Growth of tin whiskers for lead-free plated leadframe packages in high humid environments and during thermal cycling

Growth behavior of tin whiskers from pure tin and tin–bismuth plated leadframe (LF) packages for elevated temperature and high humidity storages and during thermal cycling was observed. In the storage at 60 °C/93% relative humidity (RH) and 85 °C/85%RH the galvanic corrosion occurred at the outer lead toes and shoulders where the base LF material is exposed, forming tin oxide layers of SnO₂. The corroded layers spread inside the film and formed whiskers around the corroded islands. Many whiskers were observed to grow from grain boundaries for the Fe–42Ni alloy (alloy42) LF packages. It was confirmed that the corrosion tends to occur on the side surfaces of outer leads adjacent to the mold flash. The contribution of ionic contaminants in epoxy mold compound (EMC) to the corrosion was not identified. During thermal cycling between −65 °C and +150 °C whiskers grew out of as-deposited grains for pure tin-plated alloy42 LF packages and they grew linearly with an increase of number of cycle. Growth mechanisms of the whiskers from grain boundaries and as-deposited grains were discussed from the deformation mechanism map for tin and mathematical calculation with a steady-state diffusion model.     

Effect of different temperature cycling profiles on the crack initiation and propagation of Sn–3.5Ag wave soldered solder joints

Temperature cycling of a test board with different electronic components was carried out at two different temperature profiles in a single-chamber climate cabinet. The first temperature profile ranged between −55 and 100 °C and the second between 0 and 100 °C. Hole mounted components and secondary side SMD components were wave soldered with an Sn–3.5Ag alloy. Joints of both dual in line (DIL) packages and ceramic chip capacitors were investigated. Crack initiation and propagation was analysed after every 500 cycles. In total, 6500 cycles were run at both temperature profiles and the observations from each profile were compared.For both kinds of components analysed, cracks were first visible for the temperature profile ranging between −55 and 100 °C. For this temperature profile, and for DIL packages, cracks were visible already after 500 cycles, whereas for the other temperature profile, cracks initiated between 1000 and 1500 cycles. The cracks observed after 1500 cycles were visibly smaller for the temperature profile ranging between 0 and 100 °C, concluding that crack initiation and propagation was slightly slower for this temperature profile. For the chip capacitors, cracks were first visible after 2000 cycles.     

Investigation of relation between intermetallic and tin whisker growths under ambient condition

The relation between the whisker growth and intermetallic on various lead-free finish materials that have been stored at ambient condition for 2 yrs (6.3 × 10⁷ s) is investigated. The matte Sn plated leadframe (LF) had the needle-shaped whisker and the nodule-shaped whisker was observed on the semi-bright Sn plated LF. Both the Sn plated LFs had a same columnar grain structure and both whiskers were grown in connection with the scalloped intermetallic compound (IMC) layer. The morphology of the IMC layer is similar, regardless of the area which has whisker or not. On the Sn–Bi finish and bright Sn plated LF, hillock-shaped and sparsely grown branch-shaped whiskers were observed, respectively. The IMC grew irregularly under both the areas with or without whisker. The IMC growth along the Sn grain boundaries generated inner compressive stress at the plating layer. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) profiling analysis is useful for characterization the IMC growth on the Sn and Cu interface. The measured root mean square (RMS) values IMC roughness on semi-bright Sn, matte Sn, and bright Sn plated LF were 1.82 μm, 1.46 μm, and 0.63 μm, respectively. However, there is no direct relation between whisker growth and the RMS value. Two layers of η′-Cu₆Sn₅ were observed using field emission transmission electron microscopy (FE-TEM): fine grains and coarse grains existed over the fine grains.     

