Although lead may no longer be used in the fabrication of electrical and electronic materials within Europe, high temperature, high lead-containing materials are currently exempt from legislation. This is likely to change and this COST project, MP0602, is an opportunity for the European scientific and industrial community to prepare for this eventuality. There is currently no "drop-in" alternative to the high temperature solders (>300 C), high lead (90% Pb) currently in use. The aim ultimately is to identify a number of environmentally friendly lead-free solder systems suitable for high-temperature applications. The Action runs from March 2007 to May 2011.

The main beneficiaries of this project are thought to be the electonics industry for advanced packaging technologies, power circuits (where high levels of conductivity are required), the automotive industry for under bonnet applications where high current and low voltages lead to high temperatures within the engine area and multi-chip modelling, a step soldering approach which requires a range of solders with different melting points.

The scientific programme will be based on a multidisciplinary and multiscale approach. Different working groups will develop materials property databases (thermodynamics and kinetics, materials properties, and process related properties of the solder and joint materials), model solder beahviour (the formation of intermetallic compounds at solder/substrate interface, the development of texture of reaction products in concentration gradients and of defect structures in vicinity of reaction interface, competitive nucleation and growth of intermediate phases and the prediction of corrosion behaviour, deformation processes, failure modes etc. during fabrication and service), understand the thermo-mechanical fatigue and durability of interfaces and intermetallics, and finally to identify optimum process conditions.

What is COST ?

Further information about MP0602.

Updated 17 June 2008