{"id":259,"date":"2015-11-09T10:06:10","date_gmt":"2015-11-09T10:06:10","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.rigiflex.com\/blog\/?p=259"},"modified":"2025-06-18T09:03:26","modified_gmt":"2025-06-18T09:03:26","slug":"commonly-used-surface-finishes-for-automotive-pcbs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rigiflex.com\/blog\/commonly-used-surface-finishes-for-automotive-pcbs\/","title":{"rendered":"Commonly Used Surface Finishes for Automotive PCBs"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Printed Circuit Boards (PCBs) form the foundation of modern automotive electronic circuit. They are inevitable for making reliable interconnections. They support the assembly of electronic ignition systems, transmission control units, electronic lamp driving, navigation systems, and many others in a vehicle.<\/p>\n<p>When manufacturing and assembling PCBs for automotive electronics, there are several factors to be taken care of. They must be built to withstand high temperatures, pressure, harsh chemicals, oils, and other contaminants. To endure aforementioned factors and to offer reliable performance, automotive PCBs are coated with premium grade finishes. Let us understand the advantages and disadvantages of few of the commonly used surface finishes.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.rigiflex.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/130.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-1370 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.rigiflex.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/130.png\" alt=\"Automtive PCBs\" width=\"1200\" height=\"400\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.rigiflex.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/130.png 1200w, https:\/\/www.rigiflex.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/130-300x100.png 300w, https:\/\/www.rigiflex.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/130-768x256.png 768w, https:\/\/www.rigiflex.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/130-1024x341.png 1024w, https:\/\/www.rigiflex.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/130-1140x380.png 1140w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Surface Finishes for Automotive PCBs &#8211; Advantages and Disadvantages<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>PCBs meant for automotive applications are generally coated using any of the four finishes listed below. Each finish has its own advantages and disadvantages.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Hot Air Solder Level (HASL)<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: none;\">\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Advantages<\/strong> \u2013 Can be easily applied, good bond strength, long shelf life, can be easily reworked, allow easy visual inspection, and low cost.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Disadvantages<\/strong> \u2013 Contains lead, bridging problems on fine pitch assemblies, and uneven surfaces.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Immersion Silver<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: none;\">\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: none;\">\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: none;\">\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Advantages<\/strong> \u2013 6 -12 months shelf life, excellent solderability, short and easy process cycle, inexpensive, and can be reapplied and reworked easily.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Disadvantages<\/strong> \u2013 Sensitive to electrical test and high friction coefficient.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Electroless Nickel\/Immersion Gold (ENIG)<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: none;\">\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: none;\">\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: none;\">\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: none;\">\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: none;\">\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Advantages<\/strong> \u2013 Good for PTH (Plated Through Holes), consistent thickness, solders easily, good contact resistance, flat and planar surface.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Disadvantages<\/strong> \u2013 Difficult to rework on, and complicated to apply.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Organic Solderability Preservative \u2013 (OSP)<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: none;\">\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: none;\">\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: none;\">\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: none;\">\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: none;\">\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: none;\">\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: none;\">\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Advantages<\/strong> \u2013 Cost effective and simple process, well suited to tight-pitch pads, good solder mask integrity, doesn\u2019t affect final hole size.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Disadvantages<\/strong> \u2013 Thickness cannot be measured precisely, not a good option for plated through hole, short shelf life, requires relatively aggressive flux at assembly, difficult to inspect, and sensitive to handling.