Electromigration experiments by spark plasma sintering in the silver-zinc system
Résumé
The impact of the electric current of the spark plasma sintering (SPS) technique on the reaction kinetics in the Ag-Zn system is evaluated in typical operating conditions. For this purpose, experiments in SPS conditions are compared with experiments in which the SPS current is null, and in which it is artificially increased, for reaction experiments at 300 °C for 2-20 min of annealing duration. The current density flowing through the sample in the SPS experiments is in the range 60-190 A/cm2. In the experiments with high current density, values of 1000-1400 A/cm2 are achieved. Thus, the growth rate of the product layer of intermetallic phases forming at the Ag-Zn interface under 0 A/cm2, 60-190 A/cm2 and 1000-1400 A/cm2, are measured. No dependence of the growth rate on the current density, and hence no electromigration phenomenon, is observed.