Aloha, fun & authoritative answers -- no cost, no passwords, no popups
(as an eBay Partner & Amazon Affiliate we earn from qualifying purchases)

Metal finishing Q&As since 1989

-----

PWB: ENIG vs Gold over silver

Q. Our local PWB manufacturer is using a gold over silver process instead of the ENIG.
My understanding is they use sterling silver instead of nickel as barrier between the gold and the copper. But I could not find more on the net.

What are the pros and cons of gold over silver process?
Are there any risk of corrosion or delamination (MLB) of the PWB with this process?

Thank you

Jerome Marange
- Auckland, New Zealand
August 14, 2012

A. Hi Jerome,

What I can think of is gold over silver instead of ENIG can avoid common ENIG defects such as black pad (black nickel), nickel skip plating, high temp and long plating time of electroless nickel causing soldermask blistering, etc. Also, ENIG is not good for gold wire bonding but gold over silver might be better.

However, running cost of gold over silver might be higher than gold over nickel.

Regards,
David

David Shiu
- Singapore
August 16, 2012

(No "dead threads" here! If this page isn't currently on the Hotline your Q, A, or Comment will restore it)

Q, A, or Comment on THIS thread -or- Start a NEW Thread

Disclaimer: It's not possible to fully diagnose a finishing problem or the hazards of an operation via these pages. All information presented is for general reference and does not represent a professional opinion nor the policy of an author's employer. The internet is largely anonymous & unvetted; some names may be fictitious and some recommendations might be harmful.

If you are seeking a product or service related to metal finishing, please check these Directories: