Initial corrosion behavior of a copper-clad plate in typical outdoor atmospheric environments

A copper-clad printed circuit board (PCB-Cu) was subjected to long-term exposure test under typical Chinese atmospheric environments to study corrosion failure mechanisms. The corrosion behavior was investigated by analyzing electrochemical impedance, scanning Kelvin probes, stereo and scanning electron microscopes, and energy-dispersive spectra. Results showed that the initial surface potential was unevenly distributed. The outdoor PCB-Cu samples suffered severe corrosion caused by dust particles, contaminated media, and microorganisms after long-term atmospheric exposure. The initial localized corrosion was exacerbated and progressed to general corrosion for samples in Turpan, Beijing, and Wuhan under prolonged exposure, whereas PCB-Cu in Xishuangbanna was only slightly corroded. The tendency for electrochemical migration (ECM) of PCB-Cu was relatively low when applied with a bias voltage of 12 V. ECM was only observed in the PCB-Cu samples in Beijing. Contaminated medium and high humidity synergistically affected ECM corrosion in PCB-Cu materials. [Figure not available: see fulltext.]