I have just spent the last 2 hours going through the TechNet archives
reading correspondance regarding to soldering to gold plated pads.  I am
now more confused then when I began.  We have just finished reflowing
and wave soldering our first gold plated pwb (mixed technology).  It
looks terrible.  Talk about dull and grainy solder connections!  The
wave soldered connections look worse than the reflowed connections.

The suggestions I've read in the archives include:
Altering reflow profile (longer/hotter).
SEM Analysis and microsection.  (we are only building  5 CCA's at this
time).
"Quit looking at the solder joint appearance".
A remedy of better preheat, slower conveyor speed and higher wave solder
temperatures.
Use 2% silver in your paste.
Use more solder paste.

Are these dull connections acceptable?  What constitutes true gold
embrittlement?  Is gold embrittlement a legitimate defect?  How are
other companies dealing with gold plated pads.  Do you need to change
your process?

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