Seam welding of aluminium and copper thin sheets by pulsed nano second fiber laser: effect of IMC layer on the functional properties of the weld joint
Abstract
Dissimilar welding between aluminium and copper thin sheets has gained industrial interest over the last decade due to its applications in many industries, mainly in the field of e-mobility. The present paper is aimed at assessing the possibility of using a nano-second pulsed fiber laser of average power of 200 W for seam welding between 0.6 mm thick pure aluminium sheet and 0.3 mm thick pure copper sheet in lap joint configuration and to study the effect of the IMC layer on the functional properties of the joint. Laser welding was carried out in oscillation mode with heat inputs varying from 0.6 to 3.8 J/mm. The thickness of the inter metallic compound (IMC) layer was found to vary from ∼1 to 5 µm. Minimum thickness of the IMC layer with Al2Cu stoichiometry was observed when the weld heat input was ∼ 2.3 J/mm. The welds made with this energy input were found to be mechanically strong and sustained a load in excess of 450 N before failure during tensile shear testing. The electrical contact quality of the joint was also found to be satisfactory with the value of the quality factor measured to be 1.4.
Integrity signals
Registry
Cites
Statistics
Claims the paper makes
Claims other papers make about this one
Each is checked against this paper’s own text: does it say what the citing paper says it does?
The high thermal diffusivity of Al and Cu causes rapid heat dissipation and quenching, while their limited mutual solubility promotes the formation of brittle IMCs, which degrade joint strength.
“The high thermal diffusivity of both metals causes rapid heat dissipation and quenching, while their limited mutual solubility promotes the formation of brittle intermetallic compounds (IMCs) [22], which degrade joint strength.”
From Effect of nickel interlayer thickness on intermetallic compound formation and interfacial integrity in pulsed laser welding of aluminum and copper (2026) · cites this paper as [22]
Cites
Steen, W. M., & Mazumder, J. (2010) · Springer eBooks · doi:10.1007/978-1-84996-062-5 · Cited by 935 · see citing works
Magnetic pulse welding: an efficient and environmentally friendly multi-material joining technique
Kapil, A., & Sharma, A. (2015) · Journal of Cleaner Production · doi:10.1016/j.jclepro.2015.03.042 · Cited by 240 · see citing works
Factors influencing Al-Cu weld properties by intermetallic compound formation
Kah, P., Vimalraj, C., Martikainen, J., & Suoranta, R. (2015) · International Journal of Mechanical and Materials Engineering · doi:10.1186/s40712-015-0037-8 · Cited by 154 · see citing works
Dimatteo, V., Ascari, A., & Fortunato, A. (2019) · Journal of Manufacturing Processes · doi:10.1016/j.jmapro.2019.06.002 · Cited by 149 · see citing works
Recent research progress in friction stir welding of aluminium and copper dissimilar joint: a review
Isa, M. S. M., Moghadasi, K., bin Ariffin, M. A., Raja, S., Muhamad, M. R., Yusof, F. B., Jamaludin, M. F., Nukman, Y., & Karim, M. S. A. (2021) · Journal of Materials Research and Technology · doi:10.1016/j.jmrt.2021.09.037 · Cited by 142 · see citing works
Lee, S.-J., Nakamura, H., Kawahito, Y., & Katayama, S. (2013) · Science and Technology of Welding & Joining · doi:10.1179/1362171813y.0000000168 · Cited by 106 · see citing works
Yan, S., & Shi, Y. (2019) · Journal of Manufacturing Processes · doi:10.1016/j.jmapro.2019.07.009 · Cited by 93 · see citing works
Laser welding components for electric vehicles with a high-power blue laser system
