Abstract
Sn−5wt.%Sb alloy is used for the soldering of ceramic devices. Reaction couples, dissolution, and differential scanning calorimetry experiments are conducted to examine the interfacial reactions and dissolution of Ag substrates with the molten Sn−5wt.%Sb solder. One intermetallic compound, Ag3Sn, is formed at 260°C at the Sn−5wt.%Sb/Ag contact. With the intake of Ag from the substrate, the binary Sn−5wt.%Sb alloy becomes a ternary (Sn−5wt.%Sb)100−xAgx melt. It is found that a small amount of Ag addition significantly lowers the melting point of the Sn−5wt.%Sb alloy. This phenomenon is illustrated with the (Sn−5wt.%Sb)100−xAgx isoplethal section.