Gold Plating Edge Connectors Using Loop Detection
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing gold plating methods for connecting fingers on circuit boards face issues such as non-uniform thickness due to inaccurate control of gold ion concentration, burrs and debris from mechanical cutting, and gold suspension from excessive etching, which affect the quality and efficiency of the process.
Innovation Solution
A gold plating method that involves filling gaps among the connecting fingers with a conductive medium, using probes connected to a loop on-off detection device to control the gold plating process, and removing the conductive medium after gold plating, ensuring equal thickness and precise control of the gold layer.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If mechanical bevelers are used to cut off lead wires, then lead wires can be removed, but burrs and debris are generated affecting quality
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical beveling system with an electrical detection system. Instead of using mechanical tools to cut and remove lead wires, the invention uses probes to detect electrical loops formed by gold plating, enabling non-contact control of the plating process and elimination of mechanical burr generation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an electrical loop detection mechanism as an intermediary between the gold plating process and lead wire removal. The detection device senses the formation of electrical loops through the conductive medium and connecting fingers, providing precise control without direct mechanical intervention.
2Productivity
If etching is used to remove lead wires, then lead wires can be removed, but gold suspension occurs due to excessive etching
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a real-time feedback control system using loop detection probes. The detection device continuously monitors the gold plating process by sensing electrical loops, providing immediate feedback to stop plating at the precise moment when connecting fingers are bridged, preventing over-plating and subsequent gold suspension during etching.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent performs preliminary detection and control of gold plating thickness before etching occurs. By detecting loop formation in advance during the plating process, the system pre-prevents the condition that would lead to gold suspension, eliminating the need for aggressive etching that causes material loss.
3Productivity
If conventional gold plating control is used, then gold plating can be applied, but thickness is non-uniform due to inaccurate ion concentration control
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs real-time feedback control during gold plating by detecting electrical loop formation. The detection system monitors the plating process continuously and provides feedback to stop plating at the precise moment when connecting fingers are bridged, ensuring uniform thickness across all connecting fingers regardless of variations in ion concentration or plating conditions.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces conventional mechanical and chemical control methods for gold plating thickness with an electrical detection-based control system. Instead of relying on timed plating or chemical concentration control, the invention uses electrical loop detection to precisely determine when plating is complete, achieving superior thickness uniformity.
4Reliability
If lead wire fabrication and removal processes are used, then connecting fingers can be connected, but processing time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and eliminates the lead wire fabrication and removal steps from the manufacturing process. By using a conductive medium that can be directly applied and detected, the invention removes the need for separate lead wire creation and removal operations, significantly reducing processing time while maintaining connecting finger connectivity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges the lead wire function with the conductive medium applied during gold plating. The conductive medium serves both as the plating electrolyte and as the connecting element, combining multiple functions into a single step and eliminating sequential operations that would increase processing time.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This method achieves uniform gold plating thickness, avoids issues like burrs and gold suspension, and reduces the need for lead wire fabrication, thereby shortening the processing time and saving costs while ensuring high-quality gold plating.
Implementation Method 1
the first probe and the second probe are connected to a loop on-off detection device; performing gold plating on upper surfaces of the connecting fingers, and stopping gold plating in response to detecting by the loop on-off detection device that a loop is conducted
Implementation Method 2
filling gaps among the connecting fingers on the circuit board with a conductive medium
Implementation Method 3
The gold plating is carried out by means of electrophoresis
Data Source
AI summary
The present application relates to the processing field of circuit boards. Disclosed are a method for plating edge connectors on a circuit board with gold, and a circuit board. The method comprises the following steps: filling gaps between edge connectors on a circuit board with a conductive medium, wherein the height of the conductive medium is greater than the height of each edge connector; enabling a tip of a first probe to be tangent to an upper surface of the conductive medium, and placing a tip of a second probe above the edge connector, wherein the tip of the second probe and the tip of the first probe are located in the same horizontal plane; connecting the first probe and the second probe to a loop on/off detection device; plating an upper surface of the edge connector with gold, and stopping gold plating when the loop on/off detection device detects the connection of a loop; and removing the conductive medium. In the present application, the gaps between the edge connectors are filled with the conductive medium, the height of which is greater than that of the edge connector, the tip of the first probe is tangent to the upper surface of the conductive medium, the tip of the second probe is flush with the tip of the first probe, and gold plating is stopped when each gold-plated layer comes into contact with the tip of the second probe, such that the gold-plated layers on all the edge connectors are equal in thickness; and there is no need to manufacture a lead wire.