-
- News
- Books
Featured Books
- design007 Magazine
Latest Issues
Current IssueLevel Up Your Design Skills
This month, our contributors discuss the PCB design classes available at IPC APEX EXPO 2024. As they explain, these courses cover everything from the basics of design through avoiding over-constraining high-speed boards, and so much more!
Opportunities 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.
- Articles
- Columns
Search Console
- Links
- Events
||| MENU - design007 Magazine
UHDI Fundamentals: Ultra HDI Pushes PCB Manufacturing Capabilities
October 26, 2023 | Anaya Vardya, American Standard CircuitsEstimated reading time: 1 minute
Ultra high-density interconnect (UHDI) is a term used in the electronics industry to describe a cutting-edge technology that pushes the limits of fabrication capabilities for printed circuit boards (PCBs) and semiconductor devices. UHDI represents an advancement in miniaturization and integration, allowing for the creation of electronic components and systems with extremely high levels of functionality in a smaller footprint. UHDIs are sub-1-mil (0.001") line widths and spaces, which necessitate that we change the unit of measurement from mils to microns. For reference, a 1-mil trace is 25 microns. In general terms, UHDI refers to traces and spaces on a printed circuit board that are sub-25 micron. As electronics continue to shrink, so does the printed circuit board, not only in the X-axis, but also the Y-axis. Designers are challenged with reducing the form factor as well as the thickness of printed circuit boards to meet these demands. This is where UHDI comes in.
With every major advancement in technology comes manufacturing challenges. UHDI is not just a major change, it is a quantum leap in technology. It represents a change in the fundamental method of manufacturing printed circuit boards, moving from the traditional subtractive process to an additive one. UHDI technology requires not only new manufacturing methods, but new manufacturing equipment, chemistry, materials, and inspection capabilities. While there are some crossover processes, it is definitely not a plug-and-play implementation. PCB manufacturers that want to take on the challenge of producing ultra HDI boards will need to assess the more stringent requirements with regard to equipment and their manufacturing environment.
To read this entire article, which appeared in the October 2023 issue of Design007 Magazine, click here.
Suggested Items
I-Connect007 Editor’s Choice: Five Must-Reads for the Week
04/05/2024 | Andy Shaughnessy, I-Connect007Spring has definitely sprung; it was 81 degrees last week in Atlanta, and this week it’s been in the 40s. That’s typical spring weather in Atlanta. My newly cut lawn is looking great, thanks to my “yard guy” Clive. I need to finish packing for IPC APEX EXPO, so without further ado, here’s my must-reads for this week. I hope to see you at APEX next week.
Creators of SMT UHDI Test Board Vehicle Discuss this Important Project
04/04/2024 | Nolan Johnson, I-Connect007Chrys Shea of Shea Engineering and Altium’s David Haboud educate us on the latest revision of the SMT test board for UHDI testing, presented at the SMTA UHDI Symposium on March 26 in Arizona. Chrys was involved in the original SMT test board, introduced roughly five years ago. She and David discuss recreating the test board to be appropriate for UHDI, the genesis and history of this project, and why industry members should make use of it to benchmark their processes.
Collaboration and Innovation: Insights from SMTA's First UHDI Symposium
04/02/2024 | Marcy LaRont, PCB007 MagazineAnaya Vardya provides valuable insights on industry collaboration and innovation at the first SMTA UHDI Symposium, delving into the necessity of collaboration in driving innovation and progress within our industry. He shares his experience in helping put this event together, and pride in being a part of bringing the UHDI test board to life.
SMTA Conducts First UHDI Symposium
03/29/2024 | Marcy LaRont, PCB007 MagazineSMTA’s first UHDI Symposium in Peoria, Arizona, on Tuesday, March 26 featured a standout full-day technical program with 11 separate presentations on what will be required for our companies to move to ultra HDI manufacturing. The event was the brainchild of Tara Dunn, SMTA director of training and education. It included a compelling and collaborative presentation by David Haboud of Altium, John Johnson of American Standards Circuits, and Chrys Shea of Shea Engineering, who had spent the past several weeks creating and building an appropriate SMT test board vehicle for UHDI, something that was passed around for all conference goers to see and touch.
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).