Electrochemical Migration: What Happens If a Drink Is Spilled on a Computer?

This work aimed to evaluate the susceptibility of copper and tin to the electrochemical migration (ECM) in electrolytes that are well-known from real-life experience. Additionally, the aim was to increase awareness of the ECM phenomenon through familiar examples. The experiment involved testing high-purity water, tap water and selected commercial beverages, such as cola and an energy drink. The study determined the mean time to failure (MTTF) of the ECM behavior through the water drop test (WDT). A bias voltage of 10 VDC was applied to the test comb pattern after depositing a selected liquid. The results indicated a strong correlation between MTTF and the liquid type. Surprisingly, tin-coated samples showed an increase in MTTF when commercial beverages were applied, compared to tap or high-purity water. The MTTF of cola was 270 seconds, while tap water only had 6 seconds. On the other hand, dendrites grew at the same rate in cola as they did in both high-purity and tap water when placed between copper electrodes.