Board level reliability assessment of chip scale packages

A large program had been initiated to study the board level reliability of various types of chip scale package (CSP). The results on six different packages are reported here, which cover flex interposer CSP, rigid interposer CSP, wafer level assembly CSP, and lead frame CSP. The packages were assembled on FR4 PCBs of two different thicknesses. Temperature cycling tests from −40°C to +125°C with 15 min dwell time at the extremes were conducted to failure for all the package types. The failure criteria were established based on the pattern of electrical resistance change. The cycles to failure were analyzed using Weibull distribution function for each type of package. Selected packages were tested in the temperature/humidity chamber under 85°C/85%RH for 1000 h. Some assembled packages were tested in vibration condition as well. In all these tests, the electrical resistance of each package under testing was monitored continuously. Test samples were also cross-sectioned and analyzed under a Scanning Electronic Microscope (SEM). Different failure mechanisms were identified for various packages. It was noted that some packages failed at the solder joints while others failed inside the package, which was packaging design and process related.     

The Effect of Annealing on Tin Whisker Growth

This paper presents a design-of-experiments study on the effect of annealing and simulated reflow on tin whisker growth. Copper, brass, and alloy 42 coupons plated with either bright or matte tin were subjected to one of three elevated temperature exposures. After the elevated temperature exposures, specimens along with a set of control specimens were then kept in room ambient conditions and monitored periodically using an environmentally scanning electron microscope. Surface observations up to 16 months of room ambient exposure revealed that tin whiskers formed on the surfaces of each specimen. However, various differences in whisker growth between the matte- and bright tin-plated specimens were observed. Columnar-type whiskers grown on the matte tin plated specimens were initiated from one grain at the surface, as opposed to the growth on bright tin which were independent from the surface morphology. Maximum length and length distribution data for matte and bright tin plating for the various exposures are presented. The result of this study shows annealing to be effective in reducing the maximum length of whiskers, particularly on bright finished coupons     

Texture of electrodeposited tin layers and its influence on their corrosion behavior

Differences in the degree of corrosion of pure thin tin films electrodeposited on copper substrates were investigated in dependence on the layer thickness and the texture of the tin layers. The change of the preferred orientation of the tin layer deposited by applying different current densities was analyzed using X-ray diffraction. A graphical evaluation was used to determine the degree of corrosion after sample exposition to NaCl contaminations and humidity. Results show that a preferred orientation along the lattice planes (3 2 1) and (2 2 0) enhances the corrosion resistance of the tin layer by about one order of magnitude compared to a non-textured sample based on the corroded area. In contrast, a texture along (1 0 1) and (1 1 2) accelerates the oxidation of tin by a factor of about three to four compared with a randomly orientated specimen. The corrosion dependence on the preferred orientation decreases with increasing layer thickness. Moreover, scanning electron micrographs show no effect to the size of the tin grains on variations of the current density. In summary, changes in the process parameters of the electrodeposition lead to a variation of texture and thus modify the chemical and corrosion properties of the resulting tin layers. Consequently reliability properties like solderability or whisker growth in further applications depend on these parameters.     

A simple moisture diffusion model for the prediction of optimal baking schedules for plastic SMD packages

The moisture concentration at the chip surface is the important parameter for the moisture sensitivity of the P-MQFP80 product considered here. When the critical moisture concentration at the die surface is reached, delamination occurs after soldering shock, e.g at 240°C. This critical moisture concentration, which can be determined by experiments conducted at 30°C/60% relative humidity (RH) followed by soldering shock, allows to predict the product’s moisture performance at other ambient conditions. In the case studied here, prediction was done at a customer use condition of 30°C/85% RH. Furthermore, this work showed that preconditioning of plastic packages not only induces the onset of delamination at the die surface but it appears to weaken the adhesion at this interface as well. As a result, delamination failure starts to occur earlier (i.e. within shorter moisture exposure time) in the devices tested after subsequent thermal cycling stress test. A simple moisture diffusion analytical model is proposed here for predicting the optimal baking schedules for plastic SMD packages.     

