iNEMI Organizes Task Group to Address Availability of SnPb BGAs

HERNDON, Va. (November 8, 2006) - The International Electronics Manufacturing Initiative (iNEMI), an industry-led consortium, has organized the SnPb BGA Availability Task Group to address the needs of OEMs that are taking the lead (Pb) exemption from, or whose products are out of scope of, the RoHS Directive. This new task group has scheduled a workshop to bring together OEMs with the BGA supply base on Wednesday, January 24, 2007, in or near San Jose, Calif. "For companies that manufacture products that must have high-reliability and long-service-life, the rationale for staying with SnPb assembly is very clear - the reliability of Pb-free assembly has not been sufficiently demonstrated for long-life, mission-critical applications," said Ken Stuchlik, SCN processor and I/O technical manager for Lucent Technologies, and co-chair of iNEMI's SnPb BGA Availability Task Group. "While it is increasingly obvious that virtually all electronics products will be Pb-free over time, there are a number of knowledge gaps that must be closed before Pb-free reliability can be predicted with the same certainty as SnPb assembly. In the meantime, the rapid transition of the supply chain to meet the high-volume needs of consumer electronics is affecting the availability of SnPb versions of critical components and, in many cases, the use of Pb-free connection finishes presents compatibility issues - especially with BGAs - for those manufacturers who plan to continue using SnPb assembly processes." The iNEMI task group will focus its efforts on ways to work with the BGA component supply base (integrated circuit as well as packaging firms) to support SnPb-compatible BGAs, assist with questions of long-term reliability, and/or develop other solutions to address concerns. The group plans to: - Develop a list of critical BGA component families. - Estimate total available market (TAM) for these devices in SnPb assembly versions. - Develop a general business case based on TAM. - Work with the supply base to come up with alternatives that meet this critical market need. The January workshop will focus on reviewing the business case for the ongoing availability of SnPb-compatible BGAs and, working with suppliers, come up with likely scenarios for meeting the needs over the next several years. This collaboration may also provide additional insights for potential shifts in company strategies. "By working together across the supply chain, we have the best opportunity to come up with practical solutions that address this critical need until reliability concerns are resolved," said Jun Ma, director, supplier engineering at Sun Microsystems, and co-chair of the iNEMI task group. "We invite and encourage participation by all firms who have a stake in the outcomes." Registration information is available at http://www.inemi.org/cms/projects/ese/SnPb_BGAs.html About iNEMI The International Electronics Manufacturing Initiative's mission is to assure leadership of the global electronics manufacturing supply chain. Based in Herndon, Va., the industry-led consortium is made up of approximately 70 manufacturers, suppliers, industry associations and consortia, government agencies and universities. iNEMI roadmaps the needs of the electronics industry, identifies gaps in the technology infrastructure, establishes implementation projects to eliminate these gaps (both business and technical), and stimulates standards activities to speed the introduction of new technologies. The consortium also works with government, universities and other funding agencies to set priorities for future industry needs and R&D initiatives. For additional information about iNEMI, visit http://www.inemi.org. ###