iNEMI HFR-Free
Programs
Bob Pfahl – iNEMI
Stephen Tisdale - Intel
April 14, 2011
Current (Active) Programs
HFR-free High Reliability PCB Project
HFR-free Leadership Project
• PCB Materials WG
• Signal Integrity WG
Other Environmental Projects
PVC Alternatives Project
ECO Impact Evaluator for ICT Equipment
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Status - Low-Halogen Electronics
Global Environmental Responsibility
Driver
Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) pressure to
address environmental issues
All Halogenated Flame Retardants
Materials Involved
Brominated Flame Retardants (TBBPA is main FR in
substrate & PCB Materials)
All Chlorinated Flame Retardants and PVC
Guidelines
IEC 61249-2-21
JPCA-ES-01-1999
IPC - 4101B
JEDEC JEP-709
(Solid State Devices Only)
(Expanding Scope to Include Passives / Connectors)
Standards
(PCB Material Only)
Various Industry Standards / Guidelines are in place
Supply Chain Alignment / Definition Critical
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iNEMI’s HFR-Free Position
iNEMI supports removal of:
Halogenated Flame Retardants (HFRs)
and Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC)
iNEMI Position Statement Can Be Found Here:
http://thor.inemi.org/webdownload/projects/ese/HFR-Free/Low-Halogen_Def.pdf
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3
Low-Halogen
Material Changes
HFR-free - What Changed?
Low-Halogen changes the flame retardant used for epoxy
laminate (FR4) materials
Tetrabromo bisphenol-A
(TBBPA) is the current
halogenated flame retardant
for all laminate epoxy systems
Reactive flame retardant that is incorporated into the epoxy chain
and volatilizes at burning temperatures
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Low Halogen (HFR-free) PCB - Challenges
HFR-free PCB
Implementation
Epoxy Backbone
Change
Potential Impact
– Mechanical degradation of resin strength resulting in
lower peel strength & increase material brittleness
– Decomposition temperature (Td) of the resin is increased.
– Change to Glass Transition Temp (Tg)
– Impact to resin electrical properties (Dk and Df)
due to moisture absorption
– Change to resin CTE properties affecting via reliability and
assembly compatibility.
Fillers
– Fillers increase the Dielectric Constant (Dk) of the
material impacting impedance targets, crosstalk
and other design considerations
– Fillers can lower the CTE and increase the rigidity of the
material.
– Fillers can lower the peel strength of the laminate.
– Fillers can degrade the assembly of the laminate affecting
process cost and via reliability.
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Problem Statement
• A potential reduction in performance margin has been
observed from the FR-4 laminates being used today
– Loss of margin in thermo-mechanical performance
– Loss of margin in electrical performance
• High-speed bus designs may be problematic due to
electrical properties of these materials
– Potential for increasing the cost of the system
• Wider fluctuation of vendor to vendor PCB electrical
performance compared to FR4 designs
– Multiple variations of flame retardants in use
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HFR-Free High
Reliability Program
Program Manager:
Stephen Tisdale, Intel
April 14, 2011
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9
iNEMI HFR-Free High Reliability PCB Project




Focus is on Hi-Reliability (Server) Market Segment Application
Space
PCB and PCBA components are BFR-free
Board Thicknesses are 0.093” & 0.125” (MEB’s) & 0.116”
(Agilent)
PCB Material should be LF compatible, low / med loss and HVM
capable
– 8 BFR-free Materials Identified with 1 Halogenated Material as
Control
MEB
MEB
Agilent Test Board
Layer Count /
Thickness
18 Layer / 0.093”
24 Layer / 0.125”
20 Layer / 0.116
Drill Sizes
8mil / 10mil / 12mil
10mil / 12mil / 14 mil
Pitch
0.8mm / 1.0mm
0.8mm / 1.0mm
Reflow Temps
245C & 260C
245C
260
# Reflows
6x & 10x
6x & 10x
6x & 10x
All Materials are Phenolic Resin Based
MEB = Material Evaluation Board
10
MEB 93 – 18 Layer
Test
Category
Mechanic
al /
Reliability
Electrical
Assembly
Test
Test Method
IST (Gary to Check on this)
IPC TM650 2.6.26 @
150C
CAF (Microtek / Trace etc)
IPC TM650 2.6.25
Flexural Modulus
ASTM D790
Cu Peel Strength
IPC TM650 2.4.8C
Tg / z-Axis CTE
IPC TM650 2.4.24C
Solder Mask Adhesion
TM650 2.4.28B
Insulation resistance
TM650 2.5.7
Solder Float / Cross
Section
TM650 2.6.8E
Microhardness
Future Tech
Microhardness
Permittivity (Dk) and Loss
Tangent (Df) up to 30GHz
VNA
Moisture Diffusivity
