Product Launch - MacuSpec VF-TH 300 V-Pitting Resistant Pattern Plating Metallization for Advanced HDI PCBs

As the 5G standard is growing outward from the highest tier smartphones, board manufacturers of these devices need to increase high density layers beyond the capability of regular HDI and into the realm of more difficult to build modified Semi Additive Processing (mSAP). The MacuSpec VF-TH 300 is a single step pattern plating process for the simultaneous copper filling of blind microvias and plating of through holes while providing controlled trace profiles in mSAP applications. The innovative process deposits an electrolytic copper layer that is naturally resistant to a phenomenon called V-pitting which can occur during the final etching process. V-Pits are a reliability concern that are currently addressed with an annealing process that involves baking the boards after plating for several hours. With the VF-TH 300, customers can now utilize a shortened bake or skip the bake entirely and achieve V-pit free results, improving quality and increasing production throughputs. The process does not require a predip or flash plate and is completely analyzable by CVS for ease of process control.

MacuSpec VF-TH 300 can be plated directly onto low etch direct metallization technologies like Blackhole LE and Eclipse LE. This leverages improvements in copper etch budget and elimination of palladium activation, electroless copper, and flash plating, while increasing quality and reducing costs. When these innovations are combined with the soon-to-be released CircuEtch 200, a high-performance anisotropic final etch, the result is mSAP with higher yields and ease of manufacturing for the next generation of smartphones and other mobile devices.

“We are constantly innovating to address manufacturing challenges and provide solutions that enable our customers to achieve the previously impossible in challenging areas like mSAP. The release of MacuSpec VF-TH 300 allows a cost down approach to the reliability concerns associated with V-pitting that does not require trade-offs to achieve a higher quality board. We are intensely focused on the expanding needs of the mobile market with the growth of 5G smartphones, and the complex mainboards that are requiring technologies like ours to provide stable and high yield manufacturing.” – Rich Bellemare, Director of Electrolytic Metallization, Circuitry Solutions.

For more information on MacuSpec VF-TH 300, please visit MacDermidAlpha.com