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Panel plating versus copper tin plating

I am wondering, we do a standard copper tin plating process. I have heard of companies " panel plating ". Is there any advantages to running this type of process compared to the one we do now? I ask this because it seems that we have a lot of issues with burnt plating and I want to see if this may help.

Thank you,

David Nichols
Circuit Board Manufacturing - Orion, mi, United States
2004

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The main advantage in panel plate is that it relieves a lot of distribution problems. When you panel plate, you are not trying to plate isolated lines or holes on the circuit pattern. You can also put your panel plate in line with the electroless copper, eliminating handling of the electroless plate.

The down side of this is that you are now trying to etch a thicker layer of copper to define the circuit pattern. This, of course, can limit your ability to define fine circuit patterns.

James Totter, CEF
- Tallahassee, Florida
2004