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Observations on Palladium as a Final Finish
April 4, 2025 | Happy Holden, I-Connect007Estimated reading time: Less than a minute
Not much has been published about palladium as a final finish, but it’s experiencing a renaissance as a liquid metal for metallization of copper in ultra HDI and as a final finish. It was very popular in the 1970s because of its corrosion resistance, as the only other final finishes were tin-lead reflow, Ni/Au, OSP, or immersion tin. Palladium was very popular with the automotive industry then and Photocircuits of Glen Cove, New York, was a major supplier of boards.
Palladium Finish Used in Automotive and Electronics
Early in the 2010s, palladium started to reemerge as a final finish. Its advantages were:
- Eliminates black pad
- A single coating on copper
- Excellent silver replacement
- Short process time of 15 minutes
- Excellent shelf life
- Excellent solderability after multiple reflows
- Can be used to replace carbon switches
- When gold wire bonding is required
- Excellent replacement for harsh environments
- High gold bond shear test results
- Nonmagnetic for RF
- Better wear attributes than gold
To read this entire article, which appeared in the March 2025 issue of PCB007 Magazine, click here.
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