On Tuesday, microprocessor giant Intel announced that its entire processor line would be lead-free from later this year on.
Beginning with the upcoming Penryn processor line, the company’s 45-nanometer chips will go lead-free. The 65-nanometer chips will follow suit later in 2007 according to Macworld News.
Though extremely useful as a manufacturing component thanks to its electrical and mechanical properties, lead remains a toxic metal and a point of contention between environmental groups and IT manufacturers.
In 2005, Intel announced that the company had invested US$100 million in the development of a lead alternative to used as solder for its chip line. The company stated that its goal at the time was to be lead-free by 2010 and the firm took its first steps towards this end by beginning to remove lead from its products in 2002. By 2004, the company had reduced its lead content to 0.02 grams of solder used for its chips.
Per Tuesday’s announcement, the company announced plans to replace its tin-lead solder component with an alloy consisting of tin, silver and copper. The change in materials should not affect performance or when upcoming products arrive to market.
On Tuesday, microprocessor giant Intel announced that its entire processor line would be lead-free from later this year on.
Beginning with the upcoming Penryn processor line, the company’s 45-nanometer chips will go lead-free. The 65-nanometer chips will follow suit later in 2007 according to Macworld News.
Though extremely useful as a manufacturing component thanks to its electrical and mechanical properties, lead remains a toxic metal and a point of contention between environmental groups and IT manufacturers.
In 2005, Intel announced that the company had invested US$100 million in the development of a lead alternative to used as solder for its chip line. The company stated that its goal at the time was to be lead-free by 2010 and the firm took its first steps towards this end by beginning to remove lead from its products in 2002. By 2004, the company had reduced its lead content to 0.02 grams of solder used for its chips.
Per Tuesday’s announcement, the company announced plans to replace its tin-lead solder component with an alloy consisting of tin, silver and copper. The change in materials should not affect performance or when upcoming products arrive to market.