In February of 2003 European Union adopted the restriction of Hazardous
Substances in Electrical and Electronic Equipment (RoHS) Directive, restricting
the use of Lead (Pb), Cadmium, Mercury, Hrexavalent Chromium and PBB/PBDE flame
retardant materials in electrical and electronic products sold in Europe
beginning July 1, 2006.
Lead by being the most prominent of the above
elements and compounds presently used in the electronics components and the
phrase Lead Free has become synonymous with term “RoHS” in most instances in
electronics industry.
Prior to the RoHS directive, the semiconductor
industry had been working toward providing lead-free assemblies, components and
devices in low volume to meet specific market applications. The acceleration of
the global transition to Pb-free electronics is being driven by the European
Union's 2003 Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) legislation
mandate.
Identification of the Pb-free materials employed in electrical
and electronic equipment is critical for those performing assembly, recycling,
repair and rework. So far, no uniform component identification standard has been
adopted for this issue. Some components manufacturers have generated new
ordering codes to designate RoHS compliant product, others employ temporary
designators to be utilized during FAB transition, while several IC manufacturers
have openly stated there will be no planned component ordering modifications.
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