Electrodeposition Chemicals

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Electro-Brite PC-671 Acid Copper Plating Process
Electro-Brite PC-667 Acid Copper Plating Process
Electro-Brite PC-606 Acid Copper Plating Process
Electro-Brite Tin-Brite III Bright Acid Tin Plating Process
Airless Acid Copper Plating
 

Electro-Brite PC-671 Acid Copper Plating Process

Product Description
Electro-Brite PC-671 Acid Copper Plating Process is an outstanding copper sulfate plating system designed to produce a bright, ductile copper deposit particularly suited for the printed circuit industry. Electro-Brite PC-671 is specially designed for use in conjunction with direct metallization processes. PC-671 does not contain dye. Electro-Brite PC-671 Acid Copper Plating Process is a two part additive system which produces improved leveling by the action of a separate grain refiner component, Electro-Brite PC-672.

Electro-Brite PC-671 Acid Copper Plating Process is very economical. The average replenishment rate for both PC-671 and PC-672 is 0.25 mL per ampere hour, but various operating conditions can cause an addition rate as low as 0.1 mL per ampere hour to as high as 0.4 mL per ampere hour for each additive. The process produces a fine grained amorphous copper deposit. This fine grained structure is the desired structure for a ductile deposit. The copper deposit produced by the Electro-Brite PC-671 Acid Copper Plating Process will pass the most rigorous thermal stress and shock tests.

Nominal Deposit Characteristics

When properly plated samples are tested per ASTM specification:

Elongation Greater than 15%
Tensile Strength 36,000 to 60,000 psi
Density 9.0 g/cm2
Microscopic Structure Fine Grained Equiaxed
Bath makeup
Copper Sulfate 67 g/L
Sulfuric Acid 12% by volume
Hydrochloric Acid 70 ppm of chloride*
PC-671 0.4% by vol.
PC-672 0.5% by vol.
Acid Copper Carrier 0.5% by vol.
Deionized Water Balance


*Note: 2.2 mL of concentrated hydrochloric acid added to 100 L of bath will raise the chloride concentration by 10 ppm (10 mL per 100 gal adds 12 ppm of chloride).

Electrolyze (dummy plate) the bath at about ½ of normal operating current density for 1 - 4 hours. After electrolysis, the chloride, PC-672 concentration and Hull cell should be checked. The initial production of the anode film can consume larger than normal amounts of these materials.

Operating Conditions

Nominal  Range
Copper Sulfate 67 g/L
(9 oz/gal)		 43 - 90 g/L
(6 - 12 oz/gal)
Sulfuric Acid 225 g/L
(12% by vol.)		 188 - 263 g/L
(10 - 14% by vol.)
Chloride 70 ppm 50 - 90 ppm
PC-671 0.3% by vol. 0.15 - 0.6% by vol.
Acid Copper Carrier 1.5% by vol. 0.5% - 4% by vol.
PC-672 0.45% by vol. 0.3 - 0.8% by vol.
Temperature 24°C
(75°F)		 21 - 27°C
(70 - 80°F)
Cathode Current Density 18 ASF
(1.8 ASD)		 10 - 25 ASF
(1 - 2.5 ASD)
Agitation Air, pumped solution and cathode rod agitation areapplicable (compressed air must be avoided)
Filtration Continuous (1 - 5 micron filter is recommended)
Anodes Phosphorized copper (0.03% - 0.08% phosphorous slab or slug anodes
Anode Baskets(if used) Titanium
Anode Hooks Titanium
Anode bags Polypropylene (cotton and other cellulose based materials are unacceptable)
Anode Current Density 8 - 25 ASF (0.8 - 2.5 ASD)


Note: Lower than recommended anode current densities tend to increase brightener consumption and higher than recommended anode current densities can lead to passivation of the anode surface.

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Electro-Brite PC-667 Acid Copper Plating Process

Product Description
Electro-Brite PC-667 Acid Copper Plating Process is an outstanding copper sulfate plating system designed to produce a bright, ductile copper deposit particularly suited for the printed circuit industry.

