Epoxy Polymer Solder Pastes for Micro-Electronic Packaging Applications

Epoxy solder pastes are widely used in microelectronic packaging for joining die, interconnects, screen displays and as a heat dissipaters. Due to their simplicity and high reliability in chip or package bonding, epoxy solder pastes have been recently paid great attention as a competitive bonding material. The epoxy-based pastes are composed of conducting fillers (solder powder, metallic particles) mixed with epoxy polymer. The bonded joint is robust and has a higher strength after the curing of the epoxy polymer during joining. The inclusion of epoxy as a matrix also alleviate the problem of short-circuiting caused by metallic whisker formation. In view of these advantages, epoxy solder is highly attractive amongst electronic packages and in automotive cars. In this review, we have summarized the background and recent developments in the field of epoxy- based solder pastes for electronic and automotive interconnection. Further improvements to improve this technology is also discussed in detail. Key words: Epoxy, Solder paste, Joining, Fillers, Percolation, Automotive, Electronics