Logo
  • Resources
    • COTS for Space WEBINARS
    • ACCEDE 2022 Workshop on COTS
    • EEE COMPONENTS
    • SPECIFICATIONS / QPLs
    • EVENTS / WEBINARS
    • SPACE TALKS
    • TECH ARTICLES
    • MANUFACTURERS NOTIFICATIONS
  • Laboratory Services
    • LABORATORY STANDARD TESTING
    • NON STANDARD TESTING
    • SILICON CARBIDE -SiC- DIODES
    • CROWDTESTING
    • OPTOELECTRONICS
    • SMALL SATS
    • REPRESENTATIVE PROJECTS / PAPERS
  • Additional Services
    • INDUSTRY 4.0 CYBERSECURITY (IEC 62443)
    • PENETRATION TEST
    • CYBERSECURITY CERTIFIED (CSC)
    • CODE SCORE MATRIX
    • LONG-TERM STORAGE OF WAFERS
    • ELECTRONIC DESIGN
  • Tools
    • COMPARATOR
    • MY DCLs/BOMs
    • STOCKPLACE
  • About Us
  • My Request
  • Sign In
  • Resources
    • COTS for Space WEBINARS
    • ACCEDE 2022 Workshop on COTS
    • EEE COMPONENTS
    • SPECIFICATIONS / QPLs
    • EVENTS / WEBINARS
    • SPACE TALKS
    • TECH ARTICLES
    • MANUFACTURERS NOTIFICATIONS
  • Laboratory Services
    • LABORATORY STANDARD TESTING
    • NON STANDARD TESTING
    • SILICON CARBIDE -SiC- DIODES
    • CROWDTESTING
    • OPTOELECTRONICS
    • SMALL SATS
    • REPRESENTATIVE PROJECTS / PAPERS
  • Additional Services
    • INDUSTRY 4.0 CYBERSECURITY (IEC 62443)
    • PENETRATION TEST
    • CYBERSECURITY CERTIFIED (CSC)
    • CODE SCORE MATRIX
    • LONG-TERM STORAGE OF WAFERS
    • ELECTRONIC DESIGN
  • Tools
    • COMPARATOR
    • MY DCLs/BOMs
    • STOCKPLACE
  • About Us
  • My Request
  • Sign In
COTS, New Space, LEO Constellations

COTS and Lead Free – Dealing with the Quandary

  • Posted by Liam Murphy
  • On December 3, 2019
  • 0

europeIntroduction – REACH 1/3

Main purpose is to

ensure a high level of protection of human health and the environment

in relation to the use of chemical substances.

 

 

 

 

Introduction – REACH 2/3

Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals
• Addresses potential impacts of chemicals to human health and on the environment
• And production & use of chemical substances.

Strictest law to date regulating chemical substances.
• many chemical substances will face regulatory or commercial obsolescence, causing widespread impacts to downstream users.

Very desirable and ambitious regulation to contribute to a safer and healthier environment but causes wide-reaching engineering and management challenges for the space sector which is by nature driven by performance and heritage design.

Introduction – REACH 3/3

reach

Example timeline of REACH authorisation (Pb)

example

 

Joint Working Group for Pb-free transition

During 2019, ESCC CTB and MPTB have formed a joint working group that has the following goal:

  • In the domain of EEE components, electronic assembly technologies and PCBs, ensure a successful industry-wide transition to a Pb-free technology while preserving or improving current level of quality and reliability, including but not limited to:
    • Tin-whisker mitigation and risk assessment
    • Lead-free solders and assembly processes
    • Accelerated tests for verification of Pb- free materials and processes and qualification of components, and
    • Acceptance criteria for Pb-free materials, processes and components
  • Objectives: Identify the necessary activities and objectives, with
    • measurable outcomes indicating successful completion (e.g. TRL),
    • including schedules and budgets,
    • and their interconnections and dependencies.
  • To form a lead-free transition plan composing of:
    • Materials and EEE parts selection
    • Supplier compliance and guidelines for procurement
    • Changes in assembly processes
    • Reliability assessment and key reliability risks in lead-free electronics

So…..Why are there Concerns?

New materials and processes replacing known and trusted technologies.

So…..What are the Questions?

  • Examples:
  • Metals:
    • Tin Pest & Tin Whisker
    • Oxidation and Dendritic growth
    • Dendrite growth, metallic migration etc.
  • Corrosion, Intermetallics, Oxidation, Delamination etc.

 

An Example

Tin Pest

 

pest

Tin Pest is a self initiating autocatalytic, allotropic transformation of tin, which causes deterioration of tin objects at low temperatures (starting around -13).

Another issue

Tin Whiskers

Tin Whisker

Tin Whisker

Whisker Spontaneous growth

Whisker Spontaneous growth

So ?

So what if we get whiskers?
They will just blow out like a fuse!
Not necessarily!
In Vacuum things change.
Hi energy / Large currents Will explode / vaporize a fine short circuit
Low energy / small current?
Will not necessarily cause a failure –
the short circuit element could just get hot!

Simple filament

Set up

set up

 

+ Vacuum

vacuum

And rememeber:

dendriteDendrite Growth risks

  • Dendrite growth is the flow of Ions in a conductor, due to potential difference between 2 conductors.
  • Described as an Ionic migration, it occurs below 100 Degrees C in moisture conditions.
  • Materials affected include Silver, Nickel, Palladium etc. In fact any anodoically soluble metal (requiring low initiating activation energy)
  • Known to grow on substrate surfaces, component surfaces, in cracks in capacitors and even Nickle dendrites in cracked glass feed through beads

 

 

 

anode-cathode

What are the Questions ?

So what about Dendrites?
Not known to occur in vacuum (flight) – only atmosphere.
Need bias and humidity (liquid or partial liquid)
Once formed they create a high impedance short.

The longer the power is on (and kept wet) the worse it gets!

They will not easily fuse!

 

Conclusions

From the packaging perspective:

  • COTS packaging and lead free assembly bring a whole variety of new potential issues to the established market place.
  • New packaging and assembly
  • Very little heritage and history for flight applications
  • Very little data available to the Agency on space level testing performed
  • Upcoming packaging materials restrictions (RoHs, REACH)
  • Author
  • Recent Posts
Liam Murphy
Liam Murphy
Liam Murphy
Latest posts by Liam Murphy (see all)
  • COTS and Lead Free – Dealing with the Quandary - December 3, 2019
TAGS: ACCEDE 2019 COTS

Previous Post

The Use of COTS Components for Space Applications

Next Post

Mission Profile Evaluation for Automotive Applications An Anthology of Best Practices
0 comments on COTS and Lead Free – Dealing with the Quandary
Recent Posts
  • Miniature RF Connectors
  • Miniature RF Connectors for high-performance testing
  • Space-Grade components available for immediate delivery
  • Introduction to RD ALFA Microelectronics: Components and Capabilities
  • Managing EEE components for LEO and lower cost space missions
Scroll

doEEEt.com

DoEEEt: Electrical Electronic Electromechanical (EEE) parts database. Find (EEE) components/parts products and datasheets from hundreds of manufacturers.

Privacy Policy and Legal Notice

Copyright

Cookie Policy

Copyright © 2021 ALTER TECHNOLOGY TÜV NORD S.A.U

Company

About us

Contact us

How does doEEEt works? – FAQ

ALTER Laboratory Services

Microwave and RF Testing

Small Sats Testing

COTS components Testing

Authenticity Test