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What is Che Ni/Au or ENIG ?

ENIG (Electroless Nickel Immersion Gold) is a surface finish used on printed

circuit boards (PCBs) that consists of an electroless nickel plating layer followed

by a thin layer of immersion gold. It provides a robust protective finish for

copper pads and traces on PCBs and is especially useful for boards that require

a solderable surface.

Some key things to know about ENIG PCB finish:

Advantages of ENIG

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Solderability – ENIG provides excellent solderability and wire bondability. The

gold outer layer prevents oxidation of the nickel layer, allowing good wetting

when soldering.

Corrosion resistance – The dense nickel layer protects against oxidation and

provides an excellent moisture barrier. This leads to good corrosion resistance.

Wear resistance – ENIG has higher wear and abrasion resistance compared to

other finishes like HASL. It holds up well to multiple soldering cycles.

Flexibility – The thin layers of ENIG allow flexibility of the PCB which is

important for dynamic and flexing applications.

Low contact resistance – The gold outer layer on ENIG provides low electrical

contact resistance, important for many electronic applications.

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Limitations of ENIG

Cost – ENIG has a higher initial cost compared to finishes like HASL or

immersion silver. The consumables for the nickel and gold processes add cost.

Gold embrittlement – The nickel underlayer can become brittle if too much

gold is deposited on top of it. Care must be taken to control the gold

thickness.

Solder voids – Due to its smooth surface, ENIG can be more prone to solder

voids compared to textured finishes. Process control is key to minimizing

voids.

Details on the ENIG PCB Plating Process

ENIG PCB finishing involves sequentially depositing two different metal layers

onto copper pads/traces with a series of chemical baths. Here are more details:

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Electroless Nickel Deposition

In the electroless nickel process, copper surfaces are activated and then

immersed in an autocatalytic nickel plating bath at ~180-200°F. The nickel bath

contains an reducing agent (typically sodium hypophosphite) that reacts to

deposit nickel without applying external electrical current.

Key aspects:

 Provides corrosion and abrasion resistance

 Deposits uniform thickness across surfaces
 Bath requires filtering and chemistry control
 Typical thickness from 4-8 microinches

Immersion Gold Deposition

Following nickel plating, boards are immersed in a room temperature gold

plating bath containing gold potassium cyanide or gold sulfite compounds.

The gold solution plates thin layers of gold onto the nickel through a galvanic

displacement reaction.

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Key aspects:

 Provides oxidation resistance, solderability, wire bondability

 Self-limiting deposition process
 Thickness typically controlled to 0.05 - 0.15 microinches
 Solution requires periodic testing and maintenance

ENIG PCB Pad Finishes - Comparison to Other Options

ENIG provides unique advantages over some other common pad finishes, but

also has some limitations to consider. Here is how it compares to a few

alternatives:

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With its excellent solderability retention, corrosion resistance and wear

resistance, ENIG is a premium finish chosen for many challenging PCB

applications. The cost is higher than other options, but it provides significant

advantages that justify its use.

ENIG PCB Applications and Examples

ENIG finish offers technical advantages that make it a good fit for a number of

demanding application areas:

Wear Resistance Needed

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For PCB connectors and contacts that will undergo lots of mating cycles, the

wear and abrasion resistance of electroless nickel is a major asset to increase

lifetime. Gold outerlayer also minimizes contact resistance.

High Reliability Soldering

For mission-critical aerospace, military, medical and automotive electronics

where solder joint reliability is paramount, ENIG is often preferred due to its

excellent solderability after multiple reflows.

Wire Bonding Needed

Many RF/microwave PCBs utilize wire bonding to connect integrated circuits

and components. The gold outer layer provided by ENIG is perfectly suited for

aluminum or gold wire bonding processes.

Flexible/Dynamic PCBs

For flexible circuits that will undergo continuous bending and dynamic

applications, ENIG offers advantages over finishes like HASL that can crack

under flexing stress.

FAQs About ENIG PCB Finish

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What does the acronym ENIG stand for?

ENIG stands for "Electroless Nickel Immersion Gold". It refers to the two

plating processes used sequentially - an electroless nickel deposit followed by

immersion plating of a thin gold layer onto the nickel.

What color is ENIG PCB finish?

The electroless nickel underlayer gives ENIG plating a pale yellow color. But it

takes on a gold tint from the very thin immersion gold deposited on top of the

nickel deposit. So ENIG boards have a gold-yellow hue.

Is ENIG finish lead-free?

Yes, ENIG is inherently lead-free. It does not use any lead containing

chemicals in the plating processes. This makes it highly suitable for lead-free

electronics assembly and RoHS compliance needs.

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Can ENIG finish withstand multiple reflows?

Yes. With its dual metal deposition and gold outer layer, ENIG offers excellent

thermal stability and can reliably withstand over a dozen reflow processes

without substantial degradation of soldering performance.

Is ENIG an expensive PCB finish?

Relative to finishes like OSP and HASL, ENIG is generally more expensive due

to higher cost raw materials for electroless nickel and gold processes. But the

enhanced properties often justify the extra cost for demanding applications.

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