JEDEC and the International Electronics Manufacturing Initiative (iNEMI) have released two documents intended to help manufacturers reduce the risk of tin whisker growth in lead-free products. The first is JEDEC standard JESD201, “Environmental Acceptance Requirements for Tin Whisker Susceptibility for Tin and Tin Alloy Surface Finishes,” and the second is a JEDEC/IPC joint publication, JP002, “Current Tin Whiskers Theory and Mitigation Practices Guideline.”
JESD201 – developed by JEDEC’s Subcommittee on Silicon Device Reliability Qualification and Monitoring and the iNEMI Tin Whisker User Group – was designed to provide a uniform environmental acceptance testing and reporting methodology for tin whisker susceptibility of tin and tin alloy surface finishes in the electronics industry.
JP002 – developed by JEDEC’s Subcommittee on Reliability Test Methods for Packaged Devices, and IPC’s Tin Whiskers Guidelines Task Group, with input from iNEMI’s Tin Whisker Users Group – was designed to provide guidance in understanding the prevalent theories regaqrding tin whisker formation, the driving force behind tin whisker growth and mitigation practices used to minimize whiskers.
JESD201 and JP002 can be downloaded from the JEDEC website at: