Article: Plating anomalies and defects, Part 2: surface roughness can originate from a number of sources; imbalances in the organic additives and improper filming of the copper anodes are key contributors.(POSITIVE PLATING)

IN THIS MONTH'S COLUMN, the subject of surface roughness and some lesser-known plating anomalies are discussed/examined. In general, surface roughness is often attributed to particulate matter that is not being filtered from the plating solution; however, roughness can also be caused by a number of other factors. A few of these factors are shown below, with a brief discussion of the root cause or causes of the roughness.

In FIGURE 1, the plated circuit trace is excessively roughened. Upon further examination, it is quite clear that the cause of the rough deposit is residues that remained on the surface of the base copper. Perhaps the team should look carefully at ...

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