Major electronics industry consortium iNEMI presented results of its comprehensive 2009 roadmapping process at the October SMTAI conference. The challenges of lead-free soldering are still dominating the materials agenda of the ECE (Environmentally Conscious Electronics) roadmap.

The biannual roadmapping exercise covers the broad spectrum of advanced electronics manufacturing technologies including packaging, ECE and board assembly. 550 participants from more than 250 organisations from 18 countries have worked together to identify technology trends and identify technology gaps. The Roadmap now has more than 1,400 pages.

3D packaging, miniaturisation, wafer-level packaging and new packaging technologies including embedded components and printed electronics are discussed in detail. All of these are likely to have some impact on the market for solder.

The continued pressure to convert to lead-free soldering is starting to affect sectors outside the original RoHS scope, including automotive and medical electronics for example. IT servers now anticipate a sunset on the Pb exemption of ~2014. The components supply chain has a declining motivation in continuing to provide SnPb products.

The main concern here is for high reliability applications. Interesting the roadmap states that the automotive industry is still using SnPb technology for mission-critical electronics.

A table on slide 73 of the presentation forecasts lead-free conversion for solder bar and paste. Worldwide this is expected to be 95% for bar and 85% for paste by 2011, with the US significantly behind at 75%. Lower temperature technologies are required by 2011. The chart also illustrates the current trend towards lower silver alloys, slower in solder pastes for reflow, and the need to reduce their processing temperature by 2019. Recycling of solder pastes is expected to reach 25% by 2011.

The 'next generation' or 'alternative alloy' low-silver alloys should also be looked at in regard to mixed assembly. They should be released in a controlled way to allow warnings on process impact.

New conformal coating materials are required for tin whisker mitigation that are compatible with lead-free soldering materials.

Paste deposition technologies are also discussed, including the need to finer powders for finer pitch applications, continual improvements in stencil design and use of non-traditional deposition technologies or interconnect materials not requiring a mask, stencil or screen.

Reflow process technology is forecast in a chart on slide 83.

Rework challenges are also discussed.

The new roadmap also has a new focus on sustainability issues, includng energy use. It is felt that the latter will drive development of alternative materials such as nanosolder and conductive adhesives.

A separate and more detailed presentation on the ECE (Environmentally Conscious Electronics) roadmap was presented in a webinar here.

There is also a preview of the 2011 Roadmap cycle.

A copy of the complete presentation is avilable from the iNEMI website on the reference link below.