Platinum Metals Rev., 1984, 28, (3), 114
Palladium-Nickel Plating
The economic advantages of palladium-nickel as a replacement for electrodeposited gold in the electronics industry have been demonstrated many times during recent years and an extended study of their relative performance recently reported by K. J. Whitlaw of LeaRonal U.K. (Trans. Inst. Met. Finish., 1984, 62, (1), 9–12) serves to substantiate the potential value of these deposits.
The experimental work shows that a duplex layer of 2.5 to 3.0 μ m 70 palladium–30 nickel followed by 0.1 to 0.25 μ m of acid hard gold is to be recommended as a replacement for 2.5 μ m gold deposited on a copper substrate such as a printed circuit board. This combination offers freedom from porosity, stability of contact resistance, excellent resistance to wear and to corrosion, and also resistance to copper diffusion at elevated temperatures.
These properties, while being identical to those secured with a conventional gold deposit, offer savings in cost of as much as 65 per cent.