The following are common questions and answers about SMSC's RoHS/Green products and development:

1. Does SMSC offer lead-free and Green products?

We believe an increasing percentage of customers will require RoHS/Green devices over the coming months. To conform with two new directives from the European Union called "Waste from Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE)" and "Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS)", as well as to the China RoHS directive called "Management Methods for Controlling Pollution Caused by Electronic Information Products", all of which restrict or address the use of lead and other materials in electronic component products, SMSC offers a number of its products in versions commonly referred to as lead-free or "Green". These products are marked to indicate the lead-free solder alloys used in component terminal finish/material and to signify that the devices have been manufactured using the processes and materials as described in SMSC's RoHS/Green Products Program Reference Guide.

2. Has SMSC chosen a specific alloy as its standard lead-free alloy?

Yes, Matte Tin (e3) is the standard alloy for lead-free devices. SMSC has discontinued offering any products with other alloy finishes. SMSC has also issued a Product Change Notification (PCN) to all customers stating that SMSC will offer only the lead-free finish e3 as its standard finish.

3. Does SMSC continue to offer leaded products?

SMSC's current suite of leaded products is available to customers that choose to use them. These products use the same materials and assembly processes that have been qualified by SMSC and its assembly suppliers.

4. Does SMSC plan to transition existing leaded product to lead-free product?

Transitions of products from leaded to lead-free will be handled on a case by case basis subject to Market analysis.

5. Which packages are available as lead-free and Green?

All SMSC's products are available in lead-free packages. For a list of available package types go to the Product/Package Lookup.

6. What about other package types?

All BGA devices and some hybrid devices will have an e1 finish.

7. What is SMSC's roadmap/strategy to provide all products as lead-free and Green?

SMSC will continue to provide and qualify lead-free and Green packages based on customer requirements and the current industry standards.

8. Is there a new part number for the lead-free and Green packages?

Yes, SMSC identifies lead-free and Green catalog parts with specific part numbers dependent upon package type. Please refer to the Product/Package Lookup for additional details.

9. What is the recommended reflow profile?

SMSC's devices conform to a peak reflow temperature range of 250-260 °C. Refer to the Moisture Sensitivity Level and Peak Reflow table for specific reflow temperature.

10. Are SMSC's lead-free and Green products compatible with SnPb components and reflow processes?

SMSC's Matte Tin plated lead-free parts are backward compatible with SnPb solder paste in the majority of applications. However, in some cases, changes to solder paste, type of flux and peak reflow temperature may be required to achieve optimal quality and reliability solder joints. Customers are advised to check with their paste/flux/PCB provider for processes and profiles based on their specific application.

11. What is the lead-time to delivery for lead-free and Green devices?

The delivery lead-time for lead-free and Green devices is the same as all standard packages manufactured by SMSC.

12. Is there any identification on lead-free and Green devices?

Yes, lead-free and Green products are marked with symbols that specify the lead-free plating alloys and signify the devices have been manufactured using lead-free and Green materials. Refer to the Symbols for Lead-Free Alloys table below for specific information on part markings. Also, lead-free and Green product shipping labels state that the product is RoHS compliant.

Symbols for Lead-Free Solder Alloys

Symbol	Plating Alloy
e1	SnCu Ag
e3	Sn

13. Are there any whisker mitigation techniques used?

Yes, for products which use Matte Tin plating an Annealing process consisting of a one (1) hour bake at 150 °C is performed within 24 hours of the plating.

14. What are SMSC's whisker criteria and test methods?

SMSC's criterion for whisker length measurement is not to exceed 50 um. The test methods used are Temperature Cycling Test (TCT), Temperature Humidity Test (THT) and Ambient Storage.

Disclaimers

Copyright © SMSC 2007. All rights reserved. Although the information in this document is believed to be accurate, no responsibility is assumed for inaccuracies. SMSC reserves the right to make changes to product descriptions and specifications at any time without notice. Contact your local SMSC sales office to obtain the latest specifications before placing your product order. The provision of this information does not convey any licenses under any patent rights or other intellectual property rights of SMSC or others. All sales are expressly conditional on your agreement to the terms and conditions of the most recently dated version of SMSC's standard Terms of Sale Agreement dated before the date of your order. Products may contain design defects or errors known as anomalies which may cause a product's functions to deviate from published specifications. Anomaly sheets are available upon request. SMSC products are not designed, intended, authorized or warranted for use in any life support or other application where product failure could cause or contribute to personal injury or severe property damage. Any and all such uses without prior written approval of an Officer of SMSC and further testing and/or modification will be fully at the risk of the customer. Copies of this document or other SMSC literature, as well as the Terms of Sale Agreement, may be obtained by visiting SMSC's website at http://www.smsc.com. SMSC is a registered trademark, and the SMSC logos are trademarks, of Standard Microsystems Corporation ("SMSC"). Other names mentioned may be trademarks of their respective holders.

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Rev. 6/12/07