Tony We do Full body and selective Electroplated nickel / gold. As a precaution we bake our panels at 250'F for 15 minutes after copper plate or in the case of selective gold we bake after solder plate before second image. The bake process if not controlled can make subsequent dry film strip tougher. The process from 1st image through gold plate must be done in a timely manner. No staging for 2-3 days after image. We only do selective gold if circuits requiring gold are isolated. If circuits are not isolated the etching process will reduce trace thickness may even create opens at the butt line of the gold / copper junction. We were successful once by nickel gold plating immediately after solder strip but this is a dangerous process to let loose in a production environment. I do not know of any hard electroless gold and I doubt that it is possible. The only reliable source for electroless gold (soft) that I know has yet to develop a temporary mask for a selective process. Kim [log in to unmask] ______________________________ Reply Separator _________________________________ Subject: Dry Film For Deep Gold Process Author: [log in to unmask] at SMTPLINK-HADCO Date: 2/19/97 7:14 AM There are a variety of methods for application of electrolytic nickel/gold to printed circuit boards, most use a buss connection to the features which is removed at the routing or secondary drill operations. The buss can be internal or external however serves the same function. Some designs do not allow a buss type connection, it becomes necessary to use the base foil as the buss after pattern plate prior to etch. A selective gold application requires an additional coating of dry film photo resist to cover all but the features to be nickel/gold plated. The nickel/gold process is very aggressive on photo resist, causing film lifting and under plate of nickel/gold under the film. Does anyone in the manufacturing industry know of a photo resist capable to survive this process without lifting ? (double coat,image and develop) How are other manufacturers coping with nickel/gold application when buss connections are not an option ? Electroless nickel/gold is an even more aggressive process than the electrolytic process, is there a process to apply hard gold selectively to boards with the electroless process? What is used to mask the other portions of the board ? Tony King Elexsys International Inc. Nashua N.H. [log in to unmask] 603-886-0066 *************************************************************************** * TechNet mail list is provided as a service by IPC using SmartList v3.05 * *************************************************************************** * To subscribe/unsubscribe send a message <to: [log in to unmask]> * * with <subject: subscribe/unsubscribe> and no text in the body. * *************************************************************************** * If you are having a problem with the IPC TechNet forum please contact * * Dmitriy Sklyar at 847-509-9700 ext. 311 or email at [log in to unmask] * *************************************************************************** *************************************************************************** * TechNet mail list is provided as a service by IPC using SmartList v3.05 * *************************************************************************** * To subscribe/unsubscribe send a message <to: [log in to unmask]> * * with <subject: subscribe/unsubscribe> and no text in the body. * *************************************************************************** * If you are having a problem with the IPC TechNet forum please contact * * Dmitriy Sklyar at 847-509-9700 ext. 311 or email at [log in to unmask] * ***************************************************************************