Archive for the ‘FR4 PCB’ Category

What Are the Advantages of Using Bus Bar PCB?

Friday, June 14th, 2024

In the design of electronic devices and systems, power distribution and heat dissipation management are key factors. Bus bar PCB, as an efficient solution, is particularly outstanding in these aspects. In this article, we would like to introduce the advantages of Bus bar PCB and its applications in different industries.

What Is A Bus Bar PCB?

At the beginning, we should know what a bus bar PCB is. The Bus bar PCB is a special and newest design that integrates the FR4 material and metal alloy into a whole product, which allows the current transfer path into the circuit board. Due to the current carry capacity and special shape, it also called busbar PCB, embedded bus bar PCB, extruded copper PCB, copper inlay PCB, copper extrusion PCB.

Bus bar circuit board provide a more compact and efficient means of current distribution than traditional wires and cables. This design improves the overall performance of the electronic system by reducing inductance, increasing current carrying capacity, and optimizing heat dissipation.

What Are the Advantages of Bus Bar PCB?

Bus bar PCB offers numerous benefits when be using the power supply applications, its main functions are:

1. Reduce the inductance

Bus bar PCBs reduce inductance by allowing current to flow between tightly spaced conductors. This layout reduces the loop area and thus the inductance value. This is particularly important for high-frequency and highspeed applications, as it reduces voltage spikes and noise, improving system stability and performance.

2. Enhanced current carrying capacity

Due to its large cross-sectional area and high-quality conductive materials, Bus bar PCB can efficiently carry large currents. This is particularly useful in applications that require a large amount of power distribution, such as power supplies, electric vehicles, and renewable energy systems. Bus bar PCBs support higher current density compared to conventional PCB wiring, which improves thermal management and reliability.

3. Improve thermal management

The Bus bar PCB effectively dissipates heat generated by key components. In high power applications, the buildup of heat can affect performance and life. The Bus bar PCB helps maintain optimal operating temperatures through efficient heat distribution, reducing the need for additional cooling mechanisms.

4. Save space and weight

The compact design of the Bus bar PCB reduces the overall size and weight of the electronic components. Its simple construction and elimination of multiple wire connectors contribute to space savings. This is particularly beneficial for applications where size and weight are critical, such as the aerospace and automotive industries.

5. Improved reliability and durability

Bus bar PCBS have superior mechanical strength and durability compared to traditional wiring systems. Its robust construction and secure connections reduce the risk of loose connections, failure due to vibration, and mechanical wear. This improves system reliability and service life for harsh environments and demanding applications.

6. Simplify assembly and maintenance

Using a Bus bar PCB simplifies the assembly process because it reduces the number of individual wires and connectors. This not only speeds up installation, but also reduces assembly errors. In addition, the Bus bar PCB provides a more orderly and accessible layout for easy troubleshooting and repair.

7. Cost effective

Although there may be a high initial cost, Bus bar PCBs can provide cost savings in the long term. Its advantages in reduced inductance, improved thermal management and enhanced reliability reduce operating and maintenance costs. In addition, Bus bar PCB reduces the need for addons, such as heat sinks or complex wiring bundles, thereby increasing overall cost effectiveness.

What Applications of Bus Bar PCB?

Due the high current carry capacity of the bus bar PCB, makes it very suitable for power supply or power management devices. Bus bar PCB can perform well in such fields. Here are some common application examples that bus bar PCB can be used for. If you are seeking for a PCB to integrate into your power supply project, then bus bar PCB is the go-to-choice.

1. Power Electronics

In power converters, inverters and high-current power supplies, Bus bar PCBS are widely used because of their ability to efficiently handle high currents and excellent thermal performance.

2. The Automobile industry

Another popular field that bus bar PCB used in is automotives, especially in electric vehicles (EVs) and hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs). In the electric cars, it can be used for battery connectivity and power distribution, contributing to weight reduction and performance improvements.

3. Renewable energy

Bus bar PCB is an environment friendly material, it is often used in solar systems, wind turbines and energy storage solutions to manage high currents and enhance reliability.

4. Industrial equipment

In industrial machinery and equipment, Busbar PCB provides powerful and efficient power distribution for motors, drives and control systems.

5. Aerospace

Bus bar PCBS are used in aerospace applications, such as avionics and power distribution systems, where size, weight and reliability are key factors.

Final Words

All in all, bus bar PCB offers significant advantages in handling high currents, improving thermal management, and providing reliable power distribution across various applications. By integrating bus bar PCBs, industries can achieve better power management, reduced system size and weight, and improved overall reliability.

Best Technology is a one-stop PCB solution provider in Asia, we offer various kinds of PCBs not only include bus bar PCB, but also Extra thin PCB, RF PCB, HDI PCB, Heavy copper PCB, Ceramic PCB, Metal Core PCB, Flex PCB and rigid flex PCB, PCBA and so more. We have more than 17 years-experience in PCB design and manufacturing, and served more than 1200 customers. Choosing Best Technology as your supplier ensures you get high quality PCBs, helping to improve the performance and competitiveness of your products. Contact us right now to customize your own PCB!

Tags:aluminum bus bar pcb, Bus Bar PCB, Busbar PCB, Copper busbar PCB, copper inlay pcb, embeded bus bar pcb
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How to Distinguish Hard Gold and Soft Gold Plating on PCB?

Friday, June 14th, 2024

Gold plating is a common surface finish in PCB manufacturing, also known as nickel gold electroplating. It provides excellent conductivity, corrosion resistance and good durability to electronic devices. However, not all gold plating is created equal. There are two primary types of gold plating are used in PCB fabricating: hard gold plating and soft gold plating. They differ in properties, manufacturing process and applications, let’s explore it today!

