-
- News
- Books
Featured Books
- pcb007 Magazine
Latest Issues
Current IssueThe Hole Truth: Via Integrity in an HDI World
From the drilled hole to registration across multiple sequential lamination cycles, to the quality of your copper plating, via reliability in an HDI world is becoming an ever-greater challenge. This month we look at “The Hole Truth,” from creating the “perfect” via to how you can assure via quality and reliability, the first time, every time.
In Pursuit of Perfection: Defect Reduction
For bare PCB board fabrication, defect reduction is a critical aspect of a company's bottom line profitability. In this issue, we examine how imaging, etching, and plating processes can provide information and insight into reducing defects and increasing yields.
Voices of the Industry
We take the pulse of the PCB industry by sharing insights from leading fabricators and suppliers in this month's issue. We've gathered their thoughts on the new U.S. administration, spending, the war in Ukraine, and their most pressing needs. It’s an eye-opening and enlightening look behind the curtain.
- Articles
- Columns
- Links
- Media kit
||| MENU - pcb007 Magazine
MacDermid’s Research Team Talks New Cyanide-free Immersion Gold at SMTAI
December 14, 2015 | Patty Goldman, I-Connect007Estimated reading time: 8 minutes

While at SMTAI in Chicago recently, I met with two of MacDermid’s research team, Jun Nable, research project manager, who has been with MacDermid since 2007, and Cherry Santos, associate research fellow responsible for formulation work for metal plating solutions. We talked about the posters they were presenting and why they chose SMTAI.
Patty Goldman: I understand that you both presented posters here at SMTA, so why don’t you tell us a little about them.
Jun Nable: The poster that I presented is about a new cyanide-free immersion gold that's suitable for PCB surface finishes. What makes this different is it is cyanide-free. It's more environmentally-friendly, it's easier to handle, and has the advantage of simplified operating parameters. The majority of conventional immersion gold in use right now contains cyanide. When you hear the word cyanide, you know it's toxic. We need to take special precautions when handling it.
Santos: And there are requirements for waste treatment.
Nable: Right, like waste permits and things like that. So, that's the conventional immersion gold generally in use in the industry. We are providing an alternative to that without compromising the performance of the surface finish.
Goldman: That's very important. There must be a lot of interest in cyanide-free. How thick is the final gold finish?
Nable: For ENIG purposes, the target is around two micro-inches. In terms of plating performance like plating rate, the cyanide-free immersion gold is comparable to the conventional immersion gold. It's comparable, if not better in solderability, appearance and uniformity.
Goldman: And how about the controls and lifetime of the bath, things like that?
Nable: I mentioned earlier about simplifying the operating parameters. The advantage of this cyanide-free immersion gold is we can operate at 40°C. Conventional immersion gold operates at a much higher temperature of 80°C. Also the pH is near neutral for this cyanide-free bath. So, it's much more simplified. Not to mention the energy savings as well, by not having to get to that high temperature.
Goldman: That has got to be a nice selling point. A lot of people here are with EMS companies. Has there been a lot of interest in your new process?
Nable: There has been some interest. Every time you give an alternative that has new features, of course, it has to be further qualified.
Santos: There's always that skepticism with any new finish. It has to go through a rigorous qualification process.
Goldman: So, in order for a PCB fabricator to begin using this, it still has to be qualified by their customers?
Santos: Yes, it has to go to trial production and get OEM approval. The customer needs to assess the performance and ensure that it meets the specified standard for their target application. Does the alternative finish perform similarly or better than the current finish?
Page 1 of 4
Suggested Items
SHENMAO Strengthens Semiconductor Capabilities with Acquisition of PMTC
07/10/2025 | SHENMAOSHENMAO America, Inc. has announced the acquisition of Profound Material Technology Co., Ltd. (PMTC), a premier Taiwan-based manufacturer of high-performance solder balls for semiconductor packaging.
KYZEN to Highlight Understencil and PCB Cleaners at SMTA Querétaro Expo and Tech Forum
07/09/2025 | KYZEN'KYZEN, the global leader in innovative environmentally responsible cleaning chemistries, will exhibit at the SMTA Querétaro Expo & Tech Forum, scheduled to take place Thursday, July 24, at Centro de Congresos y Teatro Metropolitano de Querétaro.
Driving Innovation: Direct Imaging vs. Conventional Exposure
07/01/2025 | Simon Khesin -- Column: Driving InnovationMy first camera used Kodak film. I even experimented with developing photos in the bathroom, though I usually dropped the film off at a Kodak center and received the prints two weeks later, only to discover that some images were out of focus or poorly framed. Today, every smartphone contains a high-quality camera capable of producing stunning images instantly.
Hands-On Demos Now Available for Apollo Seiko’s EF and AF Selective Soldering Lines
06/30/2025 | Apollo SeikoApollo Seiko, a leading innovator in soldering technology, is excited to spotlight its expanded lineup of EF and AF Series Selective Soldering Systems, now available for live demonstrations in its newly dedicated demo room.
Indium Corporation Expert to Present on Automotive and Industrial Solder Bonding Solutions at Global Electronics Association Workshop
06/26/2025 | IndiumIndium Corporation Principal Engineer, Advanced Materials, Andy Mackie, Ph.D., MSc, will deliver a technical presentation on innovative solder bonding solutions for automotive and industrial applications at the Global Electronics A