In the slots of a computer PCB casing, you can see graphics cards that have been installed. These PCB assemblies have a neat row of long, thin PCB pads around the edge. We call them "gold finger PCB" because the rectangular row of PCB pads’ connecting conductive pads resembles fingers.
Gold alloy with a tougher surface than immersion gold makes up the PCB gold on the fingers. PCB gold fingers fall into one of three categories:
• The most typical PCB gold fingers are level and even in their arrangement. The PCB pads' dimensions are consistent in terms of size.
• PCB pads with uneven gold fingers have the same width but varying lengths, and occasionally, distinct spacing.
• Segmented gold finger PCB - The gold fingers are segmented and the PCB pads have various lengths.
• A suitable choice for connecting a PCB board is PCB gold fingers.
PCB gold fingers are used to directly link the PCB boards of the system or device. This connection offers greater mechanical strength and conductivity when compared to PCB connections and wires. Because they offer the following benefits, PCB gold fingers are used to link with slots and interfaces of commercial and industrial systems and devices:
• Due to the direct board connection and increased gold thickness, the conductivity is excellent.
• strong wear resistance to enable thousands of plug-in and plug-out cycles for the PCB,
• Due to the PCB pads' hard-gold plating, they have good oxidation resistance.
• Both hard and soft gold plating is used.
• Placing gold involves electroplating a layer of gold over a nickel barrier coat during the PCB manufacturing process.
There are two types of gold plating: hard gold plating and soft gold plating. When developing PCBs, the PCB producer must take the characteristics of the two kinds of gold into account.
Hard gold plating is also known as a plating alloy in the PCB gold plating process. The hard gold plating is pure gold, whereas it has been alloyed with additional elements to make it tougher.
Application of plating gold in PCB manufacture
Hard gold plating is appropriate for usage in areas where frictional force is required, such as gold fingers and keypads. On COB, soft gold PCB is often utilized for wire made of aluminum or gold (Chip On Board).