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Now that you know the pros and cons of<a href=\"https:\/\/rigiflex.com\/blog\/your-unconventional-guide-to-selecting-the-right-surface-finish-for-pcb\/\"> different types of surface finishes<\/a> used for automotive PCB assembly. The next is taking a call on the right finish. Choosing the right finish largely contributes to the functionality and service life of the final assembly. Your selection must be depended on factors such as budget, application method, shelf life, testability, and compatibility with the overall assembly processes, among several others. If you like to know more information about printed circuit boards, please visit the website <a href=\"http:\/\/www.rigiflex.com\/\">http:\/\/www.rigiflex.com<\/a> or Call us at <strong>(714) 688-1500<\/strong><\/p>\n<p align=\"justify\"><a href=\" https:\/\/www.rigiflex.com\/pcb-quote\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-781 size-full\" src=\" https:\/\/www.rigiflex.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/PCB-Online-Quote.png\" alt=\"PCB Online Quote\" width=\"247\" height=\"50\" \/> <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Printed Circuit Boards (PCBs) form the foundation of modern automotive electronic circuit. They are inevitable for making reliable interconnections. They support the assembly of electronic ignition systems, transmission control units, electronic lamp driving, navigation systems, and many others in a vehicle. When manufacturing and assembling PCBs for automotive electronics, there are several factors to be<\/p>\n<p class=\"more-link\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.rigiflex.com\/blog\/commonly-used-surface-finishes-for-automotive-pcbs\/\" class=\"themebutton\">Read More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[39,41,40],"class_list":["post-259","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-industrial","tag-automotive-pcbs","tag-flex-circuit-boards","tag-rigid-flex-circuit-boards"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v25.2 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Commonly Used Surface Finishes for Automotive PCBs - Rigiflex Technology Inc. Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Explore popular surface finishes for automotive PCBs. Compare HASL, ENIG, Immersion Silver, and OSP based on performance, cost, shelf life, and durability.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.rigiflex.com\/blog\/commonly-used-surface-finishes-for-automotive-pcbs\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Commonly Used Surface Finishes for Automotive PCBs - Rigiflex Technology Inc. Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Explore popular surface finishes for automotive PCBs. Compare HASL, ENIG, Immersion Silver, and OSP based on performance, cost, shelf life, and durability.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.rigiflex.com\/blog\/commonly-used-surface-finishes-for-automotive-pcbs\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Rigiflex Technology Inc. Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2015-11-09T10:06:10+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-06-18T09:03:26+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.rigiflex.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/130.png\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1200\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"400\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/png\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Rigiflex Technology Inc.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Rigiflex Technology Inc.\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"3 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.rigiflex.com\/blog\/commonly-used-surface-finishes-for-automotive-pcbs\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.rigiflex.com\/blog\/commonly-used-surface-finishes-for-automotive-pcbs\/\",\"name\":\"Commonly Used Surface Finishes for Automotive PCBs - Rigiflex Technology Inc. Blog\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.rigiflex.com\/blog\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.rigiflex.com\/blog\/commonly-used-surface-finishes-for-automotive-pcbs\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.rigiflex.com\/blog\/commonly-used-surface-finishes-for-automotive-pcbs\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.rigiflex.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/130.png\",\"datePublished\":\"2015-11-09T10:06:10+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-06-18T09:03:26+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.rigiflex.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/4c55d49d61ae6c98911fa771cf0faf30\"},\"description\":\"Explore popular surface finishes for automotive PCBs. Compare HASL, ENIG, Immersion Silver, and OSP based on performance, cost, shelf life, and durability.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.rigiflex.com\/blog\/commonly-used-surface-finishes-for-automotive-pcbs\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.rigiflex.com\/blog\/commonly-used-surface-finishes-for-automotive-pcbs\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.rigiflex.com\/blog\/commonly-used-surface-finishes-for-automotive-pcbs\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.rigiflex.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/130.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.rigiflex.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/130.png\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.rigiflex.com\/blog\/commonly-used-surface-finishes-for-automotive-pcbs\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.rigiflex.com\/blog\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Commonly Used Surface Finishes for Automotive PCBs\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.rigiflex.com\/blog\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.rigiflex.com\/blog\/\",\"name\":\"Rigiflex Technology Inc. Blog\",\"description\":\"Manufacturers of Rigid, Flex and Rigid-Flex Circuit Boards\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.rigiflex.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.rigiflex.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/4c55d49d61ae6c98911fa771cf0faf30\",\"name\":\"Rigiflex Technology Inc.