Corfin Ind Leadfree Probs

COMPONENT PREPARATION SERVICES
Pure Tin Plated Leads

Problems and Mitigation
Joe Zaccari
Military Programs Manager
Corfin Industries LLC
603-893-9900 phone
jzaccari@corfin.com
www.corfin.com
Presentation Outline :
Reliability problems associated with pure tin plated leads:

– Whiskers
Factors in whisker development
– Stress
– Intermetallic formation
– Abrasion of the plating
Survey of documented failures
Examples of tin whisker growth
– Solderability
Poor solder joint quality
– Oxidation
– Reflow characteristics
Potential solutions to whiskering and solderability problems on Pure Tin Plated

component leads:
– Use as is (case-by-case evaluation)
– Matte plating
– Arc with high voltage
– Conformal coat
– Hot solder dip
G-12 Meeting September 10, 2002

Whiskers
Stress
Intermetallic Formation
Abrasion of Plating
Factors in Whisker Development
Plating Chemistry/Process
– Electroplating Current Density
Higher Current Density --> Higher Residual Stress
– Tin Grain Size and Shape
Submicron Grains
“Matte” vs. “Bright” Finish
– Use of “Brighteners” and Presence of Impurities
– Plating Thickness
>0.5 µm and <8 µm more prone
– Alloy composition
Pure Sn, Sn-Cu, Sn-Bi, and rarely Sn-Pb
Substrate (Including Base Metal and Barrier Plating
Layers)
– Material (Copper, Brass, Nickel, others)
– Substrate Preparation (Stamped, Formed, Annealed)

Factors in Whisker Development
Intermetallic Compound (IMC) Formation

• Environmental Stresses
– Temperature (50°C More Favorable)
– Temperature Shock/cycling (CTE Mismatches)
– Humidity (High RH Observed to Increase
Whiskering)
– Applied Pressure (Torque on Fasteners)
It is important to note however that:

Many Experiments Show Contradictory Results
For These Factors
“Public Domain” Whisker Related
Failures
Military
– F-15
– Missile programs
Phoenix
Patriot Missile II
Other
Space
– Satellites
Galaxy IV
Galaxy VII
Solidaridad I
Other
Medical
– Heart Pacemaker
Energy
– Nuclear Regulatory Commission
Examples of Whiskers
Relay Leads
"Photo courtesy of NASA Goddard Space Flight Center http://nepp.nasa.gov/whisker "

Standard Dual In-Line Package (DIP) IC, Leads are copper based with
"pure matte tin plated finish" (confirmed via SEM/EDS).
"Photos courtesy of NASA Goddard Space Flight Center http://nepp.nasa.gov/whisker "

Conformal Coat (Polyurethane)

Whiskers Growing Beneath Whisker Growing Thru
2 mil Thick Coating ~0.25 mil Thick Coating
T in W h is ke rs : A ttrib u te s a n d M itig a tio n
"Photos courtesy of NASA Goddard Space Flight Center J a y B ru s s e

Q S S G ro u p , In c . @ N A S A G o d d a rd
(http://nepp.nasa.gov/whisker/experiment/exp2/ ). " P re se n tatio n to : C a p a c ito r a nd R e s is to r T e ch n o lo g y S ym p o s iu m
2002
N e w O rle a n s , L A M a rc h 2 6 , 2 0 0 2

Solderability Issues
Oxidation
Reflow
How Tin Plated lead forming differs
from Solder Coating
Lead Form After Plating
– Defects such as, poor solder joint quality and
degraded long-term reliability can result from
forming the leads after the plating has been applied.
– Exposed base material at the device “toe” when the
leads are trimmed to length.
Toe fillet quality
– Micro-cracks in the plating.
Oxidation of lead surface.

Potential Source of Oxidation
Pre- Plated Lead Frame Tie Bars Removed
Exposed base metal

Potential Source of Oxidation
Exposed Base Metal
X-Ray EDS Analysis

Potential Oxidation
Micro Cracks in Plating
Exposed
Base Metal
Formed Lead

Potential Oxidation
12,000x
Magnification
3,000x
Magnification
BSE Image
Plating Flaking 12,000x

Magnification
BSE Image
Formed Lead

Mitigation Strategies
Use as is (case-by-case evaluation)
Arc with high voltage
Matte plating
Conformal coat
Hot solder dip
Use as is
– Assumptions required
Arc w/ high voltage
– Components may not survive
– Subjective process
Matte plating
– Eliminates one potential problem but evidence
exists that whiskers occur in all tin and tin alloy
plated finishes.
– Matte plating is still susceptible to oxidation.
Conformal coat
– Shown to be ineffective in some cases

Use as is
– When a case-by-case assessment is used some
level of assumptions required.
No ability to simulate assembly and operation
environmental factors for test purposes.
Down stream alteration of operational parameters would be
problematic.
– Assumption is too subjective for high reliability
applications.

