It depends on the type of circuitry and metal finish type as to which is
better.

With the tenting process, the entire panel is plated with copper, an etch
resist tents the holes to keep them from being etched out and then the
panel is etched.  

Drawbacks: The tenting may break on larger holes.  Difficult to etch fine
traces. Copper is plated inefficiently since it is mostly etched off
immediately after plating.  It only works if the finish type is bare copper
or SMOBC.

Using pattern plating, a metal is plated onto the surface to act as an etch
resist.

Drawbacks: An extra plating step over tent and etch.  A new waste stream to
worry about (tin or tin-lead).

To do fine line traces and other finish types such as nickel-gold or
selective plating you will need to go the pattern plate route.

--Matt
----------
> From: Hawk Chen <[log in to unmask]>
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Tenting Process
> Date: Monday, January 13, 1997 10:23 PM
> 
> Hi My Dear Friends:
> 
>    Now, we are on the intersection of tenting process(negative,
> no panel plating) and traditional process (panel plating + 
> pattern plating).
> 
>    Are there somebody experience to this two kinds of process,
> Which one is better, why? 
> 
> 
> Hawk Chen
> Gloria R & D Chief
> 

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