High repeatability precision and trueness of Au/Pd coating measurements on leadframes

As the electronics industry makes use of ever thinner coatings, manufacturers increase their demands on measuring technologies to provide reliable parameters for product monitoring and control. The coating system Au/Pd/Ni is frequently used in the electroplating of leadframes, with CuFe2 (CDA 195) as substrate material. Typical coating thicknesses are between 3-10 nm Au and 10-100 nm Pd. For monitoring the quality of these coating systems, X-ray fluorescence instruments have established themselves as the measurement method of choice.