Nickel – B

Special Electroless Nickel – Boron
For High Electrical Conductivity and Oxidation Resistance

Transene’s electroless nickel-boron process, NICKEL-B, offers unique characteristics (not equalled by nickel-phosphorous formulations) which are required by many electrical contact and bonding applications. NICKEL-B plates directly on oxide-free nickel / kovar / copper / tin. Plating on non-metallic surfaces may be accomplished by using Transene’s RTM Activator and Sensitizer.

Transene’s NICKEL-B metallization resists oxidation, has excellent electrical conductivity and may be plated, soldered, brazed or welded. The NICKEL-B plate has a boron content of 2-3%, electrical conductivity approximately equal to 60/40 tin-lead solder and plate hardness of 500 Vickers. NICKEL-B metallizations are more readily soldered than electrolytic nickel and electroless nickel-phosphorus, easily die-bonded using gold-silicon preforms and completely compatible with die attach epoxies.

Ultrasonic or thermal-compression wire bonding of aluminum to NICKEL-B bonding pads can be accomplished with results superior to those employing gold bonding pads. Electrical contacts plated with 0.20 mil NICKEL-B and 10 micro-inches of gold exhibit characteristics (conductivity / hermeticity) equivalent to 50 micro-inches of gold plated on electrolytic nickel.

PROPERTIES OF NICKEL-B

PROPERTIES OF DEPOSITED NICKEL-B

APPLICATION:

NICKEL-B operates @ 60-65 °C depositing autocatalytically on appropriate metallic surfaces. (RTM Activator and Sensitizer may be used on non-metallic surfaces.) Applications include: Burn-in contacts, connector pins and sockets, diode cans and transistor headers, heat sinks, lead frames, PC board fingers, capacitor bodies and ceramics.