The term “low-halogen” is currently not well defined, nor is it mandated as a requirement by any
legislation worldwide at the time of this publication. Nevertheless, to ensure a uniform and consistent
understanding throughout the industry, Altera has adopted the definition of the meaning of “low halogen” from JEDEC JEP 709 as it pertains to solid state devices. Within Altera, the term “low-halogen” is defined in Clause 4 of JEDEC JEP 709 and is used to identify solid state devices that contain low concentrations of bromine and chlorine from brominated and chlorinated flame retardants (BFRs, CFRs).
JEDEC’s Definition that Altera has adopted
The halogens fluorine (F), iodine (I), and astatine (At) are not covered by JEDEC’s guideline. Bromine (Br) and chlorine (Cl) refer to all oxidation states of these elements. Bromine (Br) and chlorine (Cl) in
materials that may be used during processing but do not remain within the final product are not
included in JEDEC’s definition.
According to JEDEC, a solid state device must meet all of the following requirements to be defined as “low-halogen”:
- All printed board laminates contained within a solid state device shall meet the “halogen-free” requirements for Br and Cl as defined in the most current version of IEC 61249-2;
- Each plastic material within the solid state device (excluding printed board laminates) shall contain <1000 ppm (0.1%) by weight of bromine if the bromine source is from BFRs and <1000 ppm (0.1%) by weight of chlorine if the chlorine source is from CFRs. Higher concentrations of bromine and chlorine are allowed in plastics contained within solid state devices (other than printed board laminates contained within those devices) as long as their sources are not BFRs, CFRs.
- Although the elemental analysis for bromine and chlorine can be performed by any analytical method with sufficient sensitivity and selectivity, the presence or absence of BFRs and CFRs, shall be verified by any acceptable analytical techniques and/or material declaration that allow for the unequivocal identification of the specific bromine or chlorine compounds, or by appropriate material declarations agreed to between customer and supplier.
Halogenated Material
Halogenated polymeric materials and organic compounds are used in various engineering applications,
such as flame retardation. According to JEDEC JEP 709, several decades of use have proven these materials to be reliable and cost effective. The electronics and solid state industries seek to further reduce the overall environmental impact of solid state products by working to develop reliable and cost-effective alternatives to these materials. The timetable for broad-scale adoption of halogen-free materials is difficult to predict, because applications such as complex multilayer PCBs and large molded integrated circuits will require further investigation and qualification of new materials.
