Is nickel plating necessary?
If the metallized ceramic component is to be brazed into a package or to another component, often nickel plating is necessary to guarantee good adhesion depending on the chosen braze material. Nickel also helps protect the molybdenum contained in many thick film metallization formulation. Electrolytic nickel per QQ-N-290 is commonly employed. Another popular choice for post-metallization plating is electroless nickel (in particular, nickel boron per AMS 2433). Nickel plating is not always necessary but it is very common and helpful.
