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Surface roughness for good electroplating
January 15, 2011
I am a researcher at Postech Korea and I need some assistance relating to electroplating. I want to electroplate solder (PbSn) on copper substrate/surface. Should the surface be very smooth/polished or slightly rough?
I want to know whether surface roughness of the substrate affects electroplating process or not? In know surface should be cleaned but my querry is about surface roughness i.e if we have two samples both are well cleaned and one has very smooth/polished/fine surface while other has rough surface finish. Which will show good results/electroplating?
If surface should be rough, what is easy/manual method of making surface rough, keeping it clean as well.
Alen Christopher
Researcher - Pohang, South Korea
Hi, Alen.
Electroplating is metallurgically bonded to the substrate and does not require any mechanical "key" or "tooth" for good adhesion.
Regards,
Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey
Ted is available for instant help
or longer-term assistance.
January 17, 2011
Smooth is OK, but "polished" is frequently not good because of the difficulty in getting all of the polish material off of the part.
James Watts
- Navarre, Florida
January 18, 2011
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