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54 DESIGN007 MAGAZINE I DECEMBER 2023 Article by Chris Keirstead PFC FLEXIBLE CIRCUITS Flexible circuits consist of conductive strips in a sandwich of insulating or dielectric mate- rial. ey resist moisture and contamination and are insulated from external shorts, with holes or contact surfaces for interconnection. Under standing a pack age's electr ical requirements and not over-designing permits means taking full advantage of a flexible cir- cuit's potential compared to conventional wir- ing. Among the benefits are weight and bulk reduction, shorter assembly time and fewer errors, reproducible electrical characteristics, custom shielding, improved reliability, ability to interconnect moving parts, and an engi- neered appearance. e mechanical and electrical characteris- tics of flexible circuits determine what type should be used. Total installed cost, includ- ing inspection, interconnection, fixturing and Flexible Printed Circuits: A Design Primer testing, must be weighed against the advan- tages of each: • Single-sided flexible circuits have one layer of copper on dielectric. • Double-sided flexible circuits have copper on both sides. • Sculptured circuits are single- or double- sided circuits created from thick copper that allows connections such as fingers and pads to be relatively thick and very rigid extensions of the flexible conductors. • Multilayer flexible circuits have several layers that are registered to each other and are separated by a cured layer of adhesive during lamination, with interlayer connections via plated through-holes. • Multilayer rigid-flex is the combination of flex within and extending from rigid sections of the PCB.