Hostname: page-component-76fb5796d-r6qrq Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-04-28T23:38:38.568Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Observations of continuous tin whisker growth in NdSn3 intermetallic compound

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  23 February 2011

Ai-Ping Xian  and
Meng Liu
Ai-Ping Xian*
Affiliation:
Shenyang National Laboratory for Materials Science, Institute of Metal Research, Chinese Academy of Science, Shenyang 110016, China
Meng Liu
Affiliation:
Shenyang National Laboratory for Materials Science, Institute of Metal Research, Chinese Academy of Science, Shenyang 110016, China
*
a) Address all correspondence to this author. e-mail: ap.xian@imr.ac.cn
Get access

Abstract

In situ observation of tin whisker growth in NdSn3 compound was carried out by using an optical microscope (OM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The growth rate of Sn-whisker from NdSn3 is shown to be rapid (approximately 8-15Å/s) during exposure to room ambience, and it is accompanied by formation of a new compound, Nd(OH)3, as was confirmed by x-ray diffraction. This reaction between the Sn-RE compound and trace water in room ambience has significant influence on whisker growth. There is an electron irradiation effect on whisker growth; that is, whiskers stopped growing after being observed in SEM. Therefore, it is suggested that OM be used rather than SEM to observe the continuous whisker growth. In discussion, the driving force per Sn atom for whisker growth is estimated as 1 × 1014 N in accordance with the whisker growth rate, and its apparent force originates from a chemical potential gradient between the released Sn atoms and the whisker.

Keywords

Crystal growthScanning electron microscopy (SEM)Sn
Type
Articles
Information
Journal of Materials Research , Volume 24 , Issue 9 , September 2009 , pp. 2775 - 2783
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2009

