Hi Richard. I worried about this too and in the past tried to get a definitive answer. This is about as close as I got. Q1. Is kapton tape an industry accepted way of protecting gold pads from solder splashes? A1. No. It is more accepted to resolve the reason behind the solder splats, so that the added labor and cost of taping is eliminated. Q2. What are the chances of the kapton tape adhesive leaving behind silicone residues on the COB pads? A2. Depends. Kapton tape is not the same as kapton tape. Some tapes leave no residues, but they cost more than those that do leave residues. Guess which one buyers choose, when left with a choice? Q3. If silicone residues are left behind, how to get rid of it? A3. Dow claims that the OS series of solvents (VOC-free) will remove silicone oils. Contact the manufacturer's applications engineering folks so you're sure the chemistry you try is compatible with the oil. Are you sure the residue is silicone? Q4. What are the other options of covering the COB pads aside from kapton tape? A4. See A1. Answers by Dave Fish, copied from SMTnet Archives. That said, we have been using Shercon low bond tape to protect pads for years without measureable increase in solder defects. We don't coat the boards, so I don't know about coating problems. Guy -----Original Message----- From: TechNet [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Stadem, Richard D. Sent: Tuesday, August 06, 2013 9:18 AM To: [log in to unmask] Subject: [TN] Silicone adhesives on tapes Do you think the silicone adhesive on Kapton and Shercon tapes can create a manufacturing issue during conformal coating or for sensitive electronics? Doug, I would be especially interested in your respected input on this question. This message and/or attachments may include information subject to GDC4S S.P. 1.8.6 and GD Corporate Policy 07-105 and are intended to be accessed only by authorized recipients. Use, storage and transmission are governed by General Dynamics and its policies. Contractual restrictions apply to third parties. Recipients should refer to the policies or contract to determine proper handling. Unauthorized review, use, disclosure or distribution is prohibited. If you are not an intended recipient, please contact the sender and destroy all copies of the original message. ______________________________________________________________________ This email has been scanned by the Symantec Email Security.cloud service. For more information please contact helpdesk at x2960 or [log in to unmask] ______________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________ This email has been scanned by the Symantec Email Security.cloud service. For more information please contact helpdesk at x2960 or [log in to unmask] ______________________________________________________________________