Designing Lead-Free, RoHS-Compliant,
and WEEE-Compliant Electronics

If the ban on lead in electronics is such a grand idea, I wonder just how many of the people who lobbied for the RoHS Directive and SB20/SB50, or the politicians who voted for these laws, would be willing to ride first-class for free on a trans-Atlantic or trans-Pacific airline flight-- if they were told that:

1. This was to be the first flight of this particular model of plane across an ocean,
   AND
2. All of the electronics in the plane were "RoHS-compliant"?

I am a cheapskate, and I'm proud of it! Whether I design, build, or buy something, I intend it to have a long, useful life. The upcoming conversion to digital TV in the US doesn't worry me, because giving up my average of 1 hour per year of TV watching will give me more reading time! When I want to watch a videotape, my 1981 Curtis Mathis TV set and my 1986 Magnavox VCR will continue to work just fine. My 1986 Realistic stereo continues to play my LP records, after I replaced a defective capacitor some years ago. Early this year I had to replace the power supply and hard disk in my desktop computer, which I bought in 2001, so it should be good for another couple of years. I *have* retired my 1984 Toyota pickup truck, after putting just over 304,800 miles on it. The muffler broke off, destroying the catalytic converter in the process. It would cost me at least twice as much as the truck is worth just to replace those two items. And it was approaching time to replace the tires and alternator too. So goodbye "Truckie". I'm now driving the diesel Rabbit that I bought from my girlfriend in 2001, after she bought a new car. It now has 104,000 miles on it, and should be good for another 40,000 miles or so.

Whereas my girlfriend bought a new brand-name computer and monitor in December 2003, whose warranties ran out in December 2004. In January 2005 the power supply in her computer blew up with a loud bang! I fixed her computer, after doing about an hour of "metal mangling" to install a replacement generic power supply in place of the original custom power supply (which is almost impossible to obtain, and very expensive). Her monitor acted up about three weeks later, making a loud buzzing noise, and overloading her uninterruptable power supply (UPS). So I gave her one of my old monitors, which I had stashed away in case of computer trouble, which she has been using with no further problems. I've tested her monitor, by itself and connected on her old computer, without being able to duplicate the problem yet... My father was a TV repairman in the 1950's and 1960's, and intermittent problems were always the toughest ones for him to solve. And legislators wonder why "people hang onto old, obsolete electronic equipment"?

In the over 4,700 books and other documents that I have now collected on lead-free and RoHS-compliant electronics, there are numerous reports of major materials- and process- compatibility problems. Many of these are quality problems, and thus can be found by thorough testing during manufacturing. But there remain many latent reliability problems that may take months or years to show up-- at which time our expensive electronic doodad can suddenly turn into an unrepairable piece of junk. And we still don't have ways to find some of these problems by stress testing or accelerated- life testing.... I suspect that, for a while, we will be darned lucky if a piece of "RoHS- compliant" electronics gear lasts six months longer than its warranty. Personally, I don't plan to buy any new electronic products or equipment between January 2006 and July 2007. After a RoHS- compliant unit has been in production for at least a year-- with a good field history-- I might consider buying one if I'm truly desperate. But for the next few years, the warranties on new electronics will be more important to me than their features or their prices.

Nevertheless, most electronics manufacturers will have no choice-- if they want to stay in business-- except to comply with these misbegotten laws as best they can. Some of the proposed national and state laws have quite Draconian penalties for non-compliance-- no matter how minor. For example, in 2001/2002 Sony spent an estimated $86 million to replace peripheral cables in 1.3 million PlayStations, because they contained more cadmium than permitted under a Dutch law akin to the RoHS Directive. As I see the situation, the only people who are guaranteed to benefit from the RoHS Directive will be hordes of petty bureaucrats, hired to enforce the Directive, and people/companies providing RoHS-testing services, to give manufacturers some level of protection from those bureaucrats. Equipment manufacturers may benefit for a while, because it looks like most electronics manufacturers will have to set up new production lines, with all new equipment, to prevent "contaminating" RoHS-compliant products by equipment and tools that have been previously used with tin-lead solder.

Please note that I am currently working on my first lead- free, RoHS- compliant, and WEEE- compliant product. So the vast majority of the information in this web page is based on the engineering and scientific literature, and not on my personal experience. All of the laws that I discuss on this web page-- that affect how we design and manufacture electronic equipment and products-- were enacted after I became an EMC Engineer for dBi Corporation in early 2002. The majority of my work is electromagnetic compatibility (EMC), electromagnetic immunity (EMI), and electrostatic discharge (ESD) testing for our clients. And to date I have been 100% successful at getting our clients' products/equipment to comply with the applicable domestic and international EMC/EMI/ESD standards and laws. But I take professional pride in helping ensure that any project that I work on will be a success. Therefore, given the chance, I try to consult with clients and prospective clients long before they reach the prototyping and testing phases, to point out the best ways I know to meet:

• Interface standards.
• Quality standards.
• Safety standards.
• EMC/EMI/ESD standards.
  AND
• Other applicable domestic and international requirements, such as the RoHS Directive and the WEEE Directive.

• 89% of the products for which I designed/ developed hardware (47 out of 53 projects) went into mass production.
• 100% of the products for which I designed/ developed firmware and software (9 out of 9 projects) went into mass production.
• 100% of the testers for which I designed/ developed the hardware and software (52 out of 52 projects) went into service, mass producing another 59 products.
• 100% of the products (71 out of 71 projects) for which I have done the EMC/EMI/ESD approval testing went into mass production.
• 100% of the equipment (3 out of 3 projects) for which I have done the EMC/EMI/ESD approval testing went into service.

We must consider many new materials- and process- compatibility issues when trying to develop lead- free, RoHS- compliant, and WEEE- compliant electronics. So far no one has been able to come up with a blanket recommendation to "do A, B, and C, and all your problems will be solved". I can't even give you specific recommendations, without fairly- intimate knowledge of your company's products, and some familiarity with your design and manufacturing processes. So just as I have done in my books, I intend this web page to:

1. Give you an overall familiarity with the problems and opportunities facing us.
2. Bring out the major factors, and their interactions, that we must consider.
3. Briefly discuss the options open to us, pointing out their strengths and weaknesses.
4. Show which options currently seem to be preferred by the electronics industry,
5. Provide links and references to the best sources of information that I have been able to find on these subjects.

• INTRODUCTION:
  • The Problems (revised 3/2/2005)
  • Government Actions (revised 11/6/2005)
• WHAT DESIGN ENGINEERS CAN DO:
  • Overall Requirements for Lead-Free, RoHS-Compliant, and WEEE-Compliant Designs (revised 3/26/2005)
  • Exemptions (revised 10/31/2005)
  • Where the Banned Materials have been Used (revised 1/22/2005)
  • Lead-Free and RoHS-Compliant Solder (revised 4/2/2005)
  • Lead-Free and RoHS-Compliant Conductive Adhesives (written 8/24/2005)
  • Lead-Free and RoHS-Compliant Electronic Components (revised 4/2/2005)
  • Lead-Free and RoHS-Compliant Printed Circuit Boards (PCB's) (revised 2/15/2005)
  • Lead-Free and RoHS-Compliant Connectors (written 2/10/2005)
  • Reliability of Lead-Free Electronics (written 1/2/2005)
  • Other Lead-Free and RoHS-Compliant Components (written 1/2/2005)
  • Lead-Free and RoHS-Compliant Plastics (written 1/2/2005)
  • Other Lead-Free and RoHS-Compliant Materials (written 1/2/2005)
• WHAT ELSE OUR COMPANY/ ORGANIZATION MUST DO:
  • Purchasing Concerns (written 1/2/2005)
  • Stock Control (written 1/2/2005)
  • Vendor Policies for Identifying Lead-Free and RoHS-Compliant Components (revised 4/2/2005)
  • Manufacturing Process Concerns (written 1/2/2005)
  • Repairing Lead-Free and RoHS-Compliant Electronics (written 2/11/2005)
  • Registration, Records, Reports, and Other Documentation Concerns (revised 1/18/2005)
  • Testing for RoHS-Compliance (written 2/10/2005)

• Government Regulations on Lead-Free, RoHS, and WEEE
• Magazines/Newsletters on Lead-Free, RoHS, and WEEE
• Mailing Lists on Lead-Free, RoHS, and WEEE
• Web Sites on Lead-Free, RoHS, and WEEE
• Books on Lead-Free, RoHS, and WEEE
• CDROM's on Lead-Free, RoHS, and WEEE
• Papers, Reports, and Magazine Articles on Lead-Free, RoHS, and WEEE
• Web Pages on Lead-Free, RoHS, and WEEE

Many governments, organizations, and some companies are worried about how to safely dispose of all of this electronic waste, or "e-Waste". The EPA estimates that 1-4% of municipal solid waste consists of discarded electrical and electronic equipment. A major concern is the presence of toxic metals and chemicals, which can leach into the groundwater from landfills, or pollute the air if the electronic waste is incinerated:

• Lead--causes brain, blood, and kidney damage.
• Cadmium--causes kidney damage.
• Mercury--converted to methylmercury by bacteria, causes brain damage.
• Hexavalent Chromium--damages DNA.
• Brominated flame retardants--can damage digestive and lymphatic systems.

• lead, 0.05
• mercury, 0.1
• cadmium, 0.005
• hexavalent chromium, 0.5?
• polybrominated biphenyls (PBB's),
• polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDE's),

• lead (maximum 0.1% by weight in a homogenous material),
• mercury (maximum 0.1% by weight in a homogenous material),
• cadmium (maximum 0.01% by weight in a homogenous material),
• hexavalent chromium (maximum 0.1% by weight in a homogenous material),

The European Union published the Restriction of the Use of Certain Hazardous Substances in Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive ( RoHS Directive, 2002/95/EC) in volume 46 issue L37 pages 19-23 of the OJ on February 13, 2003. This Directive takes effect on July 1, 2006, and with some exceptions (Annex) totally bans the use of (Article 4.1):

• lead,
• mercury,
• cadmium,
• hexavalent chromium,
• polybrominated biphenyls (PBB's),
• polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDE's),

Article 2.3 explicitly states that spare parts for the repair of electrical and electronic equipment put on the market before July 1, 2006 do not fall under the RoHS Directive. Nor does the reuse of electrical and electronic equipment put on the market before July 1, 2006. I.e., the electrical equipment is already in the European Union, and out of the manufacturer's control as of July 1, 2006. Owners of equipment acquired before this date may repair or upgrade their equipment, to extend its lifetime, instead of being forced to discard it.

