Plated gold may not be the answer either. If the parts that are being built
have a higher aspect ratio, it is difficult to get good nickel/gold plating
through the holes. This can lead to copper/nickel or gold plating voids.
Also plated gold tends to be quite a bit thicker then immersion gold (50
micro inches versus 5-7) so the amount of gold in a paste joint is much
greater. Another alternative is a white tin such as FST. The assembly
process is the same as HASL, but the process will result in a flat finish
with solder joints identical to HASL. If gold is an absolute requirement,
it can be taped off during FST processing.  Just a thought.

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