here are certain timeless truths when it comes to printed circuits, and the more we stray from them, the more fervent our reaction when rediscovering them. Electrochemical deposition is going through such a revelation utilizing pulse reverse waveforms.
Electroplating was developed as a combination of Direct Current (DC) and a chemical bath. It was understood that this simple waveform and bath composition had considerable limitations. Numerous innovations followed to optimize the plating process for the desired deposit characteristics. There were advances in cell geometries, anode materials, temperature controls, monitoring, instrumentation and numerous others.
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Driven by the need for increased speed, portability and wiring density, the interconnect pitch on semiconductor packages, and the corresponding high density interconnect (HDI) substrates, continue to shrink. The combination of filled blind microvias and build-up technology provides a means to achieve the required wiring densities. With the rapid growth of this technology, the use of electrodeposited copper for filling blind microvias has become a widely adopted process for manufacture of both HDI printed circuit boards (PCBs) and also semiconductor package substrates.
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Commercial Electroplating
1. Electroplating is the process of placing a coat of metal on a substrate. Although small applications of electroplating can be used in home workshop or hobby applications, most electroplating is achieved in commercial settings. This has much to do with the size of objects or substrates being electroplated, the size and cost of the machinery needed to fulfill orders from customers and the need for space to accommodate electroplating processes. When the object being electroplated is supplied to the electroplate company 1 million at a time, an additional parameter for volume increases the space needed to complete the business of electroplating.
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