Hostname: page-component-8448b6f56d-mp689 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-04-23T07:28:41.769Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Relation of Sn whisker formation to intermetallic growth: Results from a novel Sn–Cu “bimetal ledge specimen”

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  31 January 2011

Lucine Reinbold ,
Nitin Jadhav ,
Eric Chason  and
K. Sharvan Kumar
Lucine Reinbold
Affiliation:
Division of Engineering, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island 02912
K. Sharvan Kumar*
Affiliation:
Division of Engineering, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island 02912
*
b) Address all correspondence to this author. e-mail: Sharvan_Kumar@brown.edu
Get access

Abstract

Sn whisker formation was studied in a “bimetal ledge specimen” that consisted of a uniform layer of Sn that was covered by Cu on only half the sample. Whiskers are observed to grow in the Cu-free region of the sample, which is attributed to stress generated by the diffusion of Sn atoms along the network of columnar grain boundaries. The Sn diffusion is driven by the intermetallic growth, but the whisker density extends out much further than any measurable Cu concentration. Whiskers were also observed to grow in the Cu-coated region by punching through the overlayer, leaving a Cu-grain on the tip of the Sn whisker.

Keywords

CuSnThin film
Type
Articles
Information
Journal of Materials Research , Volume 24 , Issue 12 , December 2009 , pp. 3583 - 3589
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

