Overview of Whisker‐Mitigation Strategies for High‐Reliability Electronic Systems

In practice, management of the risks associated with tin whiskering is not fundamentally different from managing risks associated with other failure modes that bedevil electronic systems. However, the underlying uncertainties and associated lack of predictability of the tin whiskering phenomenon create a challenging environment for risk management. In order to reduce failure risk presented by tin whiskers, electronic equipment manufacturers need to understand various mitigation strategies and their effectiveness at preventing whisker‐related failures. Equipment manufacture mitigation strategies may include setting spacing limits, hot solder dipping, solder assembly and inspection, encapsulation, or application of an insulation coating layer. Appropriate supply chain management will vary depending upon the willingness of the supplier to implement special tin controls and level of complexity of the purchased item, that is, components, simple assemblies, major subassemblies, etc. Effective and efficient tin whisker risk mitigation requires each tier of the supply chain to play its proper role.