Product category: Analogue and Mixed Signal ICs
News Release from: National Semiconductor
Edited by the Electronicstalk Editorial Team on 14 April 2004
Lead-free packaging programme almost
complete
National Semiconductor will offer lead-free packages for its complete line of IC products by the end of 2004.
National Semiconductor will offer lead-free packages for its complete line of IC products by the end of 2004 The company also will significantly reduce bromine and antimony-based flame-retardants in an industry-leading effort to make more environmentally neutral electronic components
This article was originally published on Electronicstalk on 5 Jan 2001 at 8.00am (UK)
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Today, approximately 90% of National's portfolio of 15,000 analogue and mixed-signal integrated circuits are available in lead-free package types.
Lead was formerly used in the plating finish of copper-leadframe-based packages.
It was also used in the solder balls of array packages such as Micro SMD, PBGA and FBGA packages.
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National will replace the lead in leadframe packages with a matte tin finish, and in the solder balls with a tin-silver-copper alloy.
Once this aggressive programme is fully implemented, National expects to replace approximately 5t of lead used per year.
"Samsung is currently using about one-half dozen different lead-free ICs from National Semiconductor in its flat panel display (FPD) products which are sold worldwide", said Soo Kyung Yoo, Vice President Quality Team, Display Device Centre, Samsung Electronics Co.
"In addition, we have aggressive plans in place to adopt National's lead-free ICs for use in a wide variety of other Samsung products".
"As a leader in packaging technology, National is committed to providing its customers with state-of-the art chip technologies in the widest possible range of products and package types", said Kamal Aggarwal, Executive Vice President, Central Technology Manufacturing Group at National.
"With our lead-free packaging programme, National is extending its effort to make innovative high-performance products that are environmentally friendly and easier to recycle.
As soon as our customers require lead-free packages, we will provide them".
Packaging is a critical part of the semiconductor manufacturing process.
National's advanced package technologies enable its customers to build cell phones, displays, computers, and many other electronic products that are small, thin, lightweight, and have long-lasting battery life.
National has led the market in packaging innovations for years with the introduction of revolutionary micro SMD and leadless leadframe packaging (LLP) technologies.
In addition, National's patented VIP10 process technology enables it to create the industry's broadest suite of high performance products available.
In 2000, National began an intensive multistep programme to reduce and eliminate lead in its semiconductor packages.
Today, National has lead reduction goals in place that are substantially more aggressive than those in countries where the company does business.
In addition to lead, National is also eliminating halogen compounds such as bromine and antimony used in flame retardants used in mould compounds and organic substrates.
"Electronic products are typically recycled to recover precious metals such as gold and silver used in the printed circuit board", said Kamal Aggarwal.
"Eliminating lead from components will dramatically improve efficiency in the separation and disposal steps of the recycling operation".
National produces billions of chips per year and packages them in more than 70 different types of packages.
The company operates wafer fabrication facilities in Arlington, Texas, Greenock, Scotland, and South Portland, Maine.
The plants manufacture four, six, or eight-inch diameter wafers of silicon that contain hundreds or thousands of microchips.
The wafers are shipped to National facilities in Melaka, Malaysia and Singapore, where they are cut, tested, and assembled in plastic packages.
The company's new test and assembly facility in Suzhou, China, will begin operations in late 2004, and will also produce lead-free packages when it opens.
National ships integrated circuits directly from its Global Distribution Centre in Singapore to more than 4000 customers worldwide.
Approximately 90,000 other customers buy National chips through a global network of distributors.
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