PCB News - Why do multi-layer circuit boards get more and more attention

Why do multi-layer circuit boards get more and more attention

PCB is the core of most electronic products today. It determines basic functions through a combination of components and wiring mechanisms. Most PCBs in the past were relatively simple and limited by manufacturing technology, but today's PCBs are much more complicated. From advanced flexible options to grotesque varieties, in today's electronic world, there are many types of PCBs, and multilayer circuit boards are particularly popular.

The emergence of multi-layer circuit boards is due to the development and changes of the electronics industry. With the passage of time, electronic functions have become more and more complex, requiring more complex PCBs. Unfortunately, PCBs are limited by problems such as noise, stray capacitance, and crosstalk, and therefore need to follow certain design constraints. These design considerations make it difficult for single-sided or double-sided PCBs to achieve a satisfactory level of performance-hence the birth of multilayer circuit boards.

The definition of a multilayer circuit board is a PCB made of three or more conductive copper foil layers. They appear as several layers of double-sided circuit boards, laminated and glued together, and have a thermal insulation layer between them. The entire structure is laid out so that two layers are placed on the surface side of the PCB to connect to the environment. All electrical connections between layers are achieved through through holes, such as plated through holes, blind holes and buried holes. Then, the application of this method leads to the generation of highly complex PCBs of various sizes.

Although the PCBs of simple electronic devices with limited functions are usually composed of single-sided circuit boards or double-sided circuit boards, more complex electronic devices (such as computer motherboards) are composed of multilayer circuit boards. These are so-called multilayer PCBs. With the increase in complexity of modern electronic devices, these multilayer circuit boards have become more popular than ever before, and manufacturing techniques have allowed them to significantly reduce their size.

Multilayer circuit boards are becoming more and more popular in electronic products. They come in various sizes and thicknesses to meet the needs of their extended applications. The range of their variations ranges from four to twelve layers. The number of layers is usually even, because an odd number of layers can cause problems in the circuit (such as warpage), and the production cost is no longer cost-effective. Most applications require four to eight layers (called: multilayer circuit boards), although applications such as mobile devices and smartphones tend to use about twelve layers, and some professional PCB manufacturers boast of being able to produce nearly Multi-layer PCB with 100 layers. However, the multi-layer PCB with such a multi-layer structure is extremely low cost, so it is rare.

Although multilayer circuit boards are indeed more expensive and labor-intensive, multilayer circuit boards have become an important part of modern technology. This is mainly due to the many benefits they provide, especially when compared with single-sided circuit boards and double-sided circuit board varieties.