Publications Details
Inspection of chemically roughened copper surfaces using optical interferometry and scanning electron microscopy: Establishing a correlation between surface morphology and solderability
Sandia National Laboratories has established a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement with consortium members of the National Center for Manufacturing Sciences (NCMS) to develop fundamental generic technology in printed wiring board materials and surface finishes. We are investigating the effects of surface roughness on the wettability and solderability behavior of several types of copper board finishes to gain insight into surface morphologies that lead to improved solderability. In this paper, we present optical interterometry and scanning electron microscopy results for a variety of chemically-etched copper substrates. Initial testing on six chemical etches demonstrate that surface roughness can be greatly enhanced through chemical etching. Noticeable movements in solder wettability were observed to company increases in roughness.