Industry News | 2022-01-14 17:06:40.0
Expanded technical conference award categories include NextGen and Student Research
New Equipment | Coating Materials
Conformal coatings for printed circuit boards cure tack free in seconds upon exposure to UV/Visible eliminating the time-consuming steps of traditional thermal-cure and room-temperature-cure conformal coatings. Coatings are available for tin whisker
Technical Library | 2011-03-03 16:54:47.0
Most of the electronics industry by now knows about tin whiskers. They know whiskers are slim metallic filaments that emanate from the surface of tin platings. They know these filaments are conductive and can cause shorts across adjacent conductors. And they know that these shorts can cause some really bad failures (see nepp.nasa.gov/whisker/ for a list longer than you need). But, with all of this knowledge, the industry is still struggling on how to predict and prevent these "Nefarious Needles of Pain".
Industry News | 2023-07-19 09:52:10.0
The re-balling of BGA components from lead-free to tin-lead solder is a critical requirement by some high-reliability customer applications due to tin-whisker mitigation concerns. This technical paper by Circuit Technology Center discusses the key process steps of this highly specialized process.
Industry Directory | Consultant / Service Provider
Winslow Automation has been advancing lead finish and soldering technology for the military and aeropace, telecommunications, medical, and consumer electronics industry since its inception in 1986.
Industry News | 2022-01-24 18:01:46.0
Available component modification services utilizing Hentec/RPS Odyssey RHSD systems include BGA de-balling, gold mitigation, lead tinning and tin whisker mitigation.
Technical Library | 2015-06-04 19:10:47.0
Integrators and designers of high-reliability systems exert little or no control over component-level plating processes that affect the propensity for tin whiskering. Challenges of how to assure long-term reliability, while continuing to use COTS parts plated with pure tin, continue to arise. An integrated, quantitative, standardized methodology is proposed whereby mitigation levels can be selected that are appropriate for specific applications of pure tin for given end-uses. A system of hardware end-use classification is proposed, together with recommended appropriate risk mitigation approaches. An updated version of the application-specific risk assessment algorithm is presented together with recommended thresholds for acceptability within the context of the hardware classifications.
Technical Library | 2023-02-13 19:04:25.0
The tin whisker phenomenon is a failure mode associated with all electronic devices that use a number of low melting point elements (e.g., Sn, Cd, In) in operations such as soldering. Recognized many years ago, the problem was minimized by adding lead, now identified as a hazardous substance and banned
Technical Library | 2022-01-26 15:22:33.0
Reliability of conformal coatings used to mitigate tin whisker growth depends on their ability to contain tin whiskers. Two key material properties required to assess the reliability of a polyurethane coating are documented experimentally: adhesion strength and puncture strength. A modified blister test using a predefined blister area is employed to assess the adhesion strength and a puncture test is employed to evaluate the puncture strength of the coating. After measuring the properties at time zero, the coatings are subjected to accelerated testing conditions (high temperature/humidity storage and temperature cycling) and the degradations of the coating properties are documented.
Technical Library | 2016-02-18 18:55:09.0
As lead-free alloys shift into high reliability electronics, the issue of tin whisker growth remains a primary concern among those in the industry. Current research shows that there is no perfect alloy for all cases of electronic usage. Industry leaders and researchers continue to study and search for a lead free alloy that is able to withstand harsh environments while maintaining high reliability.
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