Home ›

Definition of Lead/Halide-free Products

Idea/Definition Information
Background: 

This project was organized to develop a draft definition/specification of Lead-Free and Halogen-Free materials as it applies to electronic components and Printer Wiring Boards and get it accepted on a global scale. The specification can allow manufacturable alternative materials to be developed and an “affordable” cost, while meeting the intent of legislative directives aimed at minimizing environmental concerns.

Problem: 

The proposed European Union’s WEEE (Waste from Electrical and Electronic Equipment) Directive calls for ban on Lead and Brominated Flame Retardants from the electric components by 1/1/2008. Pb is used extensively in the electronics industry as a interconnect material as well as in other applications. Pb may also be present as an impurity in the materials used in the electronic industry. Brominated Flame Retardants are present in electronic packages, enclosures, PWBs (Printed Wiring Boards) and other materials. In addition, certain halogen (e.g. Chlorine) may be present as a process residue. As the electronics industry is develops alternative materials to replace the materials targeted in the proposed legislations, there is need for an industry-wide agreement on the definition of Lead and Halogen Free materials, which is then presented to the legislative bodies for adoption as an accepted definition. The electronics industry is highly integrated and without a globally accepted definition, it is very difficult for the supply chain to develop commercially available Lead and halide-free products that meet the needs of system integrators.

Approach: 

The objective of this project was to develop a definition/ specification of Lead-Free and Halogen-Free materials as it applies to electronic components and Printed Wiring Boards and get it accepted on a global scale. The specification should allow manufacturable alternative materials to be developed and an “affordable” cost, while meeting the intent of legislative directives aimed at minimizing environmental concerns.
 
Scope
The materials in this scope are: Mold compound, PWB substrate, interposer, die attach adhesive, die underfill epoxies, solder resists, solder fluxes, solder spheres, tape, system enclosures and lead frame. The objective was to achieve agreement on the Lead and halogen-free material specifications from the representatives of electronics industry supply chain.