How to Distinguish Hard Gold and Soft Gold Plating on PCB?

What are Hard Gold Plating and Soft Gold Plating?

In the manufacturing process of printed circuit boards (PCBs), we often hear the words “soft gold” and “hard gold”. They are actually describing the different metal materials used in the gold-plating process.

Hard gold usually refers to an alloy formed by electroplating process. This alloy is doped with other metal elements, such as nickel, cobalt, etc., to make it harder and more resistant to friction. Hard gold is especially suitable for places that require force and friction, such as the edge contact points of circuit boards (commonly known as “gold fingers”), because it can withstand frequent insertion and removal operations. Although the processing process of hard gold is complex, it can be doped with other metals to improve the hardness of gold, making it more suitable for making hollow jewelry or for industrial applications.

Soft gold refers to the state of pure gold or close to pure gold, because of the high purity of gold, it is relatively soft. Soft gold is mainly used for aluminum wire on COB (Chip On Board), or the contact surface of mobile phone keys, because it can maintain good electrical conductivity and weldability. The processing process of soft gold is relatively simple, does not require complex alloying process, and maintains the soft characteristics of gold, which is suitable for the production of solid jewelry or for applications requiring good electrical conductivity.

Properties and applications: hard gold plating vs soft gold plating

Hard gold plating is known for its high hardness, typically achieved by alloying gold with small amounts of nickel or cobalt. So, it has highly resistant to wear and mechanical stress. The thickness of hard gold plating is usually greater than that of soft gold plating, ranging from 30 to 50u’’ or more. Best Technology can make up to 50u’’ if you required. Due to the hardness of the hard gold plating, they are commonly used in edge connectors, keypads, and contact points where repeated mechanical action occurs.

The manufacturing process of soft gold plating involves a chemical process to deposit a thinner layer of pure gold onto the PCB surface. The coated pure gold without any alloying elements, resulting in a softer finished compared to the hard gold plating. Additionally, the thickness of soft gold plating is typically thinner than that of hard gold plating, usually around 1 to 3u’’. Due to the softness and conductivity properties, the soft gold plating technology is often used in applications requiring high conductivity and precision, such as wire bonding and fine-pitch components in high-frequency and high-speed circuits.

What’s the difference between gold plating and immersion gold?

Actually, Immersion Gold is mostly called ENIG (electroless nickel immersion gold) surface treatment method. The advantage of this method is that nickel and gold can be attached to copper without electroplating process, and its surface is smoother than gold plating, which is especially important for the shrinking electronic parts and components requiring flatness.

The method of leaching gold is chemical deposition. A coating is formed by chemical redox reaction, which is generally thick. Electroplating gold is based on the principle of electrolysis, also known as electroplating. Most other metal surface treatments are electroplating. In actual product applications, 90% of the gold PCB board is dipped in gold, because the poor weldability of the electric gold-plated board is its fatal defect.

Nickel gold coating with stable color, good brightness, smooth coating and good weldability can be deposited on the surface of printed circuit by gold leaching process. It can be divided into four stages: pretreatment (degreasing, micro-etching, activation, post-leaching), nickel plating, gold leaching, post-treatment (waste gold washing, DI washing, drying). The thickness of gold leaching is 0.025-0.1um. Gold is used in the surface treatment of the circuit board because gold has strong electrical conductivity, good oxidation resistance and long service life. General applications such as keyboard board, gold finger board, etc.

Choosing between hard gold plating and soft gold plating for your PCB depends on your specific application requirements. At Best Technology, we offer expert guidance and high-quality PCB manufacturing services to help you select the best surface finish for your needs. Choose us as your trusted PCB supplier to ensure reliable and efficient solutions for all your electronic projects.

Tags:hard gold, surface treatment
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Why is FR4 Material the Most Commonly Used PCB Material?

Wednesday, June 5th, 2024

FR4 material is a highly popular and widely used substrate in the PCB industry due to its exceptional mechanical strength, electrical insulation, and flame retardant properties. It has become the standard for PCB fabrication.

What is FR4 Material and Why is it Used in PCBs?

FR4 is a type of fiberglass-reinforced epoxy laminate. The term “FR4” comes from its flame-retardant properties, meeting the UL94V-0 standard. It is made from woven fiberglass cloth and epoxy resin, which together provide great strength and durability.

Electrical engineers and designers prefer FR4 because of its many benefits, such as:

Low cost
High dielectric strength
Excellent strength-to-weight ratio
Moisture resistance
Temperature endurance
Good electric loss characteristics
Flame retardance and self-extinguishing capabilities
Mechanical robustness
Insulating properties

FR4 is also suitable for marine PCBs because it absorbs very little water. In a standard FR4 PCB, a layer of FR4 is placed between two thin layers of laminated copper.

What are the Key Performances of FR4 Material?

FR4 material, also recognized as flame retardant 4, is a composite of glass fabric and epoxy resin, predominantly utilized as a foundational material for printed circuit boards. Familiarity with the specifications of FR4 is crucial for selecting the appropriate substrate for PCB manufacturing. Key specifications include:

1. The thickness of FR4 sheet is usually 0.2 mm to 3.2 mm, and other special thickness also available.

2. The specific gravity of FR4 material is about 1.85g/cm³, which means that it is heavier than water.

3. Coefficient of thermal expansion of FR4 is about 1.0×10^-5cm/cm/℃, which means that its length or width will expand slightly when the temperature changes.

4. The thermal decomposition temperature of FR4 materials is usually between 280C and 320C, which makes it able to withstand high temperature applications.

5. FR4 material has a dielectric constant around 4.0-4.8, which makes it an ideal material for circuit board manufacturing.