PC-667 contains a dye that enhances low current density brightness and improves resistance to the effects of organic contaminants.

PC-667 Acid Copper requires a single additive for replenishment and provides several advantages:

- PC-667 produces leveling by the action of its brightener and carrier components, without the need for additional leveler components. This eliminates the problem of controlling a separate leveler and the degradation of the physical properties and distribution of the deposit that occurs if there is a build-up of a leveler component.
- PC-667 is very economical. The average replenishment rate is 0.2 mL per ampere hour, but various operating conditions can cause an addition rate as low as 0.1 mL per ampere hour to as high as 0.4 mL per ampere hour.
- PC-667 is designed to produce a bright ductile copper deposit particularly suited for the printed circuit board industry. Good ductility is necessary to withstand the forces created by the difference in coefficient of thermal expansion between the laminate and the copper.
- The process produces a fine grained amorphous copper deposit. This fine grained structure is the desired structure for a ductile deposit. The copper deposit produced by PC-667 will pass the most rigorous thermal stress and shock tests.
- PC-667 is extremely stable in the bath, thus eliminating the need for frequent purification to remove breakdown products which cause excessive stress and dullness.


Nominal Deposit Characteristics
When properly plated, samples are tested per ASTM specification:

Electrical Conductivity 0.59 micro-mho/cm
Elongation 15 - 25%
Internal Stress 750 - 1500 psi
Density 9.0 g/cc
Tensile Strength 42,000 to 53,000 psi
Solderability Excellent
Microscopic Structure Fine Grained Equiaxed
Solution makeup
Copper Sulfate 75 g/L
Sulfuric Acid 10% by volume
Hydrochloric Acid 60 ppm of chloride*
PC667 0.15% v/v
Acid Copper Carrier 1.0% v/v
Deionized Water balance


*Note: 2.2 mL of concentrated hydrochloric acid added to 100 L of bath will raise the chloride concentration by 10 ppm (10 mL per 100 gal adds 12 ppm of chloride).

Electrolyze (dummy plate) the bath at about ½ of normal operating current density for 1-4 hours. After electrolysis, the chloride and PC-667 concentrations should be checked. A Hull cell and/or Cyclic Voltammetric Stripping (CVS) analysis can be used to determine the concentration of PC-667. The initial formation of the anode film can consume larger than normal amounts of chloride and PC-667.
Operating conditions
Nominal  Range
Copper Sulfate 76 g/L
(10 oz/gal)		 60 -120 g/L
(8 - 16 oz/gal)
Sulfuric Acid 184 g/L
(10% v/v)		 166 - 258 g/L
(9 - 14% v/v)
Chloride 60 ppm 40 - 90 ppm
PC-667 0.15% v/v 0.08 - 0.30% v/v
Acid Copper Carrier 1.5% by vol. 0.5% - 4% by vol.
Temperature 24°C
(75°F)		 21 - 32°C
(70 - 90°F)
Cathode Current Density 18 ASF
(1.8 ASD)		 12 - 30 ASF
(1.3 - 3.2 ASD)
Agitation Air, pumped solution and cathode rod agitation are applicable (compressed air must be avoided)
Filtration Continuous (1 - 5 micron filter is recommended)
Anodes Phosphorized copper (0.03% - 0.08% phosphorous slab or slug anodes
Anode Baskets(if used) Titanium
Anode Hooks Titanium
Anode bags Polypropylene (cotton and other cellulose based materials are unacceptable)
Anode Current Density 10 - 35 ASF (1.1 - 3.8 ASD)
Important considerations
Plating thickness is dependent upon current density and plating time. For acid copper plating 17.8 ampere hours or 1068 ampere minutes are required to obtain 1 mil (25 micron) of plated thickness. The relationship is illustrated in the following calculation:

Plating thickness (mils) = [time (min.) x current density (ASF)]
/[ 1068 ampere minutes/mil]


