As a vendor/supplier to the PCB fabricator industry, I may have some insight,
but since I do not actually build boards, I lack full understanding.

The ENIG process is the most nightmare process in making bare PCB's.

The ENIG process is unreliable, often producing rejects, at virtually the
last step in the process, thus costing $$$$.  It is run at VERY high
temperatures, and is a nightmare to waste treat spent chemicals.  (Other than
that, there is nothing wrong with it....:-)

This is ESPECIALLY  true, if you hold the fabricator to tight specs on Nickle
thickness.

If I were building boards, I would discount hugely for any full immersion
process, like Tin or Silver, over ENIG.

Rudy Sedlak
RD Chemical Company

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