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Printed Circuit Board Layout and Manufacture
7 questions By Tony R. Kuphaldt
Page 3
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Question 7 of 7
Professionally manufactured printed circuit boards almost never have bare copper exposed, but rather coat it with some other material. Sometimes the coating is tin, while other times the solder mask serves as a coating. Explain why it is important to coat the copper on a high-quality PCB.
Reveal answerCopper is very chemically reactive, so leaving it exposed invites corrosion, which will cause a variety of electrical problems. Tin is a much less reactive metal, and solder mask is a polymer which cannot corrode.
Notes:Anyone who has ever etched their own board at home (and not coated it) either has seen or will see what happens to bare, unprotected copper over time!
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