Methods for fast, reliable growth of Sn whiskers☆

Abstract We report several methods to reliably grow dense fields of high-aspect ratio tin whiskers for research purposes in a period of days to weeks. The techniques offer marked improvements over previous means to grow whiskers, which have struggled against the highly variable incubation period of tin whiskers and slow growth rate. Control of the film stress is the key to fast-growing whiskers, owing to the fact that whisker incubation and growth are fundamentally a stress-relief phenomenon. The ability to grow high-density fields of whiskers (10 3 –10 6 /cm 2 ) in a reasonable period of time (days, weeks) has accelerated progress in whisker growth and aided in development of whisker mitigation strategies.