Shear Strength and Microstructure of Sn-3Ag-0.5Cu Solder Joints

Sn-Ag-Cu based solders have been studied extensively as they show great promise for use in electronics assembly and packaging industry as alternatives to Sn-Pb based solders. As a further test of the reliability of these solders, the shear strength of single lap shear Sn-Ag-Cu solder joints was investigated. The microstructures of the solder joints and the fracture surfaces were examined using SEM.