Steve: It looks like it's actually the nickel coming off the copper.

The short answer is, if the gold in on the fingers in the mating contact
area your are OK. I would run some solder across the exposed copper and call
it good.

If the gold is missing in the mating contact area of the fingers you need to
clean/prep/brush plate Ni followed by Au.

The more critical issue is the plating integrity. You should do a tape test
on all exposed Au. You may find additional peeling that is unacceptable.

Get back to the board fabricator, this is coming from them. Usually an
indication of problems in resist and/or Ni-Au plating processes.


Reagrds

Michael Barmuta

Staff Engineer

Fluke Corp.

Everett WA

425-446-6076

-----Original Message-----
From: TechNet [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Steve Gregory
Sent: Friday, October 28, 2005 8:37 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: [TN] Gold Plating Peeling...


Well, I just got back from "Sin City", and as they say; "no rest for the
wicked".

I really wasn't that wicked, but I was confronted with a new problem this
morning.

We just built some assemblies and conformal coated them, but when they were
being de-masked, the gold plating on the fingers started peeling up! Check
out:

http://www.stevezeva.homestead.com/files/Peeling_Plating.jpg
http://www.stevezeva.homestead.com/files/Peeling_Plating_2.jpg

I have a couple of questions:

Can I repair this?

If I repair this, should all fingers be stripped and repaired?

Kind regards,

-Steve Gregory-
Senior Process Engineer
LaBarge Incorporated
Tulsa, Oklahoma
(918) 459-2285
(918) 459-2350 FAX
__________________________________________________________________
This message may contain information that is privileged and confidential to
LaBarge, Inc.  It is for use only by the individual or entity named above.
If you are not the intended recipient, you may not copy, use or deliver this
message to anyone.  In such event, you should destroy the message and kindly
notify the sender by reply e-mail.

---------------------------------------------------
Technet Mail List provided as a service by IPC using LISTSERV 1.8e To
unsubscribe, send a message to [log in to unmask] with following text in the
BODY (NOT the subject field): SIGNOFF Technet To temporarily halt or
(re-start) delivery of Technet send e-mail to [log in to unmask]: SET Technet
NOMAIL or (MAIL) To receive ONE mailing per day of all the posts: send
e-mail to [log in to unmask]: SET Technet Digest Search the archives of
previous posts at: http://listserv.ipc.org/archives Please visit IPC web
site http://www.ipc.org/contentpage.asp?Pageid=4.3.16 for additional
information, or contact Keach Sasamori at [log in to unmask] or 847-615-7100
ext.2815
-----------------------------------------------------

---------------------------------------------------
Technet Mail List provided as a service by IPC using LISTSERV 1.8e
To unsubscribe, send a message to [log in to unmask] with following text in
the BODY (NOT the subject field): SIGNOFF Technet
To temporarily halt or (re-start) delivery of Technet send e-mail to [log in to unmask]: SET Technet NOMAIL or (MAIL)
To receive ONE mailing per day of all the posts: send e-mail to [log in to unmask]: SET Technet Digest
Search the archives of previous posts at: http://listserv.ipc.org/archives
Please visit IPC web site http://www.ipc.org/contentpage.asp?Pageid=4.3.16 for additional information, or contact Keach Sasamori at [log in to unmask] or 847-615-7100 ext.2815
-----------------------------------------------------