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Whisker Formation in Sn Coatings on Cu

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 February 2011

Eric Chason ,
Lucine Reinbold  and
Sharvan Kumar
Eric Chason
Affiliation:
Division of Engineering, Brown University, Providence, RI 02912
Lucine Reinbold
Affiliation:
Division of Engineering, Brown University, Providence, RI 02912
Sharvan Kumar
Affiliation:
Division of Engineering, Brown University, Providence, RI 02912
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Abstract

In the microelectronics industry, Sn is often electroplated as a protective layer on Cu conductors. Pure Sn layers on Cu develop whiskers that can cause component failures and have even been implicated in the loss of several satellites. Alloying Sn with Pb suppresses whisker formation, but the push towards Pb-free processing will make this unacceptable in the future. To understand the driving forces and mechanisms of whisker formation on pure Sn, we are measuring the kinetics of stress evolution and intermetallic formation in Sn/Cu layers. By using thin films of Sn and Cu, we can monitor the stress evolution in real time using wafer-curvature based techniques. Preliminary results of stress evolution in vapor-deposited films are presented showing the evolution of tensile stress in the Cu layers and compressive stress in the Sn layers.

Type
Research Article
Information
MRS Online Proceedings Library (OPL) , Volume 851: Symposium NN – Materials for Space Applications , 2004 , NN5.17
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2005

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References

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