The Reality of Lead-free Soldering

Not since the phase-out of CFCs ten years ago has the electronics manufacturing industry

faced such a radical change in its assembly processes. But over the next few years lead-free soldering

will become reality following recent activities world-wide.

For more than 50 years lead-containing solders have been used almost exclusively throughout

the electronics industry for attaching components to printed circuit boards (PCBs). Such solders are

inexpensive, perform reliably under a variety of operating conditions, and possess unique

characteristics (e.g. low melting point, high strength ductility and fatigue resistance, high thermal

cycling and joint integrity) that are well suited for electronics applications.

But such materials are now coming under close scrutiny following concerns over lead ending

up in landfill and contaminating land and water supplies, and concerns over lead contamination from

recycling operations. In Europe this has resulted in a move, embodied in proposed European

legislation, to ban the use of lead in solders. The drive to reduce the use of lead is not new of course.

Lead in domestic water pipes, plumbing solders, petrol, paint, fishing weights and gun shot etc, has

long been the centre of environmental and green pressures.

However, there is more to the lead-free initiative than impending legislation. Customers are

increasingly aware of environmental concerns and recognise the many health hazards that lead

presents, particularly for children. In industrialised countries end-users are showing preferences for

products which are perceived to be "green", and in other parts of the world companies have been quick

to turn this to their advantage. In Japan in particular, the prime driver is the proven commercial and

marketing advantage of lead-free products. To avoid a commercial disadvantage from the Japanese

activities, America, previously disinterested in lead-free soldering, has also been spurred into action.

The progress of the European legislation has been slow with conflicting approaches. In June 2000,

after five years of draft documents and consultation on the original WEEE (Waste from Electrical and

Electronic Equipment) proposal, and the emergence of another proposal for a Directive on EEE
(Electrical and Electronic Equipment), three pieces of EU legislation are now poised to affect the

industry.

1. WEEE - concerned primarily with aspects of end-of-life i.e. to minimise waste and maximise

recycling

2. ROHS - restrictions on the use of certain hazardous substances in electrical and electronic

equipment i.e. to ban certain hazardous materials such as lead

3. EEE - concerned with minimising overall environmental impact by attention to aspect of design

and manufacture, without materials bans

It is the ROHS proposal that will have the greatest impact on the electronics manufacturing

industry. This proposal was adopted by the Commission on 13 June 2000 and is proceeding in tandem

with the WEEE proposal. It requires certain substances (including various heavy metals such as Pb,

Hg, Cd hexavalent Cr) to be phased out of new equipment by 2008. Although there are some

exemptions to this ban on the use of lead (in radiation protection, ceramics etc), lead in soldering is not

exempt. However, the situation is complicated by a separate proposed Directive applicable to the

automotive industry i.e. the end-of-life-vehicles (EOLV) Directive. Whilst containing the same

materials bans as ROHS, it does specifically exempt lead in solders for automotive electronics.

There are no such impending materials bans in other parts of the world, the emphasis of any

legislation being on recycling. In Japan public preferences for “green” goods and product

differentiation provide the incentive for going lead-free. Indeed, many Japanese companies are already

successfully using a green image to promote lead-free products. Many have strategies for eliminating

lead in timescales of a few years - well within that of the proposed EU Directive.

Transition to Pb-free solders

ex JEIP (Japan Institute for Electronic Packaging)

Increased adoption of Pb-free component 2000-2001

Adoption of Pb-free solders in reflow processes 2001
Pb-free solders used for new products preferentially 2003
Pb-containing solder used only exceptionally 2005-2010
 Transition to Pb-free Products in Japan
NTT purchase only Pb-free products by 2001
NEC 50% reduction in Pb use by 2000 *
Hitachi 50% reduction in Pb use by 2000 *
Pb-free by 2002
Matsushita Pb-free by 2002 *
Fijitsu Pb-free by 2002
Sony Pb-free in Japan by 2001 *
Pb-free elsewhere by 2002
Mitsubishi Pb-free by 2005

* already marketing some Pb-free product

PCBs pervade every form of electronic equipment and are therefore vitally important for a

vast range of products. Any change in soldering technology, irrespective of the driver, would therefore

have major implications for the industry, not only in the UK and Europe, but world-wide, involving

many sectors, as listed in the WEEE document. Whilst not exclusive the list of ten categories does

cover the vast majority of electronics applications, and certainly all the high volume sectors of the

market.