6. FR4 has good arc resistance, which means that in the case of high voltage, it can effectively prevent arc discharge.

7. FR4 material good hydrolysis resistance and can maintain good performance even in a humid environment.

What are the Types of PCB Materials in the Industry?

PCB materials can be broadly categorized based on their composition and intended application. Nowadays, the commonly used are including FR4, polyimide (PI), Metal material (copper or aluminum), ceramic substrate like Al2O3, AlN, Si3N4, and so on. Different materials have its unique functions and well-suited in specific environment. Here we introduce their properties and suited applications simply.

FR4 (Fiberglass Epoxy Laminate)

At present, almost of PCB you seen in the market or electronics used the FR4 material. It widely used because of its superb equilibrium of mechanical strength, electrical insulation, and cost-efficiency. Actually, according to the different reinforcement materials, the circuit board is mainly classified into the following types:

1) FR-4

2) FR-1, FR-2, etc.

3) CEM series: Composite substrate

FR-4 used frequently because of its high fire resistance rating.

High Tg FR4

Though normal FR4 material has good electrical insulation, it is not an ideal option for high frequency circuit board. And then, high Tg FR4 stands out by using an advanced technology. “Tg” refers to glass transition temperature, the juncture at which the material transitions from a rigid, glassy state to a pliable, rubbery state. High Tg FR4 boasts a Tg of 170°C or higher.

Polyimide (PI)

Polyimide materials are renowned for their excellent flexibility, superior thermal stability and chemical resistance. It is always used as raw material of flex circuits, rigid flex circuit boards or membrane switches. Due to the good chemistry properties, they can endure temperatures up to 260°C and are highly flexible, making them ideal for those small and limited PCB designs.

Metal base material

Metal materials always used in metal core PCBs (MCPCB), usually used aluminum core or copper core. The metal base has great thermal conductivity to enhance the thermal management of the device, buy using metal core, the device can dissipate heat away from the critical component such as LED chips, ICs, BGAs, to remain the reliability and performance of the PCB.

Ceramic substrate

Ceramic PCB substrate offers excellent thermal conductivity and stability than that metal core PCBs, making them suitable for high-power and high-frequency applications. But due to the high cost and complex manufacturing, the ceramic PCB is much expensive than metal core PCB, therefore, they are always be used in high-end applications, such as the military, defense, aerospace and some special fields where requires excellent thermal management.

Understanding these materials enable to help engineers and designers in selecting the most appropriate substrate for their projects, ensuring optimal performance and cost-efficiency. Best Technology provides a comprehensive array of PCB materials, guaranteeing high-quality solutions for all your electronic needs.

What are the Applications of FR4 PCB Material in Various Industries?

FR4 material is versatile and finds applications in numerous industries, including:

Consumer Electronics like smartphones, laptops, and other personal electronic devices.
Applied in vehicle electronics for infotainment systems, engine control units, and more.
Industrial Equipment such as control systems, power supplies, and industrial automation.
Essential for telecommunications, network devices, routers, and communication infrastructure.
Medical instrumentation and diagnostic equipment.
Aerospace and defense in avionics, radar systems, and defense electronics.

This is all of this sharing, thanks for your reading. Welcome to contact us if you have other questions about FR4 or other raw materials of PCB. Best Technology engaging in the PCB manufacturing about 18 years, we are one of the leading PCB manufacturers in China. And we have such confidence to provide with you the best PCB and PCBA fast solution for your projects.

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What are HDI PCBs and Their Basic Parameters?

Wednesday, June 5th, 2024

High-Density Interconnect (HDI) PCBs are revolutionizing the electronics industry with their advanced capabilities and compact designs. As technology continues to evolve, the demand for smaller, faster, and more efficient electronic devices has led to the widespread adoption of HDI PCBs.

What is Definition of HDI PCB?

HDI board refers to High Density Interconnect, that is, high density interconnect board, which is a relatively new technology developed by the PCB industry at the end of the 20th century.

The drilling of the traditional PCB board is affected by the drilling tool, and when the drilling aperture reaches 0.15mm, the cost is already very high, and it is difficult to improve again. The drilling of HDI board no longer relies on traditional mechanical drilling, but uses laser drilling technology. (This is why it is sometimes called a laser plate.) The hole diameter of the HDI board is generally 3-5mil (0.076-0.127mm), the line width is generally 3-4mil(0.076-0.10mm), the size of the pad can be greatly reduced, so more line distribution can be obtained within the unit area, and the high-density interconnection comes from this.

Smaller device spacing, more I/O pins and embedded passive devices Larger ASiCs and FPGAs with increasingly shorter rise times and higher frequencies all require smaller PCB feature sizes, which is driving a strong demand for HDI/ micro through-holes. The typical high density interconnector designs are including:

1+N+1
2+N+2
3+N+3
4+N+4

What are the benefits of HDI PCB?

HDI is a compact circuit board designed for small volume users. Compared with ordinary FR4 PCB, the most significant feature of HDI is the high wiring density, and the difference between the two is mainly reflected in the following three aspects.

1. HDI is smaller and lighter

HDI board is a traditional dual panel as the core board, through continuous stacking layer by layer. This kind of circuit board made by continuous layering is also called Build-up Multilayer (BUM). Compared with traditional circuit boards, HDI circuit boards have the advantages of “light, thin, short and small”.

The electrical interconnection between the HDI board is realized through the conductive through hole, buried hole and blind hole connection, its structure is different from the common multi-layer circuit board, and a large number of micro-buried blind holes are used in HDI board. HDI uses direct laser drilling, while standard PCBS usually use mechanical drilling, so the number of layers and aspect ratio tend to be reduced.

The high density of HDI board is mainly reflected in the hole, line, pad density, and layer thickness.

