At NXP, our goal is to provide you with environmentally preferred products that meet both regulatory requirements and your specific restrictions on hazardous substances and minerals. This guide offers answers to some of the most common questions about NXP’s products and links to details throughout the NXP website.

RoHS

REACH

Lead-Free

Halogen-Free

RHF-indicator

Freescale Label Information

RoHS

What is the NXP position on the “EU RoHS” and the “China RoHS”?

NXP has programs in place that support both initiatives. More can be found in our NXP Semiconductors RoHS Declaration and our explanatory statement on the Chinese Administration on the Control of Pollution caused by Electronic Information Products (ACPEIP).

What is the meaning of the symbol?

The symbol indicates the product is EU/CN RoHS Compliant. We certify that, to the best of our knowledge, these products meet the requirements of the European Union's Restriction on Use of Hazardous Substances in Electrical and Electronic Equipment (RoHS) Directive 2011/65/EU, and can therefore be called EU RoHS compliant. These products have lead-free terminations and do not make use of an exemption under the EU RoHS directive. These products also meet the requirements of the Chinese ACPEIP (Administration on the Control of Pollution Caused by Electronic Information Products), the "China RoHS". NXP cannot warrant that our customer’s products, which incorporate NXP products, will in turn comply with the European Union's Directive 2011/65/EU and/or with the Chinese ACPEIP.

What is the meaning of the symbol?

The symbol indicates the product is EU RoHS Compliant. We certify that, to the best of our knowledge, these products meet the requirements of the European Union's Restriction on Use of Hazardous Substances in Electrical and Electronic Equipment (RoHS) Directive 2011/65/EU and can therefore be called EU RoHS compliant. These products have lead-free terminations but use an exemption under the EU RoHS directive. This includes, for example, products with lead in high-melting-temperature solders used for die-attach or glass-diodes containing lead. NXP cannot warrant that our customer’s products, which incorporate NXP products, will in turn comply with the European Union's Directive 2011/65/EU.

REACH

What is the NXP position on "EU REACH"?

We comply with the guidelines of the initiative, and give details in our Explanatory statement on REACH provisions.

Are NXP Semiconductor products and packaging materials REACH compliant?

NXP products (semiconductor devices, evaluation modules and used packaging materials) manufactured or sold by NXP Semiconductors do not contain any of the substances currently on Annex XIV ("Authorization List") published by ECHA. Furthermore, NXP products do not contain any of the substances above the maximum limits under the given applications of Annex XVII of the REACH Regulation (EC) 1907/2006. Under these conditions our products are "REACH compliant". When ECHA adds new substances to the candidate lists of SVHC, NXP will work to identify possible inclusions of SVHC in NXP products. Based upon the results of these investigations the explanatory statement on REACH provisions will be updated by NXP. For further explanation please review the NXP Explanatory statement on REACH provisions.

Lead-Free

Why lead-free?

We recognize the health hazard of lead and work to eliminate it from our operations. We pursue environmental improvement, including the reduction or elimination of the potential hazardous effects from lead poisoning, and promote lead-free manufacturing, a practice that is mandated by legislation and supported by strong market demand.

Lead-Free

What is the definition of Pb-free?

A product can be deemed Pb-free if it contains less than 1000 ppm Pb by weight of homogeneous material. See more detailed info under the topic RHF-indicator, below.

What is the meaning of the symbol?

This logo appears on the barcode label if the product does not contain any lead and thus conforms with the Pb-free definition. The barcode label is attached to both the reel and the box. Where possible, the reel label is the same size as the PQ label. When the label is too large for the reel, the PQ label is cut in two, with the bottom half placed on the front of the reel and the top half on the rear.

Are lead-free NXP devices compatible with conventional (Sn/Pb solder paste) soldering processes?

Yes. For many years our products have been suitable for the higher temperature profiles required by most lead-free soldering processes. Because all lead-free devices have either pure tin or NiPdAu plating, we ensure full forward and backward compatibility. The only exception is the exception of the BGA family, since conventional reflow temperatures are too low for melting SAC solder balls. As with any change, it may be necessary to re-optimize the soldering processes when switching to a lead-free option.