The effect of electroplating parameters and substrate material on tin whisker formation

Electroplated tin finishes are widely used in the electronics industry due to their excellent solderability, electrical conductivity and corrosion resistance. However, the spontaneous growth of tin whiskers during service can result in localised electrical shorting or other harmful effects. Until recently, the growth of tin whiskers was successfully mitigated by alloying the tin with lead. However, restriction in the use of lead in electronics as a result of EU legislation (RoHS) has led to renewed interest in finding a successful alternative mitigation strategy.Whisker formation has been investigated for a bright tin electrodeposit to determine whether whisker growth can, at least partially, be mitigated by control of electroplating parameters such as deposition current density and deposit thickness. The influence of substrate material and storage at 55 °C/85% humidity on whisker growth have also been investigated.Whisker growth studies indicate that deposition parameters have a significant effect on both whisker density and whisker morphology. As deposition current density is increased there is a reduction in whisker density and a transition towards the formation of large eruptions rather than potentially more harmful filament whiskers. Increasing the tin coating thickness also results in a reduction in whisker density. Results demonstrate that whisker growth is most prolific from tin deposits on brass, whilst that from tin deposits on rolled silver is greater than that observed for tin deposits on copper.     

常用触点材料表面腐蚀物微动电特性研究

针对常用连接器触点材料(镀金、镀镍、镀锡),研究工业环境对其表面的腐蚀性及对触点微动电特性的影响。经过长期室内自然暴露后,镀金、镀镍、镀锡表面生成了离散的呈岛状分布的腐蚀产物。在腐蚀产物上进行了微动实验,发现在自然腐蚀产物的表面初始电阻高于通常的失效标准(10 mW),有的甚至达到1 W。当岛状腐蚀产物在微动过程中被逐渐磨掉后,接触电阻也由跳动渐渐降低至有效值。而当磨损碎屑堆积在微动痕迹附近,或接触表面之间嵌入尘土颗粒,或者在接触区内的腐蚀产物经微动后反而被挤压得更致密时,接触电阻会升高,甚至开路,造成电接触失效。腐蚀产物在微动中的去除与腐蚀物形貌及其机械特性直接相关。     

Effects of different bonding parameters on the electrical performance and peeling strengths of ACF interconnection

The effects of different bonding parameters, such as temperature, pressure, curing time, bonding temperature ramp and post-processing, on the electrical performance and the adhesive strengths of anisotropic conductive film (ACF) interconnection are investigated. The test results show that the contact resistances change slightly, but the adhesive strengths increase with the bonding temperature increased. The curing time has great influence on the adhesive strength of ACF joints. The contact resistance and adhesive strength both are improved with the bonding pressure increased, but the adhesive strengths decrease if the bonding pressure is over 0.25 MPa. The optimum temperature, pressure, and curing time ranges for ACF bonding are concluded to be at 180–200 °C, 0.15–0.2 MPa, and 18–25 s, respectively. The effects of different Teflon thickness and post-processing on the contact resistance and adhesive strength of anisotropic conductive film (ACF) joints are studied. It is shown that the contact resistance and the adhesive strength both become deteriorated with the Teflon thickness increased. The tests of different post-processing conditions show that the specimens kept in 120 °C chamber for 30 min present the best performance of the ACF joints. The thermal cycling (−40 to 125 °C) and the high temperature/humidity (85 °C, 85% RH) aging test are conducted to evaluate the reliability of the specimens with different bonding parameters. It is shown that the high temperature/humidity is the worst condition to the ACF interconnection.     

