PWB Interconnect Strategy Using a Full Build Electroless Copper Plating System: Part 3: Characterisation of a Semi‐additive ‘Naked Palladium Catalyst’ Approach

This, the third in a series of papers, reports an investigation of the semi‐additive process strategies of PWB manufacture. It will show that, although the adoption of a ‘naked’ palladium catalyst is the optimal production strategy in terms of cost, caution must be exercised in its implementation, particularly with regard to material process flow and solder mask type employed. It will be demonstrated that the use of a thin, sacrificial ‘flash’ of electroless copper prior to circuitisation and full build deposition will be required for the liquid photoimageable soldermask (LPISM) approach.