and the interfacial microstructure is well maintained. This work provides a low-cost, low-temperature and silver-free brazing route for Si3N4-based CCLs with promising engineering application value.