Several material options are available to customize 12 layer PCB boards. These include, different kinds of conductive materials, adhesives, coating materials, among others. When stipulating material specifications for 12 layer PCBs, you may find your manufacturers using numerous technical terms. You must be in a position to understand commonly used terms to smoothen the communication between you and the manufacturer.
This blog gives simple explanations of terms commonly used by PCB manufacturers.
Basic Terms and Concepts
When stipulating material requirements for 12 layer PCBs, you may find difficulty in understanding the following terms.
- Base Material – It is the insulation material on which desired conductive patterns are created. It can be rigid or flexible; the selection must be depended on the nature of application, manufacturing process, and application area.
- Cover Layer – This is the insulating material applied over conductive pattern. A good insulation protects the circuitry from environmental extremes, whilst providing comprehensive electrical insulation.
- Reinforced Adhesive – The mechanical properties of adhesives can be improved by adding glass fibers. An adhesive with the addition of glass fibers is termed as reinforced adhesive.
- Adhesiveless Materials – Generally, adhesiveless materials are constructed by flowing a hot polyimide (Commonly used polyimide is Kapton) between two layers of copper. The polyimide acts as a bonding agent, eliminating the need of using adhesives like epoxy or acrylic.
- Liquid Photoimageable Solder Mask – Compared to dry film solder mask application, LPSM is an accurate and versatile method. The technique is chosen to apply a thin and even layer of solder mask. Here, solder mask is sprayed on the board using photographic imaging technique.
- Curing – It is the process of applying heat and pressure on the laminate. This is done to produce a bond.
- Clad or Cladding – A thin layer or sheet of copper foil bonded to a laminate. This assembly can be used a base material for PCBs.
The aforementioned technical terms will be beneficial for you when stipulating requirements of 12 layer rigid PCBs. However, these are not a complete list. PCB manufacturers use several other terms when communicating with customers. If you find difficulty in understanding any term during the conversation, don’t hesitate to interrupt the manufacturer. Ask questions when in doubt. This helps you have a healthy and efficient communication, mutually beneficial for you and the manufacturer.