94 DESIGN007 MAGAZINE I JUNE 2022
The worst part of the global COVID pandemic brought unpredictability
and uncertainty to an otherwise stable PCB Industry. Like many in the
board business, Sunstone faced increasing demand from essential
businesses while also dealing with inconsistent employee availability
and social distancing guidelines that slowed the manufacturing
process.
Advances in tech-
nology have been
clear within the
component packag-
ing industry, as the
ball grid array (BGA)
package sizes
reduce from 1.0 mm
pitch to 0.8 mm, 0.4 mm, and even beyond.
Currently, the high-density interconnect (HDI)
method typically used for the breakout of such
parts has been to create the smallest possible
subtractive-etched traces with microvias to
allow for connections and escapes on the inner
layers of your PCB.
Over the
past several
years there
has been
a steady
increase
in millimeter-wave (mmWave) applica-
tions. As those applications increased,
most aspects of the electronics industry,
including the PCB industry, were forced
into a steep learning curve.
TOP TEN
Connect the Dots: Leaning into Lean Manufacturing
Designing PCBs With Additive Traces
Designing Additive and Semi-Additive PCBs
With components getting smaller and electronic devices
becoming more compact, we are reaching the physical limits
of the typical etched fabrication processes. To address these
limits, new additive and semi-additive processes are being
developed to fit into the current fabricators' production lines
without too much disruption or extra cost.
EDITOR'S
PICKS
Lightning Speed Laminates:
The Importance of Circuit
Features for mmWave
Applications