Zediker, M. S., Fritz, R., Finuf, M., & Pelaprat, J. M. (2020) · Journal of Laser Applications · doi:10.2351/7.0000054 · Cited by 87 · see citing works
Dimatteo, V., Ascari, A., Liverani, E., & Fortunato, A. (2021) · Optics & Laser Technology · doi:10.1016/j.optlastec.2021.107495 · Cited by 82 · see citing works
Kouters, M. H. M., Gubbels, G. H. M., & Ferreira, O. D. S. (2013) · Microelectronics Reliability · doi:10.1016/j.microrel.2013.02.020 · Cited by 81 · see citing works
Huang, W., Cai, W., Rinker, T. J., Bracey, J. T., & Tan, W. (2023) · International Journal of Machine Tools and Manufacture · doi:10.1016/j.ijmachtools.2023.104020 · Cited by 79 · see citing works
Laser welding of dissimilar copper and aluminum sheets by shaping the laser pulses
Mathivanan, K., & Plapper, P. (2019) · Procedia Manufacturing · doi:10.1016/j.promfg.2019.08.021 · Cited by 62 · see citing works
Otten, C., Reisgen, U., & Schmachtenberg, M. (2015) · Welding in the World · doi:10.1007/s40194-015-0280-x · Cited by 60 · see citing works
Jarwitz, M., Fetzer, F., Weber, R., & Graf, T. G. (2018) · Metals · doi:10.3390/met8070510 · Cited by 57 · see citing works
The influence of laser pulse shape and separation distance on dissimilar welding of Al and Cu films
Lerra, F., Ascari, A., & Fortunato, A. (2019) · Journal of Manufacturing Processes · doi:10.1016/j.jmapro.2019.07.015 · Cited by 57 · see citing works
Microstructure and mechanical properties of Al-Cu joints diffusion-bonded with Ni or Ag interlayer
Xiong, J., Peng, Y., Zhang, H., Li, J., & Zhang, F. (2017) · Vacuum · doi:10.1016/j.vacuum.2017.10.033 · Cited by 53 · see citing works
An Investigation of Magnetic Pulse Welding of Al/Cu and Interface Characterization
Wu, X., & Shang, J. (2014) · Journal of Manufacturing Science and Engineering · doi:10.1115/1.4027917 · Cited by 52 · see citing works
Evaluation of Laser Braze-welded Dissimilar Al-Cu Joints
Schmalen, P., & Plapper, P. (2016) · Physics Procedia · doi:10.1016/j.phpro.2016.08.052 · Cited by 50 · see citing works
Dissimilar Joining of Aluminum to Copper Using Ultrasonic Welding
Ni, Z., & Ye, F. X. (2016) · Materials and Manufacturing Processes · doi:10.1080/10426914.2016.1221101 · Cited by 45 · see citing works
Stable conduction mode welding of conventional high-reflectivity metals with 2000 W blue laser
Tang, Z., Wan, L., Yang, H., Ren, P., Zhu, C., Wu, Y. X., Wang, H., & Wang, H. (2023) · Optics & Laser Technology · doi:10.1016/j.optlastec.2023.109971 · Cited by 44 · see citing works
Ali, S., & Shin, J. (2022) · Materials · doi:10.3390/ma15217463 · Cited by 43 · see citing works
Absorptance of nonferrous alloys to Nd:YLF and Nd:YAG laser light at room temperature
Bergström, D., Powell, J., & Kaplan, A. F. H. (2007) · Applied Optics · doi:10.1364/ao.46.001290 · Cited by 38 · see citing works
Overlap joining of aluminium and copper using laser micro welding with spatial power modulation
Hollatz, S., Heinen, P., Limpert, E., Olowinsky, A., & Gillner, A. (2020) · Welding in the World · doi:10.1007/s40194-020-00848-9 · Cited by 38 · see citing works
Effect of the scanning path on the nanosecond pulse laser welded Al/Cu lapped joint
Zhu, B., Zhen, L., Xia, H., Su, J., Niu, S., Wu, L., Tan, C., & Chen, B. (2021) · Optics & Laser Technology · doi:10.1016/j.optlastec.2021.106945 · Cited by 34 · see citing works
The formation and growth of intermetallic compounds during interdiffusion of Al/Cu bimetals
Cao, F., Zhang, P., Zou, J., & Wang, T. (2022) · Materials Research Express · doi:10.1088/2053-1591/ac69b4 · Cited by 34 · see citing works
