Mechanical Engineering Ph.D. Student Wins First Prize at GRID

Department of Mechanical Engineering Ph.D. candidate Subhasis Mukherjee won first prize in the Modeling and Simulation category for his oral presentation on new solder interconnects at the spring Graduate Research Interaction Day (GRID), an event sponsored by the University of Maryland's Graduate Student Government designed to help graduate students hone their research presentation skills.

Mukherjee's presentation, "Multiscale Creep Modeling of the Effect of Micro-alloying Mn (Manganese) and Sb (Antimony) into SAC105 Solder," explored a multiscale modeling technique that can successfully capture the influence of key microstructural features due to microalloying on the measured steady state secondary creep response of lead free Sn1.0Ag0.5Cu (SAC105) solder joints. Mechanistic creep models of dislocation climb and detachment are used to capture the dispersion strengthening mechanisms in the Sn-Ag (Tin-Silver) eutectic phase. These models are combined at the next length scale, with micromechanics-based homogenization schemes, to capture the load-sharing between Sn dendrites and eutectic phase. The model effectively captures the effect of micro-alloying on secondary creep response of SAC solders, thereby aiding in the effective design and optimization of the viscoplastic behavior of SAC alloys.

"Winning first prize at GRID has helped me gain a wider audience for my research and realize its importance in real world applications," Mukherjee said. "Preparing for GRID has immensely improved my presentation skills and broadened my research outlook."

Mukherjee's advisor, Professor Abhijit Dasgupta, played a "huge role" in providing the direction and motivation for Mukherjee to pursue this research. Mukherjee presented work similar to his GRID research at InterPACK 2013, ASME's 2013 International Technical Conference and Exhibition on Packaging and Integration of Electronic and Photonic Microsystems in Burlingame, Calif.

For more information about GRID, including how to submit your research, contact the Graduate Student Government's Vice President for Academic Affairs at gsg-vpaa@umd.edu or visit their website.

Published July 25, 2013