Preview

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus. Physical-technical series

Advanced search

THE EFFECT OF ELECTROPLATING PARAMETERS ON TIN “WHISKERS” FORMATION

Abstract

The article is devoted to the investigation of potential defects that can appear in thin-film electrochemical coatings based on tin, which do not contain lead, during their long storage. The purpose of the study is to develop technological regimes of electrolysis, which ensure minimization of the probability of the appearance such defects and reliable operation of radio electronic equipment The problems of tin and lead-free alloys based on it, as well as methods of elimination of such potential defects as the formation of “whiskers” are considered. To control the growth of “whiskers” in the post-electrolysis period (12 months of natural aging under laboratory conditions), a Sn-Bi coating was chosen, which was formed using both a constant and a pulse-reversed current. Based on the results which were obtained with scanning electron microscope, it was established that deposition of an alloy using pulsed and reverse current not only improves the structure of the coatings formed, but also significantly reduces the propensity to form whiskers, their length and density per unit area in comparison with coatings obtained with direct current. Possible reasons for achievement of high quality electrochemical coatings with Sn-Bi alloy have been established. The slowest growth of “whiskers” was obtained at reversed current with an average density i av= 2 A/dm2, frequency f = 1 Hz and duty ratio γ = 1.5. 

About the Authors

V. K. Vasilets
Belarussian State University of Informatics and Radioelectronics
Belarus
Researcher, Research Laboratory “Functional electroplated systems”


A. A. Khmyl
Belarussian State University of Informatics and Radioelectronics
Belarus
D. Sc. (Engineering), Research Laboratory “Functional electroplated systems”


L. K. Kushner
Belarussian State University of Informatics and Radioelectronics
Belarus
Senior Researcher, Research Laboratory “Functional electroplated systems”


I. I. Kuzmar
Belarussian State University of Informatics and Radioelectronics
Belarus
Ph. D. (Engineering), Research Laboratory “Functional electroplated systems”


References

1. Gavrilov S. A., Belov A. N. Electrochemical processes in the technology of micro and nanoelectronics. Moscow, Vysshee obrazovanie Publ., 2009. 258 p. (in Russian).

2. Medvedev A., Novikov A. Forum on lead-free soldering technology. Technologii v elektronnoi promyshlennosti [Technologies in Electronics Industry], 2007, no. 4, pp. 48–54 (in Russian).

3. Lapina L. N., Popova G. E., Trubacheva G. A. Application of electrolytic alloys in the technology of manufacturing of electronic equipment. Obzory po electronnoj texnike. Ser. 6, Materialy [Electronics review. Series 6: Materials]. Mos-kow, Central Research Institute of Economics, Control Systems and Information “Electronics”, 1980, iss. 6 (745), pp. 27–28 (in Russian).

4. Jakobson K. “Mustache” of tin. Tekhnologii v elektronnoi promyshlennosti [Technologies in Electronics Industry], 2008, no. 3, pp. 14–15 (in Russian).

5. Ashworth M. A., Wilcox G. D., Higginson R. L., Heath R. J., Liu C., Mortimer R. J. The effect of electroplating parameters and substrate material on tin whisker formation. Microelectronics Reliability, 2015, vol. 55, iss. 1, рp. 180–191. Doi: 10.1016/j.microrel.2014.10.005

6. Shih-Kang Lin, Yuhi Yorikado, Junxiang Jiang, Keun-Soo Kim. Mechanical deformation-induced Sn whiskers growth on electroplated films in the advanced flexible electronic packaging. Journal of Materials Research, 2007, vol. 22, iss. 7, pp. 1975–1986. Doi: 10.1557/jmr.2007.0232

7. Winterstein J. P., Norton M. G. The influence of porosity on whisker growth in electroplated tin films. Journal of Materials Research, 2006, vol. 21, iss. 12, pp. 2971–2974. Doi: 10.1557/jmr.2006.0368

8. Anocha Sriyarunya, Dhiraj Bansal. Matte tin (Sn) plating of semiconductor devices – whisker growth study. IPC/ JEDEC 6th International Conference on Lead Free Electronic Components and Assemblies, 2004, pp. 1–17.

9. Boguslavskii I., Bush P., Kam-Lum E., Kwoka M., McCullen J., Spalding K., Vo N., Williams M. NEMI tin whisker method standards. Proceedings of the SMTA International Conference, Chicago, Illinois, September 21–25, 2003, pp. 3–10.

10. Il’in V. A. Zinc, cadmium, tin and lead-plating. Leningrad, Mashinostroenie Publ., 1983. 87 p. (in Russian).

11. Kostin N. A., Kublanovskii V. S., Zabludovskii A. V. Pulsed Electrolysis. Kiev, Naukova Dumka Publ., 1989. 168 p. (in Russian).

12. Tin Whisker Projects. Available at: http://inemi.org/webdownload/newsroom/Presentations/Amsterdam04_tin_whiskers.pdf (accessed 01 February 2015).

13. Watanabe Т. Nano plating – microstructure formation theory of plated films and a database of plated films. Oxford, Elsevier Science, 2004. 714 p.

14. Tkachenko F. K., Miroshnichenko V. I., Tkachenko I. F. On the factors that determine the level of activation energy of self-diffusion in metals. Vestnik Priazovskogo gosudarstvennogo technicheskogo universiteta, Ser.: Texnicheskie nauki [Bulletin of the Priazov State Technical University. Series: Engineering], 2011, no. 22, pp. 135–139 (in Russian).

15. Anal A. K., Tendolkar G. S. Self-diffusion in a porous metal: the first empirical correlations for estimating pore-modified tracer self-diffusion parameters, D0 and Q. Acta Metallurgica, 1986, no. 34, рp. 1607–1615. Doi: 10.1016/0001-6160(86)90107-0

16. Xiao G.-W. P.C.H. Chan, A. Teng, Jian Cai, M.M.F. Yuen Effect of Cu stud microstructure and electroplating process on intermetallic compounds growth and reliability of flip chip solder bump. IEEE Transactions on Components and Packaging Technologies, 2001, vol. 24, no. 4, pp. 682–690.


Review

Views: 713


Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.


ISSN 1561-8358 (Print)
ISSN 2524-244X (Online)