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

1Compton, K.G., Mendizza, A. and Arnold, S.M.: Filamentary growths on metal surfaces whiskers. Corrosion 7, 327 (1951)CrossRefGoogle Scholar
2Tu, K.N.: Interdiffusion and reaction in bimetallic Cu-Sn thin films. Acta Metall. 21, 347 (1973)CrossRefGoogle Scholar
3Chason, E., Jadhav, N., Chan, W.L., Reinbold, L. and Kumar, K.S.: Whisker formation in Sn and Pb-Sn coatings: Role of intermetallic growth, stress evolution, and plastic deformation processes. Appl. Phys. Lett. 92, 171901 (2008)CrossRefGoogle Scholar
4Galyon, G.T.: Annotated tin whisker bibliography and anthology. IEEE Trans. Electron. Packag. Manuf. 28, 94 (2005)CrossRefGoogle Scholar
5Osenbach, J.W., DeLucca, J.M., Potteiger, B.D., Amin, A. and Baiocchi, F.A.: Sn-whiskers: Truths and myths. J. Mater. Sci.-Mater. Electron. 18, 283 (2007)CrossRefGoogle Scholar
6Xu, C., Zhang, Y., Fan, C., Abys, J.A., Hopkins, L. and Stevie, F.: Understanding whisker phenomenon: The driving force for whisker formation. CircuiTree 15, 94 (2002)Google Scholar
7Lee, B.Z. and Lee, D.N.: Spontaneous growth mechanism of tin whisker. Acta Mater. 46, 3701 (1998)CrossRefGoogle Scholar
8Fisher, R.M., Darken, L.S. and Carroll, K.G.: Accelerated growth of tin whiskers. Acta Metall. 2, 370 (1954)CrossRefGoogle Scholar
9Eshelby, J.D.: A tentative theory of metallic whisker growth. Phys. Rev. 91, 755 (1953)CrossRefGoogle Scholar
10Frank, F.C.: On tin whiskers. Philos. Mag. 44, 854 (1953)CrossRefGoogle Scholar
11Pinsky, D.A.: The role of dissolved hydrogen and other trace impurities on propensity of tin deposits to grow whiskers. Microelectron. Reliab. 48, 675 (2008)CrossRefGoogle Scholar
12Jiang, B. and Xian, A.P.: Whisker growth on tin finishes of different electrolytes. Microelectron. Reliab. 48, 105 (2008)CrossRefGoogle Scholar
13Rozen, M.: Practical whisker growth control methods. Plating 55, 1155 (1968)Google Scholar
14Zhang, Y., Xu, C., Fan, C. and Abys, J.A.: Tin whisker growth and prevention. J. Surf. Mount Tech. 13, 1 (2000)Google Scholar
15Furuta, N. and Hamamura, K.: Growth mechanism of proper tin-whisker. Jpn. J. Appl. Phys. 8, 1404 (1969)CrossRefGoogle Scholar
16Tu, K.N. and Li, J.C.M.: Spontaneous whisker growth on lead-free solder finishes. Mater. Sci. Eng., A 409, 131 (2005)CrossRefGoogle Scholar
17Chen, K. and Wilcox, G.D.: Observations of the spontaneous growth of tin whiskers on tin-manganese alloy electrodeposits. Phys. Rev. Lett. 94, 066104 (2005)CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
18Boettinger, W.J., Johnson, C.E., Bendersky, L.A., Moon, K.W., Williams, M.E. and Stafford, G.R.: Whisker and Hillock formation on Sn, Sn-Cu and Sn-Pb electrodeposits. Acta Mater. 53, 5033 (2005)CrossRefGoogle Scholar
19Nakadaira, Y., Jeong, S., Shim, J., Seo, J., Min, S., Cho, T. and Kang, S.: Growth of tin whiskers for lead-free plated lead frame packages in high humid environments and during thermal cycling. Microelectron. Reliab. 47, 1928 (2007)CrossRefGoogle Scholar
20Koonce, S.E. and Arnold, S.M.: Growth of metal whiskers. J. Appl. Phys. 24, 365 (1953)CrossRefGoogle Scholar
21Chuang, T.H.: Rapid whisker growth on the surface of Sn-3Ag-0.5Cu-1.0Ce solder joints. Scr. Mater. 55, 983 (2006)CrossRefGoogle Scholar
22Chuang, T.H. and Yen, S.F.: Abnormal growth of tin whiskers in a Sn3Ag0.5Cu0.5Ce solder ball grid array package. J. Electron. Mater. 35, 1621 (2006)CrossRefGoogle Scholar
23Chuang, T.H., Chi, C.C. and Lin, H.J.: Formation of whiskers and hillocks on the surface of Sn-6.6RE alloys. Metall. Mater. Trans. 39, 604 (2008)CrossRefGoogle Scholar
24Jiang, B. and Xian, A.P.: Spontaneous growth of tin whiskers on tin-rare-earth alloys. Philos. Mag. Lett. 87, 657 (2007)CrossRefGoogle Scholar
25Ellis, W.C., Gibbons, D.F. and Treuting, R.C.: Growth of metal whiskers from the solid, in Growth and Perfection of Crystals, edited by Doremus, R.H., Roberts, B.W., and Turnbull, D. (John Wiley & Sons, NY, 1958).Google Scholar
26Tu, K.N.: Irreversible-processes of spontaneous whisker growth in bimetallic Cu-Sn thin-film reactions. Phys. Rev. B 49, 2030 (1994)CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
27Choi, W.J., Lee, T.Y., Tu, K.N., Tamura, N., Celestre, R.S., MacDowell, A.A., Bong, Y.Y., Nguyen, L. and Sheng, G.T.T.: Structure and kinetics of Sn whisker growth on Pb-free solder finish, in Proceedings of the 52nd Electronic Components and Technology Conference (2002), pp. 628–633.Google Scholar
28Kadesch, J. and Brusse, J.: The continuing dangers of tin whiskers and attempts to control them with conformal coating, in NASA's EEE Links Newsletter (July 2001): http://grizzly.gsfc.nasa.gov/eeelinks/July2001/.Google Scholar
29Swanson, T.: Natl. Bur. Stand. (U.S.). Circulation 539(1), 24 (1953).Google Scholar
30Saccone, A., Maccio, D. and Ferro, R.: Phase equilibria of the NdSn system in the 55-80 at.% Sn range. J. Alloys Compd. 201, L9 (1993).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
31Roy, R. and McKinstry, H.A.: Concerning the so-called Y(OH)3-type structure, and the structure of La(OH)3. Acta Crystallogr. 6, 365 (1953)CrossRefGoogle Scholar
32Qiu, D.R.: Migration of atoms, in Metal Physics, Vol. 1, edited by Li, Y.F. (Science Press, Beijing, 2000).Google Scholar