Long time reliability study of soldered flip chips on flexible substrates

Due to the requirements of new light, mobile, small and multifunctional electronic products the density of electronic packages continues to increase. Especially in medical electronics like pace makers the minimisation of the whole product size is an important factor. So flip chip technology becomes more and more attractive to reduce the height of an electronic package. At the same time the use of flexible and foldable substrates offers the possibility to create complex electronic devices with a very high density. In terms of human health the reliability of electronic products in medical applications has top priority.In this work flip chip interconnections to a flexible substrate are studied with regard to long time reliability. Test chips and substrates have been designed to give the possibility for electrical measurements. Solder was applied using conventional stencil printing method. The flip chip contacts on flexible substrates were created in a reflow process and underfilled subsequently.The assemblies have been tested according to JEDEC level 3. The focus in this paper is the long time reliability up to 10,000 h in thermal ageing at 125 °C and temperature/humidity testing at 85 °C/85% relative humidity as well as thermal cycling (0 °C/+100 °C) up to 5000 cycles. Daisy chain and four point Kelvin resistances have been measured to characterise the interconnections and monitor degradation effects.The failures have been analysed in terms of metallurgical investigations of formation and growing of intermetallic phases between underbump metallisation, solder bumps and conductor lines. CSAM was used to detect delaminations at the interfaces underfiller/chip and underfiller/substrate respectively.     

The impact of electrical current, mechanical bending, and thermal annealing on tin whisker growth

This paper presents the results of an eight-month design-of-experiment assessment of whisker growth on bright and matte tin-plated copper, mechanically deformed and unformed coupons, subject to a continuous 50 °C/50%RH environment, with and without the presence of a constant electrical current density magnitude of 0.48 × 10² A/cm². Whiskers were observed to grow both at the anode and cathode end. The distribution-based data showed a reduction in whisker density due to annealing and/or the application of electrical current for both bright and matte tin. However, the application of electrical current was observed to increase the standard deviation of the length distribution, and to generate longer whiskers.     

Low-temperature carbon monoxide gas sensors based gold/tin dioxide

Tin dioxide nanocrystals were synthesized by a precipitation process and then used as the support for 2 wt.% gold/tin dioxide preparation via a deposition–precipitation method, followed by calcination at 200 °C. Thick films were fabricated from gold/tin dioxide powders, and the sensing behavior for carbon monoxide gas was investigated. The gold/tin dioxide was found to be efficient carbon monoxide gas-sensing materials under low operating temperature (83–210 °C). The Au/SnO₂ sensor with SnO₂ calcined at 300 °C exhibited better CO gas-sensing behavior than the SnO₂ calcined at other temperatures. The experimental results indicated the potential use of Au doped SnO₂ for CO gas sensing.     

The suppression of tin whisker growth by the coating of tin oxide nano particles and surface treatment

Tin oxide nano particles dispersed in water solution were sprayed on the tin-plated copper surface and served as coating layer in order to study its effect on the prevention of tin whisker formation. The results indicated that tin oxide nano particles could inhibit the growth of tin whiskers to certain extent. Many hillocks instead of long whiskers grew on the surfaces of samples that underwent 25, 40 and 60 °C annealing for 10 weeks. Furthermore, a strong etchant and polishing were applied to the tin-plated samples. XPS results showed that the surface oxide was removed by surface treatments; the surfaces were then coated by spraying nano particles. It is found that the coherency of the re-grown oxide during annealing was reduced, leading to the growth of hillocks instead of long whiskers. This approach seems to successfully enhance the relaxation of stress to prevent the growth of long whiskers.     

Degradation behavior of 600 V–200 A IGBT modules under power cycling and high temperature environment conditions

One challenge for automotive hybrid traction application is the use of high power IGBT modules that can withstand high ambient temperatures, from 90 °C to 120 °C, for reliability purpose. The paper presents ageing tests of 600 V–200 A IGBT modules subjected to power cycling with 60 °C junction temperature swings at 90 °C ambient temperature. Failure modes are described and obtained results on the module characteristics are detailed. Especially, physical degradations are described not only at the package level, like solder attach delaminations, but also at the chip level, with a shift on electrical characteristics such as threshold voltage. Finally, numerical investigations are performed in order to assess the thermal and thermo-mechanical constraints on silicon dies during power cycling and also to estimate the effect of ambient temperature on the mechanical stresses.     

