Defect Morphology and Texture in Sn, Sn–Cu, and Sn–Cu–Pb Electroplated Films

In this paper, the concept of a defect phase diagram is introduced which quantifies the effects of Cu and Pb additions to electrodeposited Sn films on surface defect formation, including but not limited to the formation of Sn whiskers. Transitions were observed in both the defect densities and the morphologies of hillocks and whiskers as Cu and Pb film compositions were systematically varied. Changes in crystallographic texture were also reported for a subset of the Sn-Cu-Pb alloys examined. The transitions between different defect types and the coexistence of certain defect types help to interpret the role of grain boundary pinning in hillock and whisker formation.