Since the electronics industry moved to lead-free solders that typically have a tin content of more than 95 percent there has been concern about the possibility of circuit malfunctions due to whisker growth. It is now generally accepted that whisker growth is a response to compressive stress within the tin crystal and the challenge is to identify and eliminate or at least minimize the processes that can generate such stress.

Corrosion has been identified as one source of that stress and in this paper the authors report a study directed at identifying the relationship between the extent of corrosion and the concomitant whisker growth. Printed circuit coupons with an OSP finish were soldered with SAC305 solder using wave, reflow, and hand soldering methods with flux formulations typical of current commercial practice.