Well, FIB is a sort of overkill :-). Good SEM works just fine at about x20000 with a good overplating. Regards, Vladimir SENTTEC Sent from my BlackBerry 10 smartphone on the Rogers network. Original Message From: Grossmann, Günter Sent: Tuesday, October 18, 2016 11:45 To: [log in to unmask] Reply To: TechNet E-Mail Forum Subject: [TN] AW: [TN] Measuring Gold Thickness Seeing the gold in ENIG in microsections with optical microscopy is in my experience quite difficult because the wavelength of the visible light is 400- 700 nm. Also the epoxy cannot inhibit the smearing of the Gold in mechanical polishing. We usually measure the thickness of the gold with a FIB preparation (Well, might not be an instrument that stands in all labs, thus not really cost effective). Best regards Günter > -----Ursprüngliche Nachricht----- > Von: TechNet [mailto:[log in to unmask]] Im Auftrag von David Hillman > Gesendet: Dienstag, 18. Oktober 2016 17:16 > An: [log in to unmask] > Betreff: Re: [TN] Measuring Gold Thickness > > Hi folks - another option that can be used instead of overplating is a good > epoxy material. Just make sure it provides good edge retention. I have been > using a couple of the nonreworkable epoxy underfill materials very > successfully. > > Dave > > On Tue, Oct 18, 2016 at 9:59 AM, Stadem, Richard D. < Richard.Stadem@gd- > ms.com> wrote: > > > I believe Hunter still provides that option. Works quite well, I > > recently plated a number of PWBs with it and the XrF looked great. > > http://www.hunterproducts.com/plating_pens.html > > > > > > -----Original Message----- > > From: TechNet [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Vladimir > > Sent: Tuesday, October 18, 2016 9:31 AM > > To: [log in to unmask] > > Subject: Re: [TN] Measuring Gold Thickness > > > > Overplating is a must. Unfortunately Buehler stopped selling thier > > E-Ni kit at least couple years ago. > > > > > > Vladimir > > > > SENTEC > > > > Sent from my BlackBerry 10 smartphone on the Rogers network. > > Original Message > > From: Bev Christian > > Sent: Tuesday, October 18, 2016 10:25 > > To: [log in to unmask] > > Reply To: TechNet E-Mail Forum > > Subject: Re: [TN] Measuring Gold Thickness > > > > Bob, > > Please excuse my previous short answer, but my wife and I were out > > walking the dog. > > > > "Cost effective". "Single use". Find a friend with an XRF. > > > > Here are some suggestions. > > 1) Use a Fischer, CMI, Oxford, Shimadzu or other known brand. I would > > NOT use a handheld, even if they say you can do thickness measurements > > (Not sure if they are able/touting this ability). > > 2) Make sure it is calibrated with a set of standards (also > > calibrated!) similar to your sample (ENIG standard set for ENIG, > > electroless gold over copper for same sort of sample) > > 4) Use as large an aperture as possible > > 5) Make measurement on a flat sample surface > > 6) Make sure there are no obstructions between the incoming beam and > > the sample surface and the sample surface and the detector > > 7) Don't skimp on the time for the measurement. Use 30 seconds to 2 > > minutes. > > 8) Measure in more than one spot! > > > > Typically for ENIG you will get +/- 5% for the gold and +/- 10% for > > the nickel. > > > > I agree with George with regards to cross-sectioning. If you are going > > to do it, you should probably over plate with nickel first. > > > > Regards, > > Bev > > > > -----Original Message----- > > From: TechNet [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Bob Wettermann > > Sent: Tuesday, October 18, 2016 10:01 AM > > To: [log in to unmask] > > Subject: Re: [TN] Measuring Gold Thickness > > > > Gents/Ladies: > > > > This would be confirming gold plating thickness after repair using a > > brush plating technique. Repair thickness is a function of many variables.... > > > > I was looking for an instrument to verify that would be cost effective > > as it is for this single use. > > > > > > Bob/BEST > > > > On Tue, Oct 18, 2016 at 8:37 AM, Bev Christian > > <[log in to unmask] > > > > > wrote: > > > > > XRF > > > > > > Bev > > > > > > Sent from my BlackBerry 10 smartphone on the Bell network. > > > Original Message > > > From: Bob Wettermann > > > Sent: Tuesday, October 18, 2016 9:28 AM > > > To: [log in to unmask] > > > Reply To: TechNet E-Mail Forum > > > Subject: [TN] Measuring Gold Thickness > > > > > > Outside of x-sectional measurements for QA. can someone please share > > > their favorite method/instrument for measuring gold thicknesses on > PCBs? > > > > > > Thanks > > > > > > Bob/BEST > > > > > > > > > > > -- > > Bob Wettermann > > BEST Inc > > [log in to unmask] > > Cell: 847-767-5745 > >