● Micro-via hole

The HDI board contains the design of micro-pilot holes such as blind holes, which is mainly reflected in the micro-hole formation technology with a diameter less than 150um, and the high requirements of cost, production efficiency and hole position precision control. In the traditional multilayer circuit board, there are only through holes and no tiny buried blind holes.

● Fine line width and line distance

Its main performance in the wire defects and wire surface roughness requirements are more and more stringent. Generally, the line width and line distance do not exceed 76.2um.

● High pad density

The density of welded contacts is greater than 50 per square centimeter.

● Thinning of medium thickness

It is mainly manifested in the trend of the thickness of the interlayer medium to 80um and below, and the thickness uniformity requirements are becoming more and more stringent, especially for high-density plates and packaging substrates with characteristic impedance control.

2. Better electrical performance

HDI not only enables end-product designs to be miniaturized, but also to meet higher standards of electronic performance and efficiency at the same time.

The increased interconnect density of HDI allows for increased signal strength and improved reliability. In addition, the HDI board has better improvement for RF interference, electromagnetic wave interference, electrostatic discharge, heat conduction and so on. HDI also uses full digital signal process control (DSP) technology and a number of patented technologies, with a full range of load adaptability and strong short-term overload capability.

3. The HDI board has very high requirements for buried holes

It can be seen from the above that whether it is the volume of the board, or the electrical performance, HDI is better than ordinary PCB. Where the coin has two sides, the other side of HDI is as a high-end PCB manufacturing, its manufacturing threshold and process difficulty are much higher than ordinary PCB, and there are more problems to pay attention to when producing – especially the buried hole jack.

What are the basic parameters of HDI PCB?

HDI PCB has greater different with normal FR4 PCB, from the stack up, material selection, manufacturing and cost. So, it is vital to understanding the basic parameters of a high-density interconnect board before start your designing trip. The standard parameters of HDI board mainly include the following aspects:

Numbers of layers

Generally, the number of layers of HDI board is 4-20 layers, and the high-end HDI board can reach to 40-50 layers.

Line width/spacing

Due to the HDI PCB are always used in high-end applications, their line width and spacing are usually very strict, and the common requirement is that the line width/spacing is 4/4mil (0.1mm), or even smaller.

Blind hole, buried hole, bus

These are one of the characteristics of the HDI board, blind hole and buried hole can reduce the area of the circuit board, make your design more density, and the bus enable to improve the signal transmission rate of the PCB.

Board thickness

The board thickness of HDI board is usually range from 0.8 to 3.2mm, of which 1.6mm is the most common thickness.

The pad on the HDI board is generally very small, and the common pad size is 0.2mm to 0.5mm. Different factory has different capabilities, it is best to ask your supplier or manufacturer to get a manufacturing capability document.

Impedance control

For high-speed signal transmission circuits, the impedance control of the HDI board is very important, and the requirements are very strict. It is needed to tell your vendor if your HDI board will be used in high-speed devices.

Material

The main materials of HDI board are FR4, BT, PI, PET, etc. Different materials can meet different requirements.

This is the end of this sharing, contact us today to learn more about our HDI PCB solutions and how we can help you achieve your technological goals. In our next chapter, we will introduce the manufacturing process and methods of HDI boards, let me know if you are interested in it.

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What Are Stamp Holes and What’s the Design Standard About It?

Monday, May 6th, 2024

Have you ever seen several small holes on the rails of the PCBs or located at the board edges? They look like trails bites by mouse, do you know what they are? And what’s the function of these? This blog may make you sense about it.

What is Stamp Hole on PCB and its Purpose?

Stamp holes, also sometimes called breakaway holes or mouse bites, are small holes drilled in a row or array along the rails or edges of each circuit board within the panel. They look like the edges of a stamp, so people call it “stamp holes”.

Stamp hole is used primarily in the process of depanelized PCBs. De-paneling is the process of separating individual PCBs from a larger panel, which is a common method in PCB manufacturing to improve production efficiency and reduce costs. The larger panel makes handling and processing multiple PCBs easier during the manufacturing process. In some ways, panel also improves the utilization of the raw materials. Once the manufacturing steps are complete, the individual PCBs need to be separated for use in their corresponding devices. And these holes between the single PCBs can create a weak point along which the boards can be easily broken apart after manufacturing be completed.

Why Use Stamp Holes Expertise In PCBs?

It is possible to use stamp holes if the boards are abnormal shaped or round. The stamp hole is connected between each circuit boards, which mainly plays a supporting role and avoid PCB be scattered. Most commonly, they are used to create PCB stand-alone modules, such as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, or core board modules, which are then used as stand-alone components placed on another board during PCB assembly.

The use of stamp holes allows for a relatively clean break along the separation line, but it may leave behind rough edges or require additional finishing steps to smooth out the remnants of the perforation points. This method of depaneling is a cost-effective solution and can be used for various types of PCBs, but it might not be suitable for very delicate circuits or when a perfectly smooth edge is required. In addition, V-cut and hollow connection strips also are the common depaneling ways for PCBs.

What are differences between Stamp Hole, V-cut and Hollow strip?

When preparing a panel for the manufacturing of multilayer PCBs, it’s essential to consider a method used to connect individual boards within the panel. As mentioned above, there are three connection methods for PCB technology, each serving different types of PCB designs and requirements. So, which one is the better or how to choose a suitable one for your project? Welcome to keep reading.

V-Cut (V-slot)

V-cut is the most common way to separate the PCBs during the circuit board manufacturing. It mainly utilizes for PCBs with straight edges or straight lines. This method involves cutting a V-shaped groove along the line where two PCBs are connected within the panel. When implemented, V-cuts leave a narrow gap (the width of the V-cut itself) between the boards. V-cut depth is an essential point during the process, make sure it has 1/3 depth on top and bottom side. The V-cut is especially suitable for standard, rectangular PCB designs, allowing for a clean and efficient separation of the boards once all other manufacturing processes have been completed.

