Surface Finish Tutorial

Updated March 2023

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 Surface Finishes
• The main roles of surface finish on PCB’s are (1) to protect exposed copper
areas from oxidizing prior to assembly and (2) to facilitate the formation of
reliable solder joints between the PCB and components.

• Sunshine currently offers the following finishes (SZ – Shenzhen, JJ – Jiujiang)

1. ENIG (SZ, JJ)
2. Lead-based HASL (JJ)
3. Lead-free HAL (SZ, JJ)
4. OSP (SZ, JJ)
5. Immersion Silver (SZ outsource)
6. Immersion Tin (SZ, JJ)
7. Hard Gold (Gold Fingers) (SZ, JJ)
8. ENEPIG (JJ)

• When choosing surface finishes, it is important to consider many factors and

to understand the “Pros” and “Cons” of each option.

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 Factors to Consider
1. Design and Application
– Component requirements: Density, Flatness, Wear resistance, Hardness, Resistivity
– Where and how will the product be used? Length of service life
– RoHS and impact to environment
2. Assembly Process
– Number of reflow cycles, Wave solder, ICT, Wire bond, Rework
– Shelf life and storage conditions, Hold times between cycles
3. Reliability
– Solder joint integrity over time
– Exposure to humid and corrosive environments
4. Processing and Cost
– Ease and cost of processing for PCB fabricator
– Compatibility with other finishes and PCB processes
– Can the surface be refreshed or reapplied after shelf life limit?

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Electroless Nickel Immersion Gold (ENIG)

ENIG is a two-layer metallic plating deposited using chemical processes after

soldermask (SMOBC). The top layer of gold provides low contact resistance,
excellent shelf-life, and good wetting. The nickel layer provides a passivation barrier
to prevent copper diffusion into the gold. The gold dissolves into the solder during
reflow and solder bonds to the nickel. To prevent gold embrittlement, <3% gold by
weight is recommended. Standard thicknesses are .05-.13 um (2.0-5.0 u”) gold over
3.0-6.0 um (118-236 u”) nickel.
Pros:
1. Planar surface and consistent thickness
2. Excellent solderability
3. Long shelf life and resistant to oxidation
4. Wire bondable (aluminum wire bond)

Cons:
1. Higher cost than other finishes; cost depends on area/thickness and may fluctuate by gold market
2. Electroless Ni/P can have undesirable magnetic properties; not preferred for high speed signals
3. Ni is less conductive than copper, gold, or silver
4. Rework of components may be limited due to brittle nickel
5. Out-of-control process can cause corrosion on nickel (Black Pad)

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Hot Air Solder Level (HASL or LF-HAL)

Hot Air Solder Level (HASL) is an old and popular finish which uses lead based solder
(63% Sn / 37% Pb). Lead-free HAL has been developed using Sn alloys and these have
higher melt temperatures. To apply, boards are preheated and treated with flux, then
molten solder is applied by dipping boards into a tank or using a horizontal system.
Excess solder is blown off with forced air and the amount of solder is controlled by air
knife angle and air pressure. LF-HAL coating is slightly thinner and more consistent
than HASL. Thickness varies depending on pad size and location: 1-40 um (40-1575
u”) for surface pads and 1-50um (40-1968um) for hole wall.
Pros:
1. Excellent solderability (“nothing solders like solder”)
2. Easily applied and broad industry experience
3. Long shelf life and resistant to oxidation
4. Low cost
5. Easily reworked at fabricator

Cons:
1. Leaded HASL cannot be used for RoHS products; environmental issues with use of lead
2. Poor surface planarity, HASL thickness vary greatly and it is not recommended for BGA’s or QFP’s
3. Exposure of boards to high temperatures (250C for HASL and 265C for LF-HAL)

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Organic Solderability Preservatives (OSP)

Organic Solderability Preservatives (OSP) applies a organic coating over all exposed
copper surfaces. It is also sometimes referred to “Bare Copper” because coated
pads have the same color as bare copper. The application is easily done in a
horizontal chemical process that is acidic in nature. The OSP coating gradually
evaporates and the evaporation is accelerated by heat (reflow). Thickness is very
thin: 0.2-0.6 um (8-24 u”). Advanced formulations such as the Enthone Entek® Plus
HT works well with multiple lead free assembly cycles, and is compatible with
selective gold or multiple surface finishes.
Pros:
1. Flat, coplanar pads
2. Low cost
3. Easy process and reworkable (can be reapplied)
4. Does not affect finished hole size

Cons:
1. Limited shelf life and must control hold time between assembly steps
2. Limited number of heating cycles before oxidation starts
3. May not work well with wave solder for PTH components; may require aggressive flux
4. Coating accumulates on tips of test probes, must rout and test before coating
5. Difficult to inspect (transparent and colorless)

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Immersion Silver (ImAg)
Immersion Silver consists of a very thin coating of nearly pure silver. Silver is the
most conductive element but there are several drawbacks as a PCB finish. Organic
compounds are typically co-deposited within the silver for prevention of tarnish and
electro-migration. The silver dissolves completely into the solder during assembly.
Thickness is typically 0.15-.35 um (6.0-14.0 u”).
Pros:
1. Planar, solderable surface
2. Moderate cost, may depend on market price for silver
3. Best conductivity, excellent for high frequency product
4. Wire bondable (aluminum wire bond)
5. Good rework capability

