| We currently use an abrasive fiberglass brush to clean the silver oxide off of our substrates proir to asembly. It's messy and tiring. Is there an alternative method, either chemical or mechanical that is cost effective for small (30 to 50ea 6in sq panels) lots. | Thanks for your assistance and also for the wealth of information and education I am getting from the exchanges on this site. I look forward to the day when I am answering questions as well as asking. | Gary, I'm not too familiar with the processing of ceramic substrates nor am I familiar with the time it takes for Ag oxide to form but what about preventative measures instead of cleaning? Cleaning is always going to consume time and time is money. What about storing your substrates in a dessicant atmospher. there is a company in California called Terra-Universal. I'm not sure if you're familiar with them but they sell dessicant chambers. You should also be able to find these on the used market. The basic principle is pretty simple. you have an ESD safe plexi-glass cabinet with a few bells and whistles, a built in hygrometer, and a flow meter. Nitrogen is fed to the cabinet via a low pressure liquid cylinder and the atmosphere inside the cabinet is kept dry. Thus, no oxide. The number for Terra-Universal is 714 526 0100. This may eliminate the need for cleaning entirely. I think it may be worth looking into. Best Regards, Justin Medernach Flextronics Int'l PIC East
reply »