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Indium-Tin Foil/Sheet (In50-Sn50)
Available Configurations
Properties common to all products in this list
| Thickness | Size |
|---|---|
| 0.05 mm to 0.25 mm | 10 x 10 mm to 100 x 100 mm |
Need custom configurations? Please contact us.
Key Features
Indium/Tin Alloy Foil (In50/Sn50) is a near-eutectic indium–tin alloy foil combining a low melting point of approximately 118 °C, excellent wetting behavior on non-ferrous substrates, and reliable solderability without flux in many applications:
Low Eutectic-Proximate Melting Point
The In50/Sn50 composition melts at approximately 118 °C, enabling bonding, sealing, and thermal interface joining at temperatures that would damage heat-sensitive substrates or components that cannot withstand conventional solder reflow temperatures above 180 °C.
Excellent Wetting and Solderability
Indium’s characteristically strong wetting behavior on glass, ceramic, and metallized surfaces is retained in the In50/Sn50 alloy, enabling reliable adhesion and joint formation on substrates that are difficult to solder with tin–lead or tin–silver alloys.
Good Ductility and Conformability
The alloy’s soft, ductile character allows the foil to conform closely to mating surfaces under modest applied pressure, improving thermal and electrical contact uniformity across bonded interfaces, and accommodating differential thermal expansion without joint cracking.
Low Vapour Pressure
Low vapour pressure supports use in vacuum and ultra-high-vacuum assemblies, including cryogenic instrument seals and optical system bonding, where outgassing from the joining material would compromise system performance or contaminate optical surfaces.
Stable Melting Characteristics from Near-Eutectic Composition
The near-eutectic composition provides a relatively narrow melting range, minimising the temperature window over which the alloy is partially solid, which improves process control and joint reproducibility in delicate bonding and sealing operations.
Industrial Applications
Indium/Tin Alloy Foil (In50/Sn50) is used across electronics, photonics, cryogenics, and superconducting systems wherever low-temperature bonding, optical system sealing, and vacuum-compatible joining are required:
- ✦ Solder Layers in Microchip Packaging and Semiconductor Assembly
- Used as a solder layer in microchip packaging and semiconductor assembly where the low melting point allows reflow without thermal damage to adjacent device structures, and good wetting on metallized pads ensures reliable electrical and mechanical joint formation.
- ✦ Vacuum-Tight Seals in Optical Devices and Cryogenic Instruments
- Applied as vacuum-tight seals in optical devices, photon detectors, and cryogenic instruments where the combination of low outgassing, good wetting on glass and metal, and low melting point allows hermetic sealing of assemblies that cannot withstand higher-temperature processes.
- ✦ Bonding Elements in Superconducting Systems
- Used for bonding and thermal bridging in superconducting systems where joints must be electrically and thermally continuous at cryogenic temperatures, and the ductility of the In–Sn alloy accommodates the differential thermal contraction between dissimilar structural components on cooling.
- ✦ Precision Thermal Interface Materials in Optoelectronic Devices
- Applied as a precision thermal interface material in optoelectronic device assemblies, where the conformable foil geometry and low melting point allow bonding of laser diodes, photodetectors, and heat spreader elements with controlled joint thickness and minimal voiding.
- ✦ Diffusion Behavior, Intermetallic Formation and Low-Temperature Solder Research
- Used in research investigating intermetallic compound formation at In–Sn alloy joints, diffusion kinetics at low-temperature solder interfaces, and long-term joint stability and fatigue behavior in thermal cycling environments relevant to cryogenic and space-grade assemblies.
Material Properties
| Element | Value |
|---|---|
| Elongation at break( % ) | 83 |
| Shear strength( MPa ) | 11 |
| Tensile strength( MPa ) | 12 |
| Element | Value |
|---|---|
| Electrical resistivity( µOhmcm ) | 15 |
| Temperature coefficient( K⁻¹ ) | - |
| Element | Value |
|---|---|
| Melting point( C ) | 125 |
| Thermal conductivity( W m⁻¹ K⁻¹ ) | 34@23°C |
| Coefficient of thermal expansion( x10⁻⁶ K⁻¹ ) | 20@20-100°C |
| Element | Value |
|---|---|
| Density( gcm⁻³ ) | 7.3 |
Tolerances
| Thickness | <0.01mm | ±25% |
|---|---|---|
| Thickness | 0.01mm - 0.05mm | ±15% |
| Thickness | >0.05mm | ±10% |
| Linear dimension | <100mm | ±1mm |
| Linear dimension | >=100mm | +2 / -1% |