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A Predictive Model for Whisker Formation Based on Local Microstructure and Grain Boundary Properties

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Abstract

Whisker and hillock formation in thin films is well known as a highly local mechanism for stress relaxation, where in many cases, only a few whiskers form out of thousands of grains in a film. In this article, the microstructural characteristics for specific grains to form whiskers in β-Sn films are discussed in light of our recent whisker growth model, establishing a relationship among grain boundary sliding limited Coble creep, surface grain geometry, and film stress for different stress conditions, including for thermal cycling. Through our recent finite-element simulations of stresses induced by room-temperature aging and thermal cycling of textured microstructures, the role of elastic and thermoelastic anisotropy in creating preferred whisker formation sites and the general propensity of a film to form whiskers have been proposed for a range of β-Sn film textures. Taken together, these models suggest a strategy for identifying the effects of local microstructure and β-Sn anisotropy on whisker formation. If these predictions are accurate, then whisker growth risk may be effectively reduced by engineering film microstructures and textures for specific applications and stress conditions.

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Acknowledgements

We gratefully acknowledge support from NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program, Cisco Systems, Inc., Foresite Inc., ECI Technology, and Naval Surface Warfare Center (Crane Division). We would like to thank Dr. Peng Su, Maureen Williams, and Dr. Anthony Rollett for valuable discussions and Dr. Martin Kunz and Dr. Nobumichi Tamura for assistance with data extraction and analysis. We acknowledge support from DOE-BES (DE-FG02-05ER15637) and NSF (EAR-0337006) as well as access to ALS beamline 12.3.2. ALS is supported by the Director, Office of Science, Office of Basic Energy Sciences, Materials Science Division, of the U.S. Department of Energy under Contract No. DE-AC02-05CH11231. The microdiffraction program at the ALS beamline 12.3.2 was made possible by NSF Grant 0416243. Sandia National Laboratories is a multiprogram laboratory managed and operated by Sandia Corporation, a wholly owned subsidiary of Lockheed Martin Corporation, for the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration under contract DE-AC04-94AL85000.

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Author notes

  1. A. E. Pedigo

    Present address: Crane Division, Naval Surface Warfare Center, Crane, IN, 47522, USA

  2. P. Sarobol

    Present address: Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, NM, 87123, USA

  3. J. P. Koppes

    Present address: Alcoa-Howmet, Whitehall, MI, 49461, USA

Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Materials Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA

    P. Sarobol, Y. Wang, W. H. Chen, A. E. Pedigo, J. P. Koppes, J. E. Blendell & C. A. Handwerker

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  1. P. Sarobol
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  2. Y. Wang
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  6. J. E. Blendell
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  7. C. A. Handwerker
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Correspondence to C. A. Handwerker.

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Sarobol, P., Wang, Y., Chen, W.H. et al. A Predictive Model for Whisker Formation Based on Local Microstructure and Grain Boundary Properties. JOM 65, 1350–1361 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11837-013-0717-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11837-013-0717-x

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