Solderability preservation through the use of organic inhibitors

摘要

Organic inhibitors can be used to prevent corrosion of metals and have application in the electronics industry as solderability preservatives. We have developed a model to describe the action of two inhibitors (benzotriazole and imidazole) during the environmental aging and soldering process. The inhibitors bond with the metal surface and form a barrier that prevents or retards oxidation. At soldering temperatures, the metal-organic complex breaks down leaving an oxide-free metal surface that allows excellent wetting by molten solder. The presence of the inhibitor retards the wetting rate relative to clean copper, but provides a vast improvement relative to oxidized copper.