| Scope |
The functional degradation or even complete failure of electronic components caused by the growth of long, conductive whiskers from metallic coatings poses a severe reliability problem. Tin (Sn) coatings are particularly prone since lead (Pb) alloying, which in the past mitigated whisker formation, was legally banned from use in electronic assemblies. Despite observations dating back many decades, there is no complete understanding of this phenomenon that would allow to confidently predict whisker locations, spatial densities, growth rates, or mitigation strategies based on variables such as coating conditions, crystallographic film texture, grain size and morphology, chemistry, and, most importantly, thermomechanical loads experienced in service. This symposium aims to distill existing and new observations regarding metal whisker formation into physically-based models and shall provide a forum for the fruitful exchange of theories and experimental results on this mysterious and challenging problem. |