Experts Tackle Tin Whisker Problem

Great post from SMT Magazine

Tin whisker growth, risk mitigation, detection, and failure analysis will be the focus of the IPC Tin Whiskers Conference, April 17-19, 2012, in Ft. Worth, Texas. Sponsored by Lockheed Martin, the conference will feature the industry’s leading experts who will explore the full range of whisker theory and practice for the military/aerospace, automotive, medical, and consumer sectors.

 “Tin whiskers have grown into a topic that never fails to arouse lively discussions amongst product designers and manufacturing personnel,” says David Hillman, principal materials and process engineer, Rockwell Collins and conference speaker. “While the impact of tin whiskers is a very real phenomenon, predicting how and when they will occur still needs to be explored. The real questions: Are we being overly conservative about the impact of tin whiskers on products and are we understating the use of tin whisker risk mitigation methodologies?”

The one and a half-day technical conference will kick off on Wednesday, April 18, with a “State of Lead-Free” address by Linda Woody, engineering manager, Lockheed Martin Missile and Fire Control. Other presentations will explore: mitigation measurements and whisker survey of commercial components; effectiveness of photosintering in mitigating tin whisker formation; effects of magnetism on the morphology of lead-free solder and plating; tin-lead conversion process; mechanical and electrical properties of tin, zinc and cadmium whiskers; and whisker growth evidence, root cause, and countermeasures.

Thursday’s conference presentations will begin with the keynote, “Design Simplicity and Collaboration - Advanced Practices for Reducing Lead-Free Risk,” by Steven Betza, corporate director of electronics engineering and packaging, Lockheed Martin Systems Integration. Also on the agenda, presentations from representatives of the UK National Physical Laboratory (NPL), Bosch Automotive-Germany, Philips Healthcare, CALCE-University of Maryland, University of North Texas, Y-12 National Security Complex, AEM Inc., Celestica, and Raytheon.

Prior to the technical conference, two half-day workshops will take place on April 17. In the morning session, Senior Research Scientist Michael Osterman, Ph.D., CALCE-University of Maryland, will educate attendees on tin whisker failure risk and mitigation strategies. In the afternoon, Lyudmyla Panashchenko, aerospace engineer, NASA Goddard Space Center, will present “The Art of Appreciating Metal Whiskers,” providing an advanced level of practical guidance. For more information on the IPC Tin Whiskers Conference or to register, click here.

About IPC

 IPC is a global trade association based in Bannockburn, Illinois, dedicated to the competitive excellence and financial success of its 3,100 member companies which represent all facets of the electronics industry, including design, printed board manufacturing, electronics assembly and test. As a member-driven organization and leading source for industry standards, training, market research and public policy advocacy, IPC supports programs to meet the needs of an estimated $2.02 trillion global electronics industry. IPC maintains additional offices in Taos, New Mexico; Arlington, Virginia; Stockholm, Sweden; Moscow, Russia; Bangalore, India; and Shanghai, Shenzhen and Beijing, China. For more information, visit www.ipc.org.