Conformal coat
– Shown to be ineffective in some cases
– Difficult to determine acceptable application
Are spaces between fine pitch leads filled?
T in W h is k e rs : A ttrib u te s a n d M itig a tio n

J a y B ru s s e
Q S S G r o u p , In c . @ N A S A G o d d a r d
P re s e n ta tio n to : C a p a c ito r a n d R e s is to r T e c h n o lo g y S y m p o s iu m
2002
N e w O rle a n s , L A M a rc h 2 6 , 2 0 0 2

Matte plating
– Evidence exists that whiskers occur in all tin and tin
alloy plated finishes.
Strict process control required.
– How to establish “out of control” parameters
Matte plating is still susceptible to oxidation.

Arc w/ high voltage

– Potential for unintended damage to circuitry
Potential for immediate damage to circuitry
Latent damage potential
– Subjective process
Voltage?
Duration?

Hot Solder Dipping

– Users may consider hot solder dipping of tin plated
leads (surfaces) using a Sn/Pb based solder.
– This process will help reduce whisker formation by:
Relieving stress in the tin layer through reflow
The addition of an alloying element (Pb).

Hot Solder Dip
Challenges and Successes
Differences between Pure Tin Plated and Solder Coated component lead
finishes
– Lead Finish
Composition
Thickness
Shelf life
– Lead forming
Hot solder dip process characteristics and capabilities
– Lead pitch/count
Manual vs. robotic handling
– Control of Insertion/removal :
Rate
Angle
– Reduction of abrasion and induced stress
Dynamic vs. static solder
Nitrogen blanketing
– Temperatures and dwell times
– Percentage of lead covered
– Package size/material/construction
Environmental Impact of Hot Solder Dip
– Hazardous waste

Tin Plated vs. Solder Coated Lead
Finishes
Tin Plating vs. Hot Solder Dip
– Hot Solder Dipping is performed in a molten bath
No separation of tin/lead (Sn/Pb) occurs during the Solder
Coating process.
Results in a homogeneous and dense lead finish.
– An pure tin coating has a specific crystalline-
structure:
Prone to Tin Whisker growth
Possibly of micro-cracks
“Special” chemicals introduced to affect finish appearance.

Finishes
Tin Plated coatings need added ingredients
within the electrolytic bath to get a proper
coating with specific optical and mechanical
characteristics.
– If bright and shiny surfaces are required, the
electroplated coating tends to be brittle in
comparison to hot-dipped coatings.
As there are no chemical additives, Solder
Dipped surfaces have little to no out-gasing,
bubbling or separation tendencies in higher
temperature ranges.

Finishes
Hot Solder Dip Lead Finish Characteristics
– The composition of the Solder Coating material
exactly matches the solder bath composition.
I.e., if 63% tin (Sn) 37% lead (Pb) is used, you will find
exactly this 63 / 37 combination on the Dipped lead.
– Solder coating composition can be matched to
solder paste used in assembly:
During re-flow, both melt at the same temperature and
provide a better solder joint.

Finishes
Hot Solder Dip Lead Finish Characteristics
– Lead finish volume
The volume of solder on a hot solder dip lead is greater
than that which can be achieved through plating.
– Solder dipped leads typically have >200µ inches of solder
coating vs. as little as 50µ inches for plating
– Benefit: during re-flow, a greater coverage of the foot, toe,
and heel typically occurs.
– Inter-metallic Development
Set up from the very beginning.
Benefit: very good bonding between the core material and
the Solder Coating.

Finishes
Lead Finish Characteristics
– Shelf life
Typically two years or more, for a post-lead form, hot
solder dipped component.
– This is the result of a relatively thick, homogeneous coating.
– This shelf life can be shorter if the leads are solder dipped
prior to being trimmed and formed.
Shelf life for a pre-lead form, Solder Dipped component is
typically a year or less.
– This is primarily the result of a base metal exposure at the
foot, resulting in poor toe fillets.
Shelf life for a tin plated component is typically a year or
less, due to oxidation.
– This can account for PCB de-wetting problems during re-flow.

Hot Solder Dip
Solder dipping formed leads:
– Problems with “hand dipping” formed leads
.........
Bridging
Icicles
Solder Build-up
Solder Build-up
Solder Build-up

Hot Solder Dip
Hot-Solder dipping
– Hot-tin dipped parts should come from controlled
production lines.
While the very process of applying a molten layer
minimizes internal stresses, coating application must be
uniform in thickness.
Hot Solder Dipped parts are still prone to abrasion and
surface compressive stresses during handling.
– Hands free processing greatly reduces this risk.
– The effectiveness of hot solder dipping is limited to
those surfaces that can be safely subjected to a hot
dipping process without introducing thermal
damage.
For this reason, solder dipping is frequently limited to areas
no closer than 10 to 50 mils from the component body
where glass to metal seals are used.
Current Robotic Lead Finish
System Capabilities
– Keys for success
Nitrogen atmosphere
– The solder pot is equipped with an inert gas enclosure
around the solder wave, with stainless steel gas diffusers that
provide a non-turbulent protective gas cover over the wave.
– The controlled atmosphere reduces dross formation on the
solder wave, promotes wetting and ensures uniform solder
coverage of the component leads.
– The process of solder coating component leads is greatly
enhanced by the inerting process, with the virtual elimination
of icicles and flags as surface tension is greatly decreased..
– A stainless steel shroud that covers the rear of the solder pot,
including the pump area, is injected with inert gas to reduce
the formation of dross and black powder from the pump
shaft.

