THE WHATIS.COM WORD-OF-THE-DAY April 2, 2002 tin whisker ______________ TODAY'S SPONSOR: VeriSign - The Value of Trust
Protect your servers with 128-bit SSL encryption! Get VeriSign's FREE guide, "Securing Your Web Site for Business." You will learn everything you need to know about using SSL to encrypt your e-commerce transactions for serious online security. Click here: http://WhatIs.techtarget.com/r/0,,2682,00.htm?VeriSign ______________ TODAY'S WORD: tin whisker See our definition with hyperlinks at http://whatis.techtarget.com/definition/0,,sid9_gci813318,00.html A tin whisker is a single crystal of tin that grows spontaneously from a tinned surface, a phenomenon that poses problems for manufacturers who would prefer using tin rather than lead for interconnections. As electronics manufacturers seek to make electronic interconnections lead-free, many are looking at pure tin soldering and coating as an economical alternative to traditional tin-lead alloys. This, in turn, has resulted in a renewed interest in the phenomenon of tin whiskers, which was first reported in the 1940s and is generally believed to occur as a result of stress. Tin whiskers are typically only a few millimeters (mm) long, but some grow to lengths of more than 10 mm. Tin whiskers can cause two serious problems in electronic assemblies: they can cause electrical shorts and they can break loose from their substrate and cause mechanical damage. A lack of industry understanding about tin whisker growth factors and a lack of testing methodology to identify whisker-prone products has made pure tin interconnections and plating risky for high reliability systems, such as satellites. However, it is generally thought that the market demand for environmentally friendly components will eventually outweigh the potential for tin whisker component failure. Other metals that may grow whiskers include zinc, cadmium, indium, and antimony. RELATED TERMS: satellite http://searchnetworking.techtarget.com/sDefinition/0,,sid7_gci212939,00.html ______________________ SELECTED LINKS: The IPC encourages and supports research and development of lead-free materials and technologies. http://www.leadfree.org/ Members of the Capacitor and Resistor Technology Symposium examined the potential role of tin whiskers in component failure. http://www.e-insite.net/electronicnews/index.asp?layout=article&articleid=CA202968&industryid=2275 NASA reports that at least three orbiting commercial satellites have failed because of tin whisker problems. http://nepp.nasa.gov/whisker/ The Tin Whisker Test Method Standardization Project, organized by the National Electronics Manufacturing Initiative, is addressing the problem of tin whiskers in lead-free assemblies. http://www.siliconstrategies.com/story/OEG20020129S0003 ______________________ QUIZ #23 | Firewalls Our latest quiz tests your knowledge about the mighty firewall. 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