ENIG

(Electroless Nickel Immersion Gold)

ENIG (Electroless Nickel Immersion Gold)

IPC Code: ENIG

Electroless Nickel / Immersion Gold (ENIG) has excellent coverage, uniformity and fine-pitch features.  The process has excellent corrosion resistance and mechanical strength for good solderability and aluminum wire bonding.  This finish has a long self-life and can withstand multiple thermal cycles.  ENIG usage has become very common now due to the accountability for lead-free regulations.

The ENIG surface finish is composed of Copper, Nickel, & Gold.

 

Diagram illustrating the layers of ENIG
Diagram illustrating the layers of ENIG

Superior Processing’s ENIG meets the requirements of IPC 4552.  The nickel layer protects the copper from oxidation, and the gold layer protects the nickel layer resistance to corrosion.

The nickel layer in the ENIG also complies with:

  • ASTM B733
  • SAE AMS2404
  • MIL-C-26074

IPC-4552 specifies the thickness of each layer being per the table below but for some applications different thickness are specified by our customer.

ENIG – Rigid PCB
per IPC-4552
micro inches (µin) micrometers (µm)
Minimum Maximum Minimum Maximum
Nickel (Ni) 118.1 236.2 3.000 6.000
Gold (Au) 1.58 3.94 0.040 0.100
ENIG – Flex PCB
per IPC-4552
micro inches (µin) micrometers (µm)
Minimum Maximum Minimum Maximum
Nickel (Ni) 50 236.2 1.270 6.000
Gold (Au) 1.58 3.94 0.040 0.100
Thickness based on measuring on a 0.060″ x 0.060″ pad.

 

 

 

 

READY TO START A PROJECT?