Council Decision COM(2004) 606, adopted Sept. 23, 2004), amends the Annex of the RoHS Directive to permit-- in any application that was not already exempted--a homogenous material to contain a maximum of:

• 0.1% lead by weight.
• 0.1% mercury by weight.
• 0.01% cadmium by weight.
• 0.1% hexavalent chromium by weight.
• 0.1% polybrominated biphenyls by weight.
• 0.1% polybrominated diphenyl ethers by weight.

The second amendment to the RoHS Directive was published in volume 48 issue L280 pages 18-19 of the OJ on October 25, 2005, adding some additional exemptions to the Annex.

The DTI has published a draft of the United Kingdom's version of the RoHS Directive as "Part IV - The RoHS Directive - draft implementing Regulations."

The DTI has also published draft Guidance Notes for the RoHS Directive, dated July 2004. A revised draft RoHS REGULATIONS Government Guidance Notes just came out in August 2005.

The European Union published the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive (WEEE Directive, 2002/96/EC) in volume 46 issue L37 pages 24-38 of the OJ on February 13, 2003. Directive 2003/108/EC, published in volume 46 issue L345 pages 106-107 of the OJ on December 31, 2003, amends Article 9 of the WEEE Directive with regard to the financing of WEEE for businesses. The WEEE Directive:

• Requires each country in the European Union to set up facilities for the separate collection of waste electrical and electronic equipment by August 13, 2005 (Article 5, paragraph 2).
• Makes the producer (the company whose brand is on the equipment-- or the importer/exporter) pay for the collection, treatment, recovery, and disposal of their equipment (Article 5). For sales to businesses, this cost may be shared between the seller and buyer (Article 9, as amended by Directive 2003/108/EC). The actual processing may be done by the company itself, or by participating in a producers' compliance scheme (Article 6.1).
• The producer must provide financial guarantees that they will pay for the handling of their waste equipment, by participating in a collective group for this financing, recycling insurance, or a blocked bank account (Article 8.2).
• Requires the producer to mark their electrical/ electronic equipment (or the packaging, instructions, and warranty) with the WEEE Symbol below (Annex IV) after August 13, 2005 (Article 10, paragraph 3).
  .
• Requires the producer, within one year of putting any electrical/ electronic equipment on the European market, to provide reuse centers, treatment facilities, and recycling facilities with (Article 11, paragraph 1):
  • Lists of components and materials it contains.
  • Locations of dangerous substances.
• Encourages producers to design electrical and electronic equipment (Introduction, paragraphs 12 and 18):
  • For repair.
  • For possible upgrading.
  • For reuse.
  • For disassembly.
  • For recycling.
  • To integrate recycled material into new equipment.

The DTI has also published draft Guidance Notes for the WEEE Directive, dated July 2004. According to these Guidance Notes, producers must register with the (UK) National Clearing House by August 13, 2005 (pages 4, 20-21).

The European Union also bans many flame retardants that might be used in printed circuit boards (PCB's) under the Restrictions on the Marketing and Use of Certain Dangerous Substances and Preparations Directive (Directive 76/769/EEC) which has been amended 39 times since it was published in the OJ in September 27, 1976.

The European Union published the Batteries and Accumulators Containing Certain Dangerous Substances Directive (Battery Directive, 91/157/EEC) in volume xx issue L78 pages 38-41 of the OJ on March 26, 1991. Directive 98/101/EC, published in volume 42 issue L1 pages 1-2 of the OJ on January 5, 1999, clarifies the limitations on mercury in batteries. The Battery Directive permits lead-acid and nickel-cadmium batteries to be used in electrical and electronic equipment as long as they contain less than 0.0005% by weight of mercury. Button cells and batteries made from button cells are permitted to contain up to 2% mrecury by weight (Article 3.1).

The European Union published the Energy-using Products (EuP) Directive (EuP Directive, 2005/32/EC) in Volume 48 issue L191 pages 29-58 of the OJ on July 22, 2005. This Directive took effect on August 11, 2005. It sets up a framework for regulating products that:

• Have sales of over 200,000 units per year in the EU,
• Have a significant environmental impact over their entire life cycle,
  AND
• Have a wide range of environmental performance between different units with equivalent functionality.

• To build each unit.
• When operating.
• When in standby mode or turned off.
• To dispose of the discarded unit.

China's Ministry of Information Industry has drafted a Management Methods for the Prevention and Control of Pollutants from Electronic Information Products law, often referred to as "China RoHS". This law has not been adopted yet. But if adapted, after July 1, 2006 it would ban:

• lead,
• mercury,
• cadmium,
• hexavalent chromium,
• polybrominated biphenyls (PBB's),
• polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDE's)

California passed Proposition 65, the Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act of 1986 in 1986. This act affects companies who:

• Discharge listed chemicals into sources of drinking water.
• Expose individuals to these chemicals:
  • While manufacturing, distributing, or selling consumer or commercial products.
  • In industrial or commercial operations discharging chemicals into the environment.
  • In their occupation.

California adopted Senate Bill No. 50 (SB50) on September 29, 2003, amending SB20 in a number of areas, but the combination is usually still referred to as "SB20". SB20 and SB50 create a number of bureaucratic hurdles and snares for anyone who sells-- or wants to sell-- video display devices with screens larger than 4 inches diagonal (with some exceptions, SB50, pages 9, 11; SB20, page 9) to consumers in California:

• Beginning April 1, 2004, the manufacturer must inform retailers that their equipment is subject to the waste recycling fee (SB50, page 1).
• Beginning October 1, 2004, the manufacturer must notify the State Board of Equilization that their product would be considered hazardous waste when it is discarded.
• Beginning January 1, 2005, electronic equipment must be labeled with the manufacturer's name or the manufacturer's brand name (SB50 , page 13; SB20, page 12).
• For all sales after January 1, 2005 (new or refurbished), the manufacturer must be certified as being in compliance with SB20 by the California Integrated Waste Management Board or the Department of Toxic Substances Control (SB50, page 2).
• Beginning January 1, 2005, the retailer must collect the waste recycling fee when they sell the equipment (SB50, pages 2, 11).
• Beginning July 1, 2005, and annually thereafter, manufacturers must report to the State Board of Equilization how many electronic devices covered by SB20 they sold in California during the previous year, as well as the total amount of mercury, cadmium, lead, hexavalent chromium, PBB's, and recyclable materials they contained (SB50, pages 2, 13).
• Beginning January 1, 2007, or when the RoHS Directive becomes effective in the European Union (whichever comes later), lead, mercury, cadmium, and hexavalent chromium are banned from electronic equipment sold in California (SB50, page 5; SB20, page 6).

California Legal Council's digest of SB50, on page 2, (3) says "The act requires each manufacturer of an electronic device who sells a covered electronic device in this state to submit an annual report to the board on the number of electronic devices sold by the manufacturer". On page 6, 25214.10.1 specifies the information that a manufacturer must suppy to retailers and the State Board of Equalization. On page 9, 42463(f) defines the "covered electronic devices". On page 10, 42463(n) defines "manufacturer". On page 11, 42463(t) defines "video display device". On pages 11 and 12, 42464.6(a) gives the Department of Toxic Substances Control the authority to determine what is, or is not, a "covered electronic device". On pages 13 and 14, 42465.2 specifies the information that the manufacturer must supply to the California Integrated Waste Management Board, consumers, and the Department of Toxic Substances Control.

For the actual implementation of SB20 and SB50, California's Health and Safety Code Section 25214.9-25214.10.2, under 25214.10(a) effectively bans lead, cadmium, mercury, and hexavalent chromium in "covered electronic devices" to the limits permitted by the RoHS Directive by January 1, 2007, or the effective date of the RoHS Directive, whichever comes later.

Furthermore, California's Public Resources Code Section 42463, 42463(f) defines "covered electronic device", 42463(n) defines "manufacturer", and 42463(t) defines "video display device".

California's actual regulations implementing SB20 and SB50 are in Emergency Regulations. 18660.5(23) has this snare for manufacturers-- "These catagories include, but are not limited to, (my italics) ...". 18660.41 specifies information that manufacturers must report to the California Integrated Waste Management Board, while 18660.42 specifies information that manufacturers must provide to consumers.

Maine adopted LD 743 (amended by HP 549) on May 14, 2003. This law bans disposal of CRT's in landfills after January 1, 2006.

Massachusetts, under 310 CMR 19 paragraph 19.017(3)(c), has not permitted cathode ray tubes (CRT's) to be deposited in landfills, or incinerated, since April 1, 2000.

Minnesota adopted H.F. No. 882 in 2003. This law bans disposal of CRT's in landfills after July 1, 2005.

Maryland adopted House Bill 575 on May 10, 2005. This law requires computer manufacturers that manufactured more than 1,000 computers per year, averaged over the last three years, to register with the (Maryland) Department of the Environment if they wish to sell new computers in the state after December 31, 2005. The initial registration fee is $5,000. The registration fee then drops to $500 per year if the manufacturer has implemented a "computer takeback program". Otherwise the registration fee continues at $5,000 per year. This law will expire December 31, 2010 unless it is renewed by the legislature.

References: [1], [2]. [3], [4], [5], [5a], [6], [7], [8], [9], [10], [10a] [11], [11a] [12], [13], [14], [15], [16], [17], [18], [19], [20], [21], [21a], [48 pages 4-11, 31, 424-425]

1. List the questions that we would like answered.
2. Organize these into clusters, with a logical overall flow.
3. Write down the data as I collect it, in the form of rough notes (maybe with pointers to the source) under the appropriate questions.
4. Split, merge, and shuffle my rough notes as needed.
5. Reorganize my notes into lists, tables, and figures as appropriate, as I become aware of previously-hidden relationships between data from various sources.
6. Clean up my notes into readable prose.
7. Finally, write the introduction to the section, briefly stating the conclusions that I have worked so long and laboriously to figure out.