Stamp Holes

For PCBs with unique or irregular shapes, stamp holes are often the preferred method of connection. Its process involves drilling multiple small holes in an array at the points where the individual PCBs connect within the panel. These holes create a perforated line that weakens the material enough to facilitate easy separation of the boards by applying minimal force, without compromising the integrity of the circuitry. But this way can only be used if you don’t have strict requirements for burrs on edges. And it is easy to damage the whole board if use improper approach.

Hollow Connecting Strips

Hollow connecting strips are used in scenarios where a very narrow strip of material is left to connect the boards within the panel. This method is particularly useful for PCBs utilizing half-hole (castellated holes) technology. The narrow strips maintain the alignment and integrity of the PCBs during the manufacturing process but can be easily removed or broken away to separate the individual boards. Hollow strip is less common but essential for specific designs and technologies.

Each of these connection methods has its specific applications, advantages, and considerations. The choice between V-cuts, stamp holes, and hollow connecting strips depends on the design of the PCB, the requirements of the manufacturing process, and the desired ease of separation post-manufacturing.

How to Add Stamp Holes on Your Circuit Board?

Designing stamp holes is a critical step in preparing your PCB for the depaneling process. This includes creating a series of small holes along the intended lines of separation between individual boards in a panel. Here’s a step-by-step guide to help you incorporate stamp holes into your PCB design effectively:

1. Understand the Purpose

Recognize that stamp holes are used to facilitate the manual separation of PCBs from a panel after the manufacturing process, minimizing the risk of damage to the board and its components.

2. Plan Your Layout

Placement: Decide where the stamp holes will be located on your PCB layout. They should be placed along the edges where the PCB will be separated from the panel.

Number and Spacing: The number of stamp holes and their spacing can significantly affect the ease of PCB separation. Typically, a distance of 0.5mm between holes and 1.0mm between centers of holes are used, but this may vary based on the PCB material and thickness.

3. Select the Hole Size and Quantity

The diameter of stamp holes usually ranges from 0.6 mm to 1 mm. The size may depend on your specific requirements and the capabilities of your PCB manufacturer. As for quantity, 5-8 holes in an array is good (always 2 arrays/rows), more also is available, it can be adapted based on your specific needs.

4. Arrangement of Stamp Holes

Two rows of stamp holes should be added at the edge of the PCB, extending slightly into the board. This design ensures that any burrs left on the board edge after separation will not affect the PCB’s overall dimensions. If there are traces or other critical components on the edge of the board, ensure that the stamp holes are placed to avoid damaging these elements during separation.

5. Design Using PCB Design Software

Use your PCB design software (such as Altium Designer, Eagle, or KiCad) to add the stamp holes to your design. This can usually be done by placing a series of via or pad holes along the separation lines.

Some software packages may offer tools to automate this process, allowing you to specify the number of holes, their spacing, and diameter, and then automatically place them along a line.

6. Consult with Your Manufacturer

Before finalizing your design, consult with your PCB manufacturer for any specific guidelines or requirements they have for stamp holes. This can include preferred sizes, spacing, and any additional considerations to ensure the depaneling process goes smoothly.

Provide detailed documentation of your stamp hole design to your manufacturer to avoid any confusion during the production process.

7. Review and Adjust

After adding the stamp holes to your design, review the layout to ensure that there is adequate clearance between the holes and any nearby components or traces. This is crucial to avoid damage during the separation process.

Adjust the size, spacing, and number of stamp holes as necessary to meet both your design requirements and the manufacturer’s capabilities.

In the design process, these considerations should be adjusted based on the specific PCB design and manufacturing requirements. Moreover, find a reliable PCB manufacturer to ensure these design details are accurately implemented is key to successfully fabrication.

Best Technology specializes in PCB manufacturing for more than 17 years, offering comprehensive PCB production and design services to over 200 countries worldwide. To ensure the best quality and fast delivery, we set up a strictly quality control system according to ISO9001 and equipped with advanced measured devices such as AOI, X-RAY, 2D, 3D measurement tools in our factory. We provide 24/7 hours service and commitment with a timely reply within 10 hours. We sincerely appreciate your any comments or consults, welcome to contact us at any time.

Tags:PCB technology, stamp hole
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What Is the Importance of Ground Plane in PCB EMC Design?

Saturday, March 30th, 2024

In the design of electronic products, electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) is a crucial consideration. Particularly in the design of printed circuit boards (PCBs), the rationality of EMC design directly impacts the performance and stability of the product. Among the many factors affecting EMC, one factor is especially critical, and that is the design of the ground plane. Today, let’s talk about the impact of grounding on EMC.

In an electronic product, grounding is a very important element, it is directly related to EMC compliance. Especially in large equipment, the grounding of multiple systems and subsystems is involved. It can be said, a good grounding system means the half successfully of a product.

What are Ground Plane and EMC in a PCB?

The ground plane, as the reference potential in a circuit, not only carries the return path of current but also plays a role in electromagnetic shielding and noise suppression. In high-frequency circuits, the impedance and layout of the ground plane have a significant impact on signal integrity. Unreasonable ground plane design may result in signal interference, increased radiation, and decreased system stability.

EMC stands for Electromagnetic Compatibility. It refers to the ability of electronic devices and systems to operate properly in their intended electromagnetic environment without causing or experiencing interference. EMC ensures that devices can function without adversely affecting other devices nearby or being affected by electromagnetic interference from external sources. Generally, the ground planes will showing three shapes, please see as following:

Why A Grounding Must be Designed in PCB?

