A New Variant Gold plating in PCB
PCB gold finger plating process is employed after the solder mask and before the surface finish. Gold fingers are the gold-plated columns seen along the connecting edges of PCB). Gold fingers aim to attach a secondary PCB to the motherboard of a computer. PCB gold fingers are utilized in different equipment like digital signals in consumer smartphones and smartwatches. Gold is employed for the connecting points together with a PCB thanks to its superior conductivity. There are two sorts of gold applicable to the Gold Finger PCB plating process: Electroless Nickel Immersion Gold (ENIG) and Electroplated Hard gold
Gold fingers help circuit boards to speak with each other. From the facility source to the device or equipment, signals must pass between several contacts for a given command to be enacted. This ensures each board rolling off the assembly line is correctly equipped to conduct signals freed from error. The standards involved within the plating process also help to make sure an ideal fit between the gold fingers on each card with the corresponding slots on a given motherboard.
The functions of gold fingers are multi-purpose. Gold fingers are useful in Interconnection points, Special adapters, and External connections. no matter the aim or size of the PCB itself, the subsequent rules are always applicable within the design of Soft Gold PCB: Plated through-holes should never be located near the gold fingers, Gold fingers shouldn't have any contact with solder mask or screen printing, both of which should be kept at a distance, Gold fingers should always face the alternative direction from the center of the PCB.
The IPC standards are-
Chemical composition: for optimum rigidity along the sides of PCB contacts, the gold plating should contain between 5 and 10 percent cobalt.
Thickness: The plating thickness of gold fingers should fall within the range of two to 50 microinches.
Visual test: Gold fingers should pass a visible test conducted with a magnifying lens. the perimeters should have a smooth, clean surface and be freed from excess plating or the looks of nickel.
