Five Major Trends of PCB Technology

Electronic equipment requires high performance, high speed, lightness, thinness, and miniaturization. As a multidisciplinary industry, PCB is the most critical technology for high-end electronic equipment. Regardless of rigidity, flexibility, rigid-flex combined multilayer boards in PCB products, as well as module substrates used for IC packaging substrates, they have made great contributions to high-end electronic equipment. The PCB industry occupies an important position in electronic interconnection technology.

Recalling the difficult course of China’s PCB for 50 years, today it has written a glorious page in the history of the world’s PCB development. In 2006, China’s PCB output value was nearly 13 billion U.S. dollars, making it the largest PCB producer in the world.

With regard to the current development trend of PCB technology, I have the following views:

1. Development along the path of high-density interconnection technology (HDI)

As HDI embodies the most advanced technology of contemporary PCB, it brings fine wire and small aperture to PCB. HDI multi-layer board application terminal electronic products-mobile phones is a model of HDI cutting-edge development technology. In mobile phones, PCB motherboard micro-wires (50μm～75μm/50μm～75μm, wire width/spacing) have become the mainstream. In addition, the conductive layer and board thickness are thinner. The conductive pattern is refined, which brings high-density and high-performance electronic equipment

Over the past two decades, HDI has promoted the development of mobile phones, driving the development of information processing and control of basic frequency functions of LSI and CSP chips (packages), and packaging template substrates. It also promotes the development of PCBs. Therefore, it must develop along the path of HDI.

2. Bright prospects for optoelectronic PCB

It uses the optical path layer and the circuit layer to transmit signals. The key to this new technology is to manufacture the optical path layer (optical waveguide layer). It is an organic polymer that is formed by methods such as lithography, laser ablation, and reactive ion etching. At present, this technology has been industrialized in Japan and the United States.

3. Component embedding technology has strong vitality.

Forming semiconductor devices (called active components), electronic components (called passive components) or passive components on the inner layer of the PCB. “Component embedded PCB” has begun mass production. The component embedding technology is the PCB functional integrated circuit Great changes, but analog design methods must be resolved in order to develop. Production technology, inspection quality, and reliability assurance are the top priorities.

We must increase resource investment in systems including design, equipment, testing, and simulation in order to maintain strong vitality.

4. The manufacturing process needs to be updated, and advanced equipment needs to be introduced.

4.1. Manufacturing Process

HDI manufacturing has matured and tends to be perfect. With the development of PCB technology, although the commonly used subtractive manufacturing methods in the past still dominate, low-cost processes such as additive and semi-additive methods have begun to emerge.

Using nanotechnology to make holes metallized and simultaneously form PCB conductive patterns, a novel manufacturing process method for flexible PCB.

High-reliability, high-quality printing method, inkjet PCB process.

4.2. Advanced Equipment

Production of fine wires, new high-resolution photomasks and exposure devices, and laser direct exposure devices.

Uniform plating equipment.

Production component embedded (passive active component) manufacturing and installation equipment and facilities.

5. The development of materials in PCB should be improved.

Regardless of whether it is rigid PCB or flexible PCB materials, with the globalization of lead-free electronic products, these materials must be made more heat-resistant, so the new type of high Tg, small thermal expansion coefficient, small dielectric constant, and excellent dielectric loss tangent keep appearing.

XPCB Limited is a manufacturer specializing in the production of high-precision double-sided, multi-layer and impedance, blind buried vias, and thick copper circuit boards. The products cover HDI, thick copper, backplanes, rigid-flex combined, buried capacitance and buried resistance, Golden Finger and other kinds of circuit boards, which can meet the needs of customers for all kinds of products.