| “Whiskers”,
first identified in electroplated cadmium components
during the late 1940’s, appear to essentially
be an extrusion, or hairlike growth emanating from the
surface of the tin plate. They can sometimes grow long
enough to cause a short circuit between leads, or may
break off and cause damage elsewhere in the device.
It is generally agreed that pure tin finishes (and other
high-tin content lead-free alloy finishes) present a
risk of tin-whisker failures in electronics, particularly
those demanding high reliability.
|