Does pure tin plating have any effect on external or internal dimensions, or mechanical and electrical behavior?

All dimensions, as well mechanical and electrical behavior are unaffected. Also, no change in the distribution of electrical parameters has been detected.

How is NXP working to eliminate RoHS exempted lead from high melting point solder materials?

NXP is a charter member of the Die Attach 5 (or DA5) consortium. Through the DA5, NXP has been working with key suppliers since 2009 to define industry requirements for Pb-free alternatives, to evaluate supplier materials and to develop feasible manufacturing processes for consistently reliable products. For more information, click here to review the DA5 Project Presentation .

Do higher soldering temperatures have any negative impact on the moisture sensitivity level (MSL)?

For our small-signal discrete products, there is no impact on the MSL. For ICs, about 70% of cases experience no change, while the remaining 30% are likely to have some change in MSL. Please review the individual package listing for more detailed information.

Do Pb-free products have any impact on shelf life?

No. Guaranteed shelf life remains the same as for current SnPb products.

What are NXP Pb-free solutions?

  • Pure tin (100% Sn)
  • 100% Sn + post bake for packages such as QFP / PLCC
  • NiPdAu for packages including SO / SSOP / TSSOP / HTSSOP / HVQFN
  • SnAgCu for BGA-like packages

Why is pure tin used?

After many years of experience, NXP has found pure tin to be the proven, logical choice for coating package leads and terminals, since it enables ideal drop-in replacements for devices using lead-alloy platings.

What measures are taken by NXP to prevent whisker growth on products?

Along with thorough test procedures, the following measures are introduced into the production process:

  • use of the appropiate lead-frame material
  • application of the proper chemicals
  • lead-frame pre-treatment prior to plating
  • tightly controlled, minimum plating thickness
  • post bake (not Discretes)

We have monitored the whisker behavior of our products for more than two years and no serious whisker growth has been detected.

Halogen-Free

NXP, as a main supplier of semiconductor products to the electronics industry, is promoting halogen-free manufacturing. Currently there is already a wide range of NXP halogen-free products available on the market.

What is the definition of Halogen-free?

A product is deemed halogen-free if it contains less than 900 ppm of chlorine and bromine compounds combined by weight of homogeneous material. The halogens fluorine, iodine and astatine are not in the scope. In addition, content is also less than 900 ppm for antimony oxides by weight of homogeneous material. See more detailed info under the RHF-indicator, below.

What is the meaning of the symbol?

This logo is added to the barcode label if the product does not contain any halogens and thus conforms to the Halogen-Free definition. The barcode label is attached to both the reel and the box. Where possible, the Reel label is the same size as the Product Quality label. When the label is too large for the reel, the PQ label is cut in two, with the bottom half placed on the front of the reel and the top half on the rear.

RHF-indicator

What does the RHF-indicator mean?

RHF stands for RoHS Halogen Free. NXP introduced the RHF-2006 indicator to identify compliance and it is used in the marking of commercial products and on their packing labels. RHF-2006 identification codes are as follows:

RHF-2006 indicator Description
Dark Green = Indicates products that fully comply with the EU Directive 2011/65/EU (RoHS) without exemptions and halogens and Antimony Oxides.
Green = Indicates products that fully comply with the EU Directive 2011/65/EU (RoHS) without exemptions, but containing halogens and/or Antimony Oxides.
Halogen and Antimony Oxide-Free, Leaded = Indicates products that comply with the EU Directive 2011/65/EU (RoHS) with exempted Lead, but Halogen and Antimony Oxide Free as well.
Exempt, Leaded = Indicates products that comply with the EU Directive 2011/65/EU (RoHS) with exempted lead, and also containing halogens and/or Antimony Oxides.
Non-EU/CN RoHS compliant = Indicates all non-RoHS compliant products, whether or not they contain halogens or Antimony Oxides. This includes products with lead in the outer terminals, such as QFP with traditional SnPb plating, and BGAs with SnPb balls.

