Local resolution of currents through electrical joints consisting of materials with different conductivity

Within this work the impact of contact materials with higher volume resistivity as leaded solder are investigated in terms of comparability of the current conduction through the joint. An approach was developed to experimentally determine the qualitative local current density by magnetic field imaging (MFI) at ribbon-to-ribbon contact samples. The result reveals that the MFI technique on a symmetric sample design allows the evaluation of the current paths in two-dimensional contact areas. Different resistivities of the contact material result in characteristic differences in current distribution through the joint. Low resistive Sn60Pb40-soldererd contacts exhibit localized current injection whereas the tested contact based on electrically conductive adhesives (ECAs) show an extended current flow through the ECA-based contact. A FEM-based simulation model to mimic the used setup was developed and confirmed the results by taking different contact material resistivities into account. For materials with resistivities larger than 1 · 10−3 Ω · cm current injection was found to spread-spatially within the tested contact geometry. Contact material development as well as contact design can benefit from that approach, allowing consumption and material composition optimization. A further advantage is the feasibility of the method to study production failures like inhomogeneous ECA distribution enabling a non-destructive monitoring of process stability and root cause analysis.