Surface finishes form a crucial interface between the components to be mounted and the interconnection circuitry.
As its most essential function, the final finish process is intended to provide exposed copper circuitry with a protective coating in order to preserve solderability. In a more expanded view, the final finish coating is required to meet dozens of functional criteria, including solderability, environmental, electrical, physical, and durability demands. The past decades have brought about a wholesale transformation in this segment of the industry – a wide variety of functional, environmental, engineering, cost, productivity, and failure mode issues have contributed to this frequent change.
Nonetheless, years of manufacturing experience and constant innovation has enabled PCB International to be a leading edge provider for all your surface finish needs. Including, but not limited to: HASL, ENIG (Immersion Gold), Organic solderability preservative (OSP), immersion silver, immersion tin, Electrolytic nickel/electrolytic gold, electroless gold, etc. Below lists the pros and cons of a number of the more popular surface finishes – most relevant in today's applications. We are pleased to offer all the above surfaces finishes at PCB International.
PCB International recommends opting for immersion gold over immersion tin as a surface finish. Immersion Tin is well known for quality problems and delays. For the most part, immersion tin is considered an obsolete finish since immersion gold began replacing it years ago as a superior alternative without much of a difference in cost.
| Pro | Cons |
| Flast, fine-pitch assembly | Handling sensitive |
| Comparatively inexpensive finish | Solder mask attack |
| No Pb | Corrosion of Whiskers |
| Functionality | Difficult thickness measurement |
| Multiple reflow soldering | Degredation with time/heat |
| Less visible tarnish | Use of thiourea |
| Reworkable | |
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