NSF Award
0339647
This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project addresses the need for an environmentally benign industrial process for the electronics sector, by the development of a lead-free solder process, capable of meeting the technical needs of the electronics industry, while eliminating the environmental hazard caused by the use of lead. This innovative process will allow electrodeposition of pure tin alloys, using a plating bath which does not contain organic additives, which will allow control of the grain size in the desired range of 1-8 microns, while minimizing or eliminating internal stresses, and producing a deposit with a matte finish. The objective of the Phase I project and subsequent Phase II, if awarded, is to develop a pure tin-plating process suitable for insertion into facilities producing printed circuit boards and other facilities currently using tin-lead plating for electronic applications. Specifically, in the Phase I project, the team will demonstrate that lead-free solder can be deposited onto printed circuit board test panels using an electrically mediated process.<br/><br/>Commercially, the printed circuit board industry is searching for a replacement for tin-lead plating that has been the deposit of choice for almost all applications. This technology would have the potential to be applied across all sectors of the electronics industry and be a good candidate to replace lead-based solders thereby reducing the environmental risks.
