Study of Whisker Growth from SAC0307-SiC Composite Solder Alloy

In the current study, tin (Sn) whisker growth was observed on the surface of the SAC0307-SiC composite solder joint. A commercial SAC0307 solder alloys were reinforced with SiC nanophases to produce composite solder joints. SiC nanoparticles and nanowires were mixed with SAC0307 solder paste using the ball milling method. The solder paste was deposited by stencil printing on the test PCBs, and 0805 chip resistors were soldered by IR reflow method. The solder joints facilitated the growth of the Sn whisker through accelerated lifetime tests. The samples were observed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) every 1000 hours of the test. On the SiC composite solder joints, Sn whiskers and large corrosion spots were observed after 1000 hours of the THB test. In the case of SAC0307 reference samples, only minor corrosion signs were found after 1000 hours of the THB test. The main finding was that the addition of SiC nanophases promoted Sn whisker growth and decreased the corrosion resistance of the composite solder.