Categories of electrical and electronic equipment

covered by the EU WEEE Directive.
1. Large household appliances
2. Small household appliances
3. IT and telecommunications equipment
4. Consumer equipment
5. Lighting equipment
6. Electrical and electronic tools
7. Toys
8. Medical equipment systems (except all implanted and infected products)
9. Monitoring and control instruments
10. Automatic dispensers.

NB. Military, defence, aerospace and space industries not included.

It is probable therefore, that whatever the driver Pb-free soldering will become the norm in

the next few years, i.e. in timescales dictated by the commercial drivers from Japan, rather than by

European legislation – a major change of perception from a year or so ago.

 Although it is now widely agreed that there is no drop-in replacement for SnPb solder, there is

a range of possible alternatives commercially available. The trick is to choose the right one for any

particular application. However, over the past year there has been an increasing consensus for using

one family of alloys, based on SnAgCu, at least for many surface mount applications. The large volume

telecommunications industry is one that has targetted this alloy. But the choice will still be “horses for

courses” i.e. largely product- or applications-dependent, when factors such as temperature

compatibility and/or cost may sway the choice towards other alloys. For example the lower melting

point SnAgBi type alloys may be used for surface mount consumer products, and Sn0.7Cu solders may

be developed for wave soldering situations where alloy cost is a particular concern. Other alloys with

potential are Sn3.5Ag and SnZn(Bi). Patent issues remain another important consideration. In most

cases licensing enables these problems to be avoided (e.g. with the AnAgCu (Castin) solder), but it is

possible to use other alloys, such as Sn4Ag0.5Cu, that appear to be patent-free. But the outlook is

bright. Performance data, especially those from the field, though sparse, suggest that the Pb-free

solders will provide adequate joints. The reliability of SnAgCu, in particular, appears to be equivalent

to that of SnPb.

Lead-free Solders Preferred by Industry

Solder Melting Industry Served
Range (OC)

SnCu 227 Consumer, Telecommunications

SnAgCuSb 216-222
SnAg 221-226 Automotive
SnAgBi 206-213 Military, Aerospace, Consumer
SnAgBiCu Military, Aerospace
SnAgBiX 206-213 Consumer
SnAgCu 217 Automotive, Telecommunications
SnZn 198.5 Consumer, Telecommunications
SnBi 138 Consumer

The last two years has brought about a general acknowledgement that whilst lead-free

soldering is technologically possible, effective transition to the new technology requires key

implementation issues to be addressed within the industry. Recognising this the DTI is sponsoring a
major three-year collaborative programme between NPL and over twenty industrial partners, in order

to address the more important of these issues.

Key Implementation Issues

• Choice of the Pb-free solder alloy: from the many available

• Availability of components and boards with Pb-free finishes: currently very poor
• Board reliability data: currently few available
• Rework and repair: little experience
• Narrower process windows for Pb-free soldering: demand better process control
• Visual and X-ray inspection methods: the need for new criteria
• Poor understanding by SMEs of the implications of changing to Pb-free technologies
• Higher process temperatures for Pb-free solders: may be incompatible with some materials,
components and equipment
• Equipment and processes: in many cases may need modification to accommodate the higher
soldering temperatures
• Optimisation of the wave soldering process: to eliminate fillet lifting defects, especially with
Bi-containing alloys and components with Pb-containing terminations.

One of the perceived concerns in embracing lead-free soldering is that the visual appearance

of joints is significantly different from that using conventional SnPb solder. Such changes are not

covered in existing visual guidelines. Moreover, “copper halos”, usually the cause of rejection in

conventional soldering, often occur using lead-free solders. Inspectors therefore have no sensible basis

on which to pass/reject lead-free joints. However, as part of a programme sponsored by DTI, NPL in

collaboration with industrial companies, is currently generating such guidelines with an indication of

any inspector re-training requirements.

The industry is also seeking greater use of automated optical inspection (AOI) and automated

X-ray inspection (AXI) and progress has been made in understanding their application to lead-free

product. Programming is the key. When appropriately programmed, all leading AOI instruments can

locate a range of defects, thus reducing the number of faults at electrical test. When using AXI for lead-

free soldering, attention must be paid to suitable algorithms, and the provision of a suitable voltage

source, to compensate for reduced image contrast due to the absence of lead.
 The downside is that there are still some problem areas in implementing lead-free soldering.

