A completely new nano-size surface finish is being introduced by Ormecon International into the printed circuit board market.

The thickness is only 55nm, with the layer consisting of a nanoparticle complex formed between the organic nanometal and silver (the silver contributes less than 10 per cent to the total thickness).

Nonetheless, this ultrathin layer is claimed to provide greater oxidation protection and solderability preservation than any other established metallic finish such as ENIG, immersion silver, immersion tin or OSP - although the established finishes are between six and 100 times thicker than this new nanofinish.

According to Ormecon, several tests in PCB manufacturers and assemblers have already shown a superior thermal resistance and full solderability also under lead-free multi-reflow conditions.

Only three months after the first public presentation by Dr Bernhard Wessling, the inventor and Ormecon CEO, in July 2007, a first industrial line for the deposition of the new nanofinish will be installed in Korea at Ormecon's customer Yoojin. The line will begin operating in the second half of October 2007. It is believed that this will be the first commercial line to provide a nano-sized surface finish for printed circuit boards.

Compared to conventional surface finish processes, the line's energy consumption will be 10-30 per cent lower and the total environmental resource consumption less than one per cent.

Ormecon