The Division is organized into four subgroups: 1) Pb-free solders, 2) wettable surfaces and materials, 3) electrical and thermal interface materials, 4) in-situ probe for electronic materials.

　The Pb-free solders group investigates thermomechanical behavior of Pb-free solder alloys and their interfaces with common metallizations. The activities of the group include experimental studies and finite element analysis of thermal cycling, fatigue, creep, stress relaxation, crystal plasticity, and interfacial cracking. The research covers both joint and bulk behavior, dealing with polycrystalline as well as single crystals.

　The wetting group is interested in new materials and surfaces with excellent wetting properties. The wetting studies involve sessile drop and dynamic wetting experiments on thin films and bulk substrates. Wetting properties of interest include wetting angle, wetting forces, and wetting kinetics.

　The interface materials group is focused on materials and phenomena at the electrode and thermal interfaces. As the device technology continues to scale down, the electric interface materials between the opposing electrodes and the thermal interface materials must cope with very high current densities and heat fluxes. By examining atomic migration driven by high current density or heat fluxes and its relationship to the material composition and structure, our work seeks to gain mechanistic insights into the failures of electrode interface and thermal interface materials and to design new interface materials for improved electric and thermal properties.

　The group on in-situ probe conducts in-situ dynamic observations of the atomic processes driven by mechanical, thermal and electric forces in the interconnect materials. The experimental work covers not only single-field response but also coupling effects from multiple external fields. When necessary, the experimental approach is complemented by the first principles analysis.