\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.rigiflex.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/31ba8d7220496c5ceefe8d379c7dd1fdc045604cb45374d22fcfc4386eb55f72?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/31ba8d7220496c5ceefe8d379c7dd1fdc045604cb45374d22fcfc4386eb55f72?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Rigiflex Technology Inc.\"},\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.rigiflex.com\/blog\/author\/rigiflex\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Commonly Used Surface Finishes for Automotive PCBs - Rigiflex Technology Inc. Blog","description":"Explore popular surface finishes for automotive PCBs. Compare HASL, ENIG, Immersion Silver, and OSP based on performance, cost, shelf life, and durability.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.rigiflex.com\/blog\/commonly-used-surface-finishes-for-automotive-pcbs\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Commonly Used Surface Finishes for Automotive PCBs - Rigiflex Technology Inc. Blog","og_description":"Explore popular surface finishes for automotive PCBs. Compare HASL, ENIG, Immersion Silver, and OSP based on performance, cost, shelf life, and durability.","og_url":"https:\/\/www.rigiflex.com\/blog\/commonly-used-surface-finishes-for-automotive-pcbs\/","og_site_name":"Rigiflex Technology Inc. Blog","article_published_time":"2015-11-09T10:06:10+00:00","article_modified_time":"2025-06-18T09:03:26+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1200,"height":400,"url":"https:\/\/www.rigiflex.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/130.png","type":"image\/png"}],"author":"Rigiflex Technology Inc.","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Rigiflex Technology Inc.","Est. reading time":"3 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.rigiflex.com\/blog\/commonly-used-surface-finishes-for-automotive-pcbs\/","url":"https:\/\/www.rigiflex.com\/blog\/commonly-used-surface-finishes-for-automotive-pcbs\/","name":"Commonly Used Surface Finishes for Automotive PCBs - Rigiflex Technology Inc. Blog","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.rigiflex.com\/blog\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.rigiflex.com\/blog\/commonly-used-surface-finishes-for-automotive-pcbs\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.rigiflex.com\/blog\/commonly-used-surface-finishes-for-automotive-pcbs\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.rigiflex.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/130.png","datePublished":"2015-11-09T10:06:10+00:00","dateModified":"2025-06-18T09:03:26+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.rigiflex.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/4c55d49d61ae6c98911fa771cf0faf30"},"description":"Explore popular surface finishes for automotive PCBs. Compare HASL, ENIG, Immersion Silver, and OSP based on performance, cost, shelf life, and durability.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.rigiflex.com\/blog\/commonly-used-surface-finishes-for-automotive-pcbs\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.rigiflex.com\/blog\/commonly-used-surface-finishes-for-automotive-pcbs\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.rigiflex.com\/blog\/commonly-used-surface-finishes-for-automotive-pcbs\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/www.rigiflex.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/130.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.rigiflex.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/130.png"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.rigiflex.com\/blog\/commonly-used-surface-finishes-for-automotive-pcbs\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.rigiflex.com\/blog\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Commonly Used Surface Finishes for Automotive PCBs"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.rigiflex.com\/blog\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.rigiflex.com\/blog\/","name":"Rigiflex Technology Inc. Blog","description":"Manufacturers of Rigid, Flex and Rigid-Flex Circuit Boards","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.rigiflex.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.rigiflex.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/4c55d49d61ae6c98911fa771cf0faf30","name":"Rigiflex Technology Inc.","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.rigiflex.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/31ba8d7220496c5ceefe8d379c7dd1fdc045604cb45374d22fcfc4386eb55f72?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/31ba8d7220496c5ceefe8d379c7dd1fdc045604cb45374d22fcfc4386eb55f72?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Rigiflex Technology Inc."},"url":"https:\/\/www.rigiflex.com\/blog\/author\/rigiflex\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rigiflex.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/259","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rigiflex.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rigiflex.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rigiflex.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rigiflex.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=259"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/www.rigiflex.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/259\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1372,"href":"https:\/\/www.rigiflex.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/259\/revisions\/1372"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rigiflex.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=259"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rigiflex.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=259"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rigiflex.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=259"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}