An important point to remember is that "lead-free" does not necessarily mean "RoHS-compliant", and "RoHS-compliant" does not necessarily mean "lead-free". If any homogeneous material-- anywhere in the electronic product-- contains too much lead, mercury, cadmium, hexavalent chromium, polybrominated biphenyls (PBB's), or polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDE's), then the entire unit is not "RoHS-compliant". This could be something as insignificant as one inspection stamp on one board of a multi-million dollar machine... Similarly, the glass of a large cathode-ray tube (CRT) could contain several pounds of lead. But since it falls under exemption 5 in the Annex of the RoHS Directive, it can be "RoHS-compliant" and not "lead-free".

As I see the situation, almost all of us electronic engineers are going to be heavily affected by the ban on lead in the RoHS Directive, "China RoHS", and SB20, regardless of whether we feel these laws are wise or incredibly asinine. Personally, from January 2006 to about July 2007 I doubt that I will buy any electronic product or equipment that touts it is "RoHS Compliant". I'm also stocking up on 60/40 and 63/37 rosin-core tin-lead solder for my home workshop, and already have about 70 pounds of it in various gauges... Which should be enough for all the home projects I'll want to build, electronic things I'll need to fix, and junk electronics I'll dismantle for useful parts before I die or get too blind to work on them.

Article 4.1 of the RoHS Directive says "Member States shall ensure that, from 1 July 2006, new electrical and electronic equipment put on the market does not contain lead, mercury, cadmium, hexavalent chromium, polybrominated biphenyls (PBB) or polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDE)." The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) in the United Kingdom is pushing for the impurity limits to be ( Guidance Notes for the RoHS Directive, item 26):

• 0.1% by weight per homogeneous material for lead, mercury, hexavalent chromium, polybrominated biphenyls (PBB's), and polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDE's).
• 0.01% by weight per homogeneous material for cadmium.

There are a few lead-free solder alloys that have melting points close to that of eutectic tin-lead solder (63Sn37Pb, 183 degrees Celsius). But they either use fairly-rare elements like indium, or they have poor mechanical/chemical properties compared to tin-lead solder, or both.

Most of the lead-free solder alloys that are available in quantity, and aren't too-hideously expensive, have melting points at least 30 degrees Celsius higher than eutectic tin-lead solder. Some electronic components that we have been using for decades, such as aluminum electrolytic capacitors, can not survive these higher processing temperatures. With the longer dwell time at high temperature required by many of the lead-free solders, "popcorning" of plastic semiconductor packages is a major problem. The higher temperature and longer dwell time can also crack vias and plated-through holes in PCB's, causing intermittent opens when the PCB is stressed in use. (The resin exceeds its Glass Transition Temperature (Tg), greatly increasing the laminate's Thermal Coefficient of Expansion (TCE) versus that of the copper plating in the barrels.) Thus we may need much tighter process controls to prevent damage to components and PCB's during assembly and rework. Finding lead-free components that can survive these tougher processing conditions can be difficult. Many products will have to be completely requalified because of all the component and process changes. And due to lead-free component availability, we are likely to have a transition period during which we make products with a mixture of lead-containing and lead-free components, leading to reliability issues.

We can still use NiCad and lead-acid (gel cell) batteries in electronic and electrical devices, even though the RoHS Directive bans cadmium and lead, because they fall under the Battery Directive. The DTI's Guidance Notes for the RoHS Directive, item 14.v says that the RoHS Directive does not apply to batteries, because the WEEE Directive requires them to be removed from the equipment when it is collected as waste.

Mercury has been banned in many countries for a number of years, so the RoHS Directive's ban on it doesn't hurt us too much.

There are also many alternative flame retardants to the PBB's and PBDE's, so the RoHS Directive's bans on them aren't too painful either.

The WEEE Directive does not directly affect the cost of a product. But it requires the manufacturer or importer to include a (hidden) allowance in the selling price for collecting and disposing of the product when the user is finished with it. By designing a product to be easy to dismantle and recycle, we can reduce this allowance and thus the selling price -- making our product more attractive to prospective users.

patent situation

• Mercury in lamps (items 1, 2, 3, and 4).
• Lead in the glass of cathode ray tubes (CRT's), electronic components, and fluorescent tubes (item 5).
• Lead in certain steel, aluminium, and copper alloys (item 6).
• Lead in high melting-temperature solders containing over 85% lead by weight (item 7).
• Lead in solders used for servers, storage, and storage array systems (item 7).
• Lead in solders used for network infrastructure equipment (item 7).
• Lead in electronic ceramic parts (item 7).
• Cadmium and cadmium compounds in electrical contacts and cadmium plating that isn't banned by Directive 76/769/EEC (item 8).
• Hexavalent chromium as an anti-corrosion agent in absorption refrigerators (item 9).
• Lead in compliant pin connector systems (item 11).
• Lead as a coating for the thermal conduction module c-ring (item 12).
• Lead and cadmium in optical and filter glass (item 13).
• *** here ***

Making a solder joint involves five materials:

• Plating or base alloy of the component lead or ball (terminal alloy).
• Plating or base alloy of the PCB pad or plated-through hole (board alloy).
• Solder alloy.
• Flux.
• Surrounding atmosphere (typically air, or dry nitrogen with 20 to 2000 parts-per-million (PPM) oxygen).

1. Flux reacts with the terminal alloy, solder alloy, and board alloy to leave atomically-clean surfaces.
2. Molten solder physically wets the terminal alloy and board alloy, with wetting angles determined by the relative interfacial energies of the:
   • Terminal/board alloy and the molten solder.
   • Terminal/board alloy and the flux or surrounding atmosphere.
   • Molten solder and the flux or surrounding atmosphere.
3. Molten solder chemically reacts with the terminal and board alloys (chemical wetting), forming intermetallics like Ag₃Sn, AuSn₂, AuSn₄, Cu₃Sn, Cu₆Sn₅, Ni₃Sn₄, PdSn₂, PdSn₃, PdSn₄, and PtSn₄, that bond the solder to the terminal alloy and the board alloy.
4. Molten solder solidifies, forming the final solder joint.

1. Terminal alloy.
2. Terminal alloy depleted by the terminal-solder intermetallic.
3. Terminal-solder intermetallic.
4. Solder alloy depleted by the terminal-solder intermetallic.
5. Solder alloy.
6. Solder alloy depleted by the board-solder intermetallic.
7. Board-solder intermetallic.
8. Board alloy depleted by the board-solder intermetallic.
9. Board alloy.

• Low melting point.
• Good wetting of PCB holes/pads and component leads/balls.
• Narrow pasty range.
• Consistent behavior in manufacturing, insensitive to the exact solder composition and impurity levels.
• Insensitive to Pb contamination.
• Can be repaired and reworked.
• Cost comparable to SnPb solder.
• Doesn't require large quantities of rare elements.
• Adequate mechanical strength and ductility.
• Reasonable Thermal Coefficient of Expansion (TCE).
• Good fatigue resistance, creep resistance, and corrosion resistance.
• Low volume resistivity.
• Compatible with fluxes during storage, preheating, and soldering.
• Low toxicity.
• Can be easily recycled.
• Not restricted by patents.

For molten solder to properly wet another metal (PCB holes/pads and component leads/balls) that metal also must be somewhat hotter than the solder's melting point. SnPb solders typically require about 20 to 50, typically 35°C superheat. A nitrogen atmosphere (nitrogen blanket) can reduce the superheat required by some lead-free solders, and thus the reflow/wave soldering temperature required.

A near-eutectic or near-peritectic solder composition, with a narrow pasty range, reduces the temperature range and thus the time span during which the solder joints are sensitive to movement during solidification, and thus the likelihood of "cold solder joints". A narrow pasty range also reduces the chances of "fillet lifting", where the solder shrinks severely as it cools and solidifies, breaking loose from the PCB pad. Eutectic compositions are also more fluid in the liquid state than non-eutectic composotions of the same metals. For solders with a wide pasty range, they may react with a significant fraction of the terminal alloy and board alloy before they are fully fluid. A wide pasty range does help when the solder must fill wide gaps.

In general, adding elements to a solder alloy greatly increases the chances for the composition to go awry during manufacturing, storage, and the soldering process. Thus we will usually prefer either a binary or a ternary solder alloy for their lot-to-lot consistency and their low sensitivity to variations in the platings or coatings on PCB's and component leads/balls. Solder paste has a very-high surface area, and thus is susceptible to oxidation. We must pay close attention to solder paste's shelf life and total "open time" if we want reliable solder joints. Solder alloys used for wave soldering are held at high temperature for long periods in direct contact with the solder pot, pump, nozzles, etc. Lead-free solders tend to be much more corrosive than SnPb solders, contaminating the solder and maybe damaging the equipment. Elements like zinc can oxidize and be carried out in the dross, also changing the solder composition. And the molten solder can dissolve copper and other elements from the components and PCB's being soldered, gradually contaminating the solder bath, and affecting the quality of solder joints.

Insensitive to Pb contamination. SnBiPb melts at 96°C.

Can be repaired and reworked.

Cost comparable to SnPb solder.
Mineral Commodity Summaries 2005

Doesn't require large quantities of rare elements. The electronics industry is currently using about 4,000 metric tons (1 metric ton = 10^3kg) of solder paste and 35,000 metric tons of solder bar per year. Thus, assuming that this averaged 60% tin and 40% lead, solder consumed about 24,000 tons per year of lead (Pb). Switching to a tin- silver (SnAg) or tin- silver- copper (SnAgCu) solder with about 3.5% of silver would consume about 2,100 tons of silver per year-- whereas her Table 8.11 shows that about 1,500 more tons of silver could be produced per year. Tin-bismuth (SnBi) solders require at least 40% bismuth, which would consume about 24,000 tons of bismuth per year. Whereas Table 8.11 shows that at most 4,000 more tons of bismuth could be produced each year. Tin-indium (SnIn) solders require at least 5% indium, which would consume about 3000 tons of indium per year. Whereas Table 8.11 shows that at most 100 more tons of indium could be produced per year. (Adjust these numbers for the density of the different solders.)

