Supervisory Integrated Circuits feature lead-free design

Series EM632x and EM635x [micro]P voltage supervisory ICs range from voltage detector to advanced watchdog with or without manual reset function. Both families offer up to 12 threshold voltages between 1.3-4.5 V, as well as different timeout reset and watchdog periods. Both come in ultra-small SC70 or SOT23 packages and operate up to 125[degrees]C. Products are suited for monitoring battery-operated equipment that uses MPU, MCU, or DSP.

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All inventory set to comply with lead-free standards

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colorado - April 26, 2005 - EM Microelectronic, an electronic systems company of the Swatch Group, announces that its new [micro]P voltage supervisory IC product family is available in lead-free and green mold packaging for production in high volume quantities. The EM632x and the EM635x are EM Microelectronic's first products to transition to entirely lead-free IC production.

The EM632x (EM6323/24/25) and the EM635x (EM6352/53/54) are two families of cost-effective, low-power and space-saving reset ICs with many available options. They range from the simple voltage detector to an advanced watchdog with or without manual reset function. Both families offer up to 12 threshold voltages between 1.3V and 4.5V, different timeout reset and watchdog periods and come with various pinouts for versatility and maximum flexibility in the application. These products fit in all applications, including monitoring battery operated equipment that uses MPU, MCU or DSP. Both are available in ultra-small SC70 or SOT23 packages, and both operate up to 125[degrees]C. Decreasing the amount of harmful substances in the environment has become increasingly important over the last decade. Because reducing those harmful substances begins at the manufacturing source, various regulatory agencies enforce goals and restrictions on lead and other potentially harmful materials. Restrictions on Hazardous Substances (RoHS) directives were first instituted by the European Union (EU) in 1992. The current RoHS initiative mandates that by July 1, 2006, all new electrical and electronic equipment put on the market in EU member states should not contain lead, mercury, cadmium or hexavalent chromium. Much of Asia also agrees to comply with RoHS goals. The United States does not currently have any guidelines, but will be affected since many global manufacturers will make a complete transition from supplying leaded to lead-free integrated circuits to OEMs. EM products are not only "lead-free" but also RoHS compliant and "green", meaning that they are also free of other potentially harmful materials.

"This is no small task to switch almost the entire electronics industry to RoHS compliance, and EM Microelectronic has taken its customers' concerns very seriously. " explains Mougahed Darwish, president of the management board of EM Microelectronic. "EM is working very hard with its suppliers - we are ahead of the game and have been delivering lead-free/green voltage supervisors samples since the fourth quarter of 2004. We are now ready to deliver production quantities for those customers who request them."

Between the third quarter of 2005 and the first quarter of 2006, there will be a transition period from leaded to lead-free/green products. EM will concentrate first on switching over customer requested parts. EM will help its customers to transfer their existing EM leaded products to lead-free/green, so they can optimize their inventory management on leaded products. By the end of March 2006, EM plans to be delivering entirely lead-free products, three months before the deadline.

Because of a clear documentation and product labeling policy, EM Microelectronic is making it very easy for its customers to differentiate lead-free from leaded parts, avoiding possible confusion. In order to easily identify lead-free parts when placing an order, EM places a "+" symbol at the end of the part number (e.g. EM6323LXSP5B-2.9+). The information for lead-free parts, such as internal sales numbers, package top marking and labels, differentiate from the leaded counterpart in a very clear and simple way. For more information, see EM's lead free policy at http://www.emmicroelectronic.com/webfiles/quality/leadfreepolicy.pdf.

EM Microelectronic currently provides samples of lead-free supervisory ICs in qualified lead-free packages upon request. The reflow profile for soldering is compliant with JEDEC J-STD-020 standards, which is the industry standard for lead-free soldering compatibility. Matte tin (Sn) is used to replace conventional SnPb as the plating material, with the exception of a few parts requiring NiPdAu leadfinish to reach MSL 2, making handling in production easier at the customer site. Lead-free/green products meet the high quality and performance standards set by EM's original products, and the same pricing applies