Novel approach to PCB coating measurements

An Oxford Instruments Industrial Analysis product story

Edited by the Electronicstalk editorial team Mar 19, 2007

Innovative system measures organic solderablity preservative thickness in PCB manufacturing operations.

Oxford Instruments announces the launch of the revolutionary new OSPrey800 to the printed circuit board industry.

This instrument measures organic solderablity preservative (OSP) thickness on the individual pads of real-time production boards.

The ability to target individual pads allows specific quality control, failure analysis and troubleshooting of the OSP layer.

The OSPrey800's unique nondestructive quality control technique for measuring OSP thickness requires neither test coons nor sample preparation and significantly reduces the time needed to take measurements and operator error.

Other techniques for measuring OSP thickness are either destructive, labour intensive or expensive.

The OSPrey800 uses an innovative technique in which various wavelengths of light are aimed at a sample and the light reflected from the surface of coating and substrate is analysed to determine coating thickness.

Typical thicknesses from 0.035-3um can be measured and analysed.

The mechanical shear strength and electrical conductivity of the board rely on the thickness and integrity of the OSP coating.

With the OSPrey800, measurements can be made on the same board when it is newly coated with OSP, in the incoming board quality inspection at facility and after a trip through the reflow oven.

The Windows based user interface was designed with intuitive controls for use by production personnel.

The user can simultaneously view a CCD image of the surface, a two-dimensional map of the coating thickness and a graphic display of wavelength versus reflectance.

Oxford Instruments' CMI series XRF systems have been reliably measuring electroless nickel immersion gold (ENIG), hot air solder levelling (HASL), immersion silver (Im-Ag) and immersion tin (Im-Sn) for many years.

The OSPrey800 measures OSP thickness, completing the product line for measuring all major PCB surface finishes.