A lead-free Sn-3.5Ag solder was prepared by rapid solidification technology. The high solidification rate, obtained by rapid cooling, promotes nucleation, and suppresses the growth of Ag3Sn intermetallic compounds （IMCs） in Ag-rich zone, yielding fine Ag3Sn nanoparticulates with spherical morphology in the matrix of the solder. The large amount of tough homogeneously-dispersed IMCs helps to improve the surface area per unit volume and obstructs the dislocation lines passing through the solder, which fits with the dispersion-strengthening theory. Hence, the rapidly-solidified Sn-3.5Ag solder exhibits a higher rnicrohardness when compared with a slowly-solidified Sn-3.5Ag solder.
An experimental study on the microstructures of a rapid directionally solidified metallo-eutectic Sn-Cu alloy was carried out. This material is an important alloy that is used as a lead-free solder. The results showed that the kinetic undercooling due to the rapid solidification process led to the formation of a pseudoeutectic zone, whereas the hypereutectic reaction produced the regular lamellar structure in the hypereutectic Sn-1.0Cu alloy. The corresponding arm spacing in the obtained lamellar phases decreased gradually with the increase of the applied cooling rate, which corresponded well with the prediction of a rapid directional solidification model.
