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M. McCormack

Bio: M. McCormack is an academic researcher from Bell Labs. The author has contributed to research in topics: Alloy & Eutectic system. The author has an hindex of 10, co-authored 14 publications receiving 5081 citations.
Topics: Alloy, Eutectic system, Soldering, Creep, Diamond

Papers
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Journal ArticleDOI
15 Apr 1994-Science
TL;DR: A negative isotropic magnetoresistance effect has been observed in thin oxide films of perovskite-like La0.67Ca0.33MnOx, which could be useful for various magnetic and electric device applications if the observed effects of material processing are optimized.
Abstract: A negative isotropic magnetoresistance effect more than three orders of magnitude larger than the typical giant magnetoresistance of some superlattice films has been observed in thin oxide films of perovskite-like La0.67Ca0.33MnOx. Epitaxial films that are grown on LaAIO3 substrates by laser ablation and suitably heat treated exhibit magnetoresistance values as high as 127,000 percent near 77 kelvin and ∼1300 percent near room temperature. Such a phenomenon could be useful for various magnetic and electric device applications if the observed effects of material processing are optimized. Possible mechanisms for the observed effect are discussed.

4,079 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, it was shown that the peak magnetoresistance peak occurs not at the temperature of magnetic transition but at a temperature where the magnetization is still substantial, the spin disorder scattering is not likely to be the main mechanism in these highly magnetoresistive films.
Abstract: Colossal magnetoresistance with more than a thousandfold change in resistivity (ΔR/RH=127 000% at 77 K, H=6 T) has been obtained in epitaxially grown La‐Ca‐Mn‐O thin films. This magnetoresistance value is about three orders of magnitude higher than is typically seen in the giant‐magnetoresistance‐type metallic, superlattice films. The temperature of peak magnetoresistance is located in the region of metallic resistivity behavior. As the magnetoresistance peak occurs not at the temperature of magnetic transition but at a temperature where the magnetization is still substantial, the spin‐disorder scattering is not likely to be the main mechanism in these highly magnetoresistive films. The peak can be shifted to near room temperature by adjusting processing parameters. Near‐room‐temperature ΔR/RH values of ∼1300% at 260 K and ∼400% at 280 K have been observed. The presence of grain boundaries appears to be very detrimental to achieving large magnetoresistance in the lanthanum manganite compounds. The fact th...

358 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, a relatively small addition of Zn significantly improves the mechanical strength of Sn•3.5% Ag eutectic solders while maintaining the same level of ductility, which is attributed to a substantial refinement of the precipitates in the solidification microstructure.
Abstract: New high‐strength Pb‐free solder alloys, based on the Sn‐Ag‐Zn system, have been developed. A relatively small addition of Zn significantly improves the mechanical strength of Sn‐3.5% Ag eutectic solders while maintaining the same level of ductility. The observed increase in strength is as much as 48% over that of the Zn‐free alloy. This strengthening from the Zn additions is attributed to a substantial refinement of the precipitates in the solidification microstructure. The problems of nonuniformity in solidification dendrite structure and solder surface roughness often observed in the Sn‐Ag binary alloys are also alleviated by the Zn addition. It is found that essentially all of the added Zn resides in the more corrosion‐resistant, Ag‐based, intermetallic precipitates, leaving the Sn‐rich matrix primarily free of Zn in solid solution. High‐temperature creep tests indicate that the new Zn‐containing alloys exhibit a remarkably improved creep resistance of more than an order of magnitude.

187 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
M. McCormack1, Sungho Jin1
TL;DR: In this article, the mechanical properties of solders benefit from uniform dispersion of fine precipitates and small effective grain sizes, which is attributed to the elimination of the coarse and nonuniform distribution of plate-like dendrites and refining the effective grain size.
Abstract: The mechanical properties of solders benefit from uniform dispersion of fine precipitates and small effective grain sizes. Metallurgical methods of attaining such a beneficial microstructure have been investigated in two new, near-eutectic, Pb-free solder alloys systems—Sn-Zn-In (m.p. ∼188°C) and Sn-Ag-Zn (m.p.∼217°C). It has been found that small alloying additions of Ag dramatically improve the mechanical properties of the ternary Sn-8Zn-5In alloy. The improvement is attributed to the elimination of the coarse and nonuniform distribution of plate-like dendrites and refining the effective grain size in the solidified microstructure. Also, small amounts of Cu dramatically improve the ductility in the ternary Sn-3.5Ag-lZn alloy. The quaternary Sn-3.5Ag-lZn-0.5Cu has better mechanical properties than the binary Sn-3.5Ag alloy because it has a uniform fine dispersion of precipitates and a small effective grain size. The combination of high mechanical strength and high ductility is likely to yield improved fatigue resistance properties in the interconnection of electronic components.

167 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
M. McCormack1, Sungho Jin1
TL;DR: In this paper, two specific examples of the new lead-free alloys are described: Sn-3.5%Ag-l%Zn alloy and Sn-Zn-In based alloys.
Abstract: Two specific examples of the new lead-free alloys are described. In the Sn-3.5%Ag-l%Zn alloy (m.p.~217°C), the eutectic precipitate morphology is refined by the relatively small amount of zinc addition and as a result, a high-strength, high-ductility solder with significantly improved creep resistance is obtained. As a temperature equivalent drop-in replacement for the Pb-Sn eutectic alloy (m.p.~183°C), Sn-Zn-In based alloys (m.p.~185°C) have been developed. The addition of indium to the Sn-Zn binary system improves the wetting characteristics of the alloy and lowers the melting temperature.

