Lead-free soldering processes in the electronic industry: industrial implementation at SMES

• Autor(a) principal: Carmo,Rolim do
• Data de Publicação: 2007
• Outros Autores: Pinto,Margarida, Colaço,Rogério, Andersson,Dag
• Tipo de documento: Artigo
• Idioma: eng
• Título da fonte: Repositório Científico de Acesso Aberto de Portugal (Repositórios Cientìficos)
• Texto Completo: http://scielo.pt/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0870-83122007000200004
• topic: Lead-free solder; Soldering; Electronics; Reliability; PCB; RoHS

Following the implementation of the new European environmental directives, Restriction of the Use of Certain Hazardous Substances (RoHS) and Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE), which involve the ban of lead from electronic and electrical products, this work presents process development work, production and reliability testing of real products from several electric and electronic assemblers using lead-free commercial solders that have been tested and monitored to ensure the reliability of the final products. The results were compared with the ones using tin/lead solders, in terms of performance and reliability of the joints obtained. This work aims to help the implementation of the lead-free solders in the soldering processes and supply the SMEs more information about real products and conditions that might be compared with theirs. The reliability tests and characterisation of the real products from several companies showed that the lead-free boards demonstrated a good performance under testing, being equivalent or better than the tin/lead ones. The defects or anomalies found in most of the joints (voiding and pad lifting) result from the manufacturing process. Most of the defects were found in through-hole devices and were due to component failures and not from the joint integrity. The degradation after the reliability tests of both types of solders is similar. The SMEs are engaged in taking this opportunity to reach a higher quality performance level in their processes. Some of the companies embraced this “forced” transition to upgrade and improve their process and facilities, bringing better capabilities and opportunities to their businesses. The objective of this work aims to be a tool of information to the SMEs of the electrical and electronic sector, in order to help them in the transition to lead-free soldering.