The elimination of whiskers from electroplated tin

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to present new developments in electrolytic tin plating designed to eliminate the formation of whiskers over time, when tin is plated on copper. Design/methodology/approach Two main approaches were undertaken to achieve the desired results. The first was modification of the copper substrate prior to plating and the second was to modify the crystal structure of the tin deposit. Findings With the use of specific additives to the tin plating bath it was possible to achieve a crystal structure similar to that of the non-whiskering tin/lead. Research limitations/implications The technology is presently available commercially to plate electronic parts such as connectors and lead frames, etc. Originality/value The paper details a modified electroplating tin bath that produces a deposit that will not form whiskers over time.