Cons:
1. Susceptible to tarnish and oxidation
2. Limited shelf life (accelerated by high temp and humidity); control time between assembly steps.
3. Potential for corrosion after assembly (susceptible to Chlorides and Sulfides)
4. Potential for subsurface or interfacial micro voids
5. High friction coefficient, not suited for press pin insertion
6. Currently outsourced at Sunshine Circuits

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Immersion Tin (ImSn)

Immersion Tin or white tin is a highly solderable surface that forms a copper/tin
intermetallic joint. It provides a dense uniform coating with superior hole wall
lubricity, which makes it the preferred finish for backplanes with press-fit
connectors. The chemistry is based on methyl-sulfonic acid, tin methysulfonate, and
thiourea. Thickness is usually 1.0 um (39 u”) minimum.
Pros:
1. Planar, solderable surface
2. Moderate cost, may depend on market price for tin
3. Good reliability, comparable to ENIG
4. Preferred by several automotive OEM’s

Cons:
1. Susceptible to oxidation and scratches, panels must be routed/tested before plating
2. Limited shelf life (accelerated by high temp and humidity); control time between assembly steps.
3. Environmental issues with Thiourea (a known carcinogen)
4. Formation of tin whiskers over time, resulting in potential for shorts

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Hard Gold (Gold Fingers)

Hard gold can withstand repeated insertion/contact cycles and therefore is used for
edge connectors and key pads. It is electro-plated which requires connection to buss
bars. It is normally plated to selected pads (not all SMD pads), so the process
requires masking and manual processing which adds to the cost. Standard thickness
callout is 76 um (30 u”) minimum of gold, over 2.5 um (98 u”) minimum of nickel.

Below is a table of various gold surface finishes offered by Sunshine:

Type Thickness Process Comments

Immersion Gold 2 to 5 u” Electroless For general SMT and BGA

Gold Fingers 30 u” minimum Electroplate Connectors, Contacts (hard)

Flash Gold 5 to 15 u” Electroplate S/M over gold (soft/hard)

Full Body Gold 30 to 60 u” Electroplate S/M over gold (soft/hard)

Wire Bondable Gold 30 to 80 u” Electroplate Wire bonding (soft), Outsourced

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ENEPIG

ENEPIG is Electroless Nickel, Electroless Palladium, Immersion Gold. It is a newer

surface finish gaining popularity. The electroless palladium layer between the
nickel and gold prevents any corrosion that may be caused by the immersion gold
plating process. This finish is also well-suited for wire bonding (both aluminum wire
and gold wire bonding) and can be used as a replacement for thick bondable gold.
Recommended thicknesses are Ni 3-6um, P .05-.15um, Au .03-.05um (Ni 120-240u”,
P 2-6u”, Au 1-2u”).
Pros:
1. Flat surface and good solderability
2. Ease of use and good shelf life
3. Resistant to Ni corrosion (Black Pad)
4. Wire bondable (aluminum and gold wire bond)
5. Can produce cost saving as compared to electrolytic soft gold applications

Cons:
1. Moderate cost increase, due to additional cost of palladium
2. Longer process and need for process control of electroless palladium
3. Other limitations are similar to those of ENIG

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 Comparison of Surface Finish
ENIG HASL/LFH OSP ImAg ImSn Hard Gold ENEPIG

Solderability Good Excellent Good Good Excellent Not for SMD Good
Flatness (Suitable for BGA) Excellent Poor Good Good Good Good Excellent
Shelf Life1 12 months 12 months 6 months 6 months 6 months 12 months 12 months
Sunshine Equipment and Vertical, HASL-JJ Horizontal, Horizontal, Vertical, TAB line, Vertical,
Location Offered SZ and JJ LFHAL-SZ SZ Outsource SZ SZ JJ
Suitable for Contact Pads Limited No No No No Yes Limited
Al & Gold
Suitable for Wire Bonding Al wire only No No Al wire only No No
Wire
Suitable for High Speed RF No Yes Yes Yes Yes No No
Suitable for S/M Plugs2 Yes2 Yes2 No No No N/A Yes2
Solder joint reliability Good Good Good Good Good N/A Good
Corrosion risk after assembly No No Yes Yes Yes No No
PCB Rework (bake) Yes Yes No No No Yes Yes
Cost Impact to Bare PCB3 +10% 0 0 +4% +5% +15% +15~25%
Ni layer not Limited
Not for BGA or Sensitive to Cost depends Lower
recommended reflow cycles, Limited
Additional Considerations for hi-speed RF
fine pitch
hold time b/t
corrosive
reflow cycles
on plating Demand at
components environments area this time
application reflow cycles

1. Sunshine recommends all PCB’s to be stored in their original packaging until use, storage area should be maximum 30C and 60%RH.
2. Soldermask plugs may result in single sided plugs and must be reviewed by Sunshine Engineering during DFM.
3. Baseline cost is HASL (leaded), LF-HAL is 2% higher cost than HASL. ENIG is 2u”, 30% gold area. Hard gold is 30u”, <0.5sqin.
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Thank you.

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