[tinwhiskers] What's Inside Your PC?
- From: "Bob Landman" <rlandman@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <tinwhiskers@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Wed, 10 Sep 2008 22:52:31 -0400
http://www.calce.umd.edu/tin-whiskers/whiskersusb.htm
What's Inside Your PC?
CALCE has recently discovered tin whisker on USB housings on a computer
motherboard and USB housings in computer monitors. USB ports are very common in
computers and peripheral equipment. USB ports provide easy connections and
interfaces devices such as external hard drives, flash drives, printers, and
cameras. In examining computer systems produced 2003 time frame (earlier for
the motherboard), CALCE has observed very long whiskers. In a set of flat panel
monitors, a CALCE Research Associate documented a 900 micron tin whisker.
Tin whiskers have been linked to a variety of field failures. Tin whisker are
known to form on tin finished metal surfaces. Alloying lead (Pb) with tin is
know to suppress the formation of tin whiskers. Due to European government
regulations and market pressures, lead (Pb) can no longer be used in the
majority of electronics. As a result of the lead ban, the use of pure tin
finish has increased. While test standards have been established to assess tin
whisker propensity, no accepted acceleration model for whisker growth based on
the standard tests has been established. As a result, these tests cannot be
used to predict the growth of whisker in the field or the probability of field
failures associated with whiskers.
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