Actual thickness in plated holes will depend upon board geometry and the throwing power of the plating bath. Current density, tank geometry, solution movement and bath parameters all influence the throwing power of the plating bath.
Recommended process cycle
1. Acid Cleaner #4A, 6A or 7A
2. Rinse
3. Rinse
4. CO-BRA ETCH® or Cu Prep II
5. Rinse
6. 10% sulfuric acid dip
7. PC-667 Acid Copper
8. Rinse
9. Tin Brite III Acid Tin
10. Rinse
11. Dry


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Electro-Brite PC-606 Acid Copper Plating Process

Product Description
Electro-Brite PC-606 Acid Copper Plating Process is an outstanding copper sulfate plating system designed to produce a bright, ductile copper deposit particularly suited for the printed circuit industry.

PC-606 does not contain any dye. PC-606 Acid Copper requires a single additive for replenishment and provides several advantages:

- PC-606 produces leveling by the action of its brightener and carrier components, without the need for additional leveler components. This eliminates the problem of controlling a separate leveler and the degradation of the physical properties and distribution of the deposit that occurs if there is a build-up of a leveler component.
- PC-606 is very economical. The average replenishment rate is 0.2 mL per ampere hour, but various operating conditions can cause an addition rate as low as 0.1 mL per ampere hour to as high as 0.4 mL per ampere hour.
- PC-606 is designed to produce a bright ductile copper deposit particularly suited for the printed circuit board industry. Good ductility is necessary to withstand the forces created by the difference in coefficient of thermal expansion between the laminate and the copper.
- The process produces a fine grained amorphous copper deposit. This fine grained structure is the desired structure for a ductile deposit. The copper deposit produced by PC-606 will pass the most rigorous thermal stress and shock tests.
- PC-606 is extremely stable in the bath, thus eliminating the need for frequent purification to remove breakdown products which cause excessive stress and dullness.


Nominal Deposit Characteristics

Electrical Conductivity 0.59 micro-mho/cm
Elongation 15 - 25%
Internal Stress 750 - 1500 psi
Density 9.0 g/cc
Tensile Strength 42,000 to 53,000 psi
Solderability Excellent
Microscopic Structure Fine Grained Equiaxed
Solution makeup
Copper Sulfate 75 g/L
Sulfuric Acid 10% by volume
Hydrochloric Acid 60 ppm of chloride*
PC-606 0.15% v/v
Acid Copper Carrier 1.0% v/v
Deionized Water Balance


*Note: 2.2 mL of concentrated hydrochloric acid added to 100 L of bath will raise the chloride concentration by 10 ppm (10 mL per 100 gal adds 12 ppm of chloride).

Electrolyze (dummy plate) the bath at about ½ of normal operating current density for 1-4 hours. After electrolysis, the chloride and PC-606 concentrations should be checked. A Hull cell and/or Cyclic Voltammetric Stripping (CVS) analysis can be used to determine the concentration of PC-606. The initial formation of the anode film can consume larger than normal amounts of chloride and PC-606.
Operating conditions
  Nominal Range
Copper Sulfate 75 g/L
(10 oz/gal)		 60 -120 g/L
(8 - 16 oz/gal)
Sulfuric Acid 184 g/L
(10% v/v)		 166 - 258 g/L
(9 - 14% v/v)
Chloride 60 ppm 40 - 90 ppm
PC-606 0.15% v/v 0.08 - 0.30% v/v
Acid Copper Carrier 1.5% v/v 0.5% - 4% v/v
Temperature 24°C
(75°F)		 21 - 32°C
(70 - 90°F)
Cathode Current Density 18 ASF
(1.9 ASD)		 12 - 30 ASF
(1.3 - 3.2 ASD)
Recommended process cycle
1. Acid Cleaner #4A, 6A or 7A
2. Rinse
3. Rinse
4. CO-BRA ETCH® or Cu Prep II
5. Rinse
6. 10% sulfuric acid dip
7. PC-606 Acid Copper
8. Rinse
9. Tin Brite III Acid Tin
10. Rinse
11. Dry


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Electro-Brite Tin-Brite III Bright Acid Tin Plating Process

Product Description
Electro-Brite Tin-Brite III Acid Tin Plating Process is a bright acid tin process specifically designed for the plating of printed circuit boards. Tin-Brite III solutions have excellent throwing power and efficiency.

