Effect of Annealing Temperature on the Surface Properties of Copper‐Based Leadframe

Abstract

Microelectronics packaging has been widely explored by researchers since the application is critical in the electronics industry. One of the crucial products related to this issue is copper‐based leadframe. Most electronic manufacturers prefer to use copper because of its characteristics which are good conductivity, resistivity and low cost. However, copper materials have a high tendency to oxidise when exposed to high temperatures. This research is focused on the effect of annealed temperature on copper leadframes. The surface and mechanical properties of copper leadframes with different annealing temperatures were investigated using atomic force microscopy (AFM) and nanoindentation. Surface morphology and roughness were characterised using AFM, while the mechanical properties of the surface structure were investigated using nanoindentation. The obtained results showed that the surface roughness changes were directly proportional with increases in temperature. The RMS increases with increases in temperature. The hardness and elastic modulus of the annealed temperature showed a positive increment compared to the control sample. However, when it achieved a certain temperature, the hardness and elastic modulus went down. This might be due to the voids formation at high temperatures or the softening effect of the material.