Opto-components are 'free of hazardous substances'

A Sharp Microelectronics product story

Edited by the Electronicstalk editorial team Dec 23, 2005

Sharp Microelectronics says that it uses no hazardous substances in the manufacture of its optoelectronic components.

Sharp Microelectronics uses no hazardous substances in the manufacture of its optoelectronic components.

These include lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd), mercury (Hg), hexavalent chromium (Cr6+), polybrominated biphenyl (PBB) and diphenylether (PBDE).

This means that all Sharp opto-components already comply with EU Directive 2002/95/EC which restricts the use of hazardous substances (RoHS) and comes into effect on 1st July 2006.

"Already this year, April was a major milestone for Sharp Microelectronics, we were able to offer optoelectronic components, fully compliant to the RoHS-Directive".

"In this way we are supporting our customers at an early stage of the RoHS transition process and enabling them to have their products ready by the end of June 2006 which will be in full compliance with the RoHS requirements of the EU markets", said Andreas Biss, Product Marketing Manager for Opto-components at Sharp Microelectronics Europe.

Most of the hazardous materials in question have never been used by Sharp for the manufacture of opto-components.

In the past, only small amounts of lead were used in the plating alloy of component terminal pins.

Since 1st April 2005 the company has used substances in compliance with RoHS to replace these amounts of lead that were previously used as alloying elements.

To avoid potential mix-up with non-RoHS-compliant models of earlier manufacture, all components now bear modified model numbers.

A special mark is also applied to all packaging to show that the EU Directive is being observed.

Even after replacing the lead used in plating materials, Sharp can still guarantee the high quality of its components.

Thanks to tried-and-tested processes such as the patented "double transfer mould technology" used in the manufacture of many of Sharp's opto-products, these components can also withstand the higher soldering temperatures of up to 260C which are necessary for working with the new materials.

Sharp's optoelectronic components are now available exclusively in RoHS-compliant versions from Sharp sales and marketing offices and distribution partners across the world.