LEARNINGS REVIEW

THINGS INSIDE


Pre-cleaning process before plating

Machine configurations

Plating process

After plating
 Pre-cleaning

Plating is done over the surface of the component in micron level.

Any dust or presence of impurities may result in output quality issues.

The overall process flow of pre-cleaning is as follows

For fresh lot(SS)

PROCEED
INPUT MATERIAL UNPACKING INSPECTION IF ‘ok’ FOR
CLEANING
Cases that are OK
Electro Wiping(red
inspection
cleaning rouge)

DM water Spider
drier
rinse loading

Sulphuric DM water
acid cleaning rinse

DM water Hydrochloric
rinse acid cleaning
Drier
• 170°c for 50-60 minutes
• 250°c for 30 minutes
Cases rejected in inspection
PP rejection
(issues from polishing Drier Inspection
and press shop)

Sent for polishing DM water rinse Loaded for plating

Inspection & jig Galvex + ultrasonic

loading vibration
After plating

Unloading from If ok ,packed

inspection If not OK
the spider and sent

Input
stripping polishing Galvex cleaning
inspection

Inspection and
DM water rinse drier loading in
spider
Process explanations
• For galvex cleaning , components are loaded in jigs so that the cases
won’t fall due to vibration.
• In other cleaning processes ,cases are loaded in spindles.
• DM water bath is used for any cleaning and rinsing process.
• pH of DM water is 7(neutral) and conductivity is zero or very low.
• Normal water contains minerals in it which may react with acids and
cases causing quality issue
• That’s why de-mineralised water is used.
Galvex cleaning
Bath : hot water + ultrasonic vibration
Chemical used : galvex
Bath temperature : 60° C
Concentration : 12.5 litres in 250 litres
Time duration : 30 mins
• To remove the buffing component present in the case caused by
polishing.
• Ultrasonic vibrations is to remove components present in minute gaps
of the material.
Electro cleaning
• Chemical used : electro cleaner salt
• Bath : hot water bath
• Concentration : 5 kg in 250 litres
• Bath temperature : 50-60 °c
• Cathode : electro cleaner salt
• Anode : component(case)
• Current : 15-20 ampere.
• Time duration : 3 minutes
To remove the soapy layer caused by galvex.
Sulphuric acid cleaning
• Acid : H2SO4
Concentration : 5 litres in 250 litres
Time duration : 40-60 sec
Usage : To completely remove the oily layer formed by galvex
Hydrochloric acid cleaning
• Acid : HCl
• Concentration : 5 litres in 250 litres
• Time duration : 40-60 sec
• Purpose : slightly etches the component that makes it almost
prepared for plating.
Stripping
• If it has gold
• Salt : sodium cyanide + gold stripper
• Bath capacity : 10 litres
• Time duration : 1-2 minutes
• Concentration : 60 g of stripper salt per litre of DM water.
• Colors other than gold
• Acids : 5l of HNO3+ 2.5l of HF
• Time duration : 2-3 minutes
Machine configurations
1. Vacuum chamber -front door
-6 CAE flanges -
chamber chassis -heating tubes
-work piece turn table -
bottom flange for thermocouple sensor -automatic
shutter attached to ceiling -4 MS bottom flange
(left side of the door) -2 MS bottom flanges(right side
of the door) -Rectangular Gas Ion Source bottom
flange.
Supporting parts

2. Pumps P1-roughing pump

P2-backing pump P3-
roots pump P4-turbo molecular pump
3. Valves V1-upper
valve(roughing&roots) V2-lower valve(backing)
V3-vacuum valve(TMP) V4-
throttle valve V5-vent valve(venting)
V6-N2 valve(venting)
• All the valves are pneumatic driven.
Roughing pump

• Name : leybold single stage pump SOGEVAC

SV200
• Function: To evacuate the chamber from normal atmospheric
pressure through valve V1.
Backing pump Name:
leybold double stage pump TRIVAC D16
Function : backing the evacuation rate during V1
closing and V3 opening.
Roots pump
• Name : leybold roots vacuum pump
• Evacuation speed : 150 lpa
• Ultimate vacuum : 6×10^-2 pa
• Rotation speed : 1450 rpm
• Electric power consumption : 3 kw
• Function : starts to accelerate the evacuation process in serial
connection ,until the vacuum reaches 6 pa.
Turbo molecular pump
• Name : STP – IXA 2206C
• Speed : 27000 rpm
• Evacuation rate : 200000 litres/sec
• Weight : 62 kg
• Power supply : 220-240v (ac)
• Power consumption : 1200 VA
• Ultimate vacuum : 4×10^-3 pa.
• Function : To reach medium high vacuum(10^-3) by closing V1.
4. Gas feeding system
• It’s a four channel gas mass flow control system.
Channel 1 2 3 4
sccm sccm sccm sccm

Capacity 500 50 300 500

gases N2 C2H2 Ar Ar

• sccm stands for standard cubic centi meter per minute.

