Newsroom
NEMI User Group Issues Recommendations for
Mitigation of Tin Whiskers in High-Reliability Applications
Download User Group recommendations
HERNDON, Va. - March 17, 2004 - The National Electronics Manufacturing Initiative (NEMI) has issued a set of interim recommendations for lead-free component finishes to be used in high-reliability electronic applications in order to minimize risk of failures caused by tin whiskers. These recommendations were developed by the consortium's Tin Whisker User Group, which comprises nine large manufacturers of high-reliability electronic assemblies that annually purchase many millions of dollars of components.
The User Group was organized to define methods and tests that would minimize the probability of tin whiskers creating functional or reliability problems in their products. Members include Alcatel, Celestica, Cisco Systems, Delphi Electronics, HP, IBM, Lucent Technologies, Sun Microsystems and Tyco Electronics. It is the consensus of the group that pure tin electroplating presents a risk in high-reliability applications, and they have outlined cost-effective alternatives - using known mitigation practices and some level of testing - to minimize this risk.
"Events such as pending legislation are pushing industry to make decisions on issues where the technical community has not yet built consensus on solutions," said Joe Smetana, principal engineer, advanced technology for Alcatel and chair of the NEMI Tin Whisker User Group. "We're concerned that low-end users, who are driving large volumes and demanding the lowest possible costs, will lead industry to unacceptable solutions for the high-end users, who require the highest degree of reliability. It is critical for us as a group of 'users' to work in concert so that we can effectively interact with providers to get the best of both low cost and high reliability."
This second interim report updates a report published by the group in June of 2003. It presents recommendations for lead-free finishes for a variety of applications. These recommendations reflect the best judgment of the NEMI User Group members, based on their own experiences and the available data. The document outlines specific whisker mitigation guidelines supported by the group. A number of the larger OEMs have already issued specifications similar to these recommendations and others are considering following suit.
The document also discusses specific component types, assessing the reliability risk of tin whiskers for each and the various mitigation strategies recommended. The group is currently in the process of extending this work to create a user acceptance specification based on the test methods defined by the NEMI Tin Whisker Accelerated Test Project.
"NEMI gives our members the opportunity work together on future technologies, build consensus on needs and work with suppliers to develop solutions that will benefit industry," said Jim McElroy, executive director and CEO of NEMI. "The Tin Whisker User Group is a perfect example of how well this process works."
About NEMI
The National Electronics Manufacturing Initiative's mission is to assure leadership of the global electronics manufacturing supply chain. Based in Herndon, Va., the industry-led consortium is made up more than 60 manufacturers, suppliers, industry associations and consortia, government agencies and universities. NEMI roadmaps the needs of the electronics industry, identifies gaps in the technology infrastructure, establishes implementation projects to eliminate these gaps (both business and technical), and stimulates standards activities to speed the introduction of new technologies. The consortium also works with government, universities and other funding agencies to set priorities for future industry needs and R&D initiatives. For additional information about NEMI, visit www.nemi.org.
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Cynthia Williams
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