Significant concern remains over lead-free replacements for high lead, high temperature (~300°C)

alloys. No viable possibilities have been identified and any solution is likely to take some time to

develop. But the prime issue concerns component availability. In general, component companies have

been fairly slow to react to the impending change to lead-free soldering, possibly due to the low level

of customer demand, but this situation now appears to be changing.

There is also concern over compatibility with the higher soldering temperatures for a

range of components from plastic encapsulated devices, to capacitors, LEDs, electromechanical

components and connectors. Although lower peak process temperatures for lead-free soldering are

being addressed through flux and equipment developments and by nitrogen inerting, in many cases the

combination of soldering time and temperature for typical lead-free reflow profiles, significantly

exceeds that specified on component manufacturers’ datasheets. Moreover, the higher reflow

temperatures and faster ramps might result in increased board delamination. The published data suggest

that the incidence of recorded failures is small, which may simply reflect the current low level of Pb-

free soldering in the industry. However, the issue may be essentially one of re-qualification of the

components, say to 260OC, a process that is both time-consuming and expensive..

A few companies have been supplying components with lead-free terminations for several

years in a variety of forms of Pd/Ni, but the combinations of lead-free solders and new terminations all

struggle to provide the solderability or wire bondability expected from conventional soldering. Similar

wetting performance is obtained only when the lead-free soldering temperature is in excess of 250OC

i.e. with a similar level of superheat. Each termination material has its own advantages in processing

and performance and a preferred system has yet to be established. Interestingly, in the past two years

renewed interest has been shown in developing plating systems for pure tin and tin-based compositions,

especially regarding concerns over tin whiskering.

The position regarding board coatings is more encouraging. Many lead-free solderable

coatings are now available in many variations: Sn, Ag, Au/Ni. Pd/Ni and OSPs (organic solderable
preservatives). Trials on lead-free HASL (hot air solder levelled) boards have been carried out, and it

appears that SnCu will prove a suitable alternative to SnPb.

Repair or rework of lead-containing systems with lead-free solders, or vice versa, clearly

involves higher temperatures and there is worry over possible detrimental effects to the board or

components. Little relevant information is available though there is much work to confirm that iron tip

temperatures will be higher (>300OC) than with conventional soldering and that tip life will be

correspondingly shorter. However, problems can be minimised by careful control of the heat input.

Swifter action with the iron is required, and this implies careful operator re-training.

Another area in which significant progress has been made is that of general awareness within

the industry. In 1999 recognising the need to provide the UK industry with reliable information, the

DTI commissioned NPL and ITRI to prepare ‘An Analysis of Lead-free Soldering’. A year later an

update summarising changes was issued to help industry continue to make informed decisions about

the new technology. Although awareness may be higher, actions geared towards practical transition are

disappointingly still at a low level. Hence to provide direct help for practitioners of the technology,

NPL in conjunction with EPS, have generated an interactive lead-free soldering Cook Book CD-ROM.

Whatever the implementation and awareness issues, the inevitable conclusion is that the

transition to Pb-free soldering is underway and will accelerate over the next few years, driven by

commercial rather than legislative considerations. To keep abreast of these changes industry will have

to react more positively than it did to the elimination of CFCs a decade ago.

Further reading:

1. An Analysis of the Current Status of Lead-free Soldering

Contains many references

B P Richards et al. April 1999. Available from DTI, NPL or ITRI.

www.npl.co.uk/npl/ei or www.lead-free.org
2. Lead-free Soldering – Update 2000

B P Richards and K Nimmo. April 2000. Available from DTI, NPL or ITRI.

www.npl.co.uk/npl/ei or www.lead-free.org

3. IPC Roadmap: A Guide for Assembly of Lead-free Electronics

Draft IV. June 2000. www.leadfree.org

AUTHOR
Dr Brian Richards. BSc MSc PhD. Consultant.
National Physical Laboratory, Teddington, Middlesex. TW11 0LW
Tel : 020 8943 7027
Fax : 020 8614 0428
e-mail : brian@richardsb25.fsnet.co.uk