5.Gauges used
• Thermocouple gauge
• Ionisation gauge
• C . diaphragm gauge

Thermocouple gauge -measures the

temperature inside the chamber and near to the heater.
-operates at the range of 10^3-10^-1
-works until high vacuum is reached.
Ionisation gauge
-measures high vacuum and is capable of measuring at the range of
10-10^-5.
-turns on when high vacuum is started and measures till it reaches
its ultimate set vacuum.
CD gauge
-used to measure gases and liquids. -turns on
when the inert or any other gases enters the chamber. -operating
range is similar to ion gauge.
6.Targets
• Two types of magnetron sources are available inside the chamber.
• Single direction tube type unbalanced magnetron
• Rectangular unbalanced magnetron source.

Targets we use:
• Stainless steel (309)
• Titanium
• Gold 3N-98.9% 2N-98.30%
• Rose gold 87.50% of Au and remaining copper.
• Chrome.
7.Cathodic arc evaporator
• Totally 6 CAE are present inside the chamber (3 on left and 3 on right)
• 3 CAE are used for etching and other three are for coating.
• CAE coating is not done here.
• Size : 300×500×700 mm^3
• Weight: 40 kg
• Electric power consumption:6 kVA
• Electric input = 380-400 v(ac)
• Output =80 v (dc)
• Function : It’s the final process right before plating . Etches the surface
of the component for the better adhesion property of the material.
8. Gas ion source
• Name = LISE830/102
• Size = 102×92×830mm^3
• Power supply= pulsed dc bias power supply
• Function : gets ignited with the power supply and ionizes the gases
present inside the chamber.
Chiller unit
• Consists of two compressors which works alternatively.
• Provides chill water to all the parts of the chamber at 19-21°c
• Chill water is provided to maintain the chamber and parts in an optimum condition
because of the high temperature maintained inside the chamber.

Poly cold (cryogenic system)

• Poly cold or cold trap helps in maintaining the vacuum inside the chamber.
• It maintains a temperature of about -120°c
• Function : freezes the minute water molecules present inside the chamber and holds it
during coating process.
• The frozen molecules are later evacuated through pumps while venting.
Plating process –total cycle time
Low vacuum
Heating
High vacuum-1 Glow etching
simultaneously

High vacuum-2 Arc etching coating waiting

Load /unload
Low vacuum
• The first initial process after the loading
• Roughing and roots pump initially creates the vacuum from normal
atmospheric pressure.
• Vacuum is created because the plating process requires only certain
gases ,allowance atmospheric gases may react with the gases inside.
• The process is micron level coating so that it is mandatory to maintain
the chamber and components dust free.
• Thermo gauge measures the pressure inside the chamber, during low
vacuum.
• This gauge until the chamber reaches 10^-1 at a duration of 15-20
minutes.
Heating
• The chamber is simultaneously heated for 45 minutes along with the
creation of vacuum by the pumps.
• The chamber is heated to about 350°c.
• Its majorly done to de-gas the chamber and to warm up the
components that are loaded inside.
• Temperature of the chamber will be gradually decreased from low
vacuum to coating as per requirements.
High vacuum-1
• V1 closes and V2&V3 valves opens,the turbo molecular pumps starts
to
• Turbo molecular pumps won’t operate at atmospheric pressure due
to the minute stator and rotor blades present in it.
• It creates an high vacuum up to 8×10^-3(first vacuum).
• The time duration of this process is 12-14 minutes.
Glow etching
• Also known as high pressure etching.
• Bias supply: 450-550 volts
• Time duration : 12 minutes
• Pressure maintained : 2×10^0 pascal.
• Ar gas feed : 300 sccm.
• Process : bias is applied to the work piece turn table and the inert gas
is allowed inside the chamber. Argon gas atoms gets ionised by the
bias resulting in the formation through out the chamber. The ionised
gas atoms gets accelerated and taps the surface of the component
like a small warm up for it get ready for plating.
High vacuum - 2
• After glow etching the turbo molecular pumps again creates an optimum
pressure level inside the chamber that is ideal for plating.
• This process takes time duration of about 3-6 minutes.

