Composite coatings for whisker reduction

1. A method for applying a composite coating onto a metal surface of an electrical component, the method comprising:

contacting the metal surface with an electrolytic plating composition comprising (a) a source of tin ions and (b) a pre-mixed dispersion of non-metallic particles having a mean particle size between about 10 and about 500 nanometers and a particle size distribution in which at least about 30 volume % of the particles have a particle size less than 100 nm, wherein the non-metallic particles have a pre-mix coating of surfactant molecules thereon; and

applying an external source of electrons to the electrolytic plating composition to thereby electrolytically deposit the composite coating onto the metal surface, wherein the composite coating comprises tin and the non-metallic particles;

wherein the non-metallic particles are fluoropolymer particles; and

wherein the pre-mixed dispersion comprises fluoropolymer particles, a non-ionic surfactant, and a cationic surfactant.

2. A method for applying a composite coating onto a metal surface of an electrical component, the method comprising:

contacting the metal surface with an electrolytic plating composition comprising (a) a source of tin ions and (b) a pre-mixed dispersion of non-metallic particles having a mean particle size between about 10 and about 500 nanometers and a particle size distribution in which at least about 30 volume % of the particles have a particle size less than 100 nm, wherein the non-metallic particles have a pre-mix coating of surfactant molecules thereon; and

applying an external source of electrons to the electrolytic plating composition to thereby electrolytically deposit the composite coating onto the metal surface, wherein the composite coating comprises tin and the non-metallic particles;

wherein the non-metallic particles are fluoropolymer particles; and

wherein the surfactant coating is predominantly positively charged.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the surfactant coating comprises a cationic surfactant, a non-ionic surfactant, or a combination thereof.

4. A method for applying a composite coating onto a metal surface of an electrical component, the method comprising:

contacting the metal surface with an electrolytic plating composition comprising (a) a source of tin ions and (b) non-metallic particles having surfactant coatings, wherein the surfactant coatings have an average charge per surfactant molecule of between +0.1 and +1; and

applying an external source of electrons to the electrolytic plating composition to thereby electrolytically deposit the composite coating onto the metal surface, wherein the composite coating comprises tin and the non-metallic particles.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the non-metallic particles are fluoropolymer particles.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the pre-mixed dispersion comprises fluoropolymer particles and a non-ionic surfactant.

7. The method of claim 5 wherein the fluoropolymer particles constitute between about 1 wt % and about 10 wt % of the electrolytic plating composition.

8. The method of claim 5 wherein the source of tin ions is sufficient to provide a concentration of Sn 2+ ions between about 10 g/L and about 100 g/L.

9. The method of claim 5 wherein the source of tin ions sufficient to provide a concentration of Sn 2+ ions of between about 10 g/L and about 100 g/L, the fluoropolymer particles constitute between about 1 wt % and about 10 wt % of the electrolytic plating composition, the electrolytic plating composition has a pH between about 0 and about 3, at least about 80 volume % of the fluoropolymer particles have a particle size of less than 200 nm, and the composite coating comprises between about 1 wt % and about 5 wt % of the fluoropolymer particles.

10. The method of claim 8 wherein the non-metallic particles are fluoropolymer particles having a mean particle size between about 10 and about 500 nanometers.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the fluoropolymer particles constitute between about 1 wt % and about 10 wt % of the electrolytic plating composition.

12. The method of claim 10 wherein the source of tin ions is sufficient to provide a concentration of Sn 2+ ions between about 10 g/L and about 100 g/L.

13. The method of claim 10 wherein the source of tin ions sufficient to provide a concentration of Sn 2+ ions of between about 10 g/L and about 100 g/L, the fluoropolymer particles constitute between about 1 wt % and about 10 wt % of the electrolytic plating composition, the electrolytic plating composition has a pH between about 0 and about 3, at lest about 80 volume % of the fluoropolymer particles have a particle size of less than 200 nm, and the composite coating comprises between about 1 wt % and about 5 wt % of the fluoropolymer particles.

14. The method of claim 10 wherein the composite coating comprises between about 1 wt % and about 5 wt % of the fluoropolymer particles.

15. The method of claim 4 wherein the electrolytic plating composition further comprises a source of Bi 3+ ions, a source of Zn 2+ ions, a source of Ag + ions, a source of Cu 2+ ions, a source of Pb 2+ ions, and combinations thereof.

16. The method of claim 4 wherein the non-metallic particles comprise fluoropolymer particles characterized by a particle size distribution in which at least about 80 volume % of the particles have a particle size less than 200 nm.

17. The method of claim 4 wherein the non-metallic particles have a pre-mix coating of surfactant molecules thereon.

18. The method of claim 4 wherein the electrolytic plating composition further comprises an acid in a concentration sufficient to impart a composition pH between about 0 and about 3.