REFERENCES

1.Felps, B.: Whiskers caused satellite failure: Galaxy IV outage blamed on interstellar phenomenon. Wireless Week, May 17, 1999.Google Scholar
2.Nordwall, B.D.: Air Force links radar problems to growth of tin whiskers. Aviation Week and Space Technology, June 30, 1986, pp. 65–68.Google Scholar
3.Richardson, J. and Lasley, B.: Tin whisker initiated vacuum metal arcing in spacecraft electronics, in Proceedings of the 1992 Government Microcircuit Applications Conference, Vol. XVIII, November 10–12, 1992, pp. 119–122.Google Scholar
4.Corbid, L.: Constraints on the use of tin plate in miniature electronic packages, in Proceedings of the Third International SAMPE Electronics Conference, June 20–22, 1989, pp. 773–779.Google Scholar
5.Brusse, J.A., Ewell, G.J., and Siplon, J.P.: Tin whiskers: Attributes and mitigation, in Proceedings of the 22nd Capacitor and Resistor Technology Symposium, March 25–29, 2002, pp. 67–80.Google Scholar
6.Ellis, 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, New York, 1958), pp. 102–120.Google Scholar
7.Britton, S.C.: Spontaneous growth of whiskers on tin coatings: 20 years of observation. Trans. Inst. Met. Finish. 52, 95 (1974).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
8.Lindborg, U.: Observations on the growth of whisker crystals from zinc electroplate. Metall. Trans. A 6, 1581 (1975).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
9.Lindborg, U.: A model for the spontaneous growth of zinc, cadmium and tin whiskers. Acta Metall. 24, 181 (1976).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
10.Zhang, Y., Xu, C., Fan, C., Abys, J., and Vysotskaya, A.: Understanding whisker phenomenon: Whisker index and tin/copper, tin/ nickel interface, in Proceedings of the IPC SMEMA APEX Conference, New Orleans, LA (2002), pp. S06–1–1-S06–1–10.Google Scholar
11.Lee, B.Z. and Lee, D.N.: Spontaneous growth mechanism of tin whiskers. Acta Metall. 46, 3701 (1998).Google Scholar
12.Boettinger, W.J., Johnson, C.E., Bendersky, L.A., and 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
13.Chason, 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
14.Choi, W.J., Lee, T.Y., Tu, K.N., Tamura, N., Celeste, R.S., MacDowell, A.A., Bong, Y.Y., and Nguyen, L.: Tin whiskers studied by synchrotron radiation scanning x-ray micro-diffraction. Acta Mater. 51, 6253 (2003).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
15.Sobiech, M., Welzel, U., Mittemeijer, E.J., Hügel, W., and Seekamp, A.: Driving force for Sn whisker growth in the system Cu–Sn. Appl. Phys. Lett. 93, 011906 (2008).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
16.Zhang, W., Egli, A., Schwager, F., and Brown, N.: Investigation of Sn–Cu intermetallic compounds by AFM: New aspects of the role of intermetallic compounds in whisker formation. IEEE Trans. Electron. Packag. Manuf. 28, 85 (2005).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
17.Xu, C., Fan, C., Vysotskova, A., Abys, J., Zhang, Y., Hopkins, L., and Stevie, F.: Understanding whisker phenomenon-part II: Competitive mechanisms, in Proceedings of the AESF SUR/FIN 2001, edited by Baker, R.G. (NASF, Washington, DC, 2001), pp. 211–216.Google Scholar
18.Sheng, G.T.T., Hu, C.F., Choi, W.J., Tu, K.N., Bong, Y.Y., and Nguyen, L.: Tin whiskers studied by focused ion beam imaging and transmission electron microscopy. J. Appl. Phys. 92, 64 (2002).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
19.Dittes, M., Oberndorff, P., and Petit, L.: Tin whisker formation: Results, test methods and countermeasures, in Proceedings of the 53rd Electronic Components & Technology Conference, New Orleans, LA (2003), pp. 822–826.Google Scholar
20.Kumar, K.S., Reinbold, L., Bower, A.F., and Chason, E.: Plastic deformation processes in Cu/Sn bimetallic films. J. Mater. Res. 23, 2916 (2008).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
21.Tu, K.N. and Thompson, R.D.: Kinetics of interfacial reaction in bimetallic Cu–Sn thin films. Acta Metall. 30, 947 (1982).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
22.Tu, K.N.: Irreversible processes of spontaneous whisker growth in bimetallic Cu–Sn thin film reactions. Phys. Rev. B 49, 2030 (1994).CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
23.Eshelby, J.D.: The elastic field outside an ellipsoidal inclusion. Proc. R. Soc. London, Ser. A 252, 561 (1959).Google Scholar
24.Tu, K.N. and Zeng, K.: Reliability issues of Pb-free solder joints in electronic packaging technology, in Proc. 52nd IEEE Elect. Comp. & Tech. Conf, San Diego, CA (2002), pp. 1194–1199.Google Scholar
25.Fisher, R.M., Darken, L.S., and Carroll, K.G.: Accelerated growth of tin whiskers. Acta Metall. 2, 368 (1954).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
26.Shibutani, T., Yu, Q., Shiratori, M., and Pecht, M.G.: Pressure-induced tin whisker formation. Microelectron. Reliab. 48, 1033 (2008).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
27.Dittes, M., Oberndorff, P., Crema, P., and Schroeder, V.: Tin whisker formation in thermal cycling conditions, in Proceedings of Electronics Packaging Technology, 2003 5th Conference (EPTC, 2003), p. 183.Google Scholar
28.Buchovecky, E., Jadhav, N., Bower, A.F. and Chason, E.: Finite element modeling of stress evolution in Sn films due to growth of Cu6Sn5 intermetallic compound. J. Electron. Mater. (2009, in press).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
29.Lange, W. and Bergner, D.: Measurement of grain boundary self-diffusion in polycrystalline tin. Phys. Status Solidi 2, 1410 (1962).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
30.Lu, L., Sui, M.L., and Lu, K.: Superplastic extensibility of nanocrystalline Cu at room temperature. Science 287, 1463 (2000).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
31.Zeng, X.H., Li, Y.J., and Blum, W.: On Coble creep in ultrafine-grained Cu. Phys. Status Solidi A 201, R114 (2004).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
32.Li, Y.J., Zeng, X.H., and Blum, W.: Transition from strengthening to softening by grain boundaries in ultrafine-grained Cu. Acta Mater. 52, 5009 (2004).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
33.Barrera, E.V., Menyhard, M., Bika, D., Rothman, B., and McMahon, C.J. Jr.,: Quasi-static intergranular cracking in a Cu/1bSn alloy; An analog of stress relief cracking of steels. Scr. Metall. 27, 205 (1992).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
34.Muthiah, R.C., Pfaendtner, J.A., Ishikawa, S., and McMahon, C.J. Jr.,: Sn-induced dynamic embrittlement of Cu–7%Sn bicrystals with a Σ5 boundary. Acta Mater. 47, 2797 (1999).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
35.Wood, S.W. and McMahon, C.J. Jr.,: Dynamic embrittlement of Cu–Sn bicrystals grown from the melt. Scr. Mater. 45, 1307 (2001).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
36.Liu, X.Y., Tham, D., Yates, D., and McMahon, C.J. Jr.,: Evidence for the intergranular segregation of tin to the grain boundaries of a Cu–Sn alloy and its consequences for dynamic embrittlement. Mater. Sci. Eng., A 458, 123 (2007).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
37.Liu, X.Y., Kane, W., and McMahon, C.J. Jr.,: On the suppression of dynamic embrittlement in Cu–8wt.% Sn by an addition of Zirconium. Scr. Mater. 50, 673 (2004).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
38.Hirth, J.P.: Effects of hydrogen on the properties of iron and steel. Metall. Trans. A 11, 861 (1980).CrossRefGoogle Scholar