JEDEC

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The Joint Electron Device Engineering Council (JEDEC) is the semiconductor engineering standardization body of the Electronic Industries Alliance (EIA), a trade association that represents all areas of the electronics industry.

JEDEC was founded in 1960 as a joint activity between EIA and NEMA. JEDEC has issued widely used standards for device interfaces, such as computer memory (RAM) standards, including the DDR SDRAM standards. It has over 300 members, including some of the world's largest computer companies.

JEDEC also standardizes chip carriers for electronic components. One of the hot issue is currently the creation of a definition of lead-free packages that would prevent the production of tin-whiskers. JEDEC is working with iNemi on a joint interest group.

JEDEC's adoption of open industry standards (i.e., standards that permit any and all interested companies to freely manufacture in compliance with adopted standards) serves several vital functions for the advancement of electronic technologies. First and foremost, such standards allow for interoperability between different electrical components. Second, such standards minimize the likelihood that patents will interfere with the use of such standards, because all JEDEC members are under and obligation to disclose all related patents (including patents that are pending). Typically, standards will not be adopted to cover technology that will be subject to patent protection. In rare circumstances, standards covered by a patent may be adopted, but only on the understanding that the patent owner will not enforce such patent rights or, at a minimum, that the patent owner will provide a reasonable and non-discriminatory license to the patented technology.^[1]