Author Topic: QFN and QFP, what service to use ? HASL or ENIG  (Read 2358 times)

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Offline mwilliams03Topic starter

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QFN and QFP, what service to use ? HASL or ENIG
« on: January 22, 2018, 05:51:51 am »
I am using fine pitch QFN and QFP components and i have read that it is better to use immersion gold finish instead of HASL... why is this so?
In my prototyping, I have never had any issue hand soldering the components to a HASL PCB.
 

Offline AndyC_772

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Re: QFN and QFP, what service to use ? HASL or ENIG
« Reply #1 on: January 22, 2018, 08:35:22 am »
HASL isn't guaranteed to be flat, so with a component like a QFN, there's a chance that it'll sit at an angle to the PCB, and the pads along one or two edges won't solder when the board is reflowed.

Gold, silver or OSP finishes are perfectly flat, so coplanarity isn't a problem.

If you're hand soldering, then you should be OK either way. Personally I prefer gold finish for hand soldered PCBs because, if nothing else, the difference in colour makes it obvious which joints have been soldered and which haven't.
 
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Offline jpanhalt

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Re: QFN and QFP, what service to use ? HASL or ENIG
« Reply #2 on: January 22, 2018, 10:50:22 am »
The immersion finishes are flat.  However, note that immersion silver was found to have its own problems with creeping corrosion: https://www.dfrsolutions.com/hubfs/DfR_Solutions_Website/Resources-Archived/Publications/2005-2007/2007_08_creep_corrosion_on_lead-free_pcb_in_high_sulfur_environments.pdf  Immersion gold is apparently less susceptible.

Of course, for a short-lived prototype that shouldn't make a difference.
 
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