Impact of the European RoHS Legislation on the U.S. High Performance Electronics Industry

In 2006 the European Union issued a Directive on the Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) which among other materials banned the use of lead in electronics. The Aerospace and Defense (A&D) industry in the US designs and manufactures products that carry more than three billion passengers worldwide on any given day as well as systems which are vital to our national security. In order to transition to lead-free electronics, the A&D industry demands careful analysis and research into the performance, reliability and safety of these materials in order to maintain public safety and assure our war-fighters’ mission is successful and safe. In this effort, the College of Engineering at Tuskegee University and the Boeing Company has teamed to understand some of the knowledge gaps that surround this new technology. Students at Tuskegee are undertaking an effort to understand the best use of conformal coatings to mitigate the risks these tin protrusions can cause in an electronic circuit. Also, Tuskegee is studying the effects tin whiskers may have on the ability of conformal coatings to protect Circuit Boards from corrosion.Read less