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14 PCB007 MAGAZINE I OCTOBER 2024 What should PCB manufacturers ask them- selves if they are considering moving or adding direct metallization to their shops? PCB manufacturers have a lot of things to con- sider when switching any process, including converting electroless copper to direct met- allization. Key questions and considerations include: • Can direct metallization meet present and future sustainability demands from customers, regulatory bodies, and stake- holders? • Can our vendor help us quantify the economic payback of conversion? • When converting to direct metallization from electroless copper, what will the reliability and yield improvements be? • Is today's DM technology compatible with my most complex circuit board designs? • Would DM reduce the complexity of my advanced PCB and substrate supply chain? Do you see DM becoming more mainstream as we move into the next decades? Yes. Sustainability has become a stronger driv- ing force for both fabricators and OEMs. We have already seen a shi from electroless cop- per to direct metallization and expect it to con- tinue. PCB007 Carmichael Gugliotti is global product manager, primary metallization, MacDermid Alpha Electronics Solutions. by Carmichael Gugliotti As technology continues to advance, the need for more difficult and complex board designs increases. Boards have changed from double-sided to multi- layer, and the layer count of boards has also risen dramatically, with boards frequently surpassing 10 layers. Between the need for higher functionality and increased board density, reliability has become critical. By studying the interaction between car- bon-based direct metallization and electrolytic cop- per processing, both processes can be optimized to maximize performance, reliability, efficiency, and operating cost. The study was split into two parts: the first to opti- mize the processes to maximize efficiency, and the second to optimize the processes to maximize per- formance. By studying the boundary layer between the board material, direct metallization, and acid copper layers using microscopy technics, we can determine the best conditions for optimizing cover- age. Using common reliability tests, such as solder shock and thermal stress, performance can be opti- mized. Linking the performance of the direct met- allization and electrolytic copper allows for a bet- ter understanding of the interactions between these two processes and improves the overall perfor- mance. ABSTRACT: A Comprehensive Study of the Interaction Between Direct Metallization and Electrolytic Copper Carmichael Gugliotti