Desiccator storage has become critical in more and more manufacturing operations. A look at the costly effects of moisture exposure explains why. As critical components become smaller and more sophisticated, their susceptibility to moisture damage increases. Once absorbed by sensitive components, water creates a number of potentially disastrous conditions. Even minute traces of oxidation, the most notorious result of moisture exposure, can degrade soldering and other manufacturing processes.

Because water dissolves ionic contaminants, it also alters the conductivity of the material, which in turn can degrade electrical function. Water also combines with other materials, causing harmful chemical reactions that degrade pharmaceutical samples and chemical mixtures.

The dwell effect

As bad as these problems are, the damage is worse when it’s not immediately detected. For example, integrated circuits (ICs) that have absorbed substantial amounts of water may not show signs of degradation until late in the manufacturing process. These “walking wounded” parts may not fail until they have been shipped to a customer or been installed in increasingly more complex and expensive assemblies.

Moisture-related damage is also common in package bonding. If the integrated circuit packages have been in inventory for more than six months but inadequately protected against moisture, leads will oxidize, solder joints will fail, and board yields will drop.

This deferred “dwell effect” of moisture exposure is perhaps the most economically compelling reason to provide a clean, dry storage environment at every stage of your manufacturing process, regardless of your product line. For instance, dry storage inhibits growth of organic contaminants and retards other chemical reactions that degrade pharmaceuticals. Desiccators provide an inert gas environment for storing volatile chemicals. They can also be used for slow, controlled drying, and are available with customized heating capabilities. In addition, the dry, inert environment inside a desiccator is ideal for storage of biological samples, including forensic materials, DNA samples, and biological cultures.