A test method involving simultaneous imposition of temperature cycles and strain on discrete solder joints in a shear orientation is presented. The stress, microstructure, and number of cycles to failure were monitored. Cycles to failure were determined by a continuous electrical detection method. Solder joints with composition 60Sn-40Pb and 40Sn-40In-20Pb were tested using the method at 20% shear strain. The 60Sn-40Pb alloy had a shorter fatigue lifetime than did 40Sn-40In-20Pb. This is attributed to heterogeneous coarsening that concentrates strain in a small area of the 60Sn-40Pb microstructure. In contrast the 40Sn-40In-20Pb microstructure becomes refined. The heterogeneous coarsening also results in cyclic softening in 60Sn-40Pb, which was not observed in 4Sn-40In-20Pb. Failures initiated within the coarsened band in 60Sn-40Pb at Sn-Sn grain boundaries or phase boundaries. In contrast, failures initiated at the surface of 40Sn-40In-20Pb joints and propagated through both phases of the microstructure.
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