IPC International Community magazine an association member publication
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44 I-CONNECT007 MAGAZINE I JULY 2026 T RO U B L E I N YO U R TA N K In Part 1 of this article, we examined alterna- tive solderable finishes for 5G/6G applications and reviewed literature on their performance at high frequencies. We found that certain solderable finishes are more susceptible to signal loss as frequency increases. These attenuation losses become increasingly signif- icant at frequencies approaching and exceeding 40 GHz. Because of their high conductivity, silver and copper generally outperform finishes such as nickel and palladium. Taken together, these findings under- score the importance of finish selection in high- frequency applications. Part 1 described, however, that modified nickel (higher phosphorous content, thinner deposit, smoother topography) mitigates some of the signal loss when compared to conventional electroless nickel deposits. But this may not be a sufficient BY M I C H A E L CA R A N O, G LO BA L E L ECT RO N I C S AS S O C I AT I O N At 40 GHz, Everything Matters PART 2