What is the definition of Green?

When a product is identified as Green (G), it implies that it is RoHS compliant using the following limits:

Substances Threshold limit
Cadmium • < 100 ppm (0.01%) •
Lead < 1000 ppm (0.1 %)
Mercury, Chromium (VI), PBB's and PBDE's < 1000 ppm (0.1 %)
Phthalates (BBP, DBP, DEHP and DIBP) < 1000 ppm (0.1 %) •

The substances listed above are not intentionally added, but may be present as an impurity with an upper limit according to the listed values. Threshold limits refer to the individual homogeneous materials (such as post-plating, adhesive, substrate, mould compounds, etc.)

What is the definition of Dark Green?

When a product is identified as Dark Green (D), it implies that it is RoHS compliant and Halogen and Antimony Oxide Free, using the following limits:

Substances Threshold limit
Antimony Oxides (as Sb) < 900 ppm (0.09%)1
Chlorinated compounds (as Cl) < 900 ppm (0.09%)
Brominated compounds (as Br) < 900 ppm (0.09%)
Σ (Chlorinated + Brominated compounds) < 1500 ppm (0.15%)
1In glass diodes < 1500 ppm (0.15%)

The substances listed above are not intentionally added, but may be present as an impurity with an upper limit according to the listed values. Exception is made for glass diodes, where a substance has been intentionally added due to its critical application as a fining agent (or degasser) to reduce the number of air bubbles in the glass. Threshold limits refer to the individual homogeneous materials (such as post-plating, adhesive, substrate, die encapsulants etc.).

Where can I find the RHF-indicator?

The RHF-indicator can be found on the Package/Quality pages. These are accessible via the search box in the right top corner of the NXP Home Page. When searching for a specific product you can select the part number from the provided table. To get to the Package/Quality page please use the link provided in the pop-up window our use one of the other links and then click on the "Package/Quality" tab.

Freescale Label Information

Freescale portfolio products will continue to show existing label symbols and marks during the transition period. The following FAQs address common questions about labels on Freescale portfolio products.

Why do some Freescale labels declare RoHS = "Yes" and Pb Free "No" on the same product?

EU RoHS includes exemptions for certain uses of lead (Pb) within semiconductor products. Freescale packages such as flip chip (with Pb bumps for die attach), high power (with high Pb solder die attach), and sensors (with Pb glass frit die) contain RoHS exempt Pb and remain RoHS compliant products. RoHS compliance will be “Yes” because of exemptions for the Pb while Pb Free will be “No” because these packages contain Pb greater than the RoHS maximum allowable concentration values.

What are the definitions for the J-STD-609A-01 2nd Level Interconnect categories?

A copy of J-STD-609A-01 is available at http://www.jedec.org/standards-documents. J-STD-609A-01 defines the following categories:

  • e0 - SnPb
  • e1 - SnAgCu (shall not be included in category e2)
  • e2 - Sn alloys with no Bi or Zn excluding SnAgCu
  • e3 - Sn
  • e4 - Precious metal (e.g., Ag, Au, NiPd, NiPdAu) (no Sn)
  • e5 - SnZn, SnZnx (no Bi)
  • e6 - contains Bi
  • e7 - low-temperature solder (? 150 deg C) containing Indium (no Bi)
  • e8 & e9 symbols are unassigned at this time

Will box labels include RoHS or lead (Pb) free identification?

Yes. Most Freescale products will indicate lead-free status, RoHS compliance status, Moisture Sensitivity Level (MSL) and Package Peak Temperature (PPT) on shipping labels. The termination finish will be shown for these lead-free products using the JESD97 standard e1 through e7 codes. The part number is also marked on packing labels.

What is the package peak temperature (PPT) rating and moisture sensitivity level (MSL) for Freescale products certified for lead (Pb) freeboard attach?

Freescale targets a PPT of 260°C with an MSL of 3 or better, however, some products may not be able to meet this target. Freescale provides the PPT and MSL level for each part number via web access or by special request.