The key European regulation is contained in Directive 2002/95/EC which sets specific limits the levels of certain prohibited substances.
There is often reference made to the "WEEE" regulations which set out in directives 2002/96/EC and 2003/108/EC to limit the "Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment," by requiring reuse, recycling and other forms of recovery of waste. The primary directive relating to IC component selection is Directive 2002/95/EC.
2002/95/EC 27 January 2003 - the restriction of the use of certain hazardous substances in electrical and electronic equipment
http://europa.eu.int/eur-lex/pri/en/oj/dat/2003/l_037/l_03720030213en00190023.pdf (PDF)
2002/96/EC 27 January 2003 - waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE)
http://europa.eu/eur-lex/pri/en/oj/dat/2003/l_037/l_03720030213en00240038.pdf (PDF)
2003/108/EC 8 December 2003 -amending Directive 2002/96/EC on waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE)
http://europa.eu.int/eur-lex/pri/en/oj/dat/2003/l_345/l_34520031231en01060107.pdf (PDF)
To be compliant new electrical and electronic equipment sold within Europe after July 1st 2006 have strict restrictions on the level of lead, mercury, cadmium, hexavalent chromium, polybrominated biphenyls (PBB) or polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDE). The maximum by weight in homogenous materials is:
- 0.1% for lead
- 0.1% for mercury
- 0.01% for cadmium
- 0.1% for hexavalent chromium
- 0.1% for polybrominated biphenyls
- 0.1% for polybrominated diphenyl ethers
(Note: The legislation applies to the vast majority of electronic goods but there are exceptions to the rule, these exceptions include: lead in solders in servers, storage and storage array systems - exemption granted until 2010 - network infrastructure equipment for switching, signaling, transmission as well as network management for telecommunication and lead in electronic ceramic parts such as piezo-electronic devices).
All the elements that comprise an IC could contain banned substances. The package mould compound may contain polybromide and even the ink used to mark a device need to be verified for compliance to the directive, however the major issue is in the plating of the leads. These leads are typically copper, to ensure solderability of the leads to a PCB they are plated; this plating was in the past usually a tin-lead alloy (SnPb). Catalyst's GREEN products use Pb-free nickel-palladium-gold (NiPdAu) or matte-tin for the lead finish.
