Editorial Team - PCB Directory
May 18, 2021
Eutectic solder is a type of solder that melts and solidifies at one single temperature. For example, Tin 63% / lead 37 % that melts and freezes at 183°C (see figure below). Most solder starts to soften at a certain temperature and only fully melts at a higher temperature. For instance, the Sn96.5Ag3Cu0.5 solder starts to melt at 219°C (426.2°F), but only reaches its full liquid state at 221°C (429.8°F).
So any solder alloy that melts and solidifies at one single temperature is called Eutectic solder. When we change the composition from Tin 63% / Lead 37% to Tin 60% / lead 40%, then the melting point becomes a melting range. The solder alloy having a melting range is known as non-eutectic solder.
What is the advantage of Eutectic Solder?
Since Eutectic solder melts and solidifies at a specific temperature, it is better for the solder reflow process than non-eutectic solder. It speeds up the solder reflow process which results in a faster PCB assembly process and a higher throughput which in turn lowers the effective cost of PCBs.
Other advantages include:
A list of a few Eutectic Solder materials can be seen in the table below.
Lead-free Eutectic Solder Composition
Solder Alloy composition
(% weight)
Composition
Melting Temperature
Notes
95.6Sn3.5Ag0.9Cu
Tin-Silver-copper
217°C
True eutectic determined by National Institutes of standards and Technology (NIST)
95.5Sn3.9Ag0.6Cu
Tin-Silver-Copper
US NEMI consortium recommends this solder for reflow soldering. Used in BGA balls.
95.5Sn4Ag0.5Cu
Specifically designed to replace the lead solders in copper and stainless steel plumbing.
97In3Ag
Indium –Silver
143 °C
Used in photonics device and cryogenic applications
65Sn25Ag10Sb
Tin-Silver- Antimony
233°C
Very high strength. Used for die attachment
95Zn5Al
Zinc - Aluminium
382°C
Used for Soldering aluminium.
91Sn9Zn
Tin – Zinc
199°C
Specifically used in Aluminium to Aluminium and Aluminium to copper soldering.
52In48Sn
Indium – Tin
118°C
Suitable for low temperature soldering.
58Bi42Sn
Bismuth – Tin
138°C
Extensively used in through-hole technology assemblies in IBM mainframe computers.
99.3Sn0.7Cu0.06Ni0.005Ge(SN100C)
Tin-Copper-Nickel-Germanium
227°C
Commercial applications
How do you select eutectic solder composition?
There are various compositions of eutectic solder available. Choosing the right composition for an application is based on several factors. But, the solder melting point of the process at hand is the main factor to consider.
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