Testing for Zinc Whiskers in Data Centers

The growing global artificial intelligence and cloud computing demand is boosting a rapid increase in data centers buildings across the country. One common cause of equipment failure risks in these data centers is the existence of zinc whiskers.

Zinc whiskers are small, hair-like filaments of zinc. These filaments grow from zinc-coated metal surfaces including electrical components and mechanical hardware (such as nuts, bolts, washers, equipment racks, housings, and rails) or from zinc-plated underside of the raised-access floor tiles and the support structures commonly used in computer data centers. When present, the zinc whiskers can pass into the electronic hardware through vents and fans on the equipment. Then when inside of the equipment, the zinc whiskers can cause various electrical failures, ranging from intermittent to permanent short circuits.

Testing of surfaces to detect the formation of zinc whiskers is a good preventive practice for mitigating the equipment failure risks.

Tape lift sampling is the appropriate method and media to determine the presence of zinc whiskers on surfaces. At EMSL Analytical, the identification of zinc whiskers is performed using Scanning Electron Microscopy with Energy Dispersive X-ray methodology (SEMEDX). The results are reported by particle count per surface area.