Here are some considerations to keep in mind when electroplating the surface of an FPC soft board. Below is a brief overview:
1. Flexible Circuit Board Plating
The pre-treatment for FPC electroplating is crucial. The exposed copper conductor surface after the FPC coating process may be contaminated with adhesive or ink, and it could also experience oxidation and discoloration due to high-temperature processes. To achieve optimal adhesion, it is essential to remove any contaminants and oxide layers from the conductor surface, ensuring that it is thoroughly clean.
1. However, some pollutants are highly stable when fused with copper conductors and cannot be entirely removed using mild scrubbing agents. Consequently, most are typically treated with alkaline abrasives of sufficient strength and then polished. Many masking layer adhesives, primarily based on ring oxygen resins, exhibit poor alkali resistance, which can lead to a reduction in bonding strength. While this may not be immediately evident, during the FPC plating process, the plating solution can seep in from the edges of the masking layer, causing it to peel off at critical moments. Ultimately, during final soldering, the solder can infiltrate beneath the masking layer.
2. Flexible circuit board electroless plating becomes essential when the conductors requiring plating are isolated and cannot serve as electrodes. Typically, the plating solution used in electroless plating exhibits a vigorous chemical reaction, with electroless gold plating being a prime example. This electroless gold plating solution is an alkaline aqueous solution characterized by a relatively high pH. When employing this electroplating method, it is quite easy for the plating solution to infiltrate beneath the masking layer. This issue is more prevalent if the quality of the masking film lamination process is not meticulously managed and bonding strength is compromised.
3. Hot air leveling was initially developed for rigid printed circuit boards (PCBs) utilizing lead and tin. Due to its simplicity and efficiency, this technique has also been adapted for flexible printed circuits (FPCs). The process involves immersing the board directly and vertically in a molten lead-tin bath and then using hot air to remove excess solder. This scenario poses significant challenges for flexible printed circuit boards (FPCs). If the FPC cannot be submerged in solder without precautions, it must be positioned between screens made of titanium steel before immersion in the molten solder. Prior to this, the surface of the flexible printed circuit must be cleaned and coated with flux.
1. Flexible Circuit Board Plating
The pre-treatment for FPC electroplating is crucial. The exposed copper conductor surface after the FPC coating process may be contaminated with adhesive or ink, and it could also experience oxidation and discoloration due to high-temperature processes. To achieve optimal adhesion, it is essential to remove any contaminants and oxide layers from the conductor surface, ensuring that it is thoroughly clean.
1. However, some pollutants are highly stable when fused with copper conductors and cannot be entirely removed using mild scrubbing agents. Consequently, most are typically treated with alkaline abrasives of sufficient strength and then polished. Many masking layer adhesives, primarily based on ring oxygen resins, exhibit poor alkali resistance, which can lead to a reduction in bonding strength. While this may not be immediately evident, during the FPC plating process, the plating solution can seep in from the edges of the masking layer, causing it to peel off at critical moments. Ultimately, during final soldering, the solder can infiltrate beneath the masking layer.
2. Flexible circuit board electroless plating becomes essential when the conductors requiring plating are isolated and cannot serve as electrodes. Typically, the plating solution used in electroless plating exhibits a vigorous chemical reaction, with electroless gold plating being a prime example. This electroless gold plating solution is an alkaline aqueous solution characterized by a relatively high pH. When employing this electroplating method, it is quite easy for the plating solution to infiltrate beneath the masking layer. This issue is more prevalent if the quality of the masking film lamination process is not meticulously managed and bonding strength is compromised.
3. Hot air leveling was initially developed for rigid printed circuit boards (PCBs) utilizing lead and tin. Due to its simplicity and efficiency, this technique has also been adapted for flexible printed circuits (FPCs). The process involves immersing the board directly and vertically in a molten lead-tin bath and then using hot air to remove excess solder. This scenario poses significant challenges for flexible printed circuit boards (FPCs). If the FPC cannot be submerged in solder without precautions, it must be positioned between screens made of titanium steel before immersion in the molten solder. Prior to this, the surface of the flexible printed circuit must be cleaned and coated with flux.