Mohan, A., Ceglarek, D. J., & Auinger, M. (2022) · The International Journal of Advanced Manufacturing Technology · doi:10.1007/s00170-022-10182-7 · Cited by 29 · see citing works
Reisgen, U., Olschok, S., Jakobs, S., & Holtum, W. N. (2018) · Procedia CIRP · doi:10.1016/j.procir.2018.08.022 · Cited by 26 · see citing works
Shin, W.-S., Cho, D.-W., Jung, D., Kang, H., Kim, J.-O., Kim, Y., & Park, C. (2021) · Metals · doi:10.3390/met11050831 · Cited by 25 · see citing works
Laser dissimilar welding of copper and steel thin sheets for battery production
Zapico, E. P., Ascari, A., Dimatteo, V., & Fortunato, A. (2020) · Journal of Laser Applications · doi:10.2351/7.0000309 · Cited by 24 · see citing works
Characterization of dissimilar aluminum-copper material joining by controlled dual laser beam
Ho, J., & Choi, H.-W. (2021) · The International Journal of Advanced Manufacturing Technology · doi:10.1007/s00170-021-08324-4 · Cited by 23 · see citing works
Laser micro welding with fiber lasers for battery and fuel cell based electromobility
Haddad, E., Chung, W.-S., Katz, O., Helm, J., Olowinsky, A. M., & Gillner, A. (2021) · Journal of Advanced Joining Processes · doi:10.1016/j.jajp.2021.100085 · Cited by 22 · see citing works
Challenges in Joining Aluminium with Copper for Applications in Electro Mobility
Kaspar, J., Zimmermann, M., Ostwaldt, A., Göbel, G., Standfuß, J., & Brenner, B. (2014) · Materials science forum · doi:10.4028/www.scientific.net/msf.783-786.1747 · Cited by 21 · see citing works
Metallographic Studies of Dissimilar Al-Cu Laser-Welded Joints Using Various Etchants
Schmalen, P., Mathivanan, K., & Plapper, P. (2018) · Metallography Microstructure and Analysis · doi:10.1007/s13632-018-0501-y · Cited by 21 · see citing works
The effect of wobbling on the welding characteristics in Al/Cu fiber laser welded joints
Yoon, H.-S., & Bang, H.-S. (2023) · The International Journal of Advanced Manufacturing Technology · doi:10.1007/s00170-023-11653-1 · Cited by 20 · see citing works
Micro-Welding of Stainless Steel and Copper Foils Using a Nano -Second Pulsed Fiber Laser
Kumar, A., Gupta, M., Banerjee, J., Neogy, S., Keskar, N., Bhatt, R., Behere, P. G., & Biswas, D. J. (2019) · Lasers in Manufacturing and Materials Processing · doi:10.1007/s40516-019-00088-w · Cited by 20 · see citing works
Self-citationEffects of Cu/Al intermetallic compound (IMC) on copper wire and aluminum pad bondability
Kim, H. J., Lee, J. Y., Paik, K., Koh, K.-W., Won, J. H., Choi, S., Lee, J., Moon, J. T., & Park, Y. J. (2002) · IEEE/CPMT International Electronics Manufacturing Technology Symposium · doi:10.1109/emap.2001.983956 · Cited by 18 · see citing works
Resistance Measurement of Laser Welded Dissimilar Al/Cu Joints
SCHMALEN, P. G., & Plapper, P. (2017) · Journal of Laser Micro/Nanoengineering · doi:10.2961/jlmn.2017.03.0003 · Cited by 16 · see citing works
Microstructures and Electrical Resistivity of Aluminum–Copper Joints
Guo, J., Li, C., Bian, J., Zhang, J., & Geng, B. (2023) · Metals · doi:10.3390/met13081474 · Cited by 12 · see citing works
Nanosecond pulsed fiber laser as a tool for laser micro welding
Haddad, E., Helm, J., Olowinsky, A. M., & Gillner, A. (2020) · Procedia CIRP · doi:10.1016/j.procir.2020.09.077 · Cited by 12 · see citing works
Properties of Cu-Al intermetallic compounds in copper wire bonding
Zhang, B., Wang, T., Cong, Y., Zhao, M., Fan, X., & Wang, J. (2010) · International Conference on Electronic Packaging Technology (ICEPT) · doi:10.1109/icept.2010.5582439 · Cited by 8 · see citing works