Adequate mechanical strength and ductility.

Reasonable Thermal Coefficient of Expansion (TCE).

Good fatigue resistance, creep resistance, and corrosion resistance. reliability drops as intermetallics get thicker. Voids are significantly more common in lead-free solder joints than in SnPb solder joints-- these are frequently the starting points for cracks and crack growth. voids due to gases that can't escape from molten solder. Many intermetallics are brittle. Their Temperature Coefficient of Expansion may differ from the bulk solder, causing cracking during thermal cycling. Intermetallics layers 1-5um thick are usually acceptable.

Low volume resistivity.

Compatible with fluxes during storage, preheating, and soldering.

The United States Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) ranks the toxicity of elements typically used in solders as Bi < Zn < In ?? < Sn < Cu < Sb < In ? < Ag < Pb. PEL = permissible exposure limit

Can be easily recycled.

Not restricted by patents. numerous patents on lead-free solders in different countries, many of these overlap because of tolerances on compositions. [48, pages 389-408] some patents cover not only the solder alloy, but also solder joints made with them. concern here is that in making a solder joint, get compositions that are a mixture of the solder and the plating or base metal of the component and the PCB, thus violating patent claims. licensing is one solution. trade barrier to selling product in country where a patent holds. SnAgCu may run into trouble with JP3027441 in Japan, JP09326554 in Japan, US6231691 in the US, and US5863493 in the US, and patent applications EP1213089, EP1196015, EP1180411 in Europe, US2002-0155024 in the US. SnCu may run into US6296722, JP10324482, JP10324483, and JP10069742.

solder paste stored at 35 to 45F; used in first-in first-out basis; let come to room temp 4 hours before opening; shelf life of SnAgCu 3-4 months versus 6 months for SnPb paste Sn3.5Ag wire good for hand rework; Sn3.9Ag0.6Cu paste good for rework; Sn0.7Cu or Sn3Ag0.5Cu in mini solder pot hold tip on joint longer than SnPb to ensure reflowing Solders are specified by the nominal percentage weight (1% = 0.01 of the total weight) of each element in the alloy. If the percentage of an element is not specified, it makes up the remainder of the alloy. Elements making up to 5% of the alloy typically have ±0.2% tolerance by weight. Elements making up over 5% of the alloy typically have ±0.5% tolerance by weight.

Elements Commonly used in Lead-Free Solders and Platings

Chemical Symbol	Common Name	Melting Point	2004 Average Cost per kg	2004 Worldwide Production, in 10^3kg	Volume Resistivity @20°C rhov(20), in Ohm-m	Galvanic Potential in V	Density, in 10^3kg/m^3	Thermal Conductivity, in W/m-°C	OSHA PEL, in mg/m^3	Comments
Ag	Silver	962°C	$210.00	19,500	1.63E-8	0.08	10.50E3	429	0.01	byproduct of copper and lead mining
Al	Aluminum	660°C	$1.80	28,900,000	2.73E-8	0.83	2.69E3	237	5
Au	Gold	1064°C	$13,000.00	2,470	2.27E-8	-0.11	19.3E3	317	--	byproduct of copper and lead mining
Bi	Bismuth	271°C	$6.80	3,800	107E-8	0.18	9.75E3	8	--	tends to improve wetting of Sn, byproduct of copper and lead mining, limited availability
Cd (reference)	Cadmium	321°C	$1.30	17,200	6.8E-8	0.67	8.65E3	97	0.005
Co	Cobalt	1495°C	$54.00	46,900	6.34E-8		8.9E3	100	0.1
Cr (reference)	Chromium	1907°C	$5.40	17,000,000	12.7E-8	0.60	7.19E3	94	0.5 (+2, +3) 0.05 (+6); proposed 0.001 (+6)
Cu	Copper	1085°C	$2.90	14,500,000	1.72E-8	0.22	8.96E3	401	1
Fe	Iron	1538°C	$0.44	1,700,000,000	9.98E-8	0.68 to 0.78	7.87E3	82	--
Ga	Gallium	30°C	$550.00	69	13.6E-8		5.90E3	41	--	byproduct of aluminum, copper, and zinc mining
Ge	Germanium	938°C	$410.00	50	45E-8 to 0.50		5.32E3	60	--	byproduct of zinc mining
Hg (reference)	Mercury	-39°C	$8.70	1,800	96.1E-8		13.55E3	8	0.1
In	Indium	157°C	$600.00	325	8.0E-8		7.31E3	82	0.1	limited availability byproduct of lead and zinc mining
Mg	Magnesium	650°C	$3.90	570,000	4.51E-8	1.73	1.74E3	156	5
Ni	Nickel	1455°C	$14.00	1,400,000	7.20E-8	0.14	8.90E3	91	1
Pb (reference)	Lead	327°C	$1.20	3,200,000	21.3E-8	0.55	11.35E3	35	0.05
Pd	Palladium	1555°C	$8,100.00	190	10.8E-8	0.08	12.02E3	72	--
Pt	Platinum	1768°C	$27,000.00	218	10.8E-8	-0.20	21.45E3	72	1
Sb	Antimony	631°C	$2.80	112,000	40.1E-8		6.69E3	24	0.5	byproduct of copper and lead mining
Si	Silicon	1414°C	$1.80	4,700,000	60E-8 to 2300		2.33E3	148	5
Sn	Tin	232°C	$9.10	250,000	11.5E-8	0.52	7.31E3 (white) 5.75E3 (gray)	67	2	white beta-Sn stable at room temperature; gray alpha-Sn stable below 13°C and brittle
Zn	Zinc	420°C	$1.20	9,100,000	6.06E-8	1.05	7.13E3	116	--

(most of the information for this table is from Tables C-1 and C-2 in Barnes, John R., Robust Electronic Design Reference Book, Volume 2. Kluwer Academic Publishers, Boston, 2004. costs and worldwide productions from http://minerals.usgs.gov/minerals/pubs/mcs/2005/mcs2005.pdf
OSHA PEL's from http://www.osha-slc.gov/dts/chemicalsampling/toc/toc_chemsamp.html. Element information from CRC Handbook of Chemistry and Physics, 82nd Edition 2001-2002.

Summary of Lead-Free/RoHS-Compliant Solders for Electronics

Solder Alloy	Composition by Weight	Melting Point	Reflow Soldering	Wave Soldering	Metal Cost per kg	Comments
AuGe	12% Ge remainder Au	356°C				eutectic Au12Ge melts at 356°C
AuIn	18% In remainder Au	451 to 485°C
AuSi	3-3.6% Si remainder Au	363-370°C				eutectic Au3Si melts at 363°C
AuSn	20% Sn remainder Au	280°C				eutectic Au20Sn melts at 280°C
BiIn	33% In remainder In	109°C				eutectic Bi33In melts at 109°C
GaInSn	21.5% In 16% Sn remainder Ga	10°C				eutectic Ga21.5In16Sn melts at 10°C
GeAl	45% Al remainder Ge	424°C				eutectic Ge45Al melts at 424°C
In	pure In	157°C
InAg	3 to 10% Ag remainder In	141 to 237°C				eutectic In3Ag melts at 143°C
Sn	pure Sn	232°C			170%
SnAg	2 to 10% Ag remainder Sn	221 to 295°C			229 to 300% $13.73 [29]	eutectic Sn3.5Ag melts at 221°C Sn3.5Ag recommended by NEMI for wave soldering and hand soldering, high creep resistance long history of use resists fillet lifting if not contaminated with Pb, widely available
SnAgBi	2 to 3.5% Ag 1 to 7.5% Bi remainder Sn	205 to 220°C	235°C		217 to 310%	prone to fillet lifting
SnAgBiCu	1.3 to 3.5% Ag 0.8 to 46% Bi 0.5 to 4% Cu remainder Sn	186 to 221°C				above 5% Bi can form SnBi melting at 138°C, or SnAgBi melting at 136.5°C, suffer from fillet lifting during wave soldering
SnAgBiCuGe	2% Ag 4% Bi 0.5% Cu 0.1% Ge remainder Sn	216°C
SnAgBiCuIn	3% Ag 1% Bi 0.7%Cu 2.5% In remainder Sn	204 to 215°C
SnAgBiIn	2.0 to 3.5% Ag 1.0 to 3.0% Bi 1.7 to 10.5% In remainder Sn	179-213°C
SnAgCu	0.3 to 4.7% Ag 0.5 to 6% Cu remainder Sn	216 to 380°C	235 to 250°C		200 to 330%	eutectice Sn3.8Ag0.7Cu melts at 217°C Sn3.8Ag0.7Cu recommended by IDEALS, Sn3.9Ag0.6Cu recommended by NEMI expensive silver is toxic
SnAgCuBi	see SnAgBiCu
SnAgCuBiIn	3% Ag 0.7% Cu 1% Bi 2.5% In remainder Sn	204 to 215°C
SnAgCuIn	3 to 3.5% Ag 0.5 to 0.7% Cu 1 to 8% In remainder Sn	214 to 217°C
SnAgCuSb	2 to 3.8% Ag 0.7 to 0.8% Cu 0.25 to 0.5% Sb remainder Sn	213 to 222°C			206 to 240%	eutectic Sn2.5Ag0.8Cu0.5Sb melts at 219°C compatible with SnPb
SnAgCuZn	3.5% Ag 0.5% Cu 1% Zn				227%
SnAgIn	3.5% Ag 1.5% In remainder Sn
SnAgInBi	3.5% Ag 3-4% In 0.5-1% Bi remainder Sn	202 to 214°C
SnAgSb	25% Ag 10% Sb remainder Sn	233°C
SnAgZn
SnBi	40 to 58% Bi remainder Sn	138 to 170°C			190% $7.79 [29]	eutectic Sn58Bi melts at 138°C Bi has limited availability, mixing SnBi with SnPb can make an SnPbBi alloy that melts at 96°C if the Bi content exceeds 10.5% by weight recrystallization may cause expansion and brittleness tends to creep
SnBiAg	7.5-57% Bi 0.1 to 2% Ag remainder Sn	138 to 212°C
SnBiIn	20% Bi 10% In remainder Sn	143 to 193°C
SnCu	0.7 to 3% Cu remainder Sn	227 to 300°C	242°C	275°C	150% $8.62 [29]	eutectic Sn0.7Cu melts at 227°C Sn0.7Cu recommended by NEMI for wave soldering, also used for flip-chip applications and as a component-lead finish, good wetting in an inert atmosphere (nitrogen blanket), tends to develop solder bridges and rough solder joints prone to growing tin whiskers, may transform to gray alpha-Sn
SnCuNi
SnCuSb	0.7% Cu 0.3% Sb remainder Sn	227 to 229°C
SnIn	8 to 52% In remainder Sn	113 to 217°C				eutectic Sn52In melts at 118°C expensive, In has limited availability
SnInAg	20% In 2.8% Ag remainder Sn	175 to 188°C				eutectic Sn20In2.8Ag melts at 188°C
SnInAgBi	1-8% In 3-4.1% Ag 1-4% Bi remainder Sn
SnInAgBiCu	8% In 4.1% Ag 2.2% Bi 0.5% Cu remainder Sn	193 to 199°C
SnInAgCu	4-8% In 3-4.1% Ag 0.5% Cu remainder Sn
SnInCuGa	5 to 6% In 0.5 to 0.7% Cu 0.4 to 0.6% Ga remainder Sn	210 to 215°C
SnInZn	8.8% In 7.6% Zn remainder Sn	181 to 187°C
SnPb (reference)	20 to 97% Pb remainder Sn	183 to 315°C	215°C		$5.87 [29]	eutectic Sn37Pb melts at 183°C soldering temperature must be about 35°C above melting point for reliable solder joints; Sn97Pb and Sn90Pb with melting points around 325°C are used for flip-chip connections
SnPbAg (reference)	36% Pb 2% Ag remainder Sn	179°C				eutectic Sn36Pb2Ag melts at 179°C high creep resistance good fatigue resistance prevents dissolving Ag terminations
SnSb	1 to 8.5% Sb remainder Sn	232 to 245°C	290°C	290°C	$8.36 [29]	high creep resistance
SnZn	9% Zn remainder Sn	199°C			$7.99 [29]	eutectic Sn9Zn melts at 199°C poor wetting for reflow soldering poor compatibility with acid or alkaline fluxes corrodes easily
SnZnAl		199°C
SnZnBi	5 to 8% Zn 3 to 10% Bi remainder Sn	189 to 199°C			140%	Sn8Zn3Bi solder paste has shelf life of only days or weeks
SnZnInBi	5.5% Zn 4.5% In 3.5% Bi remainder Sn	174 to 186°C
ZnAl	5% Al remainder Zn	382°C				eutectic Zn5Al melts at 382°C

