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Real Time with… IPC APEX EXPO 2024: Exploring the Future of Surface Finishes
April 25, 2024 | Real Time with...IPC APEX EXPOEstimated reading time: Less than a minute
Joe McGurran, product marketing director for MKS Atotech, looks into the future of surface finishes, discussing less nickel, reduced thickness, technologies influencing HDI and UHDI, and the benefits of nickel-free surface finishes. He also touches on popular finishes like ENIG and palladium immersion gold and discusses the value proposition of making a change.
Click to watch the interview on our Real Time with... IPC APEX EXPO 2024 event site.
Suggested Items
Reassessing Surface Finish Performance for Next-gen Technology, Part 2
03/04/2024 | Frank Xu, PhD and Martin Bunce of MacDermid Alpha, and John Coonrod of Rogers Corp.The introduction of 5G/6G has created a growing demand for faster rates of data transfer and operation at higher frequencies, pushing signals to travel toward the outer edges of conductors. As a result, the surface finish applied over the copper circuitry is now gaining more attention.
Reassessing Surface Finish Performance for Next-gen Technology, Part 1
06/26/2023 | Frank Xu, PhD and Martin Bunce of MacDermid Alpha, and John Coonrod of Rogers Corp.Over the years, various surface finishes have been successfully utilized, namely organic solderability preservative (OSP), immersion silver (ImAg), immersion tin (ImSn), electroless nickel immersion gold (ENIG), and electroless nickel electroless palladium immersion gold (ENEPIG), as solderable finishes for PCB and package substrates. All these surface finishes have their pros and cons, with no single finish being suited to all applications. As system designers continue to respond to new performance demands, it can be noted that ENIG/ENEPIG finishes have endured as a leading choice in many advanced applications where reliability is prioritized over cost.
DFM 101: Final Finishes—OSP
03/09/2023 | Anaya Vardya, American Standard CircuitsOne of the biggest challenges facing PCB designers is not understanding the cost drivers in the PCB manufacturing process. The next final finishes to discuss in this series is OSP. As with all surface finishes there are pros and cons with the decision of which to use. It is a combination of application, cost, and the properties of the finish. OSP is RoHS-compliant as there is zero lead content in the finish.
DFM 101: Final Finishes—Electrolytic Nickel/Gold
01/30/2023 | Anaya Vardya, American Standard CircuitsOne of the biggest challenges facing PCB designers is not understanding the cost drivers in the PCB manufacturing process. This article is the latest in a series that will discuss these cost drivers (from the PCB manufacturer’s perspective) and the design decisions that will impact product reliability.
MacDermid Alpha to Present Four Technical Papers at IPC APEX EXPO
01/10/2023 | MacDermid AlphaMacDermid Alpha, a leading global supplier of integrated circuit, assembly and semiconductor solutions for the electronics design and manufacturing industries, will be highlighting their latest research on final finishes, lightweight bio-based polymers, solder alloy reliability for automotive applications, and brand new findings from test data on conformal coatings.