RoHS |
New COST Action on High Temperature Solders
The COST 531 consortium has been successful in a bid for a follow-on project to tackle the challenge of finding an alternative to high-lead solders, currently exempted from the RoHS Directive.
COST 531 was a collaboration of Europe top experts on alloy thermodynamics and properties, mainly in universities. A key achievement was the compilation of the Lead-Free Solder Alloy Database, in cooperation with ELFNET.
This new initiative will draw on all their skills in an attempt to formulate a new solution to the thorny issue of high temperature solders used inside components for applications such as die attach, MEMS capping. Many have tried and some solutions do exist, such as SnAu, for some applications. But the concensus view is that a viable, cost-effective replacement is not available.
Finding such a solution would greatly simplify RoHS implementation and testing, since current products can represent legal lead in an otherwise lead-free electronic assembly.
The new COST Action MP0602, with the title "Advanced Solder Materials for High-Temperature Applications" was approved by the CSO at its 166th Meeting on November 30th.
The Action will probably start in early 2007 once the Memorandum of Understanding has been signed by the relevant COST national coordinators.