The next three tables extend Tables C-1, C-2, and C-3 in Appendix C, Important Properties of Conductors and Ferrites, in my book Robust Electronic Design Reference Book, Volume 2.

Electrical Properties of Conductors at Room Temperature

Conductor/ Ferrite	Volume Resistivity @20°C rhov(20), in Ohm-m	Temperature Coefficient of Resistance TCR(20), in 1/°C	Relative Permeability, mur	Saturation Magnetic Flux Density, in T	Galvanic Potential in V
AuGe
AuIn
AuSi
AuSn
BiIn
GaInSn
GeAl
In
InAg
Sn	11.5E-8	0.0042 to 0.0047	1	--	0.52
SnAg	11E-8	0.00041
SnAgBi
SnAgBiCu
SnAgBiCuGe
SnAgBiCuIn
SnAgBiIn
SnAgCu
SnAgCuBi	see SnAgBiCu
SnAgCuBiIn
SnAgCuIn
SnAgCuSb
SnAgCuZn
SnAgIn
SnAgInBi
SnAgSb
SnAgZn
SnBi	38E-8
SnBiAg
SnBiIn
SnCu
SnCuNi
SnCuSb
SnIn	15E-8
SnInAg
SnInAgBi
SnInAgBiCu
SnInAgCu
SnInCuGa
SnInZn
SnPb (reference)	14E-8 to 21E-8		1	--	0.56
SnPbAg (reference)	14.7E-8
SnSb	14E-8
SnZn	12E-8
SnZnAl
SnZnBi
SnZnInBi
ZnAl

Physical Properties of Conductors at Room Temperature

Conductor/ Ferrite	Density, in 10^3kg/m^3	Thermal Conductivity, in W/m-°C	Emissivity Rating	Melting Point, Tm in °C
AuGe				356
AuIn				451 to 485
AuSi		285		363-370
AuSn		251		280
BiIn;				109
GaInSn				10
GeAl				424
In				157
InAg				141 to 237
Sn	7.00E3 to 7.35E3	62 to 74	0.04 to 0.15	232
SnAg	7.36E3 to 7.5E3			221 to 295
SnAgBi				205 to 220
SnAgBiCu				186 to 221
SnAgBiCuGe				216
SnAgBiCuIn				204 to 215
SnAgBiIn				179 to 213
SnAgCu	7.4E3			216 to 380
SnAgCuBi	see SnAgBiCu
SnAgCuBiIn				204 to 215
SnAgCuIn				214 to 217
SnAgCuSb				213 to 222
SnAgCuZn
SnAgIn
SnAgInBi				202 to 214
SnAgSb				233
SnAgZn
SnBi	8.7E3			138 to 170
SnBiAg				138 to 212
SnBiIn				143 to 193
SnCu	7.3E3			227 to 300
SnCuNi
SnCuSb				227 to 229
SnIn	7.3E3			113 to 217
SnInAg				175 to 188
SnInAgBi
SnInAgBiCu				193 to 199
SnInAgCu				195 to 201
SnInCuGa				210 to 215
SnInZn				181 to 187
SnPb (reference)	8.2E3 to 11E3	35 to 51		183 to 315
SnPbAg (reference)		49
SnSb	7.25E3			232 to 245
SnZn		59		199
SnZnAl				199
SnZnBi				189 to 199
SnZnInBi				174 to 186
ZnAl				382

Miscellaneous Properties of Conductors at Room Temperature

Conductor/ Ferrite	Thermal Coefficient of Expansion, in m/m°C	Surface Roughness, in m	Thermoelectric Voltage, in V/°C
AuGe
AuIn
AuSi	10E-6 to 12.9E-6
AuSn	16E-6
BiIn
GaInSn
GeAl
In
InAg
Sn	2.1E-6 to 33E-6
SnAg	22E-6
SnAgBi
SnAgBiCu
SnAgBiCuGe
SnAgBiCuIn
SnAgBiIn
SnAgCu
SnAgCuBi	see SnAgBiCu
SnAgCuBiIn
SnAgCuIn
SnAgCuSb
SnAgCuZn
SnAgIn
SnAgInBi
SnAgSb
SnAgZn
SnBi	15E-6 to 19E-6
SnBiAg
SnBiIn
SnCu
SnCuNi
SnCuSb
SnIn	20E-6
SnInAg
SnInAgBi
SnInAgBiCu
SnInAgCu
SnInCuGa
SnInZn
SnPb (reference)	21E-6 to 30E-6		5E-6
SnPbAg (reference)
SnSb	27E-6
SnZn
SnZnAl
SnZnBi
SnZnInBi
ZnAl

References:
[22, pages 396, 398, 401],
[23, pages 6-7, 10-11, 20-21, 24-27, 30, 32, 46-47, 53],
[24, pages 78-81, 1205-1209, 1328-1330, 1699-1701, 1703-1704, 1714-1720],
[25, pages 505-506, 614, 617-621, 623-624, 714-831],
[28, pages 37-42, 50-51, 53-61, 93],
[29, pages 6-10],
[33, pages 28-30, 74-75],
[34, pages C-3 to C-12],
[48, pages 27-29, 45-231, 263-264, 270-274, 277, 389-408, 415, 429-431, 444],
[49, pages 3.20-3.21, 11.14, 13.1-14.59, 15.3-15.13],
[50, pages 12, 49-136],
[51, pages 161-170, 305-310],
[68, pages 19-55, 81-91, 96-100, 103-129, 145-195, 218-221],
[86, pages 4-1 to 4-36, 12-45 to 12-47, 12-219 to 12-222],
[99, pages 1069-1101]

• Well-characterized.
• Readily available.
• Affordable.
• High quality.
• Manufacturable.
• Reliable.

• Liquid-containing components, such as aluminum electrolytic capacitors, blowing apart, bulging, or blowing electrolyte out their seals.
• Large ceramic components, such as resistors, capacitors, and inductors, cracking because the components shrink more than the PCB does as the assembled board cools down from the solidus temperature of the solder.
• "Popcorning"-- delaminating or cracking of components-- when moisture absorbed by the plastic package turns to steam.
• Components warping, if we approach the plastic's softening temperature.
• Degrading the plastic, if we approach its degradation temperature Td.
• Breaking or weakening bonds inside the component, from differential expansion/contraction between conductors and the surrounding insulators, if we exceed the Glass Transition Temperature Tg of the plastic.