Impacts on Insertion Loss
VNA
Capacitance
TM650 2.5.2A
CAT Trace and Space
Portable CAT Tester
Drill Registration
Intel Hand Probe
Temp Cycle (HATS)
HATS
Transient Bend
Instron
Rework
• 22.25” X 15.75” in size
• Modular in design
Board Side Ball Pull
Dage 4000
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Intel MEB 125 – 24 Layer
• 22.25” X 15.75” in size
• Modular in design
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iNEMI HFR-Free High Reliability PCB Status
1. 7 of the 8 HFR-free material have completed TV
Builds and Simulated Assembly Reflows
2. 1 HFR-free and the Brominated FR-4 control
material continue to be built– estimated
completion end of April’11
3. Testing has been initiated on all completed TVs
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Project Timeline
Milestone
Date
• Complete all remaining testing on the July 1st
original 7 materials
• Write interim report
• iNEMI Webinar
Aug 22nd
Sept / Oct
• Complete testing on remaining
2 materials
Oct 1st
• Write Final Report
Dec 1st
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HFR-Free High Reliability
Original Project Members
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HFR-Free Leadership
Program
Program Manager:
Stephen Tisdale, Intel
HFR-Free Signal Integrity
Chair: Stephen Hall, Intel
Co-chair: David Senk, Cisco
HFR-Free PCB Materials
Chair: John Davignon, Intel
April 14, 2011
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iNEMI HFR-Free Leadership Program
Consortium Objectives
1. Identify technology readiness, supply chain capability, and
reliability characteristics for “HFR-free” alternatives to
conventional printed circuit board materials and assemblies
– Spans electrical and mechanical properties
2. Define technology limits for HFR-free materials across all market
segments
– Initial focus is on client platforms (desktop, notebook) in 2011 timeframe
– Goal is to drive laminate supplier slash sheet content
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HFR-free Technology Leadership Project
Stephen Tisdale, Intel – Chair
HFR-Free Leadership
Program
HFR-Free PCB Materials
Chair: John Davignon –
Intel
Identify key thermo-mechanical
performance characteristics and determine
if they are in the critical path for the HFRfree PCB material transition.
HFR-Free Signal Integrity
Chair: Stephen Hall - Intel
Co-Chair: David Senk - Cisco
Ensure there is no degradation of electrical
signals in HFR-free PCB materials, base on
investigation of permittivity and loss as well
as how they are impacted by moisture
absorption in new HFR-free materials.
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iNEMI HFR-free
PCB Materials
Chair: John Davignon,
Intel
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iNEMI HFR-free PCB Materials WG Strategy
• Define and implement quantifiable data into the HF
Laminate Suppliers Datasheets that will assist in
material selection by users
• Define a “Test Suite Methodology” which meets the
quality and reliability requirements of the chosen market
segments
• Ensure the Industry Laminate Suppliers have the
capability and capacity to support the industry HF
laminate requirements
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Test Suite Methodology
Test Methods Under Evaluation
Glass Transition Temperature (Tg)
Decomposition Temperature (Td)
Coefficient of Thermal Expansion (x,y,z)
Moisture absorption
Rework (Pad Peeling)
Permittivity (Dk)
Total Loss (Df)
Stiffness/Flexural Strength
Pad Adhesion (CBP/Hot Pin Pull)
Interconnect Stress Test (IST)
Conductive Anodic Filament (CAF)
Lead Free Reflow Test: Delamination
Charpy Impact Test
Simulated Reflow Test
10 Layer Mobile Stack-up
Description
Layer 1 Plated 1/2 oz Cu
Prepreg
Layer 2 Unplated 1 oz Cu
Core
Layer 3 Unplated 1 oz Cu
Prepreg
Layer 4 Unplated 1 oz Cu
Core
Layer 5 Unplated 1 oz Cu
Prepreg
Layer 6 Unplated 1 oz Cu
Core
Layer 7 Unplated 1 oz Cu
Prepreg
Layer 8 Unplated 1 oz Cu
Core
Layer 9 Unplated 1 oz Cu
Prepreg
Layer 10 Plated 1/2 oz Cu
Layer Type Thickness
1.6 mils
3 mils - 1 ply 1080
1.3 mils
4 mil core - 1 ply 2116
1.3 mils
4.2 mils - 1 ply 2116
1.3 mils
4 mil core - 1 ply 2116
1.3 mils
4.2 mils - 1 ply 2116
1.3 mils
4 mil core - 1 ply 2116
1.3 mils
4.2 mils - 1 ply 2116
1.3 mils
4 mil core - 1 ply 2116
1.3 mils
3 mils - 1 ply 1080
1.6 mils
48.2
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iNEMI Materials WG - Phase 2 Update
• Two Proof of Concepts (POC) lots have been built to verify the Test
Suite Methodology test vehicle/coupon design and test methods.
