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AssigneeInternational Business Machines Corporation
InventorsFrank D. Egitto, Edmond O. Fey, Luis J. Matienzo, David L. Questad, Rajinder S. Rai, Daniel C. Van Hart
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A process for altering surface properties of a mass of metal alloy solder comprising a first metal and a second metal. The process comprises exposing the mass to energized ions to preferentially sputter atoms of the first metal to form a surface layer ratio of first metal to second metal atoms that is less than the bulk ratio. The solder may be located on the surface of a substrate, wherein the process may further comprise masking the substrate to shield all but a selected area from the ion beam. The sputtering gas may comprises a reactive gas such as oxygen and the substrate may be an organic substrate. The process may further comprise simultaneously exposing the organic substrate to energized ions of the reactive gas to roughen the organic substrate surface.
A process for altering surface properties of a functional mass of metal alloy solder comprising a first metal and a second metal, said functional mass having a bulk ratio of said first metal to said second metal, and said first metal having a sputtering yield greater than said second metal, the process comprising:
A metal alloy solder ball comprising a first metal, a second metal, and a third metal, said metal alloy solder ball having a bulk ratio of said first metal to said second metal, said first metal having a sputtering yield greater than said second metal, the metal alloy solder ball produced by the process of altering surface properties of the metal alloy solder ball, the process comprising:
A functional mass of metal alloy solder comprising:
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.