Pb-free microelectronics assembly in aerospace applications

Abstract

The commercial microelectronics industry is rapidly implementing Pb-free assembly strategy. This trend is driven by existing and proposed legislation in Europe and Japan, which has already led a number of firms (including AT&T, IBM, Motorola, HP and Intel) to adopt Pb-free implementation programs. This is another sign that the microelectronics industry has become truly global. Following Moore's law, progress in microelectronics is brisk but not uniform: in many cases, commercial industry is ahead of the aerospace sector in technology. Progress by commercial industry, along with cost, drives the use of Commercial Off-The-Shelf (COTS) parts for military and space applications. We can thus anticipate that the aerospace industry, would be forced to use Pb-free components and subsystems as part of their standard business practices.