US3457067A - Tin base alloys - Google Patents

Tin base alloys Download PDF

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Publication number
US3457067A
US3457067A US598611A US3457067DA US3457067A US 3457067 A US3457067 A US 3457067A US 598611 A US598611 A US 598611A US 3457067D A US3457067D A US 3457067DA US 3457067 A US3457067 A US 3457067A
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tin
grey
alloy
base alloys
tin base
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US598611A
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Lloyd R Allen
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National Research Corp
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Nat Res Corp
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    • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
    • C22—METALLURGY; FERROUS OR NON-FERROUS ALLOYS; TREATMENT OF ALLOYS OR NON-FERROUS METALS
    • C22C—ALLOYS
    • C22C13/00—Alloys based on tin
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01L—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES NOT COVERED BY CLASS H10
    • H01L21/00—Processes or apparatus adapted for the manufacture or treatment of semiconductor or solid state devices or of parts thereof

Definitions

  • the invention relates to semiconductive alloys and particularly to tin base alloys, doped with p-type impurities for use in the manufacture of semiconductive devices.
  • the invention comprises a new alloy consisting essentially of 2-3 percent by weight germanium, 0.1-0.2 percent by weight magnesium, a dopant impurity, the balance being essentially grey tin.
  • the magnesium generally appears in the form of its oxide although it is originally added to the alloy as an element. The oxide phase is dispersed throughout the alloy and strengthens the material.
  • the magnesium and germanium together are effective to prevent the transformation of grey tin back to white tin at room temperature. It appears that my grey tin alloys can accommodate all the same p-type dopants familiarly used in the silicon and germanium systems,
  • r 3,457,067 Patented July 22, 1969 (e.g. aluminum, zinc, indium). Only p-type dopants can be used. The grey tin cannot be formed initially when elements constituting n-type dopants (e.g. bismuth, antimony) are added.
  • My grey tin alloys are made by melting the constituents (white tin, germanium, magnesium, dopant) together, casting, extruding, rolling, swa ging, aging, cold working, then exposing to low temperatures to elfect the allotropic transformation of the tin. After this, the alloy can be heated to 45 C., indefinitely, without the tin reverting to the white form. Heating to higher temperatures is also feasible for short periods.
  • the electrical properties of the semiconductive alloys according to the invention are:
  • a tin base alloy consisting essentially of about 2-3 weight percent of germanium, about 0.1-0.2 weight percent magnesium, the balance being grey tin, the alloy having a strength in execess of ultimate strength 2000 p.s.i. and particularly characterized by retention of the grey form of tin at elevated temperatures, the alloy having an energy gap of .08 electron volt, a conductivity of l.4 10 ohm mf electron mobility of 0.21 inch per volt-second and hole mobility of .095 inches per volt-sec. and being stable above room temperature.

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  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Metallurgy (AREA)
  • Organic Chemistry (AREA)
  • Materials Engineering (AREA)
  • Condensed Matter Physics & Semiconductors (AREA)
  • General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Manufacturing & Machinery (AREA)
  • Computer Hardware Design (AREA)
  • Microelectronics & Electronic Packaging (AREA)
  • Power Engineering (AREA)
  • Conductive Materials (AREA)

