Book excerpt: This book presents the scientific principles, processing conditions, probable failure mechanisms, and a description of reliability performance and equipment required for implementing high-temperature and lead-free die attach materials. In particular, it addresses the use of solder alloys, silver and copper sintering, and transient liquid-phase sintering. While different solder alloys have been used widely in the microelectronics industry, the implementation of sintering silver and transient liquid-phase sintering remains limited to a handful of companies. Hence, the book devotes many chapters to sintering technologies, while simultaneously providing only a cursory coverage of the more widespread techniques employing solder alloys. Addresses the differences between sintering and soldering (the current die-attach technologies), thereby comprehensively addressing principles, methods, and performance of these high-temperature die-attach materials; Emphasizes the industrial perspective, with chapters written by engineers who have hands-on experience using these technologies; Baker Hughes, Bosch and ON Semiconductor, are represented as well as materials suppliers such as Indium; Simultaneously provides the detailed science underlying these technologies by leading academic researchers in the field.