COSAM News Articles 2013 August Bozak receives grant from U.S. Department of Defense

Bozak receives grant from U.S. Department of Defense

Published: 08/16/2013

Physics professor Michael Bozack received a grant from the U.S. Department of Defense for research addressing the reliability of Sn-Ag-Cu (SAC) lead-free solder alloys under harsh environmental conditions. The work follows a successful world-wide effort to develop alternative, environmentally friendly materials for electronics packaging. Currently, SAC alloys have replaced conventional lead-bearing solder alloys in most consumer electronics. Prior work by Bozack and a team of Auburn University researchers in CAVE3, the Center for Advanced Vehicle and Extreme Environment Electronics at Auburn, showed significant reliability degradation in SAC alloys when used for long term, higher temperature conditions common to military applications. The results also indicated the potential of mitigating these effects with elemental additions to SAC solder. The grant from the U.S. Department of Defense will provide Bozack and a team of Auburn University scientists with more than $2 million to run a comprehensive program of tests to fully explore solutions to the SAC solder joint reliability problem.