Description

United States Patent 3,457,067 TIN BASE ALLOYS Lloyd R. Allen, Belmont, Mass., assignor to National Research Corporation, Newton Highlands, Mass., a corporation of Massachusetts No Drawing. Filed Dec. 2, 1966, Ser. No. 598,611 Int. Cl. C22c 13/00, 1/02 U.S. Cl. 75-175 1 Claim ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A tin-base alloy is described which is useful in semiconductive devices such as diodes. The alloy comprises 2-3 percent germanium, 0.1-0.2 percent magnesium.
The invention relates to semiconductive alloys and particularly to tin base alloys, doped with p-type impurities for use in the manufacture of semiconductive devices.
Present semiconductive technology is built around the use of silicon or germanium systems. Both these metals are more expensive and more difllcult to contact than tin. It is known that the grey form (alpha) of tin is semiconductive at low temperatures (e.g. Kendall, B63 Proceedings of the Physical Society, p. 821London, 1950). Yet the industry has rejected the use of tin for semiconductive devices. An objection to tin is that the grey form is unstable at room temperature and readily reverts to the white form (beta). Another objection to the use of tin is that it breaks u in transforming from the white to grey forms.
It is the object of the present invention to provide a grey tin alloy which can be manufactured in useful forms such as wires or ribbons or wafers, etc., is stable at room temperature, and can be doped with desired impurities to change its electrical characteristics.
The invention comprises a new alloy consisting essentially of 2-3 percent by weight germanium, 0.1-0.2 percent by weight magnesium, a dopant impurity, the balance being essentially grey tin. The magnesium generally appears in the form of its oxide although it is originally added to the alloy as an element. The oxide phase is dispersed throughout the alloy and strengthens the material. The magnesium and germanium together are effective to prevent the transformation of grey tin back to white tin at room temperature. It appears that my grey tin alloys can accommodate all the same p-type dopants familiarly used in the silicon and germanium systems,
r 3,457,067 Patented July 22, 1969 (e.g. aluminum, zinc, indium). Only p-type dopants can be used. The grey tin cannot be formed initially when elements constituting n-type dopants (e.g. bismuth, antimony) are added. My grey tin alloys are made by melting the constituents (white tin, germanium, magnesium, dopant) together, casting, extruding, rolling, swa ging, aging, cold working, then exposing to low temperatures to elfect the allotropic transformation of the tin. After this, the alloy can be heated to 45 C., indefinitely, without the tin reverting to the white form. Heating to higher temperatures is also feasible for short periods.
The electrical properties of the semiconductive alloys according to the invention are:
Energy gap .08 electron volts. Conductivity 1.4x 10* ohm m. Electron mobility 0.21 in. /volt-sec. Hole mobility .095 inP/volt-sec.
What is claimed is:
1. As a composition of matter a tin base alloy consisting essentially of about 2-3 weight percent of germanium, about 0.1-0.2 weight percent magnesium, the balance being grey tin, the alloy having a strength in execess of ultimate strength 2000 p.s.i. and particularly characterized by retention of the grey form of tin at elevated temperatures, the alloy having an energy gap of .08 electron volt, a conductivity of l.4 10 ohm mf electron mobility of 0.21 inch per volt-second and hole mobility of .095 inches per volt-sec. and being stable above room temperature.
References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,504,627 3/1950 Benzer 148-33 X 2,514,879 7/1950 Lark-Horovitz et al. 148-1.5 3,145,842 8/1964 Allen 207l0 3,146,097 8/1964 Allen -175 OTHER REFERENCES Kendall and Ewald, Rev. Phys, vol. 97, 1955 p. 607.
Research and Development of Metals for Low Temperature Applications, PB111453 OTS, April 23, 1954, pp. III-31 thru III34.
CHARLES N. LOVELL, Primary Examiner U.S. Cl. X.R. 25262.3
US598611A 1966-12-02 1966-12-02 Tin base alloys Expired - Lifetime US3457067A (en)

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Cited By (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US5147471A (en) * 1991-04-08 1992-09-15 Kronberg James W Solder for oxide layer-building metals and alloys
EP0847828A1 (en) * 1996-10-17 1998-06-17 Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd Solder material and electronic part using the same
US20050109822A1 (en) * 2002-04-09 2005-05-26 Ford Motor Company Solder fillers for aluminum body parts and methods of applying the same

Citations (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2504627A (en) * 1946-03-01 1950-04-18 Purdue Research Foundation Electrical device with germanium alloys
US2514879A (en) * 1945-07-13 1950-07-11 Purdue Research Foundation Alloys and rectifiers made thereof
US3146097A (en) * 1962-04-23 1964-08-25 Nat Res Corp Tin base alloys
US3145842A (en) * 1962-05-17 1964-08-25 Nat Res Corp Process for the extrusion of fine wire

Patent Citations (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2514879A (en) * 1945-07-13 1950-07-11 Purdue Research Foundation Alloys and rectifiers made thereof
US2504627A (en) * 1946-03-01 1950-04-18 Purdue Research Foundation Electrical device with germanium alloys
US3146097A (en) * 1962-04-23 1964-08-25 Nat Res Corp Tin base alloys
US3145842A (en) * 1962-05-17 1964-08-25 Nat Res Corp Process for the extrusion of fine wire

Cited By (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US5147471A (en) * 1991-04-08 1992-09-15 Kronberg James W Solder for oxide layer-building metals and alloys
EP0847828A1 (en) * 1996-10-17 1998-06-17 Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd Solder material and electronic part using the same
US6187114B1 (en) 1996-10-17 2001-02-13 Matsushita Electric Industrial Co. Ltd. Solder material and electronic part using the same
CN1076998C (en) * 1996-10-17 2002-01-02 松下电器产业株式会社 Soft solder and electronic component using the same
US20050109822A1 (en) * 2002-04-09 2005-05-26 Ford Motor Company Solder fillers for aluminum body parts and methods of applying the same

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