ENIG PCB Solution and Manufacturing

KnownPCB have 18-year experience in ENIG PCB OEM manufacturing. ENIG PCB refers to a printed circuit board that undergoes the electroless nickel immersion gold surface treatment. It is commonly called chemical nickel gold or immersed gold board, too. 

Unit Price: $ 0.99-1.77 MOQ: 1-10000 pcs OEM/ODM Certified by ISO9001, IATF16949 and UL Offer consulting service of design for manufacturing Excellent Surface Flatness for Fine-Pitch Components ENIG (Electroless Nickel Immersion Gold) finish provides an exceptionally flat and smooth soldering surface, making it ideal for BGA, QFN, CSP, and other high-density assembly applications. Superior Corrosion Resistance and Shelf Life The gold layer protects the nickel surface from oxidation, ensuring stable solderability and extending PCB storage life compared with traditional surface finishes. Reliable Solderability and Wire Bonding Performance ENIG PCBs offer consistent solder joint quality and excellent compatibility with SMT assembly processes, supporting both prototype and volume production requirements. Suitable for High-Reliability Industries Widely used in telecommunications, industrial control, automotive electronics, medical devices, aerospace, and high-performance consumer electronics where long-term reliability is critical. Talk to a PCB Engineer

Some Manufacturing Techniques and Processes of ENIG PCB

Quality Assurance of ENIG PCB

Control the Key Process Parameter to Ensure High Quality Nickel Plating Layer Thickness is strictly controlled within 3-6 μmaccording toIPC standard.This thicknesscanperfectly reduce the quality risk of copper diffusion corrosion and stress cracks. Pre-treatment and Surface Condition Management The micro-etching depth can be control within 3-5μm. This level of depth can not only enhance the adhesion but also ensure the integrity of the circuit. Prevention of Black Pad Proper replacement interval of the nickel bath can be helpful, like 5-10 turnovers. Also, adding stabilizers can reduce galvanic corrosion. This can keep pH values within the optimal range to ensure good quality of the final products.

Benefits of ENIG PCB

• ExtremelySmoothSurface

The nickel-gold layeris very smooth, compared to theunevenness of HASL. It isperfectly suitable for BGA, QFN, 0201/01005 and other micro-components with a pitch of 0.4mm or less. This significantly improves the assembly accuracy and solder paste printing quality.

• Excellent Antioxidant Capacity and Lifespan 

The surface thin gold layer, which is 0.05 to 0.1μm, effectively isolates the product from air. It protects the underlying nickel layer from oxidation. Under normal storage conditions, its lifespan can reach more than 12 months.

• Excellent Contact Conductivity

The gold layer has low contact resistance and corrosion resistance. This makes it suitable for scenarios requiring frequent plugging or micro-current transmission, such as button contacts, and gold fingers.

Application of ENIG PCB

• High-density Interconnect Boards

Heavy copper PCB suits modern electronic products with dense circuitry and small pads.

• High-reliability Applications

Automotive electronics, industrial control, communication base stations, and medical equipment, require heavy copper PCB to keep long-term stable operation.

• Lead-free Environmental Requirements

Heavy copper PCB Fully meets RoHS standards. It eliminates the risk of lead pollution.

FAQs

What Is the Difference Between OSP and ENIG PCB?

The core differences between OSP (Organic Solder Protector) and ENIG (Electrochemical Nickel Immersion Gold) lie in their protection mechanisms, surface smoothness, storage life, and cost. OSP is a low-cost, short-cycle temporary protection solution, while ENIG is a high-reliability, long-cycle permanent protection solution.

What Is ENIG vs HASL?

ENIG and HASL (Hot Air Soldering Leveling) are two mainstream surface treatment processes for PCBs. The core differences lie in surface flatness, cost, and applicable scenarios. ENIG produces an extremely flat surface but is expensive. And it is suitable for high-density, fine-pitch components. HASL is low-cost but has an uneven surface. And it is for conventional through-hole and large pad components.

What Is the Difference Between Gold Plating and ENIG?

Their difference lies in their deposition principles, gold layer hardness, and application scenarios. The former makes current deposition by electric. This greatly contributes to forming a thick, wear-resistant gold layer, which is suitable for insertion and removal. The latter is made by chemical reaction. It produces a thin and flat gold layer suitable for soldering.

What Is the Difference Between ENEPIG and ENIG PCB?

ENEPIG included an extremely thin palladium layer between the nickel and gold layers, while ENIG does not. This solves the black pad defect of ENIG. And it improves wire bonding reliability. By the way, the cost of ENEPIG is higher than ENIG.

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