Martin W. Bayes

Next generation electroplating technology for high planarity, minimum surface deposition microvia filling

The combination of specialized equipment and new copper via fill chemistry offers end users a cost effective, highly capable and production proven process for IC package substrate microvias filling. A new, insoluble anode, DC microvia fill system is now available for high volume manufacturing (HVM), offering additional operating flexibility and end user preference.

Development of novel immersion gold for electroless nickel immersion gold process (ENIG) in PCB applications

Electroless nickel and immersion gold (ENIG) is one of the most common final finishes used in PCBs. ENIG surfaces exhibit excellent planarity, solderability and wire bondability and tolerate multiple lead free solder reflows during assembly processing. However, the price of gold has increased rapidly from around

Electroplating equipment design considerations for copper microvia filling

400 US per troy ounce in 2004 to over

Seed layer repair method

1200 US in 2010. This change has increased ENIG operating costs for PCB manufacturers. While many customers have considered operating their immersion gold baths at levels well below the normal product operating ranges, making this change without proper qualification may have a negative impact on ENIG coating performance. In order to avoid such risks, we have developed a new immersion gold product, designed to operate at lower gold concentration, while ensuring that performance characteristics, including deposition rate, the impact on the electroless nickel layer during the displacement reaction and the coverage of the final deposit, are maintained at the required levels.

Process of producing printed circuit boards and the circuit boards formed thereby

Electrolytic copper microvia filling is an enabling technology, prominently used in todays manufacture of advanced HDI and packaging substrate product. In the high volume mass production of copper filled microvias, a wide variety of electroplating equipment designs are available to the fabricator. In this article, various aspects of electroplating equipment design used in the mass production of copper filled microvias are discussed, including a comparison of continuous and batch systems, anode materials, solution delivery (convection), and copper replenishment. The impacts of these variables on microvia filling performance, plated through hole throwing power, surface distribution, trace profile and bath life are described.