Arc etching
• The first five steps of the coating process is arc etching.
• The surface of the component is etched by titanium atoms.
• The titanium targets are ignited by applying current to It , the ignited
atoms travels through gas medium present inside the chamber and
etches the component.
Parameters:
• Current to the targets = 75-80 ampere.
• Bias applied to the chamber = 500 volts.
• Ar gas allowance = 300 sccm.

Coating :
• The targets attached with magnetron source gets ignited by the
electromagnetic field created in the target by voltage to it.
• The ionised gas atoms inside the chamber forms plasma which acts as
medium for the movement of titanium atoms.
• The bombard of Ar atoms on the target releases the target atoms , these
released atoms are aligned and hold uniformly by magnetron set up.
• The ionised target atoms gets deposited on the surface of the substrate passes by.

• This process is straight opposite to the process of etching.

• The automatic shutter position’s itself as set in recipe.
Parameters :
• Cathode : magnetron target
• Anode : component
• Power to cathode : 5-13 kw
• Bias to anode : 120-180 volts
• Temperature maintained : 180°c
• Pressure maintained : 3.3-4.2×10^-1 pa.
Power supply
Recipe
• The whole coating process is an automatic process.
• The program parameters for coating are pre-set in a recipe.
• It takes almost 18-23 steps for a complete process.
Colors plated
color Undercoat 1 Undercoat 2 Undercoat 3

Gold(0.1 mic) TiN(Titanium nitrate)(0.5 mic) Ti(0.15) Ni(nickel)(8-12 Brass

(3N,2N,0.5N) mic)

Rose gold(0.1 TiCN(Titanium carbo nitrate) (0.5 Ti(0.15) Ni(nickel)(8-12 brass

mic) mic) mic)
Gunmetal(Tic) Ti brass
Brown(TiCN) Ti brass
SS(0.5 mic) Cr(chrome)(0.5 mic) Ni(8-12 mic) brass
Black(0.5 mic) Ti brass
Sputtering rate
• Both gold and rose gold are plated for 0.1 micron thickness.
• Gold targets are invaded about 5-6 kg.
• After puncturing the weight is about 3-4 kg.
• The rate of gold consumed per batch in pro china machines is 20.5
grams.
• Whereas in huicheng 35grams of gold is consumed per batch.
Target composition
Electro plating
• Three major process
o Pre-cleaning
o Plating
o Post-cleaning
Pre -cleaning

Galvex clean
Brass input inspection (chem:galvex,40-50 DM water rinse
gpl,temp-40°c)

Electro clean Acid clean

(chem:metex,30-40 DM water rinse (acid :galvaprep DM water rinse
gpl,current:2-3 707,40-50 gpl, time :
amps,temp:50°c) 40-60 sec)
Plating-Ni
• Salt = NiSO2 ,250-350 gpl NiCl, 50-100 gpl
• Acid : boric acid
• Current applied : 3-5 amps
• pH maintained : 3.8-5.2
• Density : 1.18-1.24
• Temperature : 55°c
• Time duration : 14-18 minutes
• Additive 22(200 ml)+spectra 77(5 ml)
Post – cleaning

Hot DM water rinse

(70-75°c)

Centrifugal chamber
(temp: 70-75°c,rpm: 40-60, time : 6 minutes clockwise and 9
minutes anti clockwise.)
DM water plant
Quality tests at shop
Quality tests
• Adhesion
-thermal shock test
Temp : 290°c
Duration :30 minutes

Process: The component is placed inside the chamber and the air
inside is heated for a while. After 30 mins the component is
immediately quenched in water.

Defects : peel off , blister ,bubbles

Corrosion
• Porosity test
Duration : 24hours
For SS base : sodium meta bi sulphate For brass : ammonia
Process : fumes would pass through minute pores of the component and results in
corrosion in that area.
• Perspiration test
Temp : 40°c
Duration : 24 hours
Process : artificial sweat solution is sprayed and kept in a closed chamber ,any defect
may result in corrosion.
Wear
• Thickness measurement
-Thickness is measured by passing x-ray on the component by using
xrf machine.
• Tumbling
-Component is kept in a chamber along with glass powder , balls
and nets and shaked well for 30 minutes at 42 rpm.
-Any damage in the case other than end lug is rejected.
• Rub test
-This test is done for straps using scotch brite for multiple as per
thickness plated.
THANK YOU