Kumar, A., Neogy, S., Keskar, N., Devi, Y. P., Sathe, D. B., & Bhatt, R. (2023) · Journal of Laser Applications · doi:10.2351/7.0001082 · Cited by 5 · see citing works
Self-citationContacting of cylindrical lithium-ion batteries using short pulse laser beam welding
Mayr, L., Tomcic, L., Kick, M. K., Wunderling, C., & Zaeh, M. F. (2021) · Cited by 2 · see citing works
Flagged first, then by citations
Cited by
Sorted by citations
Wang, X., Qiao, R.-H., Zhang, Y.-R., Ma, J., Liang, C.-P., Zhang, L.-J., & Na, S.-J. (2025) · Journal of Materials Processing Technology · doi:10.1016/j.jmatprotec.2025.118836 · Cited by 24 · see citing works
Duraisamy, S., Horovistiz, A. L., Pereira, A. B., Mascate, B., & Días, J. M. (2025) · Journal of Advanced Joining Processes · doi:10.1016/j.jajp.2025.100350 · Cited by 7 · see citing works
Singh, R., Arora, N., & Choudhary, A. (2026) · Welding in the World · doi:10.1007/s40194-026-02375-5 · Cited by 6 · see citing works
“The high thermal diffusivity of both metals causes rapid heat dissipation and quenching, while their limited mutual solubility promotes the formation of brittle intermetallic compounds (IMCs) [22], which degrade joint strength.”
Kang, Y., Fu, Q., Zhou, H., Xiaoya, X., Yang, J., Yang, M., Liu, X., Liu, Y., & Qi, C. (2026) · Materials Characterization · doi:10.1016/j.matchar.2026.117058 · Cited by 1 · see citing works
Singh, R., Arora, N., & Choudhary, A. (2025) · SSRN Electronic Journal · doi:10.2139/ssrn.5520676
Wang, Y., Sun, Y., Li, Q., He, J., & Li, W. (2026) · SSRN Electronic Journal · doi:10.2139/ssrn.6599004
Singh, R., Srivastva, V. K., Arora, N., & Choudhary, A. (2026) · Journal of Energy Storage · doi:10.1016/j.est.2026.124671
- Authors
- Kumar, A., Neogy, S., Saini, S., Ittoop, M. O., Chowdhury, A., Sajith, B. K., & Ganesh, P.
- Affiliations
- Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (IN)
- Raja Ramanna Centre for Advanced Technology (IN)
- Corresponding author
- Kumar, Aniruddha
- Venue
- Welding International
- Publisher
- Informa UK Limited
- Published
- 2024-12-03
- Volume
- 39
- Issue
- 3
- Pages
- 240-256
- ISSN
- 0950-7116 (ISSN-L)
- 1754-2138
- OpenAlex
- W4404965991
- Cited by
- 7
- References
- 42
- Citations by year
- 2026: 4 · 2025: 3
- FWCI
- 0.94
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Welding International (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Engineering › Mechanical Engineering › Welding Techniques and Residual Stresses
- Physical Sciences › Engineering › Mechanical Engineering › Advanced Welding Techniques Analysis
- Physical Sciences › Engineering › Computational Mechanics › Laser Material Processing Techniques
- Keywords
- dissimilar metal welding, seam welding, intermetallic compound layer, Al2Cu, thin sheet welding, lap joints, heat input, lap shear strength, electric mobility
About these checks
Registry, retraction, Cites and statistics results are computed, not judged, with one exception: a printed reference that no index lists is read once by a model before it counts as a citation error. Claims are extracted by a model and kept only when their quote appears verbatim in the text; each cited source is then checked, with a model’s help, for whether it says what the claim relies on. Those verdicts can be wrong — read the claim’s quote and the cited source before relying on one.
Statistics and arithmetic are recomputed, not judged.
Confidence bands are shown only for fields calibrated on our annotated test set. None is calibrated yet, so no band is shown.
What counts as a claim ›How we measure confidence ›How we check this ›
Are you an author, or do you see a problem with this page? Request a review
