FALSE TIN WHISKERS: MASQUERADING TIN COPPER INTERMETALLICS

摘要

The electronics industry is undergoing a materials evolutionrndue to the Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS)rnEuropean Directive. Printed wiring board laminate suppliersrnand component fabricators have introduced a number ofrnnew lead-free (Pbfree) material choices in an effort to berncompliant with the EU legislation. Pure tin componentrnsurface finishes have been introduced as one of the RoHSrnmaterial solutions. Tin whiskers are metallurgicalrnphenomena that are associated with tin rich/pure tinrnmaterials and have been a topic of intense industry interest.rnIn this study, the misidentification of tin/copperrnintermetallic structures as tin whiskers and the solderingrnprocess details identified during the root cause analysis ofrnthe structures will be described.