JEDECSTANDARDEnvironmentalAcceptanceRequirementsforTinWhiskerSusceptibilityofTinandTinAlloySurfaceFinishesJESD201A(RevisionofJESD201,March2006)SEPTEMBER2008JEDECSOLIDSTATETECHNOLOGYASSOCIATIONNOTICEJEDECstandardsandpublicationscontainmaterialthathasbeenprepared,reviewed,andapprovedthroughtheJEDECBoardofDirectorslevelandsubsequentlyreviewedandapprovedbytheJEDEClegalcounsel.JEDECstandardsandpublicationsaredesignedtoservethepublicinterestthrougheliminatingmisunderstandingsbetweenmanufacturersandpurchasers,facilitatinginterchangeabilityandimprovementofproducts,andassistingthepurchaserinselectingandobtainingwithminimumdelaytheproperproductforusebythoseotherthanJEDECmembers,whetherthestandardistobeusedeitherdomesticallyorinternationally.JEDECstandardsandpublicationsareadoptedwithoutregardtowhetherornottheiradoptionmayinvolvepatentsorarticles,materials,orprocesses.BysuchactionJEDECdoesnotassumeanyliabilitytoanypatentowner,nordoesitassumeanyobligationwhatevertopartiesadoptingtheJEDECstandardsorpublications.TheinformationincludedinJEDECstandardsandpublicationsrepresentsasoundapproachtoproductspecificationandapplication,principallyfromthesolidstatedevicemanufacturerviewpoint.WithintheJEDECorganizationthereareprocedureswherebyaJEDECstandardorpublicationmaybefurtherprocessedandultimatelybecomeanANSIstandard.Noclaimstobeinconformancewiththisstandardmaybemadeunlessallrequirementsstatedinthestandardaremet.Inquiries,comments,andsuggestionsrelativetothecontentofthisJEDECstandardorpublicationshouldbeaddressedtoJEDECattheaddressbelow,orcall(703)907-7559or©JEDECSolidStateTechnologyAssociation20083103North10thStreetSuite240SouthArlington,VA22201-2107Thisdocumentmaybedownloadedfreeofcharge;howeverJEDECretainsthecopyrightonthismaterial.Bydownloadingthisfiletheindividualagreesnottochargefororreselltheresultingmaterial.PRICE:PleaserefertothecurrentCatalogofJEDECEngineeringStandardsandPublicationsonlineat!DON’TVIOLATETHELAW!ThisdocumentiscopyrightedbyJEDECandmaynotbereproducedwithoutpermission.Organizationsmayobtainpermissiontoreproducealimitednumberofcopiesthroughenteringintoalicenseagreement.Forinformation,contact:JEDECSolidStateTechnologyAssociation3103North10thStreetSuite240SouthArlington,VA22201-2107orcall(703)907-7559JEDECStandardNo.201A-i-ENVIRONMENTALACCEPTANCEREQUIREMENTSFORTINWHISKERSUSCEPTIBILITYOFTINANDTINALLOYSURFACEFINISHESForewordThisstandardwasgeneratedundertheauspicesoftheJEDECJC14.3SubcommitteeonSiliconDeviceReliabilityQualificationandMonitoringandtheiNEMITinWhiskerUserGroup.ItisintendedtoprovideauniformenvironmentalacceptancetestingandreportingmethodologyfortinwhiskersusceptibilityoftinandtinalloysurfacefinishesusedintheElectronicsIndustry.IntroductionManycompaniesintheelectronicsindustryhaveadoptedtin-basedsurfacefinishesasoneofthemethodstocomplywithvariouslegislativelead-free(Pb-free)initiatives,e.g.,theEuropeanUnion’sRoHSdirective.However,tin(Sn)andtinalloysurfacefinishesmaybepronetotinwhiskerformationwithassociatedpossiblereliabilitydegradation.Appropriatemitigationpractices,asdescribedinJEDECguidancedocumentJP002,maybeincorporatedtoreducetinwhiskerpropensitytoanacceptablelevel.TestconditionsperJESD22-A121.TestMethodforMeasuringWhiskerGrowthonTinandTinAlloySurfaceFinishes,andqualificationlimitspresentedinthisdocumentarebasedonknownSn-whiskerdatafromaroundtheglobe.Thesetestconditionshavenotbeencorrelatedwithlongerenvironmentalexposuresofcomponentsinservice.Thus,thereisatpresentnowaytoquantitativelypredictwhiskerlengthsoverlongtimeperiodsbasedonthelengthsmeasuredintheshort-termtestsdescribedinthisdocument.Atthetimeofwriting,thefundamentalmechanismsoftinwhiskergrowtharenotfullyunderstoodandaccelerationfactorshavenotbeenestablished.Therefore,thetestingdescribedinthisdocumentdoesnotguaranteethatwhiskerswillorwillnotgrowunderfieldlifeconditions.JEDECStandardNo.201A-ii-JEDECStandardNo.201APage1ENVIRONMENTALACCEPTANCEREQUIREMENTSFORTINWHISKERSUSCEPTIBILITYOFTINANDTINALLOYSURFACEFINISHES(FromJEDECBoardballotJCB-08-43,formulatedunderthecognizanceoftheJC-14.3SubcommitteeonSiliconDevicesReliabilityQualificationandMonitoring.)1ScopeThemethodologydescribedinthisdocumentisapplicableforenvironmentalacceptancetestingoftinbasedsurfacefinishesandmitigationpracticesfortinwhiskers.Thismethodologymaynotbesufficientforapplicationswithspecialrequirements,(i.e.military,aerospace,etc.).Additionalrequirementsmaybespecifiedintheappropriaterequirements(procurement)documentation.ThisspecificationisintendedforuseinconjunctionwithJESD22A121,Thisspecificationdoesnotapplytocomponentswithbottom-onlyterminationswherethefullplatedsurfaceiswettedduringassembly(forexample:QFNandBGAcomponents,FlipChipbumpterminations).Adherencetothisstandardshallincludemeetingthereportingrequirementsdescribedinclause7.2NormativereferenceJESD22-A121TestMethodforMeasuringWhiskerGrowthonTinandTinAlloySurfaceFinishesJESD22–A104TemperatureCyclingJP002CurrentTinWhisker