There are four crafts:
carbon oil;
nickel-plated;
Nickel-plated gold;
Immersion nickel gold.
Each of the four process methods has advantages and disadvantages:
1. Carbon oil
Advantages: simple process and low price.
Disadvantage: easy to wear.
Application scenario: suitable for electronic devices with low price and long service life.
2. Nickel plating
Advantages: The process is relatively simple, the price is relatively low, and the service life is long.
Disadvantages: easy to oxidize, and the resistance sometimes changes greatly.
Scenario: Suitable for occasions where the price is relatively low.
3. Gold plating
Advantages: Wear-resistant.
Disadvantages: The process is one more process than nickel plating, and the price of gold plating is high. Compared with immersion gold, the price is slightly lower, but the gold is only plated on the surface, and the side is still only copper and nickel, which is easy to oxidize over time, which is a defect of the gold plating process. , can not be used in high-demand occasions.
4. Immersion Gold
Advantages: Wear resistance and good performance. The entire pad, including the sides, can be plated with nickel and gold. It is the most stable at present and can be used in various occasions.
Disadvantages: The price is the highest, the adhesion is not as good as gold plating, and it is easy to fall off after a period of use.
Contact key pads are generally gold-plated, because contact keys generally need to be pressed repeatedly, and the flatness and wear resistance of the gold-plated process is currently the most suitable process for key PCBs.
If the PCB bare copper is used with conductive glue buttons or pot buttons: choose immersion gold process, anti-oxidation; do not gold-plated, gold-plated has poor wear resistance.