Abstract
In order to develop light weight electrical components, the nano-sized lead free solders have been identified as potential materials to provide better mechanical properties as compared to the conventional solders. Sn–Ag–Cu (SAC) solders have been widely acknowledged as one of the most promising replacements for Sn-Pb solders. In our previous work, mechanical properties of single crystal SAC solder material were investigated through atomistic simulation studies. In this work, the mechanical properties of nanocrystalline SAC305 (nc-SAC305) (96.5Sn-3.0Ag-0.5Cu) solder have been investigated through molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. A set of modified embedded atom method (MEAM) potential parameters have been proposed for nc-SAC solder. Impact of grain size, strain rate and temperature on the uniaxial tensile properties have been studied. The results have revealed an inverse Hall-Petch relationship in the nc-SAC305 material, and grain boundary decohesion is observed as the dominating failure mechanism. The results also suggest that the ultimate tensile strength of SAC305 significantly increases with increasing strain rate. Moreover, increased ductility and decreased ultimate tensile strength are observed at elevated temperatures.
