Circuit board manufacturing is the driving force behind electronics today. It is what gets digital technology working. From cell phones and computers to medical devices and automotive control systems, circuit boards are the nervous system for electronic devices on the planet. Printed circuit boards (PCBs) facilitate the mounting and connectivity of electronic components in a compact yet organized manner. Advances in technology have enabled the production of circuit boards to be more precise, advanced, and central to innovation in every industry.
Material choice in the manufacture of circuit boards can heavily influence performance and reliability. FR-4 is the most widely used substrate material and is a flame-resistant composite of woven glass fabric bonded epoxy resin. FR-4 provides ultimate strength and electrical insulation characteristics making it applicable to be used with a wide group of applications.
Conductive traces on the board are usually copper, which is bonded to the substrate. Copper is etched away to form patterns of the desired circuits. In high-frequency or high-performance applications, additional materials such as polyimide, ceramics, or metal-core boards may be used for additional heat tolerance, flexibility, or thermal conductivity.
Before a circuit board may be physically produced, the circuit board must be designed with specialized software called Electronic Design Automation (EDA) tools. Designers create schematic diagrams that show the electrical interconnection of components. The schematics are then translated into layout files indicating where components will be located and how the electrical traces will be routed.
It is essential to participate closely at the design level. A poor layout can lead to signal issues, heat generation, or mechanical failure. Designers have to give utmost attention to a host of parameters, such as trace width, spacing, placement, and layer stack-up, in attempting the best performance as well as manufacturability. Design for manufacturability (DFM) checks are occasionally used to find and repair issues that can make it difficult to manufacture a product.
Circuit board manufacturing companies are the pillar of modern electronics, the platform where technology and innovation are born. From precise material selection and intricate design to precise fabrication and rigorous testing, every process yields good, quality circuit boards.
