Chip Makers Get the Lead Out of Products

Intel Corp (Nasdaq:INTC) will launch almost lead-free chips later this year in response to demands for more environmentally friendly electronic goods, the world's largest chip maker said. Intel plans to launch new microprocessors and chipsets with just five percent of the lead used in its current products by the third quarter of 2004.

With regulations on hazardous substances used in consumer products getting more stringent, electronics manufacturers are under pressure to use materials and components that contribute to a cleaner environment.

National Semiconductor (NYSE: NSM) announced it will offer lead-free packages for its complete line of integrated circuit (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.

Today, approximately 90 percent of National's portfolio of 15,000 analog and mixed-signal integrated circuits is 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. 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 program is fully implemented, National expects to replace approximately five tons 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 Mr. Soo Kyung Yoo, vice president Quality Team, Display Device Center, Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. "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."

"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."

Japanese electronics conglomerate NEC Corp and its subsidiaries, including NEC Electronics Corp the world's eighth-largest chip maker, aim to switch to lead-free components in their procurement by March 2005.