Atotech’s Answer to High Palladium Consumption and Cost During HDI PCB Manufacturing

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A major cost driver for PCB manufacturers with horizontal plating lines is the palladium consumed within the activation step. Atotech developed a new activation system, Neoganth X Activator, which runs at a very low palladium set-point and can offer a clear cost saving in palladium compared to conventional processing.  

Neoganth X Activator vs Neoganth U Activator: Coverage performance comparison on three different base materials

Neoganth X Activator

“The new activator has been designed to ensure a comparably excellent palladium absorption and coverage on a wide variety of different base materials to its predecessor, the de-facto industry standard Neoganth U Activator,” explains Lars-Eric Pribyl, Product Manager at Atotech’s plating through hole (PTH) business technology team. “Neoganth U Activator runs at a palladium bath concentration of 225 ppm. The standard set-point of Neoganth X Activator is only 80 ppm enabling significant cost savings.”

Neoganth X Activator is for horizontal multi-layer and HDI manufacturing, ideally in Uniplate plating equipment. The easy drop-in solution is perfectly suitable for all existing Uniplate® LB lines, and fully compatible to all Neoganth Pre Dips B, U and W. It further fulfills all standard reliability requirements such as solder shock tests, thermal cycle test and interconnect stress test.

About Atotech

Atotech is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of specialty chemicals and equipment for the printed circuit board, IC-substrate and semiconductor industries, as well as for the decorative and functional surface finishing industries. Atotech has annual sales of USD1.1 billion. The company is fully committed to sustainability – we develop technologies to minimize waste and to reduce environmental impact. Atotech has its headquarters in Berlin, Germany, and employs more than 4,000 people in over 40 countries.