The study on modulable tin whisker growth behaviors and mechanisms on Ti₂SnC

The spontaneous growth of tin whiskers has resisted interpretation for more than 70 years. Herein, tin whisker growth behaviours on Ti₂SnC bulks cold-pressed under different pressures were studied. It was found that higher whisker growth propensity is reached when Ti₂SnC cold-pressed under higher pressure. Several thicker whiskers with diameter more than 3 μm were observed on the samples formed under higher pressure, while the diameter of more than 50% whiskers ranges from 0.5 μm to 1.5 μm for all of the samples. An atomic motion mechanism, in which the element source supplying Sn whisker growth diffuse through the Sn atom layer in Ti₂SnC lattice, and the interaction between Ti₂SnC and Sn is considered to be the fundamental factor initiating the Sn whisker growth, was employed to understand the phenomena. The findings herein provide new clues to understand the tin whisker growth behaviors and modulable metal whisker fabrication.