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I was adding some small components to a Digikey order, just because I couldn't stand to pay the shipping costs for the single item I really needed. I just received my order to find that the SMD LEDs are moisture sensitive.

I hadn't bothered to think about this issue, mainly because I really wanted SMD LEDs on my board because they look cool. :) After googling, I've read that either "most" SMD LEDs are moisture-sensitive, or that all are. I haven't found any that specifically state that they aren't, and Digikey's search tool doesn't have this as a selectable parameter.

So my questions are:

  1. does any manufacturer make a SMD LED that isn't moisture-sensitive, i.e. does not need to be sealed and / or mounted soon after opening the package, and
  2. are there any other cool looking LED options, besides a T1 through-hole package? :)
jippie
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Dave
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  • I've soldered hundreds of LEDs, both by hand and in our little reflow oven. I'm not aware of any having failed during the soldering process. – Rocketmagnet Feb 22 '13 at 20:21
  • Ad. 2) http://www.conrad.nl/medias/global/ce/7000_7999/7200/7270/7271/727164_BB_00_FB.EPS_250.jpg – jippie Feb 23 '13 at 16:52

1 Answers1

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For hobbyist work, it really doesn't matter that much. If you are hand-soldering them, just be careful to not apply too much heat, or for too long.

If you plan to reflow your boards, you might want to pre-bake your LEDs to drive out any accumulated moisture, and that isn't difficult to do. There will usually be instructions in the datasheet.

Dave Tweed
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  • Thank you for the tips! I have read about baking other moisture-sensitive SMDs before, but not LEDs. I'll definitely check the datasheet. – Dave Feb 22 '13 at 14:17