What is the Difference Between Lead Free HASL and HASL?

Author: Jesse

Jun. 17, 2024

What is the Difference Between Lead Free HASL and HASL?

With the continuous development of the electronics industry, the technical level of PCB is also rising. Common surface treatment technology include HASL(Lead Free HASL and HASL), immersion gold, gold plating, OSP, etc. HASL is to coat a layer of tin-lead alloy on the copper surface to prevent the copper surface from being oxidized, and then provide a good soldering base for subsequent assembly. Do you know the difference between lead free HASL and HASL?

Contact us to discuss your requirements of lead-free hasl. Our experienced sales team can help you identify the options that best suit your needs.

1. Lead-free HASL belongs to environmentally protection process and does not contain harmful substances "lead"; HASL is not an environmentally protection process and contains harmful substance "lead", which is harmful to human body for long-term use.

2. The lead content of lead free HASL shall not exceed 0.5, but the lead content of HASL shall reach 37.

3. From the surface of the tin, HASL is brighter and lead-free HASL is darker; The wettability of HASL is better than lead free HASL.

4. Lead will increase the activity of the tin solder wire during the soldering process. Compared with the lead free solder wire, the lead-containing solder wires is easier to use. Lead-free HASL has a higher melting point than HASL, and the solder joints will be much stronger.

5. The melting point of lead free HASL is about 218 degrees, the temperature of the tin stove needs to be controlled at 280-300 degrees, the temperature of wave soldering needs to be controlled at about 260 degrees, and the temperature of reflow soldering is about 260-270 degrees.

6. The melting point of lead free HASL is about 183 degrees, the temperature of the tin stove needs to be controlled at 245-260 degrees, the temperature of wave soldering needs to be controlled at about 250 degrees, and the temperature of reflow soldering is about 245-255 degrees.

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5 Types of PCB Surface Finishes: Is One of Them Right For ...

Choosing the surface finish is an essential step in the design of your printed circuit boards.

The PCB surface finish helps protect copper circuitry from corrosion. It also provides a solderable surface for your components. There are a number of factors to consider, including:

  1. The components you use
  2. Your expected production volume
  3. Your requirements for durability
  4. Environmental impact, and
  5. Cost

Below are 5 types of PCB surface finishes, along with their benefits and drawbacks.

Finish Type #1 &#; Hot Air Solder Leveling (HASL)

&#;Hot Air Solder Leveling&#; is the least expensive type of PCB surface finish.

It is widely available and very economical. The board is dipped in molten solder and then leveled off with a hot air knife. If you&#;re using through-hole or larger SMT components, HASL can work well. However, if your board will have SMT components smaller than or SOIC, it is not ideal.

The surface is not completely level, so this can cause issues with small components. The solder used is typically Tin-Lead. That means that it isn&#;t RoHS compliant. And if reducing the amount of lead you use is important, you may want to choose Lead-Free HASL instead.

Advantages:

  • Excellent solderability
  • Inexpensive / Low cost
  • Allows large processing window
  • Long industry experience / well-known finish

Disadvantages:

  • Difference in thickness/topography between large and small pads
  • Not suited for < 20mil pitch SMD & BGA
  • Bridging on fine pitch
  • Not ideal for HDI products

Finish Type #2 &#; Lead-Free HASL

Lead-Free HASL is similar to standard HASL, but with an obvious difference&#; It doesn&#;t use Tin-Lead solder.

If you want to learn more, please visit our website multilayer pcb design tips.

Instead, Tin-Copper, Tin-Nickel or Tin-Copper-Nickel Germanium may be used. This makes Lead-Free HASL an economical and RoHS compliant choice. But like standard HASL it is not ideal for smaller components.

For boards with smaller components, immersion coatings can be a better choice. They are slightly more expensive but more suitable for this purpose.

Advantages:

  • Excellent solderability
  • Relatively inexpensive
  • Allows large processing window
  • Multiple thermal excursions

Disadvantages:

  • Difference in thickness/topography between large and small pads
  • High processing temperature &#; 260-270 degrees C
  • Not suited for < 20mil pitch SMD & BGA
  • Bridging on fine pitch

Finish Type #3 &#; Immersion Tin (ISn)

With all immersion coatings, a chemical process is used.

A flat layer of metal is deposited on the copper traces. The flatness of the coating makes it ideal for small components. Tin is the least expensive type of immersion coating. Although it is an economical choice, it comes with some drawbacks.

The main drawback is that after the tin is deposited onto the copper it begins to tarnish. That means that if you want to avoid lower quality solder joints, you need to do your soldering within 30 days.

If you are expecting a high volume of production this may not be an issue. And if you are using large batches of boards quickly, you can avoid tarnishing. However, if your production volume isn&#;t high, it may be better to choose a coating like immersion silver.

Advantages:

  • Immersion finish = excellent flatness
  • Good for fine pitch / BGA / smaller components
  • Mid-range cost for lead-free finish
  • Press fit suitable finish
  • Good solderability after multiple thermal excursions

Disadvantages:

  • Very sensitive to handling &#; gloves must be used
  • Tin whisker concerns
  • Aggressive to solder mask &#; solder mask dam shall be &#; 5 mil
  • Baking prior to use can have a negative effect
  • Not recommended to use peelable masks

Finish Type #4 &#; Immersion Silver (IAg)

Immersion silver does not react with copper the way that tin does. However, it does tarnish when exposed to air.

That means it needs to be stored in anti-tarnish packaging.

When stored in proper packaging it will still be solderable for 6-12 months. But once the PCB is removed from its packaging, it will need to go through solder reflow within a day. A higher shelf life can be achieved with gold plating.

Advantages:

  • Immersion finish = excellent flatness
  • Good for fine pitch / BGA / smaller components
  • Mid-range cost for lead-free finish
  • Can be reworked

Disadvantages:

  • Very sensitive to handling/tarnishing/cosmetic concerns
  • Special packaging required
  • Short operating window between assembly stages
  • Not recommended to use peelable masks

Finish Type #5 &#; Electroless Nickel Immersion Gold (ENIG)

Electro gold flash plating consists of a thin layer of gold over electroless or electrolytic nickel.

This type of plating is hard and durable. It also has a long shelf life, lasting for years. However, its durability and shelf life make it more expensive than any of the finishes mentioned above.

Advantages:

  • Immersion finish = excellent flatness
  • Good for fine pitch / BGA / smaller components
  • Tried and tested process
  • Wire bondable

Disadvantages:

  • Expensive finish
  • Black pad concerns on BGA
  • Can be aggressive to solder mask &#; larger solder mask dam preferred
  • Avoid solder mask defined BGA&#;s

Choose the Right Finish for Your PCBs

Remember that when choosing the finish for your PCBs, you need to consider component types and production volume. You&#;ll also need to consider requirements for durability, environmental impact, and cost. By taking all these factors into consideration, you can be sure to make the right choice.

For more information, please visit pcb surface finish comparison.

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