Smaller Components Mean Smaller Products

Those who are looking for a smaller option for circuit boards will find that HDI PCBs could be an excellent solution. When designing circuit boards that use this technology, it allows for more components to be included in a smaller space. They can be populated on both sides of the board, so they can do more than a standard board that is the same size.

Since the technology allows for smaller circuit boards, but still manages to provide ample space and options, it means smaller end products. Using less space without compromising the quality and features is important to many designers today.

A Range of Applications

Smaller designs that are still powerful and capable are important for many different types of products across industries today. Whether the designer is working on a new smartphone, medical equipment, military tech, or aerospace tech, going smaller is often the goal.

One of the areas where HDI PCBs are making a big impact is in the medical industry. Many types of medical devices need to be small. This includes implants, equipment for the lab and for imaging, and more. Smaller sizes are helpful, whether it is for a pacemaker, a camera used for medical imaging, or another piece of equipment used by medical professionals.

Of course, there are plenty of other industries that are making good use of these smaller boards. The automotive industry, for example, uses these types of boards in many of their vehicles. Because they are smaller, they will take up less space in the car. This means that more technological features could be added to the vehicles while still taking up less space.

Military and aerospace applications are growing, as well. From defense systems to missiles and more, these smaller circuit boards are making a difference. Another one of the reasons that they are used for these applications is their durability. When they are made properly, they have the capability to withstand the rigors of use in extreme environments. This might be space or a battlefield.

Wearable technology will benefit from the use of these boards, too. Since HDI PCBs are smaller and can help to increase battery life, they are popular for a range of different types of wearable tech, such as smartwatches.

More and more industries are likely going to be looking to enjoy all of the benefits that these boards can provide. Those who are trying to determine what sort of boards they should be using will want to seriously consider the HDI PCBs.

Less Power Usage

Another one of the biggest benefits of choosing HDI PCBs is the fact that they use less power. This will naturally lead to longer battery life. When creating any sort of handheld device or equipment that utilizes batteries, the longer the battery life, the better. Most consumers do not want items that need to be recharged constantly. They want a product that has a long battery life, and these high-density interconnector circuit boards can be an ideal solution for this.

Long Lifespan

The HDI PCBs also tend to have longer lives than other boards. One of the reasons for this is the fact that there is reduced degradation because of the heat. These boards have less heat transfer because the heat does not have to travel as far before it can escape the board. These types of boards do not have to deal with as much stress due to thermal expansion, either. The boards tend to be rugged and strong, and they have fewer perforations. They are built to last and can still provide the space that a larger board would provide.

Conductivity Management

With these boards, you can choose to fill the vias with nonconductive or conductive materials. These will help with the transmission between the components on the board. The boards allow for blind vias and via-in-pads components to be placed closer together. This will typically help to improve the functionality of the board. This is because the transmission times will be reduced along with reductions in crossing delays.

The signal strength will be increased, which is another one of the reasons that many people are opting for HDI PCBs today. The blind and buried vias make for a more efficient product, and you can expect better signal integrity. Ultimately, this can allow for better overall products.

A Cost-Effective Option

Another one of the benefits of using HDI PCBs is their cost-effectiveness. They are smaller and often cost the same or less than other boards that would take up more space. These boards are a good solution for those who are looking for a quality option. You will not have to spend more money – or take up more space with boards – to get the functionality you need.

Move Forward with Your Own HDI PCBs

Now that you have a better understanding of HDI PCBs and the types of benefits they can confer, it’s time to consider whether they are right for you. Take the time to learn more about what we can offer at Advanced Circuits. We can provide fast turnaround times for the boards you need. We also have software available which will allow you to create your own boards. Best of all, our high-quality design software is free. If you are looking for the very best in circuit boards, Advanced Circuits can help.

What is an HDI PCB?

These boards provide a large number of interconnections in a small space. The components are placed closer together on the board, which helps to reduce the size, but the functionality stays the same as a larger board. If a board features 120 to 160 pins per square inch, then it is an HDI PCB. Components are placed close together while making use of versatile routing. These types of boards are made possible thanks to microvia technology, along with buried and blind vias. They are very efficient, and they are becoming popular in a wide range of different industries, as you will see below.

