Please consider attending the following: MATERIALS ENGINEERING SEMINAR "Microstructural Evolution of Solder Due to Surface Finish Thickness" By Alyssa N. Yaeger Purdue MSE Ph.D. Preliminary Exam Advisors: Professors Carol A. Handwerker and John E. Blendell ABSTRACT With the drive toward lighter, thinner, and more capable electronics, smaller electronic components are always being created and used. However, this miniaturization of components leads to a miniaturization of solder joints as well, which can cause reliability concerns. Surface finishes such as Electroless Nickel Immersion Gold (ENIG) and Electroless Nickel Electroless Palladium Immersion Gold (ENEPIG) contain elements that form brittle intermetallic compounds (IMCs) with the tin in solder. A large volume percentage of these brittle IMCs leads to an inability to deal with environmental stresses, and poor reliability. These surface finishes have standardized thicknesses that have not changed as the average solder volume has decreased, leading to a larger percentage of plating elements present in the solder joint, and a larger volume fraction of IMCs. Annealing at temperatures near the melting point allows researchers to view the microstructural evolution of the solder at an accelerated rate, and can be crucial in determining the reliability of the solder joint over time. Date: Wednesday, December 13, 2017 Time: 8:30 A.M. Place: ARMS 1028