I-tech electronics co.,ltd has the capabilities to print circuit boards with almost all types of surface finish options or combing 2 above surface finish on a pcb.
If you have any question on our custom PCB manufacturing capabilities or need more assistance on selecting PCB surface finish, do not hesitate to reach us . We'll respond very quickly.
If you have any question for soldering issue in your soldering process, you are welcome to talk to us as we have soldering experts who can help you.
Which type of surface finish is the best for PCBs? The best surface finish doesn't exist and you just need to pick up the most suitable type. Selection of surface finish should be carried out based on performance and cost requirement of PCBs.
Surface Finish | Process | Advantages | Disadvantages | Basic Feature | Storage Best |
Hot Air Solder Leveling (HASL-Lead Free) | Uses molten solder and hot air knives. | Inexpensive, widely available, and good for hole plating. | Not suitable for fine-pitch components, can cause uneven surfaces. | Sn THK: 1-40μm, | 6months |
Immersion Tin(ISn) | PCB is immersed in a tin bath. | Flat surfaces, good for press-fit pin insertion. | Potential for tin whiskers, sensitive to handling. | Sn THK: 1.0-1.3μm | 3months |
Immersion Silver(IAg) | PCB immersed in a silver bath. | Flat surfaces, good solderability. | Sensitive to handling, tarnishing, and limited shelf life. | Ag THK: 0.05-0.125μm | 3months |
Electroless Nickel Immersion Gold (ENIG) | Nickel is plated onto the PCB, followed by a layer of immersion gold. | Flat surfaces, good for fine pitch components, long shelf life. | Expensive, potential for black pad syndrome. | Ni THK: 3-6μm | 6months |
Au THK: 0.03-0.10μm | |||||
Electroless Nickel Electroless Palladium Immersion Gold (ENEPIG) | Nickel is plated onto the PCB, followed by a layer of palladium and then immersion gold. | Excellent solderability and wire bonding capabilities. | Expensive, complex process. | Pd THK: 0.05-0.15μm, | 6months |
Au THK: 0.025-0.05μm | |||||
Organic Solderability Preservatives (OSP) | A thin layer of organic material is placed over bare copper. | Inexpensive, flat surfaces. | Limited reworkability, sensitivity to handling, and limited shelf life. | Solderable; THK: 0.2-0.5μm, | 3months |
Hard Gold Plating | A hard, durable gold layer is plated onto the PCB. | Durable, excellent conductivity, ideal for mating surfaces. | Expensive, and not suitable for soldering. | Au：0.76um | 6months |
Immersion Nickel Gold (IMG) | Similar to ENIG but involves immersion of gold over nickel. | Good solderability, flat surfaces. | Expensive, potential for black pad syndrome. | Ni THK: 3-6μm | 6months |
Au THK: 0.03-0.10μm | |||||
Directly Plated Copper (DPC) | A layer of copper is plated directly onto the PCB. | Good for signal integrity, suitable for high frequencies. | More complex processes may require special handling. | 3months | |
Electroless Nickel Electroless Palladium (ENEP) | Similar to ENEPIG, but without the final immersion gold layer. | Good solderability and wire bonding capabilities. | Expensive, complex process. | Ni THK: 3-6μm | 6months |
Direct Immersion Gold (DIG) | PCB copper surface directly covered by gold layer( No Nickel) | No Nickel is very good for signal integrity, suitable for high frequencies. | Limited adhesion between gold and copper, limited corrosion resistance. | Au THK: 0.5-1.5μm | 3months |
