BANNOCKBURN, IL - IPC-Association Connecting Electronics Industries has created “IPC Certification for RoHS Lead-free Electronics Assembly Process Capability Program,” aiming to aid the electronics assembly industry in implementing lead-free. This in-depth audit program will examine electronics manufacturing services (EMS) companies and original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) to ensure that facilities are capable of producing product to meet the RoHS directive’s lead-free requirements.
The program consists of 15 technical categories covering assembly-related issues such as equipment capability and compatibility, employee training, materials compatibility, component handling, materials declaration, and documentation procedures. The audit itself will consist of over 300 questions, plus an on-site review by an IPC trained auditor. By passing both the written and on-site audits, companies will confirm their lead-free process capability. “Companies will not receive a rubber-stamp certification; this is an in-depth program that requires an exhaustive and thorough audit of one’s processes,” comments John Kania, director of IPC industry programs.
The program was developed by content experts with significant experience in RoHS lead-free electronics assembly process implementation. A Blue Ribbon committee representing various IPC member companies reviewed and revised the program, including: AIM, Apsco, Celestica Inc., Cookson Electronics, Fawn Industries, Flextronics International, GE Healthcare, Hewlett-Packard, Jabil Circuit, Kester, Plexus Corp., Raven Industries, Solectron Corp., and Vitronics Soltec. Charlotte, NC-based Solectron and Sioux Falls, ND-based Raven Industries agreed to be beta sites for the first audits, which will take place in February 2006.
“Establishing lead-free processes will involve more then just using lead-free solder. It will impact about every area of assembly operations. The program is not designed to and cannot ensure companies will produce lead-free, RoHS-compliant products. However, the certification audit is an excellent way for a company to validate for their customers and suppliers their RoHS lead-free readiness,” says Kania.
Lead-free solder
The IPC’s Solder Products Value Council (SPVC) also announced recently that it has released a research paper on solder-joint voids for lead-free solder. The paper is based on the results of a three-year, million-dollar reliability test program for the tin-silver-copper family of lead-free alloys. “We have excellent data on the effects of solder joint voids on solder-joint reliability for the tin-silver-copper alloy family,” explained Karl Seelig, vice president of technology, AIM Inc., and chair of the SPVC Technical Subcommittee.
Seelig stressed that the IPC SPVC research report, issued several months ago, had clear conclusions on lead-free voids on ball-grid arrays (BGAs): “Based on the comparison of the number and size of solder-joint voids to thermal cycle interconnection failure date, there is no evidence that solder-joint voiding has any significant impact on solder joint reliability.” In other words, reliability and voiding were not correlated (see Fig.).
However, this conclusion was secondary to the goal of the research report, which was to determine if the differences in reliability between various tin/silver/copper alloys. The research study reported there was no difference and went on to recommend the SAC305 (96.5% tin, 3.0% silver, 0.5% copper) lead-free alloy.
Seelig said, however, significant details on the much-debated lead-free voiding might have been lost in the overall scope of the report. “That’s the reason the council has published a special report specifically on solder-joint voids for lead-free solder. We have the data, and it was only a matter of reformatting it for easier analysis.”
The SPVC’s special report on lead-free voiding is posted as a free download on IPC’s members-only website (www.ipc.org). In addition, the report can be obtained by contacting Anthony Hilvers, IPC’s vice president of industry programs at (847) 597-2837 or TonyHilvers@ipc.org.