Sn2.9Ag0.6Cu or Sn3.5Ag balls Sn, Sn-Pd-Ag on lead frames Sn chip terminations Pb-bearing finishes with Pb-free alloys can cause fillet lifting datasheets show termination material, maximum temperature rating, recommended and maximum reflow temperatures, moisture sensitivity rating tested for solderability, temperature & humidity aging, moisture sensitivity level, thermal cycling relibility, mechanical shock, vibration, high temperature storage, pull strength, shear on Sn, SnCu, SnAg, NiPd, NiPdAu plating or terminations, tin whiskers, SnPb and SnAgCu reflow soldering, SnPb and Sn0.7Cu wave soldering SnBi plating unacceptable with SnPb solder paste--cracking no In or Bi with BGA's 0.15" (3.81mm) between BGA or CSP and leaded components to prevent secondary reflow during rework electroplate with Pd, SnCu, SnBi electrode dipping in SnAgBiCu moisture sensitivity levels drop http://www.leadfreesoldering.com/ lead-containing components usually spec'd for 4 seconds at 260 oC, lead-free reflow takes about 30 seconds at 260 oC

Company	Lead Plating	BGA Balls	Tin-Whisker Prevention	Compatible Solders	Reflow Soldering	Wave Soldering
3M
Actel	Sn	SnAgCu			245-250°C
Adam Tech	Sn				260°C
Advanced Interconnections	Au over Ni matte Sn over Ni	SnAgCu		SnAgCu SnPb	260°C	260-270°C
Advanced Linear Devices
Advanced Micro Devices (AMD)					245°C
Agere Microsystems
Agilent Technologies (was Hewlett-Packard Semiconductor)	Au matte Sn			SnAgCu SnPb	240-260°C
Allegro					260°C	260°C
Alliance Semiconductor	matte Sn SnBi				245-260°C
Altera	matte Sn SnCu	SnAgCu		SnAgCu	245-250°C
American Technical Ceramics				SnAgCu SnIn SnPb SnPbAg	250-260°C	240-250°C
AMI Semiconductor	matte Sn	SnAgCu		SnAgCu	260°C
Amphenol	Sn Sn over Ni
Anadigics	matte Sn				260°C
Analog Devices	Sn				245-260°C
API Delevan	Sn SnAgCu SnCu
Arcotronics
Arizona Microtek
Aromat
Artesyn	NiPdAu Sn over Ni
ATI Technologies
Atmel	PdAu over Ni matte Sn				260°C
Austria Microsystems	matte Sn	SnAgCu
AVX	matte Sn			SnPb	250°C	260°C
Axicom	Sn over Ni SnCu				255°C
Bel Fuse				SnAgCu	260°C	260°C
BI Technologies	matte Sn SnCu				260°C
Bourns	Au over Ni				245°C
C&D Technologies				SnPb
C&K	Ag Au Au over Ni matte Sn matte Sn over Ni				255°C	255°C
Caliber Electronics				SnAgCu	260°C	260°C
California Eastern Labs (CEL)	SnAgCu SnBiAu			SnAgCu SnPb	260°C	260°C
California Micro Devices		SnAgCu
Catalyst Semiconductor	Sn				260°C
Central Semiconductor	Matte Sn				260°C
Chipcon
Cirrus Logic	matte Sn	SnAgCu		SnPb	245-250°C
Clare	matte Sn			SnPb
Coilcraft	Au over Ni PtPdAg Sn SnAg			SnAg SnPb	260°C
Comtech Aha	matte Sn SnBi				260°C
Condor
Conec
Cooper Electronic Technologies
Copal Electronics	Au Sn SnCu
Corning Frequency Control	Au over Ni SnAgCu			SnPb	260°C
Coto Technology	matte Sn	SnAgCu		SnAgCu SnPb	245°C	270°C
Cree Lighting				SnAg SnAgCu SnPb	240°C	260°C
Crystal Clear Technology
CTS	matte Sn over Ni SnAg				260°C
Cypress	NiPdAu matte Sn	SnAgCu	annealing Sn thickness		260°C
Dallas Semiconductor	matte Sn	SnAgCu		SnAg SnAgCu SnAgCuSb SnBiAg SnCu	260°C
Dialight
Dielectric Laboratories	Au over Ni Ni Sn over Ni		Ni thickness
Diodes, Inc.
Diotec					260°C
Ecliptek				SnAgCu SnPb	260°C	260°C
ECS International				SnAgCu SnPb	260°C	260°C
Elpida
EM Microelectronic
Epcos	Ag AgPd Au over Ni Ni NiPdAu Sn SnAg
Epson	SnAg SnBi	SnAgCu		SnAgCu SnPb	260°C
ept	matte Sn over Ni
Ericsson Power Modules	Au over Ni Pd over Ni Sn over Ni		Ni barrier	SnAgCu SnPb	245-260°C
ERNI	matte Sn over Ni		Ni barrier	SnAgCu SnCu SnPb	260°C
Euroquartz
Everbouquet
Evox Rifa	Sn			SnPb
Exar	matte Sn SnCu	SnAgCu	annealing	SnPb	250-255°C
Fagor	Sn			SnAgCu SnPb	245°C
Fairchild	NiPd NiPdAu matte Sn SnAgCu			SnAgCu SnPb	250-260°C
Fair-Rite	matte Sn over Ni SnAgCu		Ni barrier	SnAgCu SnPb
FCI	Sn Sn over Ni
Ferroxcube	Sn
Fox	Au SnAgCu SnBi SnCu				260°C
Freescale (was Motorola)	NiPdAu matte Sn SnBi	SnAgCu		SnAgCu SnPb	245-260°C
Fujitsu	Sn over Ni SnBi	SnAgBiCu SnAgCu SnBiAg	Ni barrier	SnAgBiCu SnAgCu SnCuNi SnPb	240-260°C
Gennum	matte Sn	SnAgCu		SnPb	260°C
Gowanda Electronics				Sn SnAgCu SnCu	260°C
Grayhill	Sn over Ni		Ni barrier
GSI	matte Sn	SnAgCu			260°C
Halo Electronics					260°C
Holtek Semiconductor	matte Sn				260°C
iC-Haus	NiPd NiPdAu matte Sn				245-260°C
Infineon Technologies	matte Sn	SnAgCu	Ag barrier annealing	SnAgCu SnPb SnPbAg	245-250°C
Inova
Integrated Circuit Systems	matte Sn	SnAgCu	annealing		260°C
Integrated Device Technology (IDT)	matte Sn	SnAgCu	annealing		260°C
Intel	matte Sn	SnAgCu	annealing	SnPb	260°C
International Rectifier	Sn SnAgCu SnCu				260°C
Intersil	matte Sn	SnAgCu		SnPb	245-260°C
ISSI	matte Sn				260°C
ITOX
ITT Cannon	matte Sn over Ni				255°C	255°C
Ixys	Sn				260°C
Jauch	Ag Au Cu Ni Sn				240-260°C
J W Miller
KEC Semiconductor	Au Ni Sn SnAgCu			SnAgCu SnPb	265°C
Kemet	Au matte Sn matte Sn over Cu matte Sn over Ni			SnPb	250-260°C	260°C
Kingbright
Kingston
KOA					260°C
Lambda				SnAgCu	245°C
Lattice Semiconductor
Legerity	matte Sn	SnAgCu	annealing	SnPb	260°C
Linear Technology	matte Sn		annealing Sn thickness	SnAgCu SnPb	245-260°C
Liteon
Littlefuse
LSI Logic
Macronix
Maxim	matte Sn	SnAgCu		SnAg SnAgCu SnAgCuSb SnBiAg SnCu	260°C
Maxtor
MCC
Memsic					260°C
Meritec	Pd				250°C
Methode Electronics	Au over Ni Sn over Ni			SnAgCu SnPb	260°C
Micrel	Sn				260°C
Micro Commercial Components	Sn				260°C
Microchip	matte Sn		annealing	SnAgCu SnPb	260°C
Micron	matte Sn	SnAgCu			260°C
Microsemi	NiPdAu matte Sn		annealing	SnAgCu SnPb	260°C
Midcon	matte Sn over Ni SnAg SnAgCu		Ni barrier		260°C	260°C
MiLAN
Mindspeed
Mini-Circuits	matte Sn over Ni SnAg over Ni SnAgCu SnAgNi		annealing Ni barrier	SnPb
Mitsubishi Electric	SnCu SnCuNi
Molex	Sn Sn over Ni
M-Systems	SnCu	SnAgCu			260°C
MTI				SnAgCu	255°C
Murata	Ag AgPd Au Cu Sn SnAgCu SnCu			SnAgCu SnPb
National Semiconductor	matte Sn SnCu	SnAgCu	annealing	SnAgCu SnPb	260°C
NEC Electronics	Au SnAgCu SnBi			SnAgCu SnPb	260°C	260°C
NEMKO	matte Sn			SnAgCu SnAgCuBi SnCu SnPb	250°C	250-260°C
NetSilicon					260°C
NIC Components	Au over Ni Sn Sn over Ni SnAgCu SnBi SnCu		Ni barrier Sn thickness	SnAgCu SnPb
Nichicon	Sn
NKK Switches
Nordic Semiconductor	matte Sn			SnAgCu	240-245°C
Novacap	matte Sn
Oasis Silicon Systems	Matte Sn			SnPb	260°C
Oki Semiconductor	SnBi	SnAgCu			260°C
Omni Vision
OMRON
ON Semiconductor	NiPdAu matte Sn SnAgCu SnBi			SnAgCu SnPb	260°C
Opnext
OSRAM Semiconductor	matte Sn over Ni		Ni barrier Sn thickness		260°C	260°C
Oxford Semiconductor
Panasonic	Au SnSnAgCu SnBi SnCu SnZnNi				235-260°C
PennEngineering
Pericom	matte Sn SnBi	SnAgCu	annealing		260°C
Philips	NiPdAu matte Sn	SnAgCu	annealing	SnAgCu SnPb	245-260°C	260°C
Phoenix Contact	Sn over Ni			SnAgCu SnPb	250-260°C
Plextor
PLX Technology
PNY Technologies
Power Integrations	matte Sn			SnPb	245-260°C	260C
ProMOS Technologies
Pulse Engineering	matte Sn over Ni SnAgCu		Ni barrier	SnAg SnAgCu SnCu	260°C
Quantum/DLT
Radiall	Sn
Raltron Electronics				SnAgCu	260°C
Ramtron
Raychem					260°C
Rectron	Ag Ni Sn			SnAgCu SnPb	260°C	260°C
Renesas Technology Corporation (was Hitachi Semiconductor)	Au NiPdAu Sn SnBi SnCu	SnAgCu		SnAgCu SnAgCuBi SnPb SnZnBi	245-260°C	260°C
RF Micro Devices	matte Sn			SnAgCu SnPb	260°C
Ricoh	SnAg SnAgCu SnBi SnCu				260°C	260°C
Rogers Corporation
Rohm	Au over Ni Sn SnAgCu SnCu			SnAgBiCu SnAgCu SnPb	260°C	260°C
Rubycon	Sn SnBi
Samsung	SnBi	SnAgCu		SnAgCu SnPb	260°C
Samtec	Au Ni Pd over Ni matte Sn			SnAgCu	260°C	260°C
SanDisk
Sanyo	Ag Au NiPdAu Sn SnAgCu SnBi SnCu	SnAgCu		SnAgCu SnPb	245-260°C	260°C
SaRonix	Au matte Sn	SnAgCu SnCu	annealing		260°C
Schurter				SnPb	253°C	260°C
Scientific Conversion				SnPb	240°C
Semtech	matte Sn			SnPb	250-260°C
Sensirion					235°C
Sensitron Semiconductor				SnPb
Sharp	NiPdAu matte Sn SnBi	SnAgCu		SnPb	250°C
Shindengen
Sigmatel	Sn				260°C
Silicon Laboratories
Silicon Storage Technology (SST)	NiPdAu matte Sn	NiAu SnAgCu
Siliconix	Sn
Simtek	matte Sn		annealing		260°C
Sipex
Sirenza Microdevices
SiRF					260°C
Skyworks	Au Sn				250-260°C
SMSC
Sony
Souriau
ST Microelectronics	NiPdAu matte Sn	SnAgCu		SnAgCu SnPb	245°C
Stackpole Electronics	Sn SnCu
Steward	Sn over Ni			SnAg	260°C
Summit Microelectronics	NiPdAu				260°C
Sunon
Supertex	matte Sn				245-260°C
TDK					255-260°C
Texas Instruments	NiPdAu Pd over Ni matte Sn	SnAgCu			250-260°C
Torex Semiconductor
Toshiba	Ag Au NiPdAu Sn SnAg SnAgCu SnBi SnCu	SnAgCu		SnAg SnAgCu SnCu SnPb	250 to 260°C
Transwitch
Trenton
TT Electronics	Sn Sn over Ni SnAgCu			SnPb	260°C	260°C
Tundra				SnAgCu	260°C
Tusonix
TXC				SnAgCu	260°C
Tyco Electronics	Sn Sn over Ni
United Chemi-Con	Sn SnBi				240-250°C
ValueRam
Vectron
Venkel	Sn
Via Technologies		SnAgCu
Vishay	Ag AgPd Au Ni NiPdAu matte Sn Sn over Ni SnAg SnAgCu SnBi SnCu	SnAgCu			260°C
W J Communications	NiPdAu				260°C
Weitronic
Wickmann
WIMA						280°C
Winbond
Wolfson Microelectronics	matte Sn
Xilinx	matte Sn	SnAgCu		SnPb	245-260°C
Yageo	Sn				250-255°C
Zarlink Semiconductor	matte Sn	SnAgCu		SnPb	260°C
Zetex	matte Sn			SnAgCu SnPb	260°C
Zilog	matte Sn			SnAgCu	255°C
ZMD