Biggest Benefits of HDI PCBs

Many want to find ways to reduce the footprint of the products they are making, and one of the best ways to do that is by using HDI PCBs. They are a good solution any time that you need to reduce size and weight, and when you still need to have functionality and reliability in the product. One of the other benefits found with these boards is the fact that they use via-in-pad technology and blind via technology. This allows components to be placed closer together, reducing the length of the signal path, which helps to provide faster and more reliable signals since those paths are shorter.

Even though the boards can provide a wealth of advantages, you will find that they are still very affordable. It is a cost-effective solution for those who are looking for a reliable and durable option for their electronic devices. Still, to determine whether they are the right option for you or not, it is important to learn even more about them and how they are used. You will also want to learn the differences between a regular printed circuit board and an HDI printed circuit board.

Where are HDI PCBs Used Today?

Because of the benefits they offer, you will find that HDI PCBs are utilized in a wide range of electronic devices across many different industries. The medical industry is one of the most well-known. Medical devices that are being made today typically need to be smaller. Whether it is a piece of equipment in the lab or an implant, smaller tends to be a better option, and HDI PCBs can help immensely in this regard. Pacemakers are a good example of a type of product that is using these types of PCBs. Many types of monitoring and exploratory devices, such as endoscopes or colonoscopes, use this type of technology. Once again, smaller is better in these situations.

In addition to the healthcare field, the automotive industry is making use of HDI PCBs. To help maximize the space available in motor vehicles, they are making certain electronic components smaller. Of course, tablets and smartphones use this type of technology. This is why so many of these devices become lighter and thinner through their generations.

You will also find HDI PCBs used in the aerospace and military fields. Their reliability and their smaller size make them useful for a range of different applications. It is likely there will be more and more devices from even more diverse fields that will be using this technology going forward.

What are the Main Differences between a PCB and an HDI PCB?

To get a better idea of some of the main differences between these two options, consider the following list.

• Per square inch, HDI PCBs have more densely-packed components
• The boards end up smaller and lighter than with typical PCBs
• They utilize laser direct drilling, whereas standard PCBs will usually have mechanical drilling
• The number of layers tends to be lower, as does the aspect ratio

These are some of the differences between HDI PCBs and regular PCBs. However, it doesn’t mean that the HDI option is always the right choice for you. Take the time to consider the project you are doing and then determine which option will be best for your needs.

Properly Design the HDI PCB

While using one of these types of PCBs may seem like the perfect solution for your needs, it is important that you understand how to design them properly if you hope to achieve all of the benefits they can convey. With these types of designs, you will want to make sure that you aren’t using more than three layers in a sequence, if possible. Ideally, the number of sequential laminations will be low.

Take time to thoroughly think through the design, and then test it out in software and with a Gerber file viewer to make sure it works properly. Once you are certain it works, you may want to get a prototype to ensure it is working and then move on with full manufacturing.

Why Work with Advanced Circuits?

Advanced Circuits makes it easy for you to create the type of PCB you need from the ground up. By providing you with high-quality software, testing tools, and even a review process, you can be sure you are creating the ideal board before it goes to manufacture. We offer excellent customer service and have earned a great reputation within the PCB industry. We’ll help you choose the type of PCB that best fits your needs. Contact Advanced Circuits today to get a quote on your circuit boards.

It can often be difficult to fit all the needed connections on a PCB onto a single layer. A way around this problem is with vias. They are conductive holes that are shaped similar to a barrel, which allows for connections across multiple layers of the PCB. While there are several vias, there are two that are used most often. These are the blind and buried vias, and we believe they can provide some excellent benefits to those who use them in their PCBs.

What is the Difference Between Blind and Buried Vias?

