-
- News
- Books
Featured Books
- design007 Magazine
Latest Issues
Current IssueOpportunities and Challenges
In this issue, our expert contributors discuss the many opportunities and challenges in the PCB design community, and what can be done to grow the numbers of PCB designers—and design instructors.
Embedded Design Techniques
Our expert contributors provide the knowledge this month that designers need to be aware of to make intelligent, educated decisions about embedded design. Many design and manufacturing hurdles can trip up designers who are new to this technology.
Manufacturing Know-how
For this issue, we asked our expert contributors to share their thoughts on the absolute “must-know” aspects of fab, assembly and test that all designers should understand. In the end, we’re all in this together.
- Articles
- Columns
Search Console
- Links
- Events
||| MENU - design007 Magazine
DFM 101: PCB Via Structures
November 2, 2021 | Anaya Vardya, American Standard CircuitsEstimated reading time: 3 minutes
One of the biggest challenges facing PCB designers is not understanding the cost drivers in the PCB manufacturing process. This article is the latest in a series that will discuss these cost drivers (from the PCB manufacturer’s perspective) and the design decisions that will impact product reliability.
DFM
Design for manufacturing (DFM) is defined as the practice of designing printed circuit boards that meet not only the capabilities of the customer’s assembly manufacturing process, but also the capabilities of the board fabrication process at the lowest possible cost. While not a substitute for early design engagement with the PCB fabricator, these articles will provide guidelines that will help to “design for success.”
Microvias
One of the most important technological advancements that made HDI viable was development of the microvia: a very small hole (typically 0.006” or smaller) that only connects certain layers either as “blind” or “buried” via holes. This represents a totally new way of making electrical connections between layers on a PCB. Traditional PCB technology has utilized “through-holes,” which by definition, are drilled through the entire PCB connecting the two outside layers with all of the internal layers. The ability to strategically connect only certain pads on certain layers greatly reduces the real estate needed for a PCB design and allows a much greater density in a smaller footprint. Figure 1 shows through-holes and buried and blind vias.
Figure 1: Microvias vs. through-hole vias. (Image credit: NCAB Group)
Types of Microvias
- Blind via: Used to connect one surface layer with at least one internal layer
- Buried via: Used to create connections of internal layers with no contact to the surface layers
- Via-in-pad: A type of blind via in which the via hole is drilled in a surface mount pad, eliminating the need to run a trace and via pad from each SMT pad
- Filled vias: Completely filling the microvia with either a non-conductive or conductive paste. Conductive fill is typically used for heat dissipation and non-conductive fill is used to closely match the thermal expansion of the substrate.
Microvia Formation
Microvias can be formed through a number of methods, primarily mechanical drilling, laser drilling and sequential lamination.
- Mechanical drilling: Uses traditional drilling equipment to mechanically form holes, but typically limited to 0.006” diameter and dependent on the depth needed
- Laser drilling: Special drilling equipment that utilizes a laser to form the hole and can go down to 0.001” in diameter
- Sequential lamination: A process where the microvias are drilled all the way through a sub-panel of the layers that need to be connected by the via, which could require multiple lamination, plating, filling and planarization operations (Figure 2).
Figure 2: Sequential lamination. (Source: Siemens EDA)
Stacked vs. Staggered Microvias
- Stacked: Microvias that are electrically connected and literally stacked vertically on top of each other through various layers of the PCB
- Staggered: Microvias that are electrically connected and offset to one another through various layers of the PCB (Figure 3)
Figure 3: Staggered and stacked microvias.
Via-in-Pad Microvias
The via-in-pad production process allows you to place vias in the surface of the flat lands on your PCB by plating the via, filling it with one of the various fill types, capping it and, finally, plating over it. Via-in-pad is typically a 10- to 12-step process that requires specialized equipment and skilled technicians. Via-in-pad is often an optimum choice for HDI PCBs because it can simplify thermal management, reduce space requirements, and provide one of the shortest ways to bypass capacitors for high-frequency designs (Figure 4).
Figure 4: Via-in-pad.
Understanding the cost drivers in PCB fabrication and early engagement between the designer and the fabricator are crucial elements that lead to cost-effective design success. Following your fabricator’s DFM guidelines is the first place to start.
This article originally appeared in the October 2021 issue of Design007 Magazine.
Anaya Vardya is president and CEO of American Standard Circuits; co-author of The Printed Circuit Designer’s Guide to…?Fundamentals of RF/Microwave PCBs and?Flex and Rigid-Flex Fundamentals; and author of Thermal Management: A Fabricator's Perspective. Visit?I-007eBooks.com?to download these and other?free, educational titles. He also co-authored “Fundamentals of Printed Circuit Board Technologies,” and is an I-Connect007 columnist. To read past columns, or contact Vardya, click here.
Suggested Items
UHDI Fundamentals: ASC Sponsors Ultra High Density Interconnect Symposium
03/21/2024 | Anaya Vardya, American Standard CircuitsAmerican Standard Circuits (ASC) is a major sponsor of an upcoming symposium on one of the most talked about new technologies that has come along in quite a while: ultra high density interconnect (UHDI).
SMTA Ultra High-Density Interconnect Symposium Is Nearly Here
02/27/2024 | SMTASMTA will be hosting a new symposium on March 26th in Phoenix focused on Ultra High-Density Interconnect (HDI) technology. As the semiconductor industry charges forward, demanding ever-increasing performance and miniaturization, the SMTA Ultra HDI Symposium sets the stage for industry pioneers, researchers, engineers, designers, and academia to engage in the active sharing of information while addressing the complexities and innovations reshaping the world of Ultra HDI technology.
ASC Sunstone Proudly Sponsors SMTA’s Ultra High-Density Interconnects (UHDI) Event
02/27/2024 | ASC SunstoneASC Sunstone, a leading provider of high-quality printed circuit board (PCB) solutions, is pleased to announce its sponsorship of the upcoming Ultra High-Density Interconnects (UHDI) event hosted by the Surface Mount Technology Association (SMTA). The event, titled "Advancements in HDI: Driving Innovation Forward," will serve as a platform for industry professionals to explore the latest trends and technologies in high-density interconnects.
ESA Exclusively Approves Ventec VT-901 Material in ACB Belgium's HDI Rigid PCB Qualification
01/30/2024 | Ventec International Group Co., Ltd.Ventec International Group Co., Ltd. is pleased to announce that its VT-901 polyimide material is now fully and exclusively qualified by ESA in ACB Belgium’s manufacture of High-Density Interconnect (HDI) Printed Circuit Boards.
IPC’s Advanced PCB Design Concepts Training Course
01/19/2024 | IPCThe Advanced PCB Design Concepts course, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. EDT March 18 to May 15, 2024, with virtual classes held on Mondays and Wednesdays, will start with the design of HDI and advanced packaging concepts.