Copper Foil Anodes
Copper foil is a key component in the manufacture of printed circuit board industry. Since impedance is affected by the cross-sectional area of the copper trace, it is imperative that the thickness of the foil is controlled to ±2.5%.
The copper foil industry utilizes a radial cell configuration whereby the gap between the anodes and rotating cathode drum must be maintained to as little as 5 mm. DSA® makes it possible to operate with a larger electrode gap for better foil uniformity with significantly less energy consumption than lead anodes.
In order to meet the stringent anode planarity requirement, De Nora developed the Flex-in-Place™ (FIP) anode. Unlike lead anodes, the Flex-in-Place™ anode is dimensionally stable so its surface never changes. In addition, the design of the FIP anode is such that it allows the anode to conform to the radial configuration of the cell during installation, and once installed will retain its shape, and hence, the stringent anode planarity requirement.
Rear to Rear Plating
The use of Platinum anodes is important in rear to rear plating systems. The printed circuit boards are suspended in relationship to a cathode bar. The cathode bar is coupled to a reciprocating power drive so that it moves back and forth an optimum distance of at least the spacing between an anode and a sparger, or at half the spacing between two spargers.
The boards are then permitted to reciprocate for a given period of time at a pre-selected current density. After they are removed and cleansed, and subsequently positioned into another reciprocating unit for further plating and concluding the cycle.
Platinum Anodes: Pin Conductor Gold Plating
Plating is the process of coating terminals of base metal with a layer of nickel, tin, or gold to improve their electrical performance. To improve the electrical performance conductors are plated initially with nickel and then with gold or tin through an high efficiency electrolytic process in order to have:
- Low contact resistance
- Good wear resistance and diminsh surface oxidation
- Corrosion Protection
Applications:
- Ultra-thin semi-conductor
- RF and mircowave connectors
- Cable connectors
- Antenna solutions
- PCB connectors
SYNERGY™/DT - PWB (Printed Circuit Board) Plating Anodes
In acid copper plating for circuit boards, sensitive organic additives are used to promote grain refinement and leveling of the plated surface. These organic additives must be maintained at optimum concentrations to produce quality product and to thereby maximize yields. Ordinary DSA® anodes can destroy the organic additives. To overcome this shortcoming, De Nora developed its proprietary SYNERGY™ and DT anode coatings. The SYNERGY™/DT coating has been shown to be comparable to standard soluble copper anodes in limiting the destruction of organic additives. The SYNERGY™/DT anode has been accepted by the printed circuit board industry as the only industry approved alternative to soluble copper anodes.
Synergy™/DT Anodes Brochure |  (196 Kb) |
| Platinum Anodes Brochure | (175 Kb) |