A blind via will connect an outer layer of the board to one of the inner layers. However, it does not go all the way through the entire PCB. A buried via is located within the board and will connect the inner layers without reaching the outer layers. There is also a through-hole, which goes through the entire board vertically and will connect all the layers. It is a relatively simple concept to understand, and it can provide some excellent benefits.

Many Benefits of Blind and Buried Vias

Many PCB boards are small and have a limited amount of space, so the blind and buried vias can provide additional room and options for the board. The buried vias, for example, will help to free up space on the surface of the board without affecting the surface components or traces that are on the top or bottom layers. The blind vias can help to free up some additional space. They are often used for fine pitch BGA components. Since the blind vias only go through a portion of the board, it also means that there will be a reduction of signal stubs.

While the blind and buried vias can be used with many various PCBs, they tend to be used most often for high-density interconnect PCBs, or HDIs. The HDIs are popular because they can offer better power delivery and an added layer density. Through the use of the hidden vias, it will also help to keep the board smaller and lighter, which is very helpful when you are creating electronics. They are commonly used in medical devices, tablets, laptops, cellphones, and similar small electronics.

While the blind and buried vias can be helpful for those who need them, they can also add to the cost of the PCB. This is due to the added work that is required to add them to the board, along with the testing and manufacturing that will need to go into them. This means that you should only use them when it is truly necessary; because you want to have a great board that is tight and efficient.

How Are the Blind and Buried Vias Built?

The vias can be made either before or after the multilayer lamination. The blind and buried vias are added to the PCB through drilling, which can be precarious. It is important that the builder understands and is aware of the depth of the drill. If the hole is not deep enough, it might not provide a good connection. On the other hand, if the hole is too deep, there is a chance that it could degrade the signal or cause distortion. If any of these things were to occur, it would not be viable.

In a blind via, the hole will need to be defined using a separate drill file. The ratio of that hole diameter to the drill diameter needs to be equal to one or less. With a smaller hole, the distance between the outer layers and the inner layers will be smaller.

With a buried via, each of the holes needs to be made using a separate drill file. This is because they connect to different parts of the inner layer of the boards. The hole depth to drill diameter ratio will need to be no larger than 12. If it is larger than that, it will run the risk of touching other connections within the board.

We recommend working with Advanced Circuits for PCB manufacturing. This will help to ensure that the design and the build of the board, including the blind and buried vias, are feasible. Failure to prepare and to work with a quality board manufacturer could end up in added costs.

Our experts have the tools and techniques to ensure proper drill depths. We can ensure that there is no air trapped in the PCB during the process. The plating will be applied properly to connect the internal layers.

Choosing a Printed Circuit Board Manufacturer

Because it is so important to ensure blind and buried vias are added to the PCB properly, finding the right manufacturer becomes essential. We at Advanced Circuits provide reliable PCB manufacturing and assembly that meets your specifications.

We own a large printed circuit board manufacturing facility that uses state-of-the-art equipment and procedures to provide quality and consistency. All orders placed with us go through a free engineering file review before they go into production. This helps to ensure that the boards are created properly and that they work. No one wants to receive boards that are unusable. It would be a waste of time and money.

Also, we know how important it is for you to get your boards on time. We can provide you with PCBs with blind and buried vias with fast turnaround time, not to mention fast shipping.

When you are choosing a manufacturer, you will also want to have an understanding of how much the order will cost. We offer instant PCB quotes.

If you need PCBs that have blind and buried vias, the right company can make getting what you need fast and easy. Advanced Circuits offers excellent manufacturing, reliable products, and superior customer service.

The electrical needs of high-speed signaling also mean an enhanced board and other requirements, and with all of these improvements come the higher frequencies, higher speeds and smaller sizes needed by mobile devices, laptops and more. As amplifiers of the functionalities of standard circuit boards, HDI PCBs also deliver some of the most innovative features in modern electronics. Their manufacturing processes demand a level of precision and skilled design that comes only from experts in HDI PCB production and fabrication.