Grounding can be understood as an equipotential point or plane serving as the reference potential for a circuit or system, which can be a specific ground layer in a PCB or the metal chassis of a product. While many perceive the purpose of designing a ground plane primarily to prevent external electromagnetic interference (EMI), but in printed circuit board design, it serves multiple purposes beyond this.

Generally, a well-designed ground provides a common reference zero potential for all circuit units within a system, ensuring no potential difference between circuits and thus stable operation. It also protects circuits from damage, ensuring the safe functioning of electronic products. For instance, ground can provide discharge paths for transient disturbances and dissipate accumulated charges on product metal enclosures induced by static electricity, to prevent potential sparks that may cause interference internally. Additionally, choosing appropriate grounding for shielding structures can yield effective electromagnetic shielding.

Grounding design is very necessary especially for medical industry. As we know, there are many medical devices are directly connected to patients’ bodies, such as monitors. In cases where the chassis carries voltage due to poor grounding, fatal risks may arise. Furthermore, grounding reduces common-mode interference currents flowing through PCBs and prevents high-frequency EMI signals within products from reaching equivalent radiating antennas. Thus, grounding is typically a primary method for noise suppression and interference prevention.

Design Principles of Ground Plane in PCB

A well-designed grounding system should not only consider the radiation and conduction of individual PCBs but also prevent from a systemic perspective. In the design phase, failure to carefully consider the grounding system may indicate a high likelihood of EMC failure for the system. So, knowing the design principles is extremely important to make sure the successful of EMC.

Keep it short and wide

To reduce the impedance of circuits, especially in high-frequency circuits, the ground plane should be made as short and wide as possible. This helps to minimize the return path of the current, thereby reducing EMI.

Partition layout

For complex PCB designs like multilayer PCBs, it is recommended to use a partition layout to separate the ground planes of different functional modules. This helps to isolate noise interference between different modules.

Single-point ground and multipoint ground

Depending on the circuit’s operating frequency and signal characteristics, choose between single-point grounding or multipoint grounding. Single-point grounding is suitable for low-frequency circuits, while multipoint grounding is more suitable for high-frequency circuits.

Ground plane

Where possible, use a ground plane as the ground. The ground plane can provide a low-impedance return path and aid in electromagnetic shielding.

How to Optimize Your Grounding Design?

As for PCB that has already design the circuit layout, how to optimize the ground to get the maximum EMI? Here are some tips that may helpful for you.

Fill the blank areas of the PCB with ground planes to increase the ground plane’s area and reduce impedance.
Reducing the area of ground loops helps to decrease electromagnetic radiation and induced noise.
Power lines and ground planes should be placed as close as possible and run parallel to reduce the area of the current loop.
Placing decoupling capacitors between power and ground planes helps to filter out high-frequency noise.

In PCB EMC design, ground plane design is an essential step that cannot be ignored. By following the principles and optimization methods of ground plane design, the EMC and signal integrity of electronic products can be significantly improved. Therefore, in PCB design, sufficient attention and consideration must be given to ground plane design. Welcome to contact Best Technology if you want to know more about ground and EMC design.

Tags:EMC, GND design, pcb design, pcb EMC
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Top 6 Considerations You Must Know About PCB Designs

Wednesday, March 27th, 2024

Electronics devices and parts are existing everywhere in this big data era, and more and more engineers trying to step in the electronics design and development. As a one-stop PCB and PCBA manufacturer in China, Best Technology would like to share some basic considerations and tips during the PCB designs. Hope this can help you.

Substrate Material

Substrate is the main composition of a circuit board and it mainly used for suppler and copper foil insulation. The commonly materials are FR4 and PI. FR4 is a widely acceptable international grade for fiberglass reinforced epoxy laminated, and it always used for making rigid PCB or rigid-flex PCB. FR4 substrate has good insulation and mechanical strength, so it can be widely used in various applications. However, PI has higher heat and chemistry resistance, more suitable for high temperature and chemical corrosion environment.

Circuit Layout

The layout design depends on the dimensions, performance and reliability of a circuit board, it is needed to follow your supplier’s standard to make sure the fast production time and high quality.

Min line width

Please make sure your line width within your supplier’s manufacturing capability, that is to say, if it is less than the minimum line width will not able to be produced. The best way is if the design conditions available, the larger the line width, the better the factory production. Generally, the line width keeps around 10mil is the best. In another word, if your line width is less than normal standard, it would be difficult for you to find a suitable supplier.

Min line spacing

Min line spacing means the distance between trace and trace. Normally, from the production aspect, the distance from line to pads should not less than min line spacing, and it would be better if it is larger, generally equal to or more than 10mil.

The spacing between circuit to outline should be control in 20mil.

Plug-in Hole

The diameter of plug-in hole should be considered by the side of components, but it is necessary that it must greater than the component’s pins, it is recommended that greater at least 0.2mm. That is to say, if the pin of components is 0.6mm, then the plug-in holes should be greater than 0.8mm. Otherwise, the plug-in components would be probably difficult to insert into PCB because of the tolerance control during the manufacturing and assembly.

Min Hole Diameter

As we all know, the holes in PCB almost be used for mounting components, connect circuit and provide the electrical connection between layers. So how to design the hole also is crucial during the designing. Generally, the min hole diameter depends on the drill bitter that vendor used, always around 0.2-0.4mm. You can ask your supplier during the design evaluation.

Copper Thickness

Copper foil is a layer of metal foil on the PCB board that is used to conduct current. The thickness of copper foil is usually in oz (ounces), such as 1oz, 2oz, 3oz, etc. The thickness of the copper foil will affect the conductivity and heat dissipation performance of the PCB board.

Impendence Control

Impedance control is a key parameter in high-speed signal transmission and high-frequency circuit design. It involves board thickness, copper foil thickness, substrate dielectric constant, pad and line layout and other factors to improve the signal integrity and anti-interference ability of the PCB board.