Acid Decapsulation of Epoxy Molded IC Packages With Copper Wire Bonds

Epoxy molded IC packages with copper wire bonds are decapsulated using mixtures of concentrated sulfuric acid (20%) and fuming nitric acid in an automatic decapping unit and, observed with minimal corrosion of copper wires (0.8–6 mil sizes) and bond interfaces. To attain maximum cross-linking of the molded epoxies, the post mold cured packages (175$^circ$C for 4 h) were further, aged at high temperature of 150$^circ$C for 1000 h. These packages are decapsulated using mixtures of higher ratio of concentrated sulfuric acid (40%) along with fuming nitric acid. The shear strength of copper wire bonds with 1 mil (25$mu$m) diameter of the decapsulated unit is higher than 5.5 gf/mil$^2$. The present study shows copper stitch bonds to Au, Cu, Pd, and Sn alloy plated surfaces are less affected on decapping, with a few grams of breaking load on stitch pull test, while stitch bonds on silver plated surfaces reveal lifting of wire bonds on decapping.     

A Model for Rapid Tin Whisker Growth on the Surface of ErSn3 Phase

Spontaneous growth of tin whiskers on the finish of leadframes is an extremely slow process under moderate temperature conditions. It therefore becomes difficult to track the continuous growth of tin whiskers and to vary the experimental conditions to determine their root causes. Accordingly, the fundamental growth behaviors of tin whiskers are still not fully understood. In this study, rapid tin whisker growth was achieved by adding 1 wt.% Er to Sn-3.8Ag-0.7Cu solder alloy. The results showed unique tin whisker morphology with nonconstant cross-section. An explanation is proposed by adding kinetic energy to the conventional energy balance equation. In addition, a double compressive stress zone is proposed to demonstrate the driving force for tin whisker growth in rare-earth-bearing phases.     

Ball grid array reliability assessment for aerospace applications

Reliability of ball grid arrays (BGAs) was evaluated with special emphasis on space applications. This work was performed as part of a consortium led by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) to help build the infrastructure necessary for implementing this technology. Nearly 200 test vehicles, each with four package types, were assembled and tested using an experiment design. The most critical variables incorporated in this experiment were package type, board material, surface finish, solder volume, and environmental condition. The packages used for this experiment were commercially available packages with over 250 I/Os including both plastic and ceramic BGA packages.The test vehicles were subjected to thermal and dynamic environments representative of aerospace applications. Two different thermal cycling conditions were used, the JPL cycle ranged from −30°C to 100°C and the Boeing cycle ranged from −55°C to 125°C. The test vehicles were monitored continuously to detect electrical failure and their failure mechanisms were characterized. They were removed periodically for optical inspection, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) evaluation, and cross-sectioning for crack propagation mapping. Data collected from both facilities were analyzed and fitted to distributions using the Weibull distribution and Coffin–Manson relationships for failure projection. This paper will describe experiment results as well as those analyses.     

Whisker growth on surface treatment in the pure tin plating

Whisker behavior at various surface treatment conditions of pure Sn plating are presented. The temperature cycling test for 600 cycles and the ambient storage for 1 year was performed, respectively. From the temperature cycling test, bent-shaped whiskers were observed on matte and semibright Sn plating, and flower-shaped whisker on bright Sn plating. The bright Sn plating has smaller whiskers than the other types of Sn plating, and the whisker growth density per unit area is also lower than the others. After 1 year under ambient storage, nodule growth of FeNi42 lead frame (LF) was observed in some parts. The Cu LF showed about a 9.0 μm hillock-shaped whisker. This result demonstrated that the main determinant of whisker growth was the number of temperature cycling (TC) in the FeNi42 LF, whereas it was the time and temperature in the Cu LF. Also, whisker growth and shape varied with the type of surface treatment and grain size of plating.     

Near-CSP plastic ball grid array

The mold array process plastic ball grid array continues to demonstrate progress as a cost-effective, medium to high performance electronics package. Highly manufacturable and reliable solutions to the challenges of molding up to several hundred packages at one time as well as subsequent singulation of the packages have been found. JEDEC moisture performance at up to Level 1 with 220°C reflow temperatures has been qualified for production. Thermal performance remains critically dependent on die size, package size, and motherboard construction.