Tin-Lead Product Support
Highlights
- Effective immediately, SnPb products with no order history and no existing inventory will no longer be available for orders. Download product list A here.
- Orders will be accepted for SnPb products with existing inventory, but no order history, for up to 6 months or until inventory is depleted. Download product list B here.
- SnPb products with order history and existing inventory will be supported for a period of up to six months. Download product list C here.
Based on growing customer demand, Fairchild initiated a company-wide project in January 2001 to convert all products to Pb-free finish. The initial PCN for Power Discrete products was issued in June 2001.
The conversion to Pb-free was further sustained by the European Union directive known as the Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS), which restricts the use of lead and certain other materials in electrical and electronic equipment. This directive, which became effective within the European Union on July 1, 2006, is now serving as a model for similar laws being developed in several other countries. The first company-wide PCN to support the RoHS directive was issued in July 2003.
A large majority of Fairchild’s standard products were converted to Pb-free finish by date code 0536. All standard products were converted by date code 0606. All standard products were converted to a Pb-free finish. Pb-free finish was not qualified as an alternative finish.
Fairchild’s PCN stated, “The manufacture of products with tin-lead plating will be completely discontinued as products with lead-free finish are introduced. After the transition period, Fairchild's standard products will only be available with a lead-free finish”.
Fairchild has consistently stated that support for SnPb products would continue, using special order codes, as long as manufacturing capability and customer demand existed. Customer demand for SnPb products is dropping very quickly. Sales order volume for the RoHS-exempted market segments is relatively small. Of all existing SnPb order codes, over 83% have less than $1,000 in orders in the past 24 months, and over 75% have less than $100 in orders.
Continued support for low volume SnPb devices is costly in both dollars and process complexity. Idling of expensive plating equipment and the associated loss of potential Pb-free business adds significant manufacturing costs. Switching a plating line from Pb-free to SnPb is not an option due to expense, down time, potential for contamination and scheduling constraints.
As a result, many assembly and plating contractors have already consolidated their manufacturing capabilities or are planning to do so in the near future.
We have reached the point at which customer demand and manufacturing capabilities are no longer sufficient to continue the production of SnPb devices.
Fairchild is taking this opportunity to remind customers of our original plans and notification – manufacture of all SnPb products will be completely discontinued as the conversion to Pb-free is completed. This includes all Fairchild products that are still supplied with a SnPb finish.
In order to minimize the impact to the remaining SnPb customers, Fairchild will provide support for the most common SnPb devices for a final six month period.
All products were converted to Pb-free as of January 2006. Therefore, this additional six month time period will provide customers with a total notification period of almost 1-1/2 years since the completion of the conversion.
- Effective immediately, SnPb products with no order history and no existing inventory will no longer be available for orders. Download product list A here
- Orders will be accepted for SnPb products with existing inventory, but no order history, for up to 6 months or until inventory is depleted. Download product list B here
- SnPb products with order history and existing inventory will be supported for a period of up to six months. Download product list C here
Fairchild will strive to adhere to the identified support periods. However, it is possible that inventory may be depleted or manufacturing capability for some subcontracted devices may be eliminated prior to the end of the planned six month period.
It is understood that this schedule may not allow sufficient time for some customers to make the transition to Pb-free products. Under special circumstances, support for specific customer projects may be continued for a longer time period. Any exceptions will be handled through your Fairchild Sales representative on a case-by-case basis and must have a defined Pb-free conversion date that is acceptable to Fairchild (no open ended support).
Fairchild has more than five years experience with Pb-free processes. We have confidence in the performance of our Pb-free products and hope that we can help those remaining SnPb customers gain this same confidence.
