Spontaneous Tin (Sn) Whisker Growth from Electroplated Tin and Lead-Free Tin Alloys Coatings: A Short Review

Abstract

Since the environmental regulations of Reduction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) directive came into effect in Europe and Asia on July 1, 2006, requiring the removal of any lead (Pb) content from the electronics industry, the issue of tin (Sn) whisker growth from pure Sn and SnPb-free alloys has become one of the most imperative issues that need to be resolved. Moreover, with the increasing demand for electronics miniaturization, Sn whisker growth is a severe threat to the reliability of microelectronic devices. Sn whiskers grow spontaneously from an electrodeposited tin coating on a copper substrate at room temperature, which can lead to well-documented system failures in electronics industries. The Sn whisker phenomenon unavoidably gives rise to troubles. This paper briefly reviews to better understand the fundamental properties of Sn whisker growth and at the same time discover the effective mitigation practices for whisker growth in green electronic devices. It is generally accepted that compressive stress generated from the growth of Cu6Sn5 intermetallic compound (IMC) is the primary driving force for Sn whisker growth during room temperature storage. It is, therefore, important to determine that the relationship between IMC growth and Sn whisker growth. Reduction of stress in the IMC layer can therefore reduce the driving force for whisker formation and be used as a means for whisker mitigation. To date, there are no successful methods that can suppress the growth of Sn whisker as efficient as Pb addition. It is hoped that the Sn whisker growth mechanisms are understood better in the future, with better measuring and monitoring methodologies and systems being developed, the real solutions may be eventually developed to eliminate or mitigate the Sn whisker problems of green reliability lead-free electronic assemblies.