OSP Surface Finish Process Control and Storage Guide OSP, or organic solderability preservative, is a thin organic film that protects clean copper from oxidation without adding any metal to the surface. It is the cheapest of the common finishes, it is simple to apply, and it leaves the flattest possible…

Copper Surface Preparation Before Lamination Multilayer adhesion is created in a few metres of process line. Before the layers are pressed together, the copper surfaces that will form the internal interfaces are cleaned, textured and oxidised so that the resin has something to grip and something to bond to chemically.…

ESD Packaging and Handling Materials Static damage is invisible at the moment it happens. A discharge that a person cannot feel can puncture a gate oxide or degrade a junction enough to shift a parameter, and the part then passes test and fails months later. Protection is therefore a chain…

Wave Soldering: Wave Solder Defect Troubleshooting The wave process solders through hole joints by passing the board across a standing wave of molten alloy. It is fast and robust, and it has a narrow window: the flux must be applied correctly, the board must arrive at the right temperature, and…

Moisture Barrier Bag Sealing and Desiccant Control A moisture barrier bag protects a component from the humidity in the air until it is opened. Everything about the pack, the seal, the desiccant and the indicators, exists to make the storage life predictable rather than hoped for. What the Bag Has…

Rework Station Selection for SMT and Through Hole Repair Rework is the part of the process where the strongest equipment and the least controlled method often meet. A technician with a hot air tool can replace a fine pitch package, but only if the tool delivers heat in a way…

Four Wire Resistance Measurement of Solder Joints A solder joint that is failing often behaves normally until the moment it opens, and the early indication is a small increase in resistance. Measuring that increase requires a technique that does not drown it in lead resistance. Why Two Wire Is Not…

Through Hole Solder Fill Requirements for Barrel Joints A through hole joint is judged by how much of the barrel it fills and how well the alloy wets the walls. Those two properties determine whether the joint can carry current reliably, whether it survives thermal cycling and whether it will…

Fuse Selection: Fuse and Protection Device Selection on PCB A fuse is the simplest protection device on a board and the one most often chosen by habit. It sits in series with the supply, carries the normal current indefinitely and opens when the current exceeds its rating for long enough.…

SPI Data and Print Process Feedback An inspection system that measures the paste deposit is only useful if the measurement changes something upstream. The volume figures it produces describe the printer, the stencil and the paste, and the value of the data comes from how quickly that description reaches the…