Solder powder, flux, solder paste, soldering method, soldered circuit board, and soldered joint product

Abstract

A solder powder comprises solder particles having a distribution such that the number of particles having a particle diameter of 20 μm or less is 30% or less, wherein the oxygen content is 500 ppm or less. A flux for solder paste comprises an organic acid component consisting of an organic acid ester and an ester decomposer catalyst, an organic halogen compound, a reducing agent and a resin component. A solder paste mainly comprises a flux and a solder powder, wherein the water content of the solder paste is 0.5% by weight or less.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A solder powder comprising solder particles having a distribution such that the number of particles having a particle diameter of 20 μm or less is 30% or less.  
     
     
         2 . The solder powder according to  claim 1 , wherein the oxygen content is 500 ppm or less.  
     
     
         3 . The solder powder according to  claim 1 , comprising Sn and Zn, or Sn and Ag.  
     
     
         4 . A flux for solder paste comprising an organic acid component consisting of an organic acid ester and an ester decomposer catalyst, an organic halogen compound, a reducing agent, and a resin component.  
     
     
         5 . The flux for solder paste according to  claim 4 , wherein the ester decomposer catalyst is an organic base hydrohalogenated acid salt.  
     
     
         6 . The flux for solder paste according to  claim 4 , wherein the organic halogen compound comprises at least one of a bromide of a benzyl compound containing a substituent having an alkyl chain with a carbon number of 10 or higher, and a polybromine compound containing a fatty acid or an alicyclic compound with a carbon number of 10 or higher wherein the polybromine comprises four or more bromine atoms in one molecule.  
     
     
         7 . The flux for solder paste according to  claim 4 , wherein the reducing agent is at least one selected from the group consisting of phenol compounds, phosphorus compounds, sulfur compounds, lecithin, tocopherol, tocopherol derivatives, ascorbic acid and ascorbic acid derivatives.  
     
     
         8 . The flux for solder paste according to  claim 1 , wherein the reducing agent is a combination of at least one of tocopherol and a tocopherol derivative with at least one of ascorbic acid and an ascorbic acid derivative.  
     
     
         9 . The flux for solder paste according to  claim 7  or  8 , wherein the tocopherol derivative is selected from the group consisting of acetic acid tocopherol ester and nicotinic acid tocopherol ester.  
     
     
         10 . The flux for solder paste according to  claim 7  or  8 , wherein the tocopherol derivative is selected from the group consisting of phosphoric acid tocophenol ester and sorbic acid tocopherol ester.  
     
     
         11 . The flux for solder paste according to  claim 7  or  8 , wherein the tocopherol derivative is selected from the group consisting of tocol and tocopherol derivatives containing at least one of the following structures  
       
         
           
           
               
               
           
         
       
     
     
         12 . The flux for solder paste according to  claim 7  or  8 , wherein the ascorbic acid derivative is selected from the group consisting of ascorbyl-2,6-dibutyrate, ascorbyl-2,6-distearate, and ascorbic acid 2,6-dimyristilate.  
     
     
         13 . The flux for solder paste according to  claim 7  or  8 , wherein the ascorbic acid derivative is selected from the group consisting of ascorbyl-2-glucoside-6-palmitate, ascorbyl-2-glucoside-6-myristilate, and ascorbyl-2-glucoside-6-stearate.  
     
     
         14 . The flux for solder paste according to  claim 7  or  8 , wherein the ascorbic acid derivative is selected from the group consisting of ascorbyl-2-phosphite, ascorbyl-2-sulfate, ascorbyl-2-glucoside, ascorbyl-6-palmitate, ascorbyl-6-stearate, and ascorbyl-6-myristilate.  
     
     
         15 . The flux for solder paste according to  claim 7  or  8 , wherein the ascorbic acid derivative is selected from the group consisting of ascorbyl-2,3,5,6-tetrapalmitate, ascorbyl-2,3,5,6-tetramyristilate, ascorbyl-2,3,5,6-tetrastearate, ascorbyl-5,6-o-benzylidene, ascorbyl-5,6-o-isopropylidene, ascorbyl-2-phosphite-5,6-o-benzylidene, and ascorbyl-2-phosphite-5,6-o-isopropylidene.  
     
