Solving materials-related issues is of great importance to the electronics and PCB industries. In this regard, ASMAC has a long history of assisting electroplating chemical suppliers, lead frame manufacturers, printed circuit board (PCB) manufacturers, liquid crystal display (LCD) manufacturers, microchip developers, and electronics assemblers in China and Hong Kong to address their materials-related concerns.
Much of our work involves identifying residues and contaminants associated with plating on lead frames and PCBs, as well as evaluating electroplating layers. We also help assemblers with quality control issues by examining defective solder joints and corrosion sites. Companies active in the research and development of electronic components, such as CCFLs, new plating chemicals, and PCBs, also benefit from ASMAC’s expertise in various ways, including the evaluation of prototype devices.
Application Examples
- Cross-sectional analysis of plating thickness distribution on PCBs with ultra-thin plating layers down to several tens of nanometers
- Grain structure evaluation of gold plating at cross-sections
- Surface contamination study of plating on PCBs with stains
- Analysis of process cleaning contaminants
- Determination of alloy content in gold alloy plating scrap samples
- Surface hardness measurement of gold and nickel plating on PCBs
- Measurement of electroless nickel hardness at cross-sections
- Examination of incomplete gold layers that provide pathways for corrosion of copper contacts on PCBs
- Bond pad delamination study
- Investigations of stains and discolorations on solder masks of printed circuit boards
- Precision IC cross-sectioning, de-layering, chemical staining, and imaging of cross-sectional fine structures in ICs
- Imaging of multilayer GaAlAs wafers
- Ultra-shallow depth profiles of boron implants in silicon wafers
- Roughness determination of solder masks and plating on PCBs
- Anion concentration on PCB bare boards with finishing
- Coefficient of thermal expansion measurement of Invar and multilayer PCB samples
- Pore size study of lithium-ion battery membranes
- Surface composition analysis of blackened CCFL tubes
- Elemental analysis to determine copper-zinc distribution at soldered joints
- Observation of voids and cracks at chemically polished brazing joints for brazing process evaluation
- Elemental mapping of brazing elements at brazing joints
- Studies of additives in chemicals
- Matching study of microparticles found in liquid crystals
Commonly Analyzed Parts
- Printed circuit boards (PCBs)
- Electroplating layers
- Wafers
- Liquid crystals
- Battery membranes
- Solder joints and corrosion sites
- Electroplating chemicals