Tin-Brite III deposits exhibit excellent solderability. Tin-Brite III deposits are bright and leveled.
Solution makeup
Stannous Sulfate 30 g/L
Sulfuric Acid C.P. 10% by volume
Tin-Brite Make-Up III 4.0% by volume
Tin Brite Replenisher III 0.4% by volume
Deionized Water Balance
Operating conditions
Nominal Range
Tin Metal 15 g/L
(2.0 oz/gal)		 7.5 - 22.5 g/L(1.0 - 3.0 oz/gal)
Sulfuric Acid 10% v/v 8 - 12% v/v
Temperature 21°C
(70°F)		 13 - 29°C
(55 - 85°F)
Cathode Current Density 20 ASF
(2.2 ASD)		 10 - 30 ASF
(1.1 - 3.2 ASD)
Plating Thickness 0.2 mil.
(5.1 micron)		 0.1 - 0.3 mil.
(2.5 - 7.6 micron)
Agitation Cathode rod, 5 - 20 ft./min. (1.5 - 6 meters/min.)
Filtration Continuous filtration through 5 - 10 micron polypropylene filters is recommended
Anodes 99.99% pure tin slabs
Anode Hooks Plastisol coated titanium or Monel
Anode Current Density Maximum of 30 ASF (3.2 ASD)
Anode:Cathode Ratio Minimum of 1:1
Improtant considerations
Lower temperatures favor brightness in low current density areas and improve throwing power. Higher temperatures tend to diminish overall brightness especially in low current density areas.

Lower tin content favors brightness in low current density areas and improves throwing power. Higher tin content improves efficiency at the high current density areas.

The nominal current density is 20 ASF (2.2 ASD). Plating time vs. current density is shown in the following table. Plating times are based upon plating efficiency of 83%.

Current density Time to plaate 0.2 mil.
(5.1 micron)
10 ASF (1.1 ASD) 11.3 min.
15 ASF (1.6 ASD) 7.5 min.
20 ASF (2.2 ASD) 5.6 min.
25 ASF (2.7 ASD) 4.5 min.
30 ASF (3.2 ASD) 3.8 min.
Recommended process cycle
1. Acid Cleaner #4A, 6A or 7A
2. Rinse
3. Rinse
4. CO-BRA ETCH® or Cu Prep II
5. Rinse
6. 10% sulfuric acid dip
7. PC-667 or PC-606 Acid Copper
8. Rinse
9. Tin-Brite III Acid Tin
10. Rinse
11. Dry


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Airless Acid Copper Plating

Advantages of airless acid copper
Airless acid copper provides solution agitation through the use of sparged solution rather than air agitation. It is preferred that spargers with eductors be used due to increased solution agitation and improved uniformity of agitation provided by the eductors. Spargers with drilled holes can be used when space limitations prevent the use of eductors.

Advantages of airless copper include:

- reduction or elimination of defects due to "mouse-bites"
- less misting of plating solution creating a better work environment, including less corrosion of equipment and of work held in the area
- reduced consumption of plating additives due to less oxidation
- improved plating distribution has been reported in some, but not all, cases


Mouse-bites are semi-circular pits which typically occur at the edges of traces. In most cases they are due to air bubbles attaching themselves to the board at the sidewalls of the plating resist and physically blocking copper deposition.

With air agitated systems the solution can become supersaturated with air thus causing the mouse-bite problem, probably via precipitation of air on the surface of the panel. The supersaturation can occur when air is pulled into the filtration pump because the increased pressure causes a higher solubility of air in the solution.

