Gold Plating
Services

Soft gold (24K, 99.9%+ pure) has low hardness (70–90 HV) but excellent wire bondability and solderability — used for semiconductor wire bonding pads and lead frames. Hard gold (typically 18K with cobalt or nickel alloy) has hardness of 130–200 HV and is specified for electrical connector contacts requiring durability over many mating cycles.

Nickel acts as a diffusion barrier preventing copper, zinc, and other base metals from migrating through the thin gold layer. Without a nickel barrier, base metal oxides form on the surface over time, degrading contact resistance and solderability. A minimum 1.5–2.0 μm nickel undercoat is standard practice.

For standard commercial connectors with moderate cycle requirements (<500 cycles), 0.5–1.0 μm hard gold is typical. For high-reliability or high-cycle applications (>500,000 cycles), 1.0–2.5 μm is recommended. MIL-spec connectors typically specify 1.27 μm (50 μin) minimum.

Yes, but aluminum requires multi-step pre-treatment: zincate conversion, copper or nickel strike, then the nickel barrier layer before gold. This is more complex than gold on copper or brass substrates. Please specify your substrate when requesting a quote.

We use calibrated X-ray fluorescence (XRF) spectrometry to measure both coating thickness and alloy composition. XRF is non-destructive and provides results in seconds. Every order includes an XRF thickness report; alloy composition reports are available for hard gold deposits on request.

We accommodate both prototype quantities (single parts) and high-volume production runs. There is no minimum order quantity. A setup fee applies to small batches and is absorbed at higher volumes. Contact us with your part size, quantity, and specification for a detailed quote.