Plating and Finishing Solutions

For plated through hole boards, electroless copper is followed by electroplated copper. The electroplated copper is deposited onto the hole wall to an average thickness of 0.001 inch. During the plating process, external lines receive an average of 0.0012 inch of copper plating. This is in addition to the original (base) copper foil.

All exposed circuitry after soldermask needs to be protected by one of the finishes listed below.

Hot Air Leveled Solder - HASL (Eutectic: 63% Tin - 37% Lead) 

• Typical coating thickness: 30 µinch to 200 µinch, design dependent
• Excellent solderability
• 0.020 inch pitch capability
• 0.030 inch minimum board thickness capability
• Good shelf life

Tin Plating

• Typical thickness: 300 µinch tin
• Solderable surface
• Fair shelf life

Deep Nickel Plating

• Typical thickness: 200 µinch nickel
• Excellent corrosion resistance
• Excellent wear resistance, best for surface switches, on/off contacts
• Excellent shelf life

Automatic Gold Plating - Tabs

• Typical thickness: 30 to 50 µinch gold (99.7% Pure) over 200 µinch nickel
• Excellent corrosion resistance
• 130 to 220 Knoop hardness
• Excellent wear resistance, best for edge connectors
• Excellent shelf life

Electroless Nickel / Immersion Gold (99.9% Pure Gold)

• Typical thickness: 3 to 8 µinch gold over 100 µinch nickel
• Excellent corrosion resistance
• Good for aluminum wire bonding
• Excellent for fine pitch technology
• Board not subjected to thermal shock (such as HASL)
• Excellent solderability
• Excellent shelf life

Organic Solderability Preservative (OSP) or Anti-Tarnish

• Typical coating thickness: 8 µinch
• Excellent solderability
• Excellent surface coplanarity and hole size uniformity
• Excellent for use in fine pitch technology
• Board not subjected to thermal shock (such as HASL)
• Fair shelf life (12 months)