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70 PCB007 MAGAZINE I JULY 2025 ▼ F i g u re 1 2 : P l at i n g re s u l t of b o a rd 3 w i t h m i xe d H H D -S F u p to 2 .6 a n d p l a i n a re a s o n b o a rd . The most challenging board design focused on enhancing throwing power into holes featuring various high-hole-density grids alongside differing hole diameters, resulting in HHD-SF values reach- ing up to 2.6. Conclusions This study demonstrates that the combination of advanced equipment—such as MKS' Atotech vPlate system—and specialized electrolytic chem- istries like Cuprapulse IN delivers superior per- formance in achieving the stringent requirements of high-density IC substrates. In contrast, con- ventional vertical plating systems using basic direct current (DC) processes and stan- dard electrolytes consis- tently fall short in deliv- ering the uniformity and reliability demanded by today's high-perfor- mance applications. A key contribution of this research is the intro- duction of the high-hole- density surface factor (HHD- SF), a novel metric that quan- tifies plating complexity based on hole density and design characteristics. HHD-SF offers a stan- dardized framework for classifying the techni- cal demands of PCBs and IC substrates, enabling more consistent evaluation and benchmarking of copper plating performance across manufacturing environments. While the study is rooted in the needs of AI server applications, its implications extend far beyond. Industries such as telecommunica- tions, data storage, automotive electronics, and advanced computing all increasingly rely on sub- strates with dense interconnect architectures and highly uniform copper deposition. These requirements are critical to ensur- ing signal integ- rity, thermal perfor- mance, and long- term reliability. As the electron- ics industry pushes the limits of minia- turization and integra- tion, innovations in plat- ing chemistry, equipment, and process control—like those demonstrated in this study—are setting new standards for IC substrate manufacturing across a wide spectrum of high- tech sectors. PCB007 Dirk Ruess is global product manager—equipment, Mustafa Oezkoek is global product manager— panel and pattern plating at MKS' Atotech. Mustafa O ezko ek D irk Ruess