References: [48, pages 200-205]

fillet lifting with tin-lead HASL & Pb-free wave solder Organic solderability preservative (OSP)

References: [48, pages 28, 31]

• Damaging components by high soldering temperatures (immediate, intermittent, and latent damage).
• "Popcorning" of components.
• Warping of components.
• Aging of component finishes.
• Aging of contact surfaces in connectors, switches, and relays.
• Forming intermetallics between component leads and the solder.
• Damaging printed circuit boards (PCB's) by high soldering temperatures (immediate, intermittent, and latent damage).
• Cracking of plated-through-holes (PTH's) and vias.
• Blistering and delamination of PCB's.
• Warping of PCB's.
• Aging of PCB finishes.
• Aging of contact surfaces on PCB's.
• Forming intermetallics between PCB holes/pads and the solder.
• Durability of solder joints.
• Tin whiskers.

"Popcorning" of components.

Warping of components.

Aging of component finishes.

Aging of contact surfaces in connectors, switches, and relays.

Forming intermetallics between component leads and the solder.

Damaging printed circuit boards (PCB's) by high soldering temperatures (immediate, intermittent, and latent damage).

Cracking of plated-through-holes (PTH's) and vias.

Blistering and delamination of PCB's.

Warping of PCB's.

Aging of PCB finishes.

Aging of contact surfaces on PCB's.

Forming intermetallics between PCB holes/pads and the solder.

Durability of solder joints. Lead-free solder joints may have equal, better or poorer fatigue resistance during temperature cycling depending on the solder, maximum and minimum temperatures, and the cycle time.

Tin whiskers.

References: [48, pages 25, 27-30]

