Estimated reading time: 3 minutes

Marcy's Musings: The Golden Touch?

Corrosion, adhesion, bonding—the comprehensive issue of surface finish plating is primary for PCB manufacturers and their assembly counterparts. Gold is the standard for many applications, but it is expensive and has its limits.  

The March 2025 issue of PCB007 Magazine leads with a deep dive into the various iterations of gold plating by the engineering team at MKS Atotech. They look at RF and high-speed applications, including a discussion on the effect of using different types of gold electrolytes and corrosion through a case study on corrosion in plated holes across four different manufacturing shops. “Future electronic devices will demand even higher performance from their components, requiring superior electrical performance, corrosion resistance, and durability from these coatings,” they write. Yes, indeed. 

We can always count on Happy Holden to explore all aspects of PCB fabrication, so I’m happy to share a “throw-back”: Happy’s Tech Talk column in this issue, “Next Generation Electroplating Systems.” Happy also provides a comparative look at palladium as a surface finish. Also featured in this issue is a paper excerpt by Kunal Shah of Lilotree, originally presented at IPC APEX EXPO 2023, on novel surface finishes for 5G-mm wave frequency PCB technology. 

Columnists Don Ball and Mike Carano both weigh in on the surface finish discussion, with Don feeling nostalgic and taking us back to basics, and Mike focusing on the issue of organic addition agents in electrolytic copper plating. In the broader context of surface finishes and metallization, it is appropriate to at least touch upon the topic of alternate and additive metallization. In my interview with Mike Vinson of Electroninks, he explains his new line of particle-free MOD inks, which, he says, is a game changer that will revolutionize UHDI manufacturing. 

Beyond the topic of surface finishes and plating, Manfred Huschka’s article recounts the unfortunate demise of the last copper foil manufacturing plant in the United States in his comprehensive article, “The Rise and Fall of Allied Signal Laminates,” a more broadly illustrative example than just for Allied Signal and Nippon Denkai. Ralph Jacobo of all4-PCB discusses how his company is a pioneer in the important topic of substrate manufacturing. Dan Feinberg continues his IPC Hall of Fame series this month, spotlighting the one-and-only Walt Custer.

Finally, I am excited to welcome Kurt Palmer and Simon Khesin of Schmoll America, who will be taking turns writing a new column. This month, Kurt recounts Schmoll’s long history as an equipment and solutions provider in the industry, highlighting their continuous technological development throughout the decades. 

As you read this, many of us are likely in the throes of IPC APEX EXPO 2025. The show floor and the robust programs and events that are taking place during this week make for their very own version of March Madness. I am looking forward to seeing many of you in the I-Connect007 booth—both on- and off-camera. Our Real Time with… IPC APEX EXPO coverage has expanded this year to include written articles and interviews in addition to the video spotlights you’ve come to look forward to—all covering the show.  Stay tuned for lots of show coverage, now and in the coming weeks. You won’t want to miss it.

How can we serve you better? What do you want to read about? What are we covering well? What do we get right… or wrong? Your feedback is invaluable and helps us plan future issues. Please contact me at marcy@iconnect007.com and let’s start a conversation.

This column originally appeared in the March 2025 issue of PCB007 Magazine.