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The National Electronics Manufacturing Initiative's (NEMF's), Tin Whisker User Group has released a draft proposal of tin whisker acceptance test requirements. As part of its efforts to help suppliers and users minimise the exposure to problems associated with tin whiskers, the User Group has developed this document to provide testing requirements and acceptance criteria for evaluating devices with tin finishes in high-reliability applications.
As the electronics industry moves towards lead-free assemblies, the simple manufacturing solution is to use pure tin, or alloys with high tin content, as coatings on lead-frames. However, tin is known to be susceptible to the formation of needle-like protrusions, or whiskers, and tin whiskers are a reliability concern. They can cause electrical shorts, disruption of moving parts, and/or degraded RF/high-speed performance. Tin whiskers may grow between...