164 citations


Cited by
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Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The dynamical mean field theory of strongly correlated electron systems is based on a mapping of lattice models onto quantum impurity models subject to a self-consistency condition.
Abstract: We review the dynamical mean-field theory of strongly correlated electron systems which is based on a mapping of lattice models onto quantum impurity models subject to a self-consistency condition. This mapping is exact for models of correlated electrons in the limit of large lattice coordination (or infinite spatial dimensions). It extends the standard mean-field construction from classical statistical mechanics to quantum problems. We discuss the physical ideas underlying this theory and its mathematical derivation. Various analytic and numerical techniques that have been developed recently in order to analyze and solve the dynamical mean-field equations are reviewed and compared to each other. The method can be used for the determination of phase diagrams (by comparing the stability of various types of long-range order), and the calculation of thermodynamic properties, one-particle Green's functions, and response functions. We review in detail the recent progress in understanding the Hubbard model and the Mott metal-insulator transition within this approach, including some comparison to experiments on three-dimensional transition-metal oxides. We present an overview of the rapidly developing field of applications of this method to other systems. The present limitations of the approach, and possible extensions of the formalism are finally discussed. Computer programs for the numerical implementation of this method are also provided with this article.

5,230 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, the fundamental physics behind the scarcity of ferromagnetic ferroelectric coexistence was explored and the properties of known magnetically ordered ferro-electric materials were examined.
Abstract: Multiferroic magnetoelectrics are materials that are both ferromagnetic and ferroelectric in the same phase. As a result, they have a spontaneous magnetization that can be switched by an applied magnetic field, a spontaneous polarization that can be switched by an applied electric field, and often some coupling between the two. Very few exist in nature or have been synthesized in the laboratory. In this paper, we explore the fundamental physics behind the scarcity of ferromagnetic ferroelectric coexistence. In addition, we examine the properties of some known magnetically ordered ferroelectric materials. We find that, in general, the transition metal d electrons, which are essential for magnetism, reduce the tendency for off-center ferroelectric distortion. Consequently, an additional electronic or structural driving force must be present for ferromagnetism and ferroelectricity to occur simultaneously.

3,146 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, a large variety of experiments reviewed in detail here contain results compatible with the theoretical predictions, including phase diagrams of manganite models, the stabilization of the charge/orbital/spin ordered half-doped correlated electronics (CE)-states, the importance of the naively small Heisenberg coupling among localized spins, the setup of accurate mean-field approximations, and the existence of a new temperature scale T∗ where clusters start forming above the Curie temperature, the presence of stripes in the system, and many others.

2,927 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The most widely used Pb-free solders have the eutectic composition as mentioned in this paper, which has been identified as a major factor affecting alloy selection, since this will have a major impact on the other polymeric materials used in microelectronic assembly and encapsulation.
Abstract: Practically all microelectronic assemblies in use today utilize Pb–Sn solders for interconnection. With the advent of chip scale packaging technologies, the usage of solder connections has increased. The most widely used Pb–Sn solder has the eutectic composition. Emerging environmental regulations worldwide, most notably in Europe and Japan, have targeted the elimination of Pb usage in electronic assemblies, due to the inherent toxicity of Pb. This has made the search for suitable “Pb-free” solders an important issue for microelectronics assembly. Approximately 70 Pb-free solder alloy compositions have been proposed thus far. There is a general lack of engineering information, and there is also significant disparity in the information available on these alloys. The issues involved can be divided into two broad categories: manufacturing and reliability/performance. A major factor affecting alloy selection is the melting point of the alloy, since this will have a major impact on the other polymeric materials used in microelectronic assembly and encapsulation. Other important manufacturing issues are cost, availability, and wetting characteristics. Reliability related properties include mechanical strength, fatigue resistance, coefficient of thermal expansion and intermetallic compound formation. The data available in the open literature have been reviewed and are summarized in this paper. Where data were not available, such as for corrosion and oxidation resistance, chemical thermodynamics was used to develop this information. While a formal alloy selection decision analysis methodology has not been developed, less formal approaches indicate that Sn-rich alloys will be the Pb-free solder alloys of choice, with three to four alloys being identified for each of the different applications. Research on this topic continues at the present time at a vigorous pace, in view of the imminence of the issue.

1,786 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
10 Jun 1999-Nature
TL;DR: In this article, it was shown that the magnetoresistive response increases dramatically when the Curie temperature (T C) is reduced, and that the massive magnetoresistance in low-T C systems can be explained by percolative transport through the ferromagnetic domains; this depends sensitively on the relative spin orientation of adjacent magnetoric domains which can be controlled by applied magnetic fields.
Abstract: Colossal magnetoresistance1—an unusually large change of resistivity observed in certain materials following application of magnetic field—has been extensively researched in ferromagnetic perovskite manganites. But it remains unclear why the magnetoresistive response increases dramatically when the Curie temperature (T C) is reduced. In these materials, T C varies sensitively with changing chemical pressure; this can be achieved by introducing trivalent rare-earth ions of differing size into the perovskite structure2,3,4, without affecting the valency of the Mn ions. The chemical pressure modifies local structural parameters such as the Mn–O bond distance and Mn–O–Mn bond angle, which directly influence the case of electron hopping between Mn ions (that is, the electronic bandwidth). But these effects cannot satisfactorily explain the dependence of magnetoresistance on T C. Here we demonstrate, using electron microscopy data, that the prototypical (La,Pr,Ca)MnO3 system is electronically phase-separated into a sub-micrometre-scale mixture of insulating regions (with a particular type of charge-ordering) and metallic, ferromagnetic domains. We find that the colossal magnetoresistive effect in low-T C systems can be explained by percolative transport through the ferromagnetic domains; this depends sensitively on the relative spin orientation of adjacent ferromagnetic domains which can be controlled by applied magnetic fields.

1,417 citations