80% of Test Methods have been ratified
– Focus on determining the repeatability and reproducibility of the test methods
across multiple sites
• Final “Test Suite Methodology” Design completed with all test
structures finalized
– Test Vehicle design has been finalized and Gerber data loaded to the iNEMI
ftp site
• All laminate builds are completed (6 HFR and 3 FR4 laminates)
• Phase 2 Schedule:
– 9 laminate builds have been completed
– Laminate Testing Scheduled Completion Q2’11
– Final analysis of Phase 2 results Q2’11
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PCB Summary - Benefits
• We are changing the way that data is reported on the
Laminate datasheets.
– The test methods will be precisely defined
– The test methods will be performed on a “product like”
construction for more relevant data
• The data reported will enable:
– A true comparison of material properties and responses
between laminates
– OEM/ODM’s to set envelopes for the material properties based
on the market/BU sector that mitigate risk factors for that sector
– PCB Designers to pick cost effective laminate materials that are
suitable to their products/market segment
– Method of directing Laminate Suppliers how to improve
laminates by specific properties or responses
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iNEMI HFR-free
Signal Integrity
Chair: Stephen Hall, Intel
Co-Chair: David Senk, Cisco
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iNEMI HF Signal Integrity WG Strategy
• Identify HFR-free electrical “envelopes” required by each
company in the consortium
• Develop a common measurement methodology
• Characterize available HF dielectrics & map into
requirements
• Communicate requirements to the material vendors so
they know what the industry wants
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Performance of HF PCB vs. FR4
 HFR-free PCB materials on the market tend to have
higher permittivity (Dk) values than FR4
 HFR-free Dk ~ 4.2 – 5.0 (1080)
 FR4 Dk ~ 3.6-3.9 (1080)
 Higher permittivity (Dk)
reduces bus performance
voltage
Eye from upper
range of HF
materials on the
market
5
Time, ps
4.8
Eye from lower limit of 1080 FR4
voltage
permittivity
4.6
4.4
4.2
4
Time, ps
Nominal 1080 FR4 permittivity
3.8
3.6
37.5% margin degradation
3.4
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21
Eye Area (ps-volts)
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Simulation of three coupled 10” 50W microstrip lines;
dielectric thickness varied to maintain Zo; layout rules
similar to DDR buses (W/S/W=4/12/4)
- Thicker layers for same Z0
increases crosstalk
- High crosstalk drives
increased trace separation &
more layers (increased cost)
 HFR-free losses tend to be
better than FR4 & help
compensate for crosstalk
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for some buses
26
Scaling HFR-free bus speeds
 Margin reductions gets worse for faster buses
- HFR-free materials with high permittivity may be adequate for lower
speed buses, but can be problematic at higher speeds
- FR4 also places limitations on high-speed buses, but HFR-free
exacerbates problems on crosstalk dominated buses like DDR
- HFR-free PCBs can make it more difficult for buses to scale with
Moore’s Law
2000 Mbits/sec
0.2
0.15
0.1
0.05
0
-0.05
-0.1
-0.15
-0.2
Simulation of three
coupled 10” 50W
microstrip lines with
layout rules similar to
DDR buses
(WSW=4/12/4)
0.10
voltage
voltage
667 Mbits/sec
0.05
0
-0.05
-0.10
0
500
1000
Time, ps
A
0
1500
r = 5.0
r = 3.6
100
200
300
Time, ps
400
B
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Critical Electrical Parameters
 In addition to Permittivity, other critical electrical
parameters of HFR-free materials must be assessed
- Each new formulation of flame retardants will have unique electrical
parameters  non-standard electrical behavior
- Must ensure all critical electrical parameters remain within
acceptable bounds
Parameter
Other names
Design influences
Permittivity
Dk, er, dielectric
constant
Characteristic impedance,
Propagation velocity,
crosstalk
Loss tangent
Df, tand, dissipation
factor
Signal attenuation
Moisture absorption
Environmental effects,
humidity
When dielectric materials
absorb water, Dk & Df
increase.
