Effect of SiC reinforcement on the reliability of Ag nanoparticle paste for high-temperature applications

Ag nanoparticle (NP) paste is considered to be a next-generation thermal interface material. However, its sintered microstructure is at risk of volume shrinkage and mechanical property degradation under harsh environments. In this work, silicon carbide (SiC) NPs were mixed with Ag NP paste to improve the stability and reliability of sintered Ag joints. Robust joints were prepared by a rapid thermal compression method at 275 °C for 20 s. Although the addition of SiC NPs degraded the initial shear strengths of these joints, the SiC-containing joints exhibited excellent mechanical properties and microstructural stability during thermal shock tests from − 50 to 150 °C for up to 1000 cycles. When the added amount of SiC NPs was 2%, the joints achieved the highest shear strength of 87.1 MPa (after 1000 cycles). In addition, the shear strengths of the joints were investigated at 250 °C. The addition of SiC NPs is believed to enhance the reliability of joints at high temperature.