The production process of PCBs is rather complex, involving a wide range of techniques from simple mechanical processing to sophisticated machining, so you should understand the design rules very clearly when you are trying to design a PCB board. Its applications are also diverse, from consumer electronics to industrial machinery, where PCBs are utilized.

Best Technology offers one-stop PCB solutions, we offer service from prototyping to large-scale production and assembly. With experienced engineers and service teams, we ensure successful fulfillment of your requirements. Just send us with your design files, and we will make the circuit board for you in a very short time.

Tags:design guide, pcb design
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What Is Immersion Silver? Why Choose It for PCB Coating?

Monday, February 26th, 2024

Due to the growing concerns and advocacy for environmental friendliness, as well as the prohibition of harmful substances like lead (tin), an increasing number of industries are moving away from the use of HASL (Hot Air Solder Leveling) technologies for PCB (Printed Circuit Board) surface treatment. The current trend is to use other surface treatments such as OSP, gold plating, immersion tin, immersion silver, ENIG and ENEPIG. Among them, immersion silver becoming a popular choice since it has excellent performance and cost effectiveness.

What is Immersion Silver Finish?

Immersion silver finishing is an environment friendly surface treatment that coating a layer of silver (about 0.1~0.4um) on the copper surface to ensure the good solderability when assembly. When comparing its functional performance with other surface finishes like OSP and ENIG, immersion silver falls between them. It exhibits outstanding solderability and exceptional solder joint strength, surpassing OSP, which lacks a conductive barrier. However, when employed as a contact surface, immersion silver demonstrates lower strength compared to gold.

What is the Working Principle of Immersion Silver?

Immersion silver finishing uses chemical deposition to finish the whole processes. Electrochemical deposition is a method of reducing and depositing metals onto the surface of an object by controlling the current in a solution. In the immersion silver process, the pad serves as the anode (positive electrode), while silver acts as the cathode (negative electrode), with a current applied between them. This causes silver ions (Ag+) to be reduced to silver metal under the influence of the electric field, subsequently adhering to the pad surface and gradually forming a silver layer.

The displacement reaction of immersion silver is:

2Ag⁺ + Cu = 2Ag + Cu⁺⁺

This method utilizes both electrical current and chemical reactions to deposit silver from the solution onto the surface of the PCB pad, creating a uniform and porous silver layer.

Silver Plated Analyzing: Pros vs Cons

Before selecting the immersion silver coating, we should understand its advantages and disadvantages to consider whether it is suitable for your PCB project and end-applications.

Pros of immersion silver:

Cost-effective than immersion gold
Good surface flatness and low contact resistance
Corrosion resistance
Good solderability, especially for BGA chips or smaller components
Environment friendly
High reliability

Cons of immersion silver:

Difficult to handle, must wear gloves
Special storage conditions – if the package is opened and not all PCBs need to be used, it must be resealed quickly or use them within 24h.
Peelable masks can’t to use

Important Points You Must Know About Storage

For storage and handling, it needs more careful than immersion tin and OSP.
It is compliant with ROHS and safer than HASL.
In the dry conditions, it can be stored 6-12months.
PCB with immersion silver must be soldered within 24hours if package is unsealed.
If the immersion silver PCB has been stored for more than 12 months, a solderability testing is must before assembling.

Immersion Silver vs ENIG

ENIG also is a common surface treatment in the PCB manufacturing, its full name is Electroless Nickel/Immersion Gold finishing. The ENIG technology is a relative expensive than immersion silver, and it suitable for more complex layout design.

ENIG plating involves safeguarding the copper pads on PCBs by first applying a layer of nickel and then overlaying the copper surface with a thin layer of gold. In essence, the procedure is akin to immersion silver, but it significantly improves PCBs by providing enhanced resistance to oxidation, superior solderability, and excellent surface planarity.

Let’s review the performance comparison between these two surface treatments:

Welcome to contact us if you have any questions about immersion silver or other surface treatment.

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What Are Differences of ENIG VS ENEPIG in PCB Manufacturing – Series 2

Tuesday, January 2nd, 2024

In our last blog, we simply introduced ENIG surface treatment in PCB manufacturing, and this time, we will share more information about the comparison of ENIG and ENEPIG.

What is ENEPIG Surface Treatment?

ENEPIG stands for Electroless Nickel Electroless Palladium Immersion Gold. This type of metal coating on the PCB pad surface consists of three layers—nickel, palladium, and gold. Apart from protecting the copper surface from corrosion and oxidation, the ENEPIG surface treatment is also suitable for high-density SMT (Surface Mount Technology) designs.

For its manufacturing process, manufacturers begin by activating the copper surface, followed by depositing a layer of electroless nickel, then a layer of electroless palladium, and finally, a layer of immersion gold. The process is somewhat similar to the one they follow in the ENIG process, but adding a palladium layer to the ENIG technology. The palladium layer not only improves the surface protection of the PCB, but also prevents nickel from deteriorating and inhibits interactions with the gold layer.

Pros of ENEPIG Surface Treatment

Reduce the black pad issues
Excellent solderability and high reflow soldering performance
Provide high-reliable wire bonding capability
High-density design available
Meet the miniaturization standards
Suitable for extra thin PCBs

Cons of ENEPIG Surface Treatment

Expensive than ENIG process
Thicker palladium layer will decrease the effective of SMT soldering
Longer wettability time

What are the Differences Between ENIG and ENEPIG?

The main difference between ENIG and ENEPIG is the palladium layer. This is the extra layer that added in ENEPIG process, which provides high oxidation resistance, enhance the electrical performance of the surface cleanliness and improve the abrasion resistance of the PCB surface. However, the palladium layer also increases the cost of manufacturing.