Not all manufacturers have the ability to offer their clients the six different types of HDI PCBs that exist, or even any options in this technology. The six most commonly found are:

• Through vias from surface to surface
• Buried vias and through vias
• Two or more HDI layers with through vias
• Passive substrate with no electrical connection
• Coreless construction using layer pairs
• Alternate constructions of coreless constructions using layer pairs

Designers also have the option for positioning more components on both sides of their HDI PCB; and enhancements in design enable them to feature more components with even smaller dimensions (and closer together) on the boards.

And while a designer can create any number of styles and systems, it is quality that remains the standout factor. While consumer demand is driving the use of HDI PCB tech and its wide-ranging capabilities, manufacturers must still concern themselves with the overall quality and reliability in the tech.

This is why it is crucial they find fabricators and assemblers with authentic HDI PCB capabilities.

Advanced Circuits Offers HDI PCB Options

Almost any players in modern electronics require HDI PCB options, and that means learning if their preferred manufacturers have the ability to do HDI work. They should consider what the smallest and largest laser ablated vias can be, they need to know via aspect ratios (depth to diameter), the capture pad size, landing pad size, stacked via options, copper filled microvia options, and what Type I through Type III capabilities are available.

At Advanced Circuits, we have HDI PCB options within our advanced capabilities and work with such high-end organizations as the U.S. Military and other Defense groups, Aerospace firms, commercial industries, and the medical fields. We can supply the DOD as well as a tiny startup with the kinds of advanced components needed. Everything is done domestically, and most is in our one-stop facility that combines both design and production along with assembly processes.

We offer an array of advanced PCB manufacturing capabilities able to meet even the most unique product or design criteria, including the laser-drilled microvias also known as HDI CPBs.

We offer multiple divisions with the same technical experts available to more traditional clients and can do entirely custom orders.

Our Array of Customer Support and Resource Options

It helps to understand that we make all of our standard and traditional client services readily available to custom clients, specialty and unique demand clients, too. These include:

• CAM Engineer Review – Long before your specialty items enter the production process, the designs and/or prototypes are reviewed in-house by our CAM experts.
• PCB Artist Software – Free to download and use in its unrestricted format, it has more features than anything else on the market and enables clients to enjoy discounted pricing when submitting Standard Spec orders through the program.
• File Review Software – The FreeDFM software evaluates a design and ensures that all essential data is included, adjusts or corrects design flaws, and sends back a report that itemizes all that was discovered and fixed.

Whether you utilize the free design software offered to all clients at the Advanced Circuits website; you upload your Gerber files to be evaluated by our file review software for all necessary data with automatic adjustments to design flaws; or you submit for a CAM engineer review; a design of even great complexity will be evaluated and adjusted.

We also offer live tech support. This is not customer support, though that is also available around the clock. This is support received from CAM engineers at any hour of the day or night, which ensures expert guidance.

There are never any minimum lot requirements forcing a firm to invest in far more PCBs or other items than are needed, and we refuse to impose tooling charges when clients work within standard specs, but even those seeking HDI options may find that tooling is waived if a reorder of a standard spec order is done as a custom spec the next time around.

We also offer our decades of stability as a wise reason to work with us. After all, with more than 25 years in the field, and a tremendously healthy bottom line, Advanced Circuits is among the most stable providers. We have an enormous physical plant capable of the entire process (from design to shipping), and we emphasize efficiency at all levels.

This is reflected in our remarkably fast and reliable shipping record. We have the BEST ON-TIME SHIPPING RECORD in the industry, and are now shipping 50% of orders early! In fact, we ship Standard Spec orders on time or they’re FREE!

Advanced Circuits also provides a personalized page for each client. It is a centralized place for itemizing quotes and orders, enabling reviews of hold notices and even requesting test certifications and other reports directly through the site.

Customization does not necessarily have to come at punitive pricing. Even those in need of HDI implementation in their PCB designs will find plenty to appreciate about our Advanced Circuits offerings.

