Abstract: Provided are a Ni ball, a Ni core ball, a solder joint, solder paste and foamed solder which are superior in the impact resistance to dropping and can inhibit any occurrence of a poor joints. An electronic component 60 is constructed by joining a solder bump 30 of a semiconductor chip 10 to an electrode 41 of a printed circuit board 40 with solder paste 12, 42. The solder bump 30 is formed by joining an electrode 11 of the semiconductor chip 10 to the Ni ball 20. The Ni ball 20 according to the present invention contains purity which is equal to or higher than 99.9% and equal to or lower than 99.995%, sphericity which is equal to or higher than 0.90, and Vickers hardness which is equal to or higher than 20HV and equal to or less than 90HV.

Abstract: Provided are a Ni ball, a Ni core ball, a solder joint, solder paste and foamed solder which are superior in the impact resistance to dropping and can inhibit any occurrence of a poor joints. An electronic component 60 is constructed by joining a solder bump 30 of a semiconductor chip 10 to an electrode 41 of a printed circuit board 40 with solder paste 12, 42. The solder bump 30 is formed by joining an electrode 11 of the semiconductor chip 10 to the Ni ball 20. The Ni ball 20 according to the present invention contains purity which is equal to or higher than 99.9% and equal to or lower than 99.995%, sphericity which is equal to or higher than 0.90, and Vickers hardness which is equal to or higher than 20 HV and equal to or less than 90 HV.

Abstract: Providing an Ag ball having a low alpha dose and a high sphericity regardless of impurity elements having an amount equal to or more than a predetermined value except for Ag. In order to suppress a soft error and reduce an connection fault, a content of U is equal to or less than 5 ppb, a content of Th is equal to or less than 5 ppb, a purity is equal to or more than 99.9% but equal to or less than 99.9995%, an alpha dose is equal to or less than 0.0200 cph/cm2, a content of either Pb or Bi or a total content of both Pb and Bi is equal to or more than 1 ppm, and a sphericity is equal to or more than 0.90.

Abstract: Providing an Ag ball having a low alpha dose and a high sphericity regardless of impurity elements having an amount equal to or more than a predetermined value except for Ag. In order to suppress a soft error and reduce an connection fault, a content of U is equal to or less than 5 ppb, a content of Th is equal to or less than 5 ppb, a purity is equal to or more than 99.9% but equal to or less than 99.9995%, an alpha dose is equal to or less than 0.0200 cph/cm2, a content of either Pb or Bi or a total content of both Pb and Bi is equal to or more than 1 ppm, and a sphericity is equal to or more than 0.90.