Freescale goes for Euro lead-free alliance
In July 2001, Philips, STMicroelectronics and Infineon Technologies teamed up to develop standards for lead-free products. The definition includes factors such as solderability, reliability of alternative materials and characterization of the moisture sensitivity level (MSL). Lead-free, as defined by the companies, is content less than 1000 parts per million lead by weight.
Each electronic device contains only small amounts of lead, but the total adds up over all the electronic equipment in the world. European Union rules gives July 1, 2006, as the deadline for the phase-out of lead usage in most electronic products.
Members of E4 will share databases and methodologies, collaborate on standards and develop a common conversion strategy for the transition to lead-free.