Company	Part Number	Part Marking	Part Date Code	Packaging Marking	Packaging Date Code
3M				"RC" in run number
Actel	"X79" suffix
Adam Tech	"RS" suffix if wasn't lead-free
Advanced Interconnections	new part number if wasn't lead-free			on labels
Advanced Linear Devices	"L" suffix
Advanced Micro Devices (AMD)	new part number
Agere Microsystems	"L" prefix
Agilent Technologies (was Hewlett-Packard Semiconductor)	maybe new part number	maybe dot before date code		maybe green dot
Allegro	"-T" suffix
Alliance Semiconductor	"N" or "F" suffix
Alpha Semiconductor-- see    Sipex.
Altera	"N" suffix
American Technical Ceramics
Ambient Technologies-- see    Intel.
AMI Semiconductor	new part number			"RoHS compliant" or "GREEN"
AMP-- see    Tyco Electronics.
Amphenol
Anadigics	"U", "R", or "G" suffix	or "U"
Analog Devices	"Z" suffix	"#"
API Delevan	usually "R" suffix
Arcotronics	maybe new part number		maybe date code
Arizona Microtek	"+" after package code	"+"
Aromat	new part number
Artesyn
ATI Technologies	new part number
Atmel	temperature grade, "Y" or "W" suffix
Austria Microsystems				or "Pb-free"
AVX	maybe new part number			or	lot number
Axicom			after certain date code
BC Components-- see    Vishay.
Bel Fuse
BI Technologies	maybe "LF" suffix			RoHS-compliance label
Bourns	maybe suffix			or "Pb-free"
Burr-Brown-- see    Texas Instruments.
C&D Technologies		or
C&K	new part number			"RoHS"
Caliber Electronics				Pb-free label
California Eastern Labs (CEL)	"-A" suffix	dot or underline		"Pb FREE T."
California Micro Devices	"G" suffix	"G"
Cascade Semiconductor-- see    Cypress.
Catalyst Semiconductor	new package code
Central Semiconductor	"LEAD FREE" suffix
Cera-Mite-- see    Vishay.
Cerdelinx Technologies-- see    Lattice Semiconductor.
Cherry Semiconductor-- see    ON Semiconductor.
Chipcon					by lot number
Chips and Technologies-- see    Intel.
Cirrus Logic	"Z" suffix	"Z"		"Z"
Clare					after certain kit code from a manufacturing site
Coilcraft	"L" somewhere if wasn't lead-free
Comtech Aha	"G" somewhere
Condor	new part number
Conec
Cooper Electronic Technologies	maybe "-R" suffix		by date code		by date code
Copal Electronics
Corning Frequency Control		if room
Corollary-- see    Intel.
Coto Technology				"Pb free"	after certain date code
Cree Lighting
Crystal-- see    Cirrus Logic.
Crystal Clear Technology	new part number
CTS	new part number
Cypress	"X" after package code	"X"
Dale-- see    Vishay.
Dallas Semiconductor	"+" suffix	"+"
Datel-- see    C&D Technologies.
Dialight	"F" suffix
Dielectric Laboratories	termination code
Digital Quake-- see    National Semiconductor.
Diodes, Inc.	"-F" suffix
Diotec
Dominion Semiconductor-- see    Toshiba.
Draloric-- see    Vishay.
DSP Communications-- see    Intel.
Dspfactory-- see    AMI Semiconductor.
Ecliptek
ECS International				Pb-free label
Elantec Semiconductor-- see    Intersil.
Electro-Films-- see    Vishay.
Elpida	"E" suffix
EM Microelectronic	"+" suffix	"B" or white bar		"GREEN"
Emosyn-- see    SST.
Epcos
Epson	new part number
ept		"LF" before date code		"Pb-free"
Ericsson Power Modules				and R-state
ERNI			by date code	label
ESTA-- see    Vishay.
Euroquartz	"R" in package number if wasn't lead-free
Everbouquet			by date code		by lot number
Evox Rifa				"Lead free product"
Exar	"-F" suffix if wasn't lead-free	"F" prefix on date code
Exel Microelectronics-- see    Rohm.
Fagor
Fairchild	"N" in part number		by date code and plant identifier
Fair-Rite	doesn't have "L" suffix			"RoHS Compliant", and "LF" prefix on lot number
FCI	new part number
Ferroxcube
Fox	"LF" in product family
Freescale (was Motorola)	new part number
Fujitsu	"E1" suffix	"E1"
Gain Technology-- see    SMSC.
General Instrument-- see    Vishay.
General Semiconductors-- see    Vishay.
Gennum	"E1", "E2", or "E3" suffix	"E1", "E2", or "E3"
Giga-- see    Intel.
Gould-- see    AMI Semiconductor.
Gowanda Electronics	"LF" after tolerance
Graychip-- see    Texas Instruments.
Grayhill	"T" suffix
GSI	"G" somewhere	"G" somewhere
Halo Electronics	"RL" or "LF" suffix
Harris-- see    Intersil.
Hiband Semiconductors-- see    Cypress.
HiNT-- see    PLX Technology.
Hitachi-- see    Renasas Technology Corporation.
Holtek Semiconductor	"#" somewhere	by date code		"#" suffix on part number or date code
IC Designs-- see    Cypress.
iC-Haus					by assembly lot number
IC Works-- see    Cypress.
Infineon Technologies		"G" prefix on date code
Inmos-- see    ST Microelectronics.
Innocomm-- see    National Semiconductor.
Inova	"G" suffix			"ROHS conform"
Integrated Circuit Systems	"LF" suffix	"LF" or "L" somewhere
Integrated Device Technology (IDT)	"G" suffix on package code	"G"
Integrated Logic Systems-- see    Simtek.
Intel	new part number
International Microcircuits-- see    Cypress.
International Rectifier	"PbF" suffix
Intersil	"Z" or "ZA" suffix	"Z"
IRC-- see    TT Electronics.
ISSI	package code
ITOX	new part number
ITT Cannon				"GP"
Ixys	new part number		revision letter in date code, or after certain date code
Jauch
J W Miller	"LF: suffix
KEC Semiconductor				"/P"
Kemet	new part number
Kendin Communications-- see    Micrel.
Kingbright	maybe "-F01" suffix	"RoHS compliant"
Kingston	new part number
KOA	termination code
Kota Microcircuits-- see    Fairchild.
Lambda
Lara Technology-- see    Cypress.
Lattice Semiconductor	"N" in package code
Legerity	"B" suffix	"G" on revision line
Level One-- see    Intel.
Libit Signal Processing-- see    Texas Instruments.
Linear Technology				"#PBF" or "#TRPBF"
Liteon	"N" package code
Littlefuse	new part number
LSI Logic	new part number
Luxsonor Semiconductors-- see    Cirrus Logic.
Macronix	"G" suffix	"G" suffix on 2nd line
Matsushita-- see    Panasonic.
Maxim	"+" suffix	"+"
Maxtor	new part number
MCC				"PB-Free"
Memsic				"PB-Free"
Mediamatics-- see    National Semiconductor.
Meritec	"P" somewhere
Methode Electronics	"G" or "W" suffix
Micrel	new product name	marking
Micro Commercial Components	"-TP" or "-BP" suffix
Microchip	"G" suffix
Micron	package code
Microsemi			after certain date code	"lead-free" or "RoHS-compatible"	after certain date code
Midcon	"LFx" suffix
MiLAN				label
Mindspeed	"L" or "G" somewhere	if room
Mini-Circuits	"+" suffix			"+" and
Mitsubishi Electric	"P" suffix
Mobilian-- see    Intel.
Molex	maybe new part number
Motorola-- see    ON Semiconductor and Freescale.
M-Systems	"-P" suffix
MTI
Murata	new part number
National Semiconductor	"NOPB" in spec field	"RA" to "ZZ" die run code		"Pb-free"
NEC Electronics	"-A" suffix	dot or underline		"Pb FREE T."
NEMKO	"LF" suffix
Netchip Technology-- see    PLX Technology.
NetSilicon	new part number
NIC Components	"F" suffix			or "RoHS WEEE Pb-free"
Nichicon	maybe part number			"Pb-free"
NKK Switches	new part number
Nordic Semiconductor	"G" suffix
Novacap	termination code
North American Capacitor Company-- see    Vishay.
Oasis Silicon Systems		"RoHS"
Oki Semiconductor	package code
Omni Vision	"L" suffix
OMRON				"PF" or "Ro"
ON Semiconductor	"G" suffix			"PB FREE PLTG"
Opnext	"-A" suffix		by date code		by date code
OSRAM Semiconductor	maybe "Z" suffix			"Lead(Pb)-free" or "RoHS Compliant"
Oxford Semiconductor	"G" suffix
Panasonic	maybe part number	maybe small dot		maybe on label
Paradigm Technology-- see    Ixys.
PennEngineering	new part number
Pericom	maybe "E" suffix	"E" or dash over device type
Philips		"lead-free" if room
Phoenix Contact	maybe part number			"RoHS WEEE COMPLIANT"
Plextor			by date code		by date code
PLX Technology	"G" or "F" suffix
PNY Technologies	new part number
Power Integrations	"N" suffix
Powersmart-- see    Microchip.
Powertrends-- see    Texas Instruments.
Precision Monolithics (PMI)-- see    Analog Devices.
ProMOS Technologies	new package code
Pulse Engineering   (position paper G213)	"NL" suffix
QT Optoelectronics-- see    Fairchild.
Quality Semiconductor-- see    Integrated Device Technology (IDT).
Quantum/DLT			by date code		by date code
Radia Communications-- see    Texas Instruments.
Radiall
Raltron Electronics
Ramtron	"-G" suffix
Raychem	"F" somewhere
Rectron	"-Z" suffix			"RoHS compliant (Pb free)" on green barcode label
Renesas Technology Corporation (was Hitachi Semiconductor)	new part number			"Pb-free T."
RF Micro Devices
Ricoh	"Fx", "P", or "F" suffix
RFWaves-- see    Vishay.
Rocket Chips-- see    Xilinx.
Roederstein-- see    Vishay.
Rogers Corporation	"NL" or "QFS" somewhere
Rohm	"F" somewhere			"F" on labels
Rubycon
Samsung	package type
Samtec	connector series
SanDisk			by date code		by date code
Sanyo	maybe "-E" suffix
SaRonix
Scanlogic-- see    Cypress.
Schurter	maybe "BF" suffix			or "RoHS compliant"
Scientific Conversion	"LF" suffix			green or blue mark
Seiko Epson-- see    Epson.
Semtech	"T" suffix
Sensirion
Sensitron Semiconductor	"G" suffix
Sfernice-- see    Vishay.
SGS-Thomson-- see    ST Microelectronics.
Sharp	new part number			"LEAD FREE"
Shindengen	new part number
Sicom-- see    Intersil.
Siemens-- see    Infineon Technologies.
Sigmatel	"G" suffix
Signetics-- see    Philips.
Silicon Laboratories	package code
Silicon Storage Technology (SST)	"E" or "F" suffix on package code
Silicon Systems-- see    Texas Instruments.
Siliconix	"-E3" suffix
Simtek	"F" in package code
Sipex	"-L" suffix
Sirenza Microdevices	"Z" suffix
SiRF
Skyworks	"LF" suffix
SMSC	package code
Solidum-- see    Integrated Device Technology (IDT).
Sony	new part number
Souriau	new part number
Spectrol-- see    Vishay.
Sprague-- see    Vishay.
ST Microelectronics		"E" if room		"ECOPACK"
Stackpole Electronics	new part number
Steward	"-10" suffix
Summit Microelectronics	"R", "L", "M", or "V" suffix
Sunon	"GN" suffix
Supertex	"-G" suffix	underline last line		"GREEN/Pb-FREE"
Synad Technologies-- see    ST Microelectronics.
TDK	maybe part number
Telcom Semiconductor-- see    Microchip.
Telefunken-- see    Vishay.
Teltone-- see    Clare.
Temic Semiconductors-- see    Atmel.
Texas Instruments	maybe new part number
Torex Semiconductor				barcode labels lack "Pb"
Toshiba	maybe "F", "G", or "Q" suffix			maybe "Lead(Pb)-Free" or "Lead(Pb)-Free Finish"
Transitor-- see    Vishay.
Transwitch	new part number			"Lead-free"
Trenton	new part number
TT Electronics
Tundra	"Y" or "V" suffix
Tusonix	"LF" suffix
TXC	maybe new part number			"G"
Tyco Electronics	new part number if wasn't lead-free		by date code		by date code or lot number
United Chemi-Con	new part number
Unitrode-- see    Texas Instruments.
Usar Systems-- see    Semtech.
ValueRam	new part number
Vectron	new part number
Venkel	"Sn" in termination code
Via Technologies		"G" somewhere
Vishay	new part number
Vitramon-- see    Vishay.
Vivid Semiconductor-- see    National Semiconductor.
VLSI Vision-- see    ST Microelectronics.
W J Communications	"G" suffix
Weitronic	"U" suffix
Westbay Semiconductor-- see    Intel.
Wickmann	maybe new part number
WIMA
Winbond	new part number
Wolfson Microelectronics	"G" somewhere
Xemod-- see    Sirenza Microdevices.
Xicor-- see    Intersil.
Xilinx	"G" in package code	"G" in package code
Yageo	"L" suffix			"LFP"
Zarlink Semiconductor	package assembly option
Zetex	"U" prefix temporarily			"Pb-free plating"
Zilog	"G" suffix
ZMD	"G1" suffix

Tin-lead solder melts at about 183 degrees Celsius (63Sn37Pb eutectic alloy). Reflow soldering is usually done at 210-215 degrees Celsius, with a maximum of 225-230 degrees Celsius. Wave soldering is usually done at 225-250 degrees Celsius.

Most of the lead-free solders require reflow soldering to be done at 240-250 degrees Celsius. NEMI recommends 255-260 degrees Celsius.

We'd like to thank all of the clients who chose dBi to test their products from 1995 to 2013. Below is a brief summary of our accomplishments during the 18 years we were in business.

From 1995 to 2001, under Don Bush's ownership and operation, dBi:

• Did the official approval testing of 141 products developed by 20 client companies.
• Did the official FCC/ Industry Canada (IC) Verification and Declaration of Conformity (DoC) testing of 92 products.
• Did the official FCC/IC Certification testing of 15 products.
• Did the official CE Marking testing of 100 products.

From 2002 to 2013, under John Barnes' ownership and operation, dBi:

• Tested 389 products and 2 testers developed by 44 client companies.
• Did the official approval testing of 357 products and 2 testers, getting all but 5 of them to meet all of the FCC, Industry Canada (IC), CE Marking, C-Tick, and Regulatory Compliance Mark (RCM) standards and requirements for their desired market areas.
• Did the official FCC/IC Verification and Declaration of Conformity (DoC) testing of 296 products.
• Did the official FCC/IC Certification testing of 24 products.
• Did the official CE Marking testing of 271 products and 2 testers.
• Did the official e-Mark testing of 3 products.
• Did the official Australia/New Zealand Verification testing of 170 products.
• Co-sponsored John's writing the Robust Electronic Design Reference Book, Volumes I and II.
• Served as an expert witness on electronics in three lawsuits.

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Last revised November 6, 2005.