-
- News
- Books
Featured Books
- smt007 Magazine
Latest Issues
Current IssueBox Build
One trend is to add box build and final assembly to your product offering. In this issue, we explore the opportunities and risks of adding system assembly to your service portfolio.
IPC APEX EXPO 2024 Pre-show
This month’s issue devotes its pages to a comprehensive preview of the IPC APEX EXPO 2024 event. Whether your role is technical or business, if you're new-to-the-industry or seasoned veteran, you'll find value throughout this program.
Boost Your Sales
Every part of your business can be evaluated as a process, including your sales funnel. Optimizing your selling process requires a coordinated effort between marketing and sales. In this issue, industry experts in marketing and sales offer their best advice on how to boost your sales efforts.
- Articles
- Columns
Search Console
- Links
- Events
||| MENU - smt007 Magazine
The Unpredictability of Tin Whiskers Endures
March 18, 2015 | Scott Sentz, AEM Inc.Estimated reading time: 1 minute
Into decade number two of the European Union’s RoHS and REACH restrictions for the use of lead in electronic components, the risk of tin whiskers in critical circuitry continues. The global environmental directives to implement lead-free initiatives resulted in the obsolescence of commercially available electronic components with tin-lead finishes.
Even though some countries provide exemptions for special industry segments that require lead, the reality is that there are fewer and fewer components available in the tin-lead termination finish.
Lead-free initiatives pose reliability issues due to tin whisker formation, which has resulted in failures due to electrical short circuits.
Applications requiring high-reliability components have to identify solutions to either self-mitigate or fully mitigate RoHS components not available with tin-lead finishes.
This article will explore a tin whisker mitigation process for surface mount electronic components applicable to both passive and active components.
Introduction
The European Union (EU) RoHS 1 Directive took effect July 1, 2006. This directive restricts the use of six hazardous materials in the manufacture of various types of electronic and electrical equipment including lead. It is closely linked with the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive (WEEE) 2002/96/EC, which sets collection and recycling targets for electrical goods to minimize e-waste. The EU RoHS 2 Directive is the next generation of the original directive taking effect January 2, 2013.
It deals with the same substances as the original directive, while gradually broadening its requirements to cover additional electronic and electrical equipment and parts.
Adoption of no-lead finishes seem ideal from an environmental perspective if it were to be accomplished without risks to reliability of critical hardware. Pure tin, defined as tin with less than 0.1% lead, is a high reliability risk because of its propensity to form tin whiskers. Actually, there is a consensus in the high-reliability industry that at least 3% lead is needed for best practice.
Editor's Note: This article originally appeared in the February issue of SMT Magazine.
Suggested Items
Real Time with... IPC APEX EXPO 2024: Sustainability in the Industry
04/26/2024 | Real Time with...IPC APEX EXPOGuest Editor Henry Crandall and Chris Nash of Indium Corporation discuss the company's 90th anniversary and its focus on sustainability. They focus on the benefits of sustainable materials, their compatibility, and value propositions. The conversation also highlights how Durafuse LT technology's role in reducing reflow temperatures is leading to significant cost and energy savings. Nash also touches on downstream sustainability efforts such as using recycled materials for packaging.
I-Connect007 Editor’s Choice: Five Must-Reads for the Week
04/26/2024 | Andy Shaughnessy, Design007 MagazineIn this week’s roundup, we have a variety of articles covering everything from design through assembly, and even box build. I’ve always wondered whether box build was all it was cracked up to be. Do customers really pick one EMS provider over another because one company offers box build? And if you’ve ever wanted to volunteer, IPC’s Thought Leaders Program is looking for a few good technologists to help them on their mission. Check out Stanton Rak’s article, which was published in the spring issue of IPC Community.
Taiyo Circuit Automation Installs New DP3500 into Fuba Printed Circuits, Tunisia
04/25/2024 | Taiyo Circuit AutomationTaiyo Circuit Automation is proud to be partnered with Fuba Printed Circuits, Tunisia part of the OneTech Group of companies, a leading printed circuit board manufacturer based out of Bizerte, Tunisia, on their first installation of Taiyo Circuit Automation DP3500 coater.
LPKF Extends Contract of CEO Klaus Fiedler until 2028
04/24/2024 | LPKFThe Supervisory Board of LPKF Laser & Electronics SE has decided to extend the contract of Dr. Klaus Fiedler as CEO until 31 December 2028. "Under the leadership of Klaus Fiedler, LPKF has undergone some extensive transformation since he joined just over 2 years ago.
Women MAKE Awards Recognizes GlobalFoundries’ Jennifer Robbins and Katelyn Harrison for Manufacturing Excellence
04/24/2024 | GlobalFoundriesThe Manufacturing Institute (MI)—the workforce development and education affiliate of the National Association of Manufacturers—honored two outstanding women from GlobalFoundries (GF) at their annual Women MAKE Awards. Jennifer (Jenny) Robbins, Senior Director, Central Facilities, was recognized as a 2024 Women MAKE Awards Honoree, while Katelyn Harrison, Senior Integration Engineer, was honored as an Emerging Leader.