Morphology of the Tin Whiskers on the Surface of a Sn-3Ag-0.5Cu-0.5Nd Alloy

Abstract

Rapid growth of tin whiskers has been observed on the surface of rosette-shaped NdSn3 intermetallic phase in a Sn-3Ag-0.5Cu-0.5Nd alloy after air storage. It is shown that various cross sections of NdSn3 rosettes in the solder matrix reveal different morphologies of tin whiskers, which can be classified as four types: long fibers, short fibers, tiny sprouts, and hillocks. The fibrous whiskers and tiny sprouts are found on the surfaces of specimens exposed to air at room temperature and 423 K (150 °C), while hillocks appear only after storage at 423 K (150 °C). In addition, it is observed that, in most cases, each oxidized NdSn3 intermetallic phase contains only a single whisker at its center. Through metallographic observations and chemical analyses on the cross sections of the oxidized NdSn3 intermetallics, a “successive compressive stress model” has been proposed to interpret the tin whisker growth on the surface of a rare earth (RE)–containing solder.