You can also try Panel-Strike plating and follow up with pattern plate. There's many various terminolgy but the method is basically the same. Process Steps: Electroless Copper Panel-Strike Plate O/L photo for pattern plate Pattern plate The key is to control: Cu weight foil to start How much Cu to strike plate How much Cu to Pattern Plate Other variables: How much and type of auto-theiving pads to use inside and/or outside of the actual board. Copper bath control, i.e. anode placement, asf, etc... Hope this helps, Steven >>> Ed Cosper <[log in to unmask]> 07/22/98 09:08am >>> Hi Dick, Personally I do not feel 5/5 technology can be produced with any kind of acceptable yield using standard panel plating techniques. I guess if a very thin base foil were to be used such as 1/4 oz or less it would improve the capability but I have never seen it done and I'm not sure if the foil is readily available. Another concern would I would have would be the tenting of via holes. I would suspect that the 5/5 lines and spacing are a result of increased surface mount devices on the part. If this were the case then it would stand to reason that the hole to pad ratio would also be reduced. I really personally would be very cautious about attempting to tent as an etch resist an annular rings of .005 or less. Just my thoughts. Ed Cosper ---------- From: Dick Desrosiers[SMTP:[log in to unmask]] Sent: Wednesday, July 22, 1998 10:13 AM To: [log in to unmask] Subject: [TN] Plating Technetters Is it possible to produce 5/5 technology with a panel plate tent and etch process ? Also, what are the strengths and weaknesses of horizontal plating processes ? Can anyone provide me with info on horizontal electro plating ? Thanks for your help Dick Desrosiers ################################################################ TechNet E-Mail Forum provided as a free service by IPC using LISTSERV 1.8c ################################################################ To subscribe/unsubscribe, send a message to [log in to unmask] with following text in the body: To subscribe: SUBSCRIBE TechNet <your full name> To unsubscribe: SIGNOFF TechNet ################################################################ Please visit IPC's web site (http://www.ipc.org) "On-Line Services" section for additional information. For technical support contact Hugo Scaramuzza at [log in to unmask] or 847-509-9700 ext.312 ################################################################ ################################################################ TechNet E-Mail Forum provided as a free service by IPC using LISTSERV 1.8c ################################################################ To subscribe/unsubscribe, send a message to [log in to unmask] with following text in the body: To subscribe: SUBSCRIBE TechNet <your full name> To unsubscribe: SIGNOFF TechNet ################################################################ Please visit IPC's web site (http://www.ipc.org) "On-Line Services" section for additional information. For technical support contact Hugo Scaramuzza at [log in to unmask] or 847-509-9700 ext.312 ################################################################ ################################################################ TechNet E-Mail Forum provided as a free service by IPC using LISTSERV 1.8c ################################################################ To subscribe/unsubscribe, send a message to [log in to unmask] with following text in the body: To subscribe: SUBSCRIBE TechNet <your full name> To unsubscribe: SIGNOFF TechNet ################################################################ Please visit IPC's web site (http://www.ipc.org) "On-Line Services" section for additional information. For technical support contact Hugo Scaramuzza at [log in to unmask] or 847-509-9700 ext.312 ################################################################