Expanded PCB Capabilities to Support HDI PCBs

Advanced Circuits’ state-of-the-art equipment offers PCB design engineers the ability to maximize the functionality and performance of their HDI circuit board design in less space through the use of features like microvias, blind vias, via-in-pad, along with stacked and staggered vias. We achieve high-precision with laser drill capabilities that include precise depth control. Laser direct imaging (LDI) capabilities ensure exacting registration and all multilayer inner cores receive a thorough check using Automated Optical Inspection (AOI) units for excellent defect detection of the finest features. In the chart below we list Advanced Circuits’ Typical and Advanced technology capabilities.

Expanded capabilities also include: Buried Chip Resistors, Buried Vias, Laser Direct Imaging (LDI), .00275″ Trace/Space and more. A complete list of fabrication capabilities to support HDI PCB manufacturing is available in a downloadable PDF format by clicking here.

HDI PCB Fabrication Capabilities

Advanced Circuits operates three state-of-the-art PCB manufacturing facilities in the US with the capabilities, qualifications, certifications, and the expertise to meet the most demanding requirements for HDI PCB fabrication.  Our broad range of printed circuit board fabrication capabilities support the stringent requirements for advanced HDI PCB design in all industries including medical, aerospace, defense, and commercial markets.

Advanced Circuits Supports up to 40 layers boards, laser drilled microvias, stacked microvias, blind vias, buried vias, via-in-pad, laser direct imaging, sequential lamination, .00275″ trace/space, fine pitch down to .3mm, controlled impedance and much more.  Advanced Circuits is able to manufacture HDI PCBs with no minimum order requirements and with flexible turn-time options.  Each design receives a detailed review by our CAM engineers prior to production to ensure a worry-free fabrication process and support team is available 24 hours a day Monday-Friday, even Saturdays until 4pm EST, to assist with your HDI PCB order.

HDI PCB Materials

HDI PCBs use advanced laminate materials that tend to be much thinner than the materials used in more conventional printed circuit boards.  Because HDI PCBs demand an elevated level of precision and accuracy for fabrication and overall performance, specialty materials that meet certain specifications are required.  Advanced Circuits offers a wide range of material options suitable for a variety of HDI PCB specifications sourced from top industry providers such as 3M, Arlon, Bergquist, Isola, Rogers, ITEQ, Taconic, Ventec and others.  You can rely on Advanced Circuits, one of the largest PCB manufacturers in North America, to source the materials for your next HDI PCB design.  Our laminate offerings include:

•  Ultra-Low Loss
• Halogen Free
• High Speed Digital
• High Thermal Reliability
• Lead-Free High Tg
• RoHS Compliant

To download the complete list of Advanced Circuits printed circuit board manufacturing capabilities, material offerings, and certifications, click here (PDF).

Advanced Circuits also offers in-house PCB assembly service for quickturn prototype quantities, making turnkey HDI PCB assembly an easy and seamless process.  Our printed circuit board assembly service is North America’s leading one-stop solution for PCB and assembly under one roof supporting Ball Grid Arrays (BGA) as small as .35mm pitch (all BGAs are x-ray inspected), fine pitch components as small as 15 mil pitch, and passive components as small as 0201 with design review.  We can provide low-cost first article builds and have no minimum order requirements.

Advanced Technology for HDI PCB Fabrication

You can rely on Advanced Circuits state-of-the-art equipment and experience in cutting-edge precision work for your most rigorous HDI PCB requirements.  We can achieve the highest quality with in-house laser drill capabilities that include precise depth control.  Laser direct imaging (LDI) capabilities ensure exacting registration and all multilayer inner cores receive a thorough check using Automated Optical Inspection (AOI) units for excellent defect detection of the finest features.  Our advanced circuit board manufacturing capabilities include:

• Buried Chip Resistors
• Blind and Buried Vias
• Stacked Microvias
• Laser Drilled Microvias
• Up to 40 layers
• Laser Direct Imaging (LDI)
• .00275″ Trace/Space
• Down to .3mm Pitch
• Air Pockets between layers
• Via-in-Pad
• Multilayer RF Designs
• Cavity Boards
• Advanced PCB Laminate/Material Options

For a complete list of PCB fabrication capabilities, click here.

Advanced Circuits HDI PCB Specifications