Additionally, the inconsistent surface cleanliness of ENIG, resulting from low solder joint reliability, particularly in gold wire bonding, is a concern. Extra procedures are also required to prevent nickel corrosion in ENIG. When considering it into manufacturing, the ENIG is well-suited for lower-end electronic products.

The Considerations of Selecting ENIG or ENEPIG Surface Finishing

Though both two surface treatments offer excellent electrical performance and heat dissipation properties, there are still some conditions that need to consider when choose them.

Budget

Cost is an important factor when choose a suitable surface treatment. As we explain above, ENEPIG is expensive than ENIG, if you are trying to find a relative cost-effective coating, then ENIG is the best choice.

End-applications

The end-applications or finished products also determined the selection of surface finishing. For example, if your PCB will be used in high temperature applications, ENIG would be the better one since it can withstand high temperature.

Flatness

Many traditional surface finishes have poor flatness and smoothness, this brings the big challenge of small-size components mounted. Especially for those fine-pitch components like BGA, an uneven surface can result many problems. However, both ENIG and ENEPIG offer highly smooth surface finishes, forming thin and uniform layers on the solder pads.

Bonding demand

ENEPIG provides the optimal choice for wire bonding due to its highly smooth surface finish, which enhances wire bonding capabilities.

Environment-friendly

Some traditional surface treatments contain hazardous substances, making them non-compliant with RoHS requirements. Both ENIG and ENEPIG made by Best Technology are fully RoHS compliant and lead-free, so you are don’t worry about the environment unfriendly.

At the end, the choice between ENIG and ENEPIG surface treatments in PCB manufacturing involves a careful consideration of various factors. While both options offer excellent electrical performance, heat dissipation properties, and compliance with environmental standards like RoHS, specific project requirements and priorities will guide the decision-making process. If you are still confuse about the selection of surface treatment, welcome to contact with us, Best Team will give you a best solution that can meet your specific demands and save money for you.

Tags:ENEPIG, ENIG, surface finishing, surface treatment
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What Are Differences of ENIG VS ENEPIG in PCB Manufacturing – Series 1

Tuesday, January 2nd, 2024

Surface treatment also called surface finishing, it is a protective layer that through coating a layer of metal organic material on the surface of printing circuit boards (PCBs). Apply a layer of surface treatment enable to protect pads from scratches and oxidation, as well as improve the solderability of components mounting. ENIG and ENEPIG are the two common high-reliable surface finishing types in the circuit board manufacturing, they are not only for FR4-PCB, but also available in ceramic PCB, flex circuits and rigid-flex PCB. Today, Best Team would like to sharing information about ENIG and ENEPIG, and explore the differences between them.

How to Select the Right Surface Treatment for Your PCB?

With the rapid development of electronics, there are various of PCB types that can be used in electronic devices, and at the same time, there are also increasingly more surface treatment technics available for selection. Until now, the common surface treatments are OSP, HASL, Immersion Silver, Gold Plating, ENIG and ENEPIG. Each of these surface treatments has its own advantages and disadvantages, so it is necessary to choose the most suitable one for a particular application. The selection of surface finish needs to take into account factors such as cost, application environment, fine-pitch components, the use of leaded or lead-free solder, operating frequency, shelf life, drop and impact resistance, volume and throughput, as well as thermal resistance.

With PCBs trending towards micro-vias and finer traces, and the drawbacks of HASL and OSP, such as flatness and flux elimination issues, becoming more pronounced, the demand for surface treatments like ENIG continues to grow. In addition, black pad is a major weakness of ENIG while ENEPIG enable to solve it very well, making it a preferred choice for those PCBs need to wire bonding.

What is the ENIG Surface Treatment?

ENIG, its full name is Electroless Nickel Immersion Gold, is also known as chemical gold or immersion gold in the electronics industry. This type of surface treatment provides two metal layers—gold and nickel—that manufacturers deposit them on the surface of PCB pads sequentially. This surface finish is a selective surface finish, meaning that certain specific pads may have ENIG surface finish, while others may have different types, such as OSP, HASL, or immersion tin. Here are the main processes of the ENIG coating:

Copper activation

In this step, manufacturers will active the copper layer through cleaning process, this way can help to remove the dust and oxides residual on the surface, but also remove any gases or air trapped in the perforations (holes) of the PCB by wetting the surface. Next, micro-etching the PCB surface using substances like hydrogen peroxide or sulfuric acid.

Electroless nickel

This process is to coat a layer of nickel on the active copper layer by electroplating. The nickel layer serves as a protective layer or inhibitor, which prevent the copper reactive with other elements.

Immersion gold

Immersion gold is the last step of whole ENIG process, immersing the PCB into a mixture, oxidizing the nickel surface, generating nickel ions, and then reducing gold from the mixture. The reduced gold forms a metallic coating to protect the nickel surface. This is the whole process of coating ENIG surface treatment.

Advantages of ENIG

Surface flatness – good for fine-pitch and small size components like BGA.
Suitable for press-fit components since it provides a reliable connection for electrical testing.
Suitable for wire bonding and gold-fingers connectors.
Cost-effective compared with ENEPIG

Disadvantages of ENIG

Black pad issues.
Varied coating thickness because of the uncontrolled nickel plated and immersion gold.
Poor wettability during PCB assembly.

All in all, ENIG is a good option if you want to mount fine-pitch components on the PCB surface or if you are considering its use in plug-and-pull devices such as WIFI interfaces. In our next blog, we will introduce ENEPIG surface treatment, including its pros & cons and the differences between ENIG and ENEPIG. Pay attention to our news or contact us directly if you want to know more.

Tags:ENEPIG, ENIG, surface finishing
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