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iNEMI Signal Integrity WG Status
• Common measurement method developed by CISCO to characterize
the critical parameters (S3 method)
– Material vendors (in the WG) agreed to use this method for reporting numbers
on the data-sheet
• S3 measurements compared to split post resonator measurements (SPR assumed to
be the golden standard for accuracy)
• Completed round robin testing phase; proved the reproducibility
and repeatability of the S3 test method
– Round robin results show excellent reproducibility of measurements across 6
members
• Lab-Lab variation within 4% for Dk, 5% for Df.
– Within lab repeatability quantified to be within 1% for Dk, 2% for Df
• 5 measurements taken over 5 sequential days
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Electrical Summary
• HFR-Free Laminates have increased permittivity (Dk)
• Higher Dk impacts high speed buses; Biggest impact is
DDR interface
• Limits can be placed on the permittivity so that FR4 and
HFR-free PCBs are interchangeable for a single design
for 2011 Platforms
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Proposed Timeline
Phase #1
Phase #3
Phase #2
2009
Q1
2009
Q2
Q3
Q4
Q1
Condense
brainstorm
list
Identified Test
Methods, Test
Structures and
Critical dielectric
parameters/limits
PCB Material & SI
Workgroup
membership
finalized. Assign
owners and/or
subteam
2010
2010
Q2
Q3
Complete
POC Test
Structure
Validation
Build
2011
Q4
Q1
Q2
Q3
Complete
EOM/ODM
Verification
Testing
Q4
Final
Report
with
Webinar
Deliver the HF dielectric
Test Methods
electrical requirements to
verified,
the material suppliers and
Phase 2 build
ODMs
complete and
Decide on TV
under test
Complete analysis of data
construction
from Phase 2 test suite
and start Test
builds and start verification
Structure
OEM/ODM builds
designs
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Firms Participating in the Program
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Questions
33
HFR-Free
Technology
Transition Timing
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Industry Collaboration – HFR-Free Technology
Transition Timing
iNEMI Whitepaper Tracks Members’ Progress
toward, and Timeline for, HFR / PVC-Free
Desktop and Notebook Computers
White Paper :
http://www.nemi.org/cms/newsroom/PR/2010/PR112910.html
iNEMI – Industry Leadership
• “Dell is committed to phasing out HFRs and PVC as part of our drive toward adopting environmentally
preferable materials in our products,” said Albert Tsang, Dell environmental affairs. “The work and
interactions invested by iNEMI and the project members clearly demonstrate the importance of working
together to decrease the impact on our environment.”
• “With the transition to low-halogen components and assemblies in our products, we needed to assure we
maintained quality, safety and performance,” said Rob J. Taylor, director of environmental affairs at
Lenovo. “During 2010, Lenovo has made a lot of progress and will have a significant number of
low-halogen offerings to announce in the 2011 timeframe. iNEMI, along with many OEMs and their
partners, have worked together to develop best practices as well as to identify many technical challenges
with the transition to low-halogen.”
• “Sustainability is a core value of DSM, the global chemical leader in the Dow Jones Sustainability Index,”
said Dr. Tamim Sidiki, global marketing manager, DSM Engineering Plastics. “The elimination of
hazardous substances is high on our agenda, along with our newly introduced bio-based performance
materials, recycling programs and eco-efficiency solutions. DSM offers entirely halogen and red
phosphorous free solutions for connectors and sockets as well as cable and wires. We strongly believe
that the conversion to halogen-free electronics is of comparable dimension and complexity as the
previous switch to lead-free soldering; and the platform offered by iNEMI enables a further
industry alignment.”
