Title :
Not Whiskers or Hillocks, But Tin Bumps on RF Shielding Cans
Author :
Varkey, Bijumon ; Christian, Bev ; Liu, Julie ; Romanov, Alexandre ; Moorhead, Philip
Author_Institution :
Eng. Quality Assurance Group, Res. In Motion Ltd., Waterloo, ON, Canada
Abstract :
Pure tin bumps can sometimes be formed on tin-plated steel RF cans during certain conditions of reflow. This is a rare phenomena not associated with tin whiskers. A Design of Experiments (DOE) strategy was used to confirm the oven variables that could be used to turn the formation on or off. Extensive lab work and investigation by the supplier revealed that the root cause of these bumps is organic contamination during the plating process.
Keywords :
design of experiments; electromagnetic shielding; surface mount technology; tin; whiskers (crystal); RF shielding cans; design of experiments; hillocks; organic contamination; surface mount technology; tin bumps; whiskers; Circuits; Manufacturing; Ovens; Permission; RF signals; Radio frequency; Steel; Surface-mount technology; Tin; US Department of Energy; Design of Experiments (DOE) analysis; organic contaminates in plating bath; radio frequency (RF) shielding cans; reliability of metal plating process; surface mount technology (SMT); tin bumps;
Journal_Title :
Device and Materials Reliability, IEEE Transactions on
DOI :
10.1109/TDMR.2010.2050772
