New thick film conductor pastes on AlN for Pb-free solder

The aim of the investigation at IKTS was the development of a new conductor paste for Aluminum nitride ceramic substrates, which can be used for lead-free soldering and shows both good film characteristics and good cost-effectiveness. To characterize possible correlations between paste components, like alloying elements, inorganic binder, and film properties different analytical methods were carried out. Microscopy and FESEM were used to characterize surface properties. Adhesion (wire peel test) and solder leach resistance were determined to investigate soldering characteristics. The results show that an influence could be found for the metal alloy composition and for the components of the inorganic binder.