Transient Liquid Phase Sintering (TLPS) joint soldering paste can operate under extreme thermal and mechanical loads where other formulations have failed -- soldering where no paste has soldered before.
Until now, the paste has been used to attach layers of semiconductor chips to metallic substrates. However, developers believe the paste could be useful in applications ranging from aviation, to hybrid electric vehicles.
According to University of Maryland Professor Patrick McCluskey, the paste can be processed at temperatures below 300°.
Joints formed by TLPS show limited voiding, low susceptibility to creep and high strength up to 600°C.
McCluskey explained, the paste could therefore be used in space exploration electronics and engine compartments of automobiles that require high temperatures to attach materials.
“It is an excellent solution for electronic interconnects used in high temperature environments and high power density applications,” McCluskey said.
“[The paste] can be applied to all metallization types that are common in electronic products [such as copper, nickel, tin, gold and silver].”
McCluskey points out flaws in alternative technologies:
· Low melting temperature of tin and bismuth-based solder alloys
· Tendency for zinc-based alloys to corrode and oxidize
· High processing temperatures and cost of gold-based alloys.
The paste suffers no similar drawbacks. However, McCluskey plans to experiment with and modify the composition and microstructure of the paste to discover more properties and applications.
“An interconnect technology that enables high operation temperatures, such as this innovation, will be needed more and more in the future to make electronics systems smaller, more efficient, and less expensive,” he said.
McCluskey is one of nine nominees for the University of Maryland Invention of the Year Award .
What immediate applications can you see for this paste? What industries do you think could benefit most? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.
Learn more about this invention and others at: research.umd.edu or www.otc.umd.edu .