     
         16 . The flux for solder paste according to  claim 4 , wherein the resin component comprises a rosin having an acid value of from 150 to 250 and a softening point of from 120 to 200° C.  
     
     
         17 . The flux for solder paste according to  claim 16 , comprising the rosin in a ratio of 30% by weight or more based on the total amount of the resin component.  
     
     
         18 . The flux for solder paste according to  claim 4 , which comprises, based on the total amount of the flux, 20 to 60% by weight of a resin component, 0.01 to 20% by weight of an organic acid component, 0.02 to 20% by weight of an organic halogen compound, 0.05 to 20% by weight of a reducing agent.  
     
     
         19 . The flux for solder paste according to  claim 4 , which comprises a pH adjusting agent, wherein a solution prepared by dissolving 4g of the flux comprising a pH adjusting agent in a mixture of 50 ml of toluene, 49.5 ml of isopropyl alcohol, and 0.5 ml of water, has a pH value of from 4 to 9 when measured with a pH meter.  
     
     
         20 . The flux for solder paste according to  claim 19 , which comprises, based on the total amount of the flux, 20 to 60% by weight of a resin component, 0.01 to 20% by weight of an organic acid component, 0.02 to 20% by weight of an organic halogen compound, 0.05 to 20% by weight of a reducing agent, 0.05 to 20% by weight of a pH adjusting agent.  
     
     
         21 . The flux for solder paste according to  claim 19  or  20 , wherein the pH adjusting agent comprises at least one of amine selected from the group consisting of alkanolamines, aliphatic primary, secondary or tertiary amines, aliphatic unsaturated amines, alicyclic amines, and aromatic amines.  
     
     
         22 . A solder paste mainly comprising a flux and a solder powder.  
     
     
         23 . The solder paste according to  claim 22 , wherein the water content of the solder paste is 0.5% by weight or less.  
     
     
         24 . The solder paste according to  claim 22 , which comprises a pH adjusting agent, wherein a solution prepared by dissolving 4 g of the flux comprising a pH adjusting agent in a mixture of 50 ml of toluene, 49.5 ml of isopropyl alcohol, and 0.5 ml of water, has a pH value of from 4 to 9 when measured with a pH meter.  
     
     
         25 . The solder paste according to  claim 24 , wherein the pH adjusting agent comprises at least one amine selected from the group consisting of alkanolamines, aliphatic primary, secondary or tertiary amines, aliphatic unsaturated amines, alicyclic amines and aromatic amines.  
     
     
         26 . The solder paste according to  claim 22 , wherein the solder powder comprises solder particles having a distribution such that the number of particles having a particle diameter of 20 μm or less is 30% or less.  
     
     
         27 . The solder paste according to  claim 26 , comprising, based on the total amount of the solder paste, 86 to 92% by weight of the solder powder and 8 to 14% by weight of the flux for solder paste which comprises an organic acid component consisting of an organic acid ester and an ester decomposer catalyst, an organic halogen compound, a reducing agent and a resin component.  
     
     
         28 . The solder paste according to  claim 27 , wherein the water content of the solder paste is 0.5% by weight or less.  
     
     
         29 . A soldering method for a circuit board comprising the steps of: 
 applying the solder paste according to  claim 22  to a circuit board and causing the solder paste applied on the circuit board to reflow.    
     
     
         30 . The soldering method for a circuit board according to  claim 29 , comprising the step of placing electronic parts on the circuit board, wherein a part or all of the solder paste which has been caused to reflow is used to join the circuit board and the electronic parts together.  
     
     
         31 . A circuit board produced by the soldering method for a circuit board according to  claim 29 .  
     
     
         32 . A joint product produced by the soldering method for the circuit board according to  claim 30 .  
     
     
         33 . A method for joining metals comprising the steps of: applying a solder paste which contains Sn and Zn to each joining portion of one or more metals selected from the group of aluminum, aluminum alloy, copper, and copper alloy; and reflowing the applied solder paste.  
     
     
         34 . A method for joining metals according to  claim 33 , wherein one of the metals to be joined is aluminum or aluminum alloy, and another metal is copper or copper alloy.