Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/1540184
44 DESIGN007 MAGAZINE I OCTOBER 2025 nity to fully step into the present. Let's finally lay the king's foot to rest and stop measuring copper thick- ness with an ancient unit of roofing material. Instead, use an accurate, measurable strategy. First, determine your power distribution require- ments and how to solve them using minimum foil thickness after processing for inner layers, and min- imum surface conductor thickness after processing for outer layers per the IPC-6012 charts. Second, determine optimal conductor routing widths based on supplier recommendations for copper thickness. Our suppliers are tired of PCB designers routing 4-mil tracks on outer base cop- per layers, which are too thick to process. For the same reason, they are tired of asking if they can trim back copper topology that only leaves a 4-mil gap between conductors. TA RG E T C O N D I T I O N Denounce the Ounce Consider renouncing PCB thickness values expressed in weight. Who needs a measurement based on the length of a king's foot squared? Consider expect- ing IPC-6012 minimum processed or finished mea- surement units for your power distribution values. Your manufacturers will thank you. Your QA team will thank you, and your boards will perform better because of it. DESIGN007 Kelly Dack, CIT, CID+, provides DFx centered PCB design and manufacturing liaison expertise for a dynamic EMS provider in the Pacific Northwest while also serving as an IPC design certification instructor (CID) for EPTAC. To read past columns, click here. F i g u re 4 : S u p p l i e r EQ re q u e st , i n va r i o u s l a n g u a g e s , to s h ave c o p p e r fo r m a n u fa ct u r i n g c l e a ra n c e. ▼