Technical Library | 2015-06-22 16:39:47.0
Surface finishing is an integral part of any PCB fabrication. It is generally applied to exposed Cu connectors and conductors on the board. Surface finishing has numerous important functions. It serves as a protective layer for the Cu connectors during storage. The surface finish helps minimize or reduce tarnish of the Cu substrate. Additionally, since it is the layer that comes into contact with other components during assembly, it ensures good solderability between the PCB and the component during assembly. Furthermore after assembly, the finish helps prolong the integrity of the solder joint during use. A general review of common PCB surface finishes is presented. The advantages and disadvantages of each are discussed and compared.
Technical Library | 2016-05-19 16:03:37.0
As consumers become more reliant on their handheld electronic devices and take them into new environments, devices are increasingly exposed to situations that can cause failure. In response, the electronics industry is making these devices more resistant to environmental exposures. Printed circuit board assemblies, handheld devices and wearables can benefit from a protective conformal coating to minimize device failures by providing a barrier to environmental exposure and contamination. Traditional conformal coatings can be applied very thick and often require thermal or UV curing steps that add extra cost and processing time compared to alternative technologies. These coatings, due to their thickness, commonly require time and effort to mask connectors in order to permit electrical conductivity. Ultra-thin fluorochemical coatings, however, can provide excellent protection, are thin enough to not necessarily require component masking and do not necessarily require curing. In this work, ultra-thin fluoropolymer coatings were tested by internal and industry approved test methods, such as IEC (ingress protection), IPC (conformal coating qualification), and ASTM (flowers-of-sulfur exposure), to determine whether this level of protection and process ease was possible.
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