KELSO, ENGLAND -- A group of European printed circuit industry companies, under the auspices of The Institute Circuit Technology, are embarking on a study of black pad and related problems on printed circuit boards.

The group, a mix of fabricators, suppliers and other academia, are investigating the scope, extent and factors that cause black pad when electroless nickel/immersion gold (ENIG) finishes are used. Plans call for the development of a nondestructive test method to show the presence of black pad, and the development and testing of lower cost, less aggressive surface chemistries (OSPs) as replacements for conventional ENIG using both aqueous and ionic liquid based electrolytes.

The group also wants to develop new standards supporting their use.

The program is called Advanced Surface Protection for Improved Reliability PCB Systems.

Participating companies include board fabricators Graphic Plc and Merlin Circuit Technology, suppliers such as Atotech, trade groups (EIPC Services, Global Interconnection Services, ITRI), and various academic institutions.

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