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Tin Whisker Joint Meeting in Tokyo to Discuss Key Issues to Develop Tin Whisker Test Method
June 9, 2003 |Estimated reading time: 2 minutes
Tokyo — A Tin Whisker Joint Meeting, attended by the National Electronics Manufacturing Initiative Inc. (NEMI) in the U.S., SOLDERTEC of Tin Technology Ltd. in Europe, and the Japan Electronics and Information Technology Industries Association (JEITA) in Japan was held on May 15, 2003, here.
The three organizations reached an agreement to form a joint project team to study tin whisker growth mechanisms. The joint project team will propose a draft Tin Whisker Test Method to the IEC (International Electrotechnical Commission) by 2004.A tin-plated terminal might be subject to the growth of tin whiskers, which could cause shorts in electric circuits. Whiskers, when they form, tend to grow with time through the re-crystallization of tin into long, usually single crystal filaments, which can actually bridge two terminals. This is of particular concern where product reliability and extended life are important. But not every product lot (or plating bath) grows whiskers. Since the basic mechanism for growth is not understood, the industry does not know how to consistently avoid them. It is important that a test method be developed for predicting the susceptibility of electronic component terminals to the growth of tin whiskers, and the same test methodology is accepted worldwide. All three project teams agree that more work must be done to establish the exact test protocol. However, the following test conditions have been agreed to, and identified as the basis for a full protocol of whisker test conditions:
- High temperature/humidity condition test 60°C, 93+2-3 percent RH
- Thermal cycling (TC) For the high temperature: 85°CFor the low temperature: -40°C or -55°CFor the dwell time, heating and cooling rates: to be determined
- Ambient conditions For the room temperature: 20 to 25°C, or 15 to 35°C, to be determinedOther specific conditions, if necessary, shall be identified
Additional work is planned in all three projects to obtain a better understanding of factors affecting whisker growth. Based on this information, a joint proposal for a standardized whisker test protocol will be submitted by 2004. The three parties recognized that the tin whisker test method is important for implementation of lead-free technology. They also agreed to continue the information exchange on tin whiskers.SOLDERTEC is a membership based organization and part of the Materials Division of Tin Technology. Tin Technology is supported by major tin producers and the tin-consuming industries worldwide and is at the cutting edge of research and development into tin-based applications. For more information, visit www.lead-free.org.
For more information on NEMI, visit www.nemi.org. For more information on JEITA, visit www.jeita.or.jp.