PCB Finishes

You may think that the surface finish of your printed circuit board only plays a small role in the cost of your project. However, the finish you choose for your PCB can have significant effects on the quality of your boards.

RoHS finishes for your PCB order vary based on applicability and cost. Four of the most common finishes available include the following:

1.Hot Air Surface Leveling (HASL) – HASL is the least expensive you can buy. This option is a good economical choice for through-hole boards but since they have very low surface planarity, they may not be compatible with all SMT boards.

2.Immersion Tin – Immersion coatings are used to create a layer of metal that results in a flat finish. Tin is the least expensive material you can get using the immersion process, but it may not be ideal because the tin layer begins to tarnish immediately.

3.Immersion Silver – Immersion silver is applied in the same way as tin, but it has a longer shelf life because it does not react with the copper. However, if the PCBs are not stored properly they can begin to oxidize and should be placed and reflowed within 24 hours after removing them from packaging.

4.Electroless Nickel Immersion Gold (ENIG) – ENIG is made up of chemically deposited nickel followed by a layer of immersion gold. This option offers several years of shelf life and has better solderability than both tin and silver.

For more info. about PCBs, please visit www.epcb.com