CM Series

Ionic contamination refers to the presence of unwanted ionic residues on the surface of materials, particularly in industries like electronics, semiconductor manufacturing, and medical devices. These contaminants typically arise from flux residues, soldering processes, human handling, or environmental exposure. Ionic contamination poses significant risks to electronics manufacturers, affecting product reliability, performance, and longevity.

Used to detect ionic residues that remain following the manufacturing Process. It's important to test for ionic contamination because it can: Impact conductivity, cause corrosion, Lead to electromechanical migration, cause parasitic leakages, and complications during PCB rework. 

PICT offers several advantages over the traditional ROSE (Resistivity of Solvent Extract) test. Unlike ROSE, which attempts to measure total residues, PICT focuses on reproducibly removing and measuring a consistent amount of residues. This approach is more suitable for monitoring changes in the manufacturing process. While PICT and ROSE tests are similar in many aspects, PICT's focus on process control and reproducibility makes it a more effective tool for monitoring and improving PCB manufacturing processes. 

The CM best suited to your application depends on your board size, and PCB surface area. Ensure your PCB is no larger than the maximum PCB size of your desired CM Series, if the surface area is smaller than the minimum surface area (found HERE) you can add additional boards to increase the surface area in the tank. 

We recommend that you use a number of test pieces in one test to bring the area above the minimum level.

Prior to running any PCB tests, run 2-3 five-minute tests with no PCB’s in the tank to remove any contamination from the test solution and air bubbles from the pipes.

On the back on the bottom right hand corner.

To acceptably measure the conductivity of a liquid certain tolerances must be made to allow for variations whilst in operation. For this reason, it is essential that tests be performed within the range of 24 ºC and 30 ºC.

It is essential that only Analar, Reagent grade fluids are used. This applies to the Deionised water, alcohol (Propn-2-Ol), Sodium (N), Chloride (Cl)

Ratio of specimen to test solution is 10 ml/cm2. A volume of test solution  different to 10ml/cm2 will greatly reduce the system sensitivity and therefore produce either False Positives or False Negatives.

The maximum test duration shall be <15 minutes. This is to avoid “leaching effects” caused by the aggressive condition of the de-ionised solution. Of course the ratio is perpetually subject to variation due to one, some or all of the above.