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56 SMT007 MAGAZINE I JUNE 2025 Tin Whisker Mitigation in Aerospace Applications, Part 3 Tin whiskers are slender, hair-like metal- lic growths that can develop on the surface of tin-plated electronic components. Typi- cally measuring a few micrometers in diame- ter and growing several millimeters in length, they form through an electrochemical process influenced by environmental factors such as temperature variations, mechanical or com- pressive stress, and the aging of solder alloys. ey can sprout from the surfaces of copper electronic device leads, pads, or substrates fin- ished with solder alloys containing tin (Sn). Low-melting-point solder alloys, such as cad- mium (Cd), indium (In), zinc (Zn), or anti- mony (Sb), can also develop whiskers. Although tin whiskers have gained increased Knocking Down the Bone Pile Column by Nash Bell, BEST, INC. Figure 1: Tin whiskers are slender, hair-like metallic growths that can develop on the surface of tin-plated electronic components.