Preparation of Ni-Sn Alloys by an Electroless-Deposition Method

Electroless-deposited Ni-Sn alloy films were investigated to increase tin content in the deposit. The maximum tin contents of electroless Ni-Sn-P and Ni-Sn-B were ca. 30 atom percent (a/o) and 42 a/o, respectively. The maximum tin content in the case of Ni-Sn-B was nearly equal to that of electrodeposited Ni-Sn alloy already reported. The crystallinity of Ni-Sn-P and Ni-Sn-B alloys was raised up with an increase in tin content. The corrosion resistance of Ni-Sn-P and Ni-Sn-B alloys was between that of amorphous and crystalline electroless-deposited Ni-P. Codeposition of tin into Ni-P films improved solderability but into the Ni-B films, the solderability of Ni-Sn-B films situated in the region between those of Ni-P and NiB, because the solderability of NiB is higher.