SU‐E‐T‐447: Growth of Metal Whiskers Under External Beam Irradiation: Experimental Evidence and Implications in Medical Electronic Devices for Radiation Therapy Treatments

• Published in: Medical physics (Lancaster) Vol. 42; no. 6Part19; p. 3437
• Main Authors: Shvydka, D, Warrell, G, Parsai, E, Karpov, V, Vasko, A
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States American Association of Physicists in Medicine 01.06.2015
• Subjects: 60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES; ALLOYS; Biomedical equipment; CAPACITORS; CARDIAC PACEMAKERS; COLOR CENTERS; ELECTRIC FIELDS; ELECTRON BEAMS; Electron radiation effects; ELECTRON SCANNING; Electronic circuits; Electronic devices; ELECTRONIC EQUIPMENT; FAILURES; GLASS; INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY; IRRADIATION; LEAD; LINEAR ACCELERATORS; Metal whiskers; Radiation therapy equipment; Radiation treatment; RADIOTHERAPY; SOLDERING; SUBSTRATES; TIN; WHISKERS

Purpose: Thin metallic protrusions, termed “whiskers,” have been identified as a cause of failure in devices ranging from satellites to pacemakers. For decades, lead was used in tin‐based soldering alloys to suppress whisker formation. With the adoption of the Restriction of Hazardous Substances act...