Solution temperature also plays a role with lower solution temperature resulting in a higher solubility of air. By eliminating the use of air agitation from the system the problem of supersaturation is greatly reduced or eliminated.

The Electro-Brite Solder Stripper 818/819 Process is a two step process specifically engineered for the removal of tin or tin/lead deposits from printed wiring boards.
Equipment setup
Airless copper set up with eductors

  • Anode to cathode distance: 8 - 12" (20 - 30 cm)
  • Cathode agitation stroke: 10 - 15% of anode to cathode distance
  • Eductors (option 1):
    • eductor spargers directly under panels running parallel to the cathode bar
    • 2 - 5 eductors per 100 gal. (380 L) of solution
    • 3/8"(1 cm) eductors spaced 5 - 12" (13 - 30 cm) apart from each other pointing up at a 90° angle
    • top of eductors should be at least 10" (25 cm) below the bottom of panel
  • Eductors (option 2):
    • eductor spargers on the tank bottom at a distance of at least 4" (10 cm) from the cathode at each side of the cathode running parallel to the cathode bar
    • 2 - 5 eductors per 100 gal. (380 L) of solution
    • 3/8" (1cm) eductors spaced 5 - 12" (13 - 30 cm) apart from each other, pointing up at a 90° angle
    • top of eductors should be at least 5" (13 cm) below the bottom of panel
  • Eductors can be purchased from Serfilco (Phone: 1-800-323-5431)
  • Pump: magnetic drive, 2 - 4 hp per 1000 gal (3800 L)
  • Minimum pipe size for various eductor sizes (in general 3/8" eductors should be used). The pipe size should be equal to or greater than the diameter of the pump outlet. Eductor Pipe
    • 3/8" (1 cm) 1 1/4" (3 cm)
      3/4" (2 cm) 1 1/2" (4 cm)
      1 1/2" (4 cm) 2" (5 cm)
  • Spargers and manifolds must be large enough to support the hole's area
    • Total area of the holes should not exceed the area of the ID of the sparger pipe
    • Total area of all of the holes should not exceed the area of the ID of the manifold
    • Relatively large diameter plumbing with hole areas near maximum tends to run cooler
  • Plumbing Calculation Example:
    • A 2" pipe has an area of 3.14 in2, a 3/8" hole has an area of 0.11 in2, and a ½" hole has an area of 0.196 in2
    • This means that a 2" sparger will support up to 28 holes at 3/8" or 16 holes at ½"
    • A 4" manifold will support up to 8 spargers (2" each) with 8 x ½" holes in each sparger
  • Cooling: Depending upon pump size considerable heat may be evolved. A cooling coil is recommended to maintain the temperature below 29°C (85°F)
Top views diagram

Airless copper set up with dual spargers

  • Anode to cathode distance: 8 - 12" (20 - 30 cm)
  • Cathode agitation stroke: 10 - 15% of anode to cathode distance
  • Spargers spaced outside of agitation stroke
  • Spargers:
    • 6" (15 cm) below panel edge
    • ¼" - ½" (0.6 - 1.2 cm) holes, spaced 2" - 6" (5 -15 cm) apart pointing up at 90°
  • Pump: magnetic drive, 2 - 5 hp per 1000 gal (3800 L)
  • Spargers and manifolds must be large enough to support the area of the hole
    • Total area of the holes should not exceed the area of the ID of the sparger pipe
    • Total area of all of the holes should not exceed the area of the ID of the manifold
    • Relatively large diameter plumbing with hole areas near maximum tends to run cooler
  • Plumbing Calculation Example:
    • A 2" pipe has an area of 3.14 in2, a 3/8" hole has an area of 0.11 in2, and a ½" hole has an area of 0.196 in2
    • This means that a 2" sparger will support up to 28 holes at 3/8" or 16 holes at ½
    • A 4" manifold will support up to 8 spargers (2" each) with 8 x ½" holes in each sparger
  • Cooling: Depending upon pump size considerable heat may be evolved. A cooling coil is recommended to maintain the temperature below 29°C (85°F).
 


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