Silver nano-particles sintering process for the die-attach of power devices for high temperature applications

Die-attach layer is one of the most critical elements for high-temperature power electronics applications. The increase in operating temperature requires new materials with higher melting points and suitable thermo-mechanical properties. Among the possible solutions, sintering of Ag nano-scale particles is an interesting method, because it requires moderate (<300°C) process temperatures. The aim of this work is the implementation and experimental evaluation of nano-Ag sintering for the die-attach of semiconductor power devices, directly on Cu substrates. The experimental evaluation of the die-attach integrity will be performed using test vehicles and die-shear analysis tools. In this paper, processing methodology, analysis of some parameters that influence the process and die-shear results of nano-Ag sintered samples, will be presented.