Surface Analysis Methods Applied to Ni/Au Finishes on Metallized Ceramic Electronic Packages

摘要

Ni/Au remains an important finish for metallized ceramic packages. Trends in device packaging and circuit assembly methods, especially surface mount technology (SMT), are placing new demands on this finish for functional performance, reliability and cost. To meet these requirements, plating process improvements continue to be necessary. Spectrochemical and physical surface analysis methods such as Auger electron spectroscopy (AES), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and atomic force microscopy (AFM) provide information that is important in Ni/Au process development and control. Examples will be shown of how these methods have been successfully applied. (Research sponsored by the Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Office of Transportation Technologies, as part of the High Temperature Materials Laboratory User Program at Oak Ridge, managed by UT-Battelle, LLC for the U.S. DOE under contract number DE-ACO5- 000R22725.)