Nanoscale monitoring of the initial stage of water condensation on a printed circuit board
Electrochemical migration is a critical factor contributing to failures in electronics due to humidity. When moisture accumulates on conductor-dielectric-conductor systems under bias voltage, electrochemical processes can be triggered, leading to the growth of metallic dendrites that may ultimately...
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| Language: | English |
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Elsevier
2025-01-01
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| Series: | Heliyon |
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| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2405844025004979 |
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| author | Alekszej Romanenko Ali Gharaibeh Bálint Medgyes Peter Petrik |
| author_facet | Alekszej Romanenko Ali Gharaibeh Bálint Medgyes Peter Petrik |
| author_sort | Alekszej Romanenko |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Electrochemical migration is a critical factor contributing to failures in electronics due to humidity. When moisture accumulates on conductor-dielectric-conductor systems under bias voltage, electrochemical processes can be triggered, leading to the growth of metallic dendrites that may ultimately result in system failure. Despite its significance, many aspects of electrochemical migration remain unresolved, particularly regarding the physical characteristics of liquid buildup that facilitate dendrite growth and short circuit currents. While there are a few techniques that can measure water adsorption on the nanoscale, most conventional methods focus on water droplets within the size range of visible light wavelengths. In this study, we implemented a combined electrical-optical-ellipsometric measurement on FR-4 printed circuit boards featuring Sn surface finishes. Our experimental setup allowed for the measurement of water condensation across a wide range of thicknesses, while simultaneously monitoring the solder mask and metal electrodes during cooling. The ambient temperature of 25∘C and a relative humidity of 60% were constant during the measurement. By employing this approach, we elucidated the mechanisms of dendrite formation and short circuit currents, demonstrating that the water film remains continuous between droplets on the solder mask surface. Compared to Sn the nucleation was delayed on the solder mask with a larger surface coverage at smaller thicknesses. This comprehensive methodology provides crucial insights into the electrochemical migration process, enhancing our understanding of the underlying phenomena that contribute to electronic failures due to humidity. Our work highlighted the complementary nature of ellipsometry and optical imaging. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-bd637acbb13d4e61b5ea900a0515197d |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2405-8440 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Heliyon |
| spelling | doaj-art-bd637acbb13d4e61b5ea900a0515197d2025-02-02T05:29:00ZengElsevierHeliyon2405-84402025-01-01112e42117Nanoscale monitoring of the initial stage of water condensation on a printed circuit boardAlekszej Romanenko0Ali Gharaibeh1Bálint Medgyes2Peter Petrik3Doctoral School of Chemistry, Eötvös Loránd University, Pázmány Péter sétány 1/A, Budapest, H-1117, Hungary; HUN-REN Centre for Energy Research, Konkoly-Thege út 29-33, Budapest, H-1121, HungaryDepartment of Electronics Technology, Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Informatics, Budapest University of Technology and Economics, Műegyetem rkp. 3, Budapest, H-1111, HungaryDepartment of Electronics Technology, Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Informatics, Budapest University of Technology and Economics, Műegyetem rkp. 3, Budapest, H-1111, HungaryHUN-REN Centre for Energy Research, Konkoly-Thege út 29-33, Budapest, H-1121, Hungary; Department of Electrical Engineering, Institute of Physics, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Debrecen, Bem tér 18, Debrecen, 4026, Hungary; Corresponding author at: HUN-REN Centre for Energy Research, Konkoly-Thege út 29-33, Budapest, H-1121, Hungary.Electrochemical migration is a critical factor contributing to failures in electronics due to humidity. When moisture accumulates on conductor-dielectric-conductor systems under bias voltage, electrochemical processes can be triggered, leading to the growth of metallic dendrites that may ultimately result in system failure. Despite its significance, many aspects of electrochemical migration remain unresolved, particularly regarding the physical characteristics of liquid buildup that facilitate dendrite growth and short circuit currents. While there are a few techniques that can measure water adsorption on the nanoscale, most conventional methods focus on water droplets within the size range of visible light wavelengths. In this study, we implemented a combined electrical-optical-ellipsometric measurement on FR-4 printed circuit boards featuring Sn surface finishes. Our experimental setup allowed for the measurement of water condensation across a wide range of thicknesses, while simultaneously monitoring the solder mask and metal electrodes during cooling. The ambient temperature of 25∘C and a relative humidity of 60% were constant during the measurement. By employing this approach, we elucidated the mechanisms of dendrite formation and short circuit currents, demonstrating that the water film remains continuous between droplets on the solder mask surface. Compared to Sn the nucleation was delayed on the solder mask with a larger surface coverage at smaller thicknesses. This comprehensive methodology provides crucial insights into the electrochemical migration process, enhancing our understanding of the underlying phenomena that contribute to electronic failures due to humidity. Our work highlighted the complementary nature of ellipsometry and optical imaging.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2405844025004979Electrochemical migrationSn surface finishCondensationEllipsometryWater adsorption |
| spellingShingle | Alekszej Romanenko Ali Gharaibeh Bálint Medgyes Peter Petrik Nanoscale monitoring of the initial stage of water condensation on a printed circuit board Heliyon Electrochemical migration Sn surface finish Condensation Ellipsometry Water adsorption |
| title | Nanoscale monitoring of the initial stage of water condensation on a printed circuit board |
| title_full | Nanoscale monitoring of the initial stage of water condensation on a printed circuit board |
| title_fullStr | Nanoscale monitoring of the initial stage of water condensation on a printed circuit board |
| title_full_unstemmed | Nanoscale monitoring of the initial stage of water condensation on a printed circuit board |
| title_short | Nanoscale monitoring of the initial stage of water condensation on a printed circuit board |
| title_sort | nanoscale monitoring of the initial stage of water condensation on a printed circuit board |
| topic | Electrochemical migration Sn surface finish Condensation Ellipsometry Water adsorption |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2405844025004979 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT alekszejromanenko nanoscalemonitoringoftheinitialstageofwatercondensationonaprintedcircuitboard AT aligharaibeh nanoscalemonitoringoftheinitialstageofwatercondensationonaprintedcircuitboard AT balintmedgyes nanoscalemonitoringoftheinitialstageofwatercondensationonaprintedcircuitboard AT peterpetrik nanoscalemonitoringoftheinitialstageofwatercondensationonaprintedcircuitboard |