Advanced Gold-Tin Electroplating Process in Spotlight with Growth of 5G, DCI, and LiDAR

Cranston, RI USA – Technic is reporting increased market demand of its advanced gold-tin electroplating process, Elevate® AuSn 8020. The company attributes the increased demand to a significant expansion in the manufacture and use of 5G capable wireless devices, LiDAR remote sensing technology, and Data Center Interconnect (DCI) technology.     

Due to advances in 5G, LiDAR, and DCI, requests for high-reliability solder that meets new manufacturing requirements have surged substantially. Gold-Tin solder has become the standard in integrated photonic interconnections due to several unique properties that make it an ideal process. These include favorable soldering temperature (300 – 310 oC), high strength, fluxless assembly, and optimum wetting performance.

Technic attributes a number of factors responsible for making the Elevate® AuSn 8020 process the clear choice for Gold-Tin deposition. First, Elevate® AuSn 8020 deposits alloy at and near the eutectic of 80%Au-20%Sn from a single solution. Secondly, the process offers a cost-effective alternative to other industry-standard solder deposition processes such as preforms and evaporation. Finally, unlike other Gold-Tin deposition processes, Elevate® AuSn 8020 does not have any feature or thickness limitations.

“It’s an exciting time for integrated photonics and the implementation of 5G and other applications requiring photonic integrated circuits. With this rapid development, we are also seeing that standard solders such as SnAg are reaching their limitations. Elevate® AuSn 8020, has the proven track record as an ideal option for companies that are building devices from high-reliability substrates such as indium phosphide and need a solder deposit with excellent thermal and mechanical properties.”

Elevate® AuSn 8020 is currently in production on many tool platforms globally as well as laboratory wet benches.