In the world of electronics manufacturing and general metal finishing, precision is everything. Whether you're ensuring the integrity of a circuit board or verifying the uniformity of a protective coating, the ability to measure coating thickness and composition accurately is critical. At the heart of modern XRF systems lies the silicon drift detector (SDD).
If you're working with electroless nickel (EN) coatings, or any complex multilayered metal finish, investing in an XRF analyzer equipped with a high-performance SDD is no longer optional. It’s essential.
Typically, XRF analyzers come with one of two types of detectors: proportional counters or semiconductor-based detectors. Of the semiconductor devices, the silicon drift detector is generally considered the better performer.
A silicon drift detector is a type of solid-state X-ray detector that measures the energy of incoming photons by detecting the ionization they produce in silicon. An SDD sees many elements at once, so fewer scans are necessary, and the total measurement time is reduced.
SDDs advantages make it ideal for industrial applications where speed, accuracy, and reliability are paramount, especially in coating thickness measurement and elemental analysis.
Electroless nickel plating is widely used in electronics, automotive, aerospace, and general metal finishing due to its corrosion resistance, hardness, and uniform deposition.
Microspot XRF has become a key means to provide critical coating thickness analysis for quality control throughout the EN process. It helps to provide a precise measurement of the deposition when the desired outcome is to produce an alloy of nickel and phosphorus in varying ratios. Since the physical and chemical properties of EN are crucially dependent on the underlying phosphorus content (%P) it’s important to verify the phosphorous concentration, in order to ensure a homogeneous coating thickness distribution and achieve the targeted phosphorous content accordingly.
Traditional XRF systems struggled with this. Older detectors couldn’t reliably detect and measure phosphorus, especially under air paths. But modern SDDs, like those in Hitachi’s FT230 or FT160 coatings XRF analyzers, enable simultaneous measurement of nickel and phosphorus content, even in complex geometries.
The high performance FT160 analyzer featuring a polycapillary optic with a beam size of <30 µm offers non-destructive, precision analysis of electroless nickel coatings on smaller features found in the electronics industry. Its robust, versatile design is suitable for the most challenging of industrial conditions.
The FT230 analyzer is built around a large-area, high-sensitivity silicon drift detector, optimized for coating analysis in electronics and metal finishing. It’s designed to tackle the most demanding applications with speed and precision.
We estimate that 72% of XRF testing time is lost on setup. The FT230 addresses this with:
Together, these features can save up to 150 hours of operator time per year.
The FT230’s silicon drift detector delivers:
This makes it ideal for electroless nickel, where precise phosphorus measurement is essential for ensuring coating performance.
The FT230’s FT Connect interface is designed with the operator in mind:
This reduces training time and minimizes human error, making the FT230 accessible even to non-expert users.
The FT230 is a highly versatile XRF analyzer, capable of handling a broad spectrum of applications across electronics and metal finishing industries. It excels in measuring gold, nickel, and copper layers on printed circuit boards (PCBs) with precision, ensuring reliable performance in electronic components.
For connector plating, it accurately verifies the thickness and composition of coatings such as tin, silver, and nickel, which are critical for conductivity and corrosion resistance. In plating-on-plastic applications, the FT230 ensures uniform metal deposition on non-conductive substrates, supporting quality control in decorative and functional finishes. Additionally, it is well-suited for general metal finishing tasks, where it can analyze complex multi-layer coatings and alloy compositions.
Across all these use cases, the FT230’s SDD delivers fast, accurate, and repeatable results, helping manufacturers consistently meet stringent quality standards and regulatory requirements.
Discover more in our application note (are we able to link to Application note: Analysis of electroplating?)
Hitachi has a long legacy in coatings XRF analysis, dating back to late 1970’s. The FT230 is the result of a global R&D effort, shaped by extensive customer feedback. It reflects a deep understanding of the challenges faced by XRF users and offers solutions that are both innovative and practical.
In today’s fast-paced manufacturing environment, precision and efficiency are non-negotiable. Whether you're plating connectors for smartphones or applying corrosion-resistant coatings to aerospace components, the ability to measure coating thickness and composition accurately is critical.
A silicon drift detector is the key to unlocking that precision. And with the Hitachi FT230, you get a system that combines cutting-edge detection technology with user-friendly software and automation features.
If you're serious about quality control in electronics or metal finishing especially for electroless nickel the FT230 isn’t just a tool. It’s a competitive advantage.
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