Monte Carlo simulation of dendrite growth due to contaminant deposition on a printed circuit board

Abstract

The reliability of electronic devices depends not only on the quality of components but also on the environmental condition, such as the humidity and the density of contaminants. For example, electrostatically enhanced dust deposition typically produces a dendritic deposit which induces a short circuit in adjacent conductors. In order to investigate contaminant deposition mechanisms on a printed circuit board (PCB), a Monte Carlo simulation is developed in the present paper to discover the dendrite growth features of contaminants under different conditions. It is found that, under the simulation parameters, the contaminant particles will diffuse, gather and grow up to form a dendrite configuration after they are deposited on the solid surface. The size of the dendrite increases as the number of contaminant particles increases. Finally, the dendrite connects the two conductors on both sides and this is why the dendrite induces a short circuit. These findings could shed light on the understanding of the dendrite growth mechanisms on printed circuit boards. It is helpful to design proper protection methods in order to reduce the malfunction of the devices as much as possible.