PCB ManufacturerENIG vs soft gold vs hard gold
All three finishes put gold on the copper pads, but they are made differently and suit different jobs. For LED and optical sensor packages, the choice usually comes down to how the chip is connected.
Side by side
| ENIG | Soft gold | Hard gold | |
|---|---|---|---|
| How it is made | Chemical nickel, then a thin chemical gold layer | Gold plated with electric current over nickel | Gold alloy plated with electric current over nickel |
| Gold thickness at RNS | 0.03 – 0.05 µm | 0.3 – 1.3 µm | 0.03 – 1.5 µm |
| Best for | Flat pads for SMT soldering, fine pitch | Gold wire bonding (LED, COB, sensor packages) | Contacts, buttons, edge fingers that wear |
| Design note | No extra lines needed | Needs plating lines on the panel | Needs plating lines on the panel |
Our advice
Choose ENIG for normal soldering of fine-pitch parts. Choose soft gold when the chip is connected with gold wire. Choose hard gold for contacts that are pressed or slid many times. For heavy gold boards, RNS can tie the price to the monthly gold market price. See gold plated PCB.
Questions
Why is soft gold more expensive?
It uses much more gold — up to about 1.3 µm compared with 0.03 – 0.05 µm for ENIG.
Can you price gold boards by the gold market?
Yes. For heavy gold boards we can link the price to the monthly gold price.
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