Industry Transition to HFR-Free Technology
• Great progress made to date in moving computer system major sub
assemblies to materials that have the potential to minimize
environmental impacts across the full product lifecycle
Major system components of a typical desktop computer
Key Sub-Assembly Level Transitions
Summary of Computer Product Advancements Made to Date
Key System
Elements
Notebook Status
2H 2010 New Products
Desktop Status
2H 2010 New Products
CPU heat sink
CPU socket
CPU fan
CPU
Memory modules
Power supply
HFR –free
HFR-free
HFR-free not available
HFR-free
HFR-free
HFR-free and PVC-free not available
HFR-free
HFR-free
HFR-free not available
HFR-free
HFR-free
HFR-free and PVC-free not available
Hard drive & DVD
burner
HFR-free
HFR-free
Video/graphics card
or module
HFR-free
HFR-free
Low volume, specific SKUs only
Not HFR-free
(iNEMI teams addressing)
PVC-free
PVC-free
Mother board
(excluding high-end
circuits required for
workstations &
servers)
System enclosure
Low Power Socket & Connector Transition
Connector and Socket HFR-Free Advancements by iNEMI Members
Notebook Status
Desktop Status
Connector Type/Function
Q1 2011 New
Q1 2011 New
Products
Products
CPU socket
HFR-free
HFR-free
DDR3 SIMM slots
HFR-free
HFR-free
LCD backlit subcard
HFR-free
HFR-free
Contactless smart card
HFR-free
HFR-free
USB/SATA combo edgecard
HFR-free
HFR-free
Fan connector
HFR-free
Not HFR-free
Docking connector
HFR-free
HFR-free
Display port/USB combo
HFR-free
HFR-free
RJ45 LED connectors
HFR-free
HFR-free
External CRT connector
HFR-free
HFR-free
Mini PCI-E socket; WWAN &
WLAN
HFR-free
HFR-free
DC In cable/connector
HFR-free
HFR-free
LCD cable connector
HFR-free
HFR-free
Keyboard connector
HFR Free
HFR-free
SATA bay connector
HFR Free
HFR-free
RTC battery socket
HFR Free
HFR-free
Touchpad connector
HFR Free
HFR-free
Smart card I/F connector
HFR Free
HFR-free
SATA HDD connector
HFR Free
HFR-free
Speaker connector
HFR Free
HFR-free
Main battery connector
HFR Free
HFR-free
Main power supply connectors
HFR Free
HFR-free
MDC & SIM connectors
HFR Free
HFR-free
Express card IF connector
HFR Free
HFR-free
-Promising new polymers are
being introduced by specific
vendors into specific part numbers,
with lower power components
being the first to benefit
-The table shows the primary
functions of the connectors, along
with their status and the timing for
their transition to BFR / CFR /
PVC-free materials
- These dates have been defined by
iNEMI’s desktop and notebook
OEM members plus their material
suppliers; and they apply to new
desktop and notebook products
from those OEMs that will begin to
ship by 1Q 2011. Great progress
has been made.
SUMMARY
iNEMI’s OEM members that produce notebook and desktop computers, along with members from
the supplier side of the industry, have made excellent progress in their efforts to deliver
environmentally friendly alternatives.
• Their work has been focused on areas of high impact
• Most major sub-assemblies in these computer products are now both PVC/HFR-free.
• The remaining complex set of challenges for delivering HFR-free printed circuit boards that affect
system motherboards, graphic cards and power supplies are aggressively being driven by two iNEMI
teams.
• An iNEMI team is also working the complex set of issues associated with delivering PVC-free power
cords.
• The last large set of opportunities exists with connectors and sockets, which represent 25% of the
volume on a desktop computer. Research underway at key iNEMI members will work through the
remaining few issues and challenges
The overall goals for these teams are to deliver by the dates shown in Table 3, which will thus affect
a large portion of the OEM volume and supply chain for computer products.
Table 3. Targeted Timeline for Transition of Notebook and Desktop Products
to HFR-Free Components by iNEMI Members
Focus
Complete by
Evaluate and qualify HFR-free alternatives for high-performance PCBs
Q4 2011
Transition to PVC-free alternatives for notebook/desktop power cords
Q4 2011
Transition to HFR-free sockets/connectors for notebook/desktop systems (for at
Q1 2011
least 95% of the part numbers on new products shipping in 1Q 2011)
www.inemi.org
Email contacts:
Bill Bader
bill.bader@inemi.org
Bob Pfahl
bob.pfahl@inemi.org