Edited by PETech Staff
Fairchild to Convert All Products to Lead-Free Finish Packages
Fairchild Semiconductor has announced that it has initiated conversion of all products to lead-free (Pb-free) finish packages. Conversion will continue through the remainder of this year, with completion expected by June 2004.Fairchild’s lead-free packages meet or exceed the requirements of the joint IPC/JEDEC standard J-STD-020B, are compliant with the European Union requirements that will take effect in 2005, and meet additional conditions delineated by key customers.
Fairchild launched its Pb-free initiative to provide its customers with lead-free package finishes, responding to concerns about the environmental impact of lead, historically used in solder finishes and lead coating in electronic components.
JEDEC requires moisture sensitivity level (MSL) certification using reflow peak temperature testing to 250°C. This higher temperature testing is required to ensure that packages attach properly to printed circuit boards. A majority of Fairchild’s surface-mount lead-free packages have been tested to a peak reflow temperature of 260°C to provide customers with additional reliability assurance.
The primary lead-free finish used by Fairchild is pure matte tin, providing stable plating highly compatible with widely used tin-lead solder processes. It’s also compatible with Pb-free board assembly processes, such as those using tin-silver-copper (SnAgCu) solders.
For more information, visit www.fairchildsemi.com.