System Capabilities
Control of insertion and removal speed & angle
– Viscosity and surface tension effects on adjacent leads
– Control of solder wicking onto lead
– Control of solder run off

System Capabilities
Dynamic solder wave
– Solder pot is designed to draw solder from the base of the
pot, minimizing the possibility of recirculating dross through
the wave.
– The pot has its own thermally protected D.C. motor driven
pump which provides for precise wave height control

System Capabilities
Component Packages
– Plastic, Tinning up to package
SOT
SOIC
TSOP, TSSOP
QFP
– Ceramic packages
LCC
Flat packs
Quad packs
– Quad pack lead counts up to 442
2” by 4” Ceramic Hybrid packages
– Metal cans/Hybrid packages, tinning to within 0.010
inch of package
Component bases as well as leads can be solder coated
System Capabilities
Component Leads
– Straight lead TAB devices
Lead width 0.003 in.
Lead spacing 0.015 in.
– Gull wing flat pack and quad packs
Lead width: 0.06 - 0.23 mm
Lead pitch: 0.4mm
Lead thickness: 0.05 - .015mm
– Hybrid packages
Lead diameter: 0.01”

System Capabilities
Pitch
0.4 (.015) 0.5 (.020) 0.64(.025)
Width
0.006 X X
0.13 X X X
0.19 X
0.23 X X X
0.3 X X
Dimensions are in millimeters (inches)

System Capabilities

Hot Solder Dip
Environmental Impact
– Hazardous waste
Process water is only waste product
– Lead levels in waste water is many time below levels
allowable into municipal sewer systems.
– Hazardous waste generation is in the “household”
classification.
– All other materials are recycled
Solder ( tin & lead)

Conclusion
Pure tin-plated component leads are

susceptible to whisker formation
Failures due to tin whiskers are a real problem.
Hot solder dip is a viable solution to tin whisker
problems on electronic components regardless
of lead dimensions.

Corfin Ind Leadfree Probs

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COMPONENT PREPARATION SERVICES

Pure Tin Plated Leads

Reliability problems associated with pure tin plated leads:

Potential solutions to whiskering and solderability problems on Pure Tin Plated

G-12 Meeting September 10, 2002

G-12 Meeting September 10, 2002

Intermetallic Compound (IMC) Formation

It is important to note however that:

"Photo courtesy of NASA Goddard Space Flight Center http://nepp.nasa.gov/whisker "

G-12 Meeting September 10, 2002

"Photos courtesy of NASA Goddard Space Flight Center http://nepp.nasa.gov/whisker "

G-12 Meeting September 10, 2002

Conformal Coat (Polyurethane)

T in W h is ke rs : A ttrib u te s a n d M itig a tio n

"Photos courtesy of NASA Goddard Space Flight Center J a y B ru s s e

G-12 Meeting September 10, 2002

G-12 Meeting September 10, 2002

Pre- Plated Lead Frame Tie Bars Removed

Exposed base metal

G-12 Meeting September 10, 2002

Exposed Base Metal

X-Ray EDS Analysis

Micro Cracks in Plating

G-12 Meeting September 10, 2002

Plating Flaking 12,000x

G-12 Meeting September 10, 2002

G-12 Meeting September 10, 2002

G-12 Meeting September 10, 2002

T in W h is k e rs : A ttrib u te s a n d M itig a tio n

G-12 Meeting September 10, 2002

G-12 Meeting September 10, 2002

Arc w/ high voltage

G-12 Meeting September 10, 2002

Hot Solder Dipping

G-12 Meeting September 10, 2002

G-12 Meeting September 10, 2002

G-12 Meeting September 10, 2002

G-12 Meeting September 10, 2002

G-12 Meeting September 10, 2002

G-12 Meeting September 10, 2002

G-12 Meeting September 10, 2002

G-12 Meeting September 10, 2002

G-12 Meeting September 10, 2002

G-12 Meeting September 10, 2002

G-12 Meeting September 10, 2002

G-12 Meeting September 10, 2002

Dimensions are in millimeters (inches)

G-12 Meeting September 10, 2002

G-12 Meeting September 10, 2002

G-12 Meeting September 10, 2002

Pure tin-plated component leads are

G-12 Meeting September 10, 2002

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