Growing processes of tin whiskers out of the tin phase of Al–Sn alloy were investigated. The particular distribution of angular bends observed in kinked tin whiskers and the formation of kinks are explained by the following two assumptions: (1) The incoherent boundary between the tin whisker and the parent material of tin phase corresponds to the so-called coincidence site boundary, and (2) on this coincidence site boundary whiskers cause a boundary-slip on account of a stress unbalance occurring at the root of whiskers during growth. Meanwhile, the crystallization growth concept proposed by Ellis, et at. (1958) is modified, and thereby the growing process of whisker is discussed theoretically. It is concluded that the growth rate of whisker is proportional to the strain energy in parent material; does not depend on its thickness; and the maximum thickness of whiskers is in inverse proportion to the strained energy. These conclusions are in good agreement with the experimental results.

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