What does EPIG mean in UNCLASSIFIED

Electroless Palladium Immersion Gold, or EPIG, is a type of surface finish used in the electronics industry. Its provides excellent contact force when mating with components and helps improve electrical performance due to its low contact resistance and reduced corrosion.

Compared to other electroplating processes, EPIG does not require an electrical current to deposit the layers on the substrate. Instead, it uses an immersion process which includes chemical deposition of palladium followed by immersion into gold solution for plating. As a result, there are fewer steps involved and less cost associated with this method compared to other electroplating techniques.

EPIG is primarily used for high-reliability products like printed circuit boards (PCBs) and connectors since it provides excellent electrical performance as well as corrosion resistance.

While EPIG typically produces consistent results due to lack of manual operation, there can be variations related to bath chemistry which can cause some amount of inconsistency over time. Additionally, due to higher cost associated with the required materials, this finishing technology can be more expensive than some alternative methods available on the market today.

Some of the common applications where Epig may be found include automotive connectors, aerospace systems and components, industrial sensors, medical devices, telecommunications devices and more.