If the gold is flaking and bubbling up then the gold never adhered to the
nickel surface.  Now you have a real problem because nickel oxidizes very
easily.  In fact it more than likely it already has.  Once the nickel
surface has oxidized you will not be able to solder to that surface.  You
may be able to use some Nickel-Nu and fix the nickel surface, but oh god
what a mess, and there is no guarantee either!!

I would send them back.  If they argue with you, you could prove your point
by doing a solderability test (steam age, then dip test) just to prove your
point.

Good Luck!

Thanks,
Kathy Palumbo
> ----------
> From:         GuitarBud[SMTP:[log in to unmask]]
> Sent:         Friday, April 17, 1998 7:59 AM
> To:   [log in to unmask]
> Subject:      [TN] NiAu Plating Problem
>
> I recently received immersion gold finished boards from a PCB supplier
> where
> some of the edges of the traces were black.  The gold was flaking or had a
> bubbled appearance in areas as well.
>
> I was told that the black was lead build-up from the plating bath since
> extra
> lead was used to limit the reactivity of the bath.  I was also told that
> if we
> could live with the flaking, the lead build-up was not a reliability
> concern
> as long as we had good solderability.
>
> Is it likely that it is only lead and that reliability is not a problem?
>
> Frank
>
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