Designing HDI PCBs? How About Using UV Lasers?

Over the years, Printed Circuit Boards (PCBs) have seen a lot of advancements in the technology. This has been possible because of the continuous development and implementation of newer techniques in the designing and manufacturing of these boards. Among several techniques, there is one method, which helps design circuit boards precisely. It uses ultrafast ultraviolet (UV) rays. It is the most commonly used method for designing the high density interconnect (HDI) PCBs. What are HDI PCBs? How does UV laser technology help in designing these PCBs? Are these questions bothering you? Don’t worry. The following post is intended to answer these questions. Please read it to get a thorough understanding of this whole concept.

What are HDI PCBs?

To understand the designing technique, first you need to be well versed with these special PCBs. Well, the name of the circuit boards is self-explanatory – High Density Interconnect. It means that these circuit boards feature greater density of pad connection, and a higher number of wiring, as compared to that of traditional PCBs. These boards are thinner and lighter than other standard circuit boards. In spite of this, they have a good capability to handle high-speed, and that too with a little signal loss. This has been the reason for their increasing popularity in many applications. To design these special circuit boards, one needs to implement the advanced technique. This is where UV lasers come in.

What is the Significance of UV Lasers in Designing HDI PCBs Layout?

The use of UV lasers for designing HDI circuit boards has many benefits, which are the reasons for the increasing popularity of these lasers. Here are some points, which explain the significance of these lasers, and why they are preferred other laser types:

1. Faster Speed: The UV lasers have the capability to drill the vias faster, compared to any other technology. Not just fast, but they are ultrafast. As compared to the industry standard lasers, which can drill vias at the speed of 2,000 holes per second, the UV lasers can drill at the speed of 2,800 holes per second. This means that these ultrafast lasers can drill 800 more holes in a second compared to the standard lasers.
2. No Heat Affected Zones (HAZs): The faster speed of via drilling has got some advantages. Lesser power is required by the laser to drill the vias. Usage of low power leads to zero heat generation. And thus, no heat affected zones are produced, while drilling the vias.
3. Smaller Diameter of Microvias: You can get micro vias with a bottom diameter as small as 60 to 80 µm. This can be done using a standard CO2 laser. Have you thought of achieving the diameters smaller than this? Well, this is possible using the UV lasers, which have the capacity of delivering micro vias, with a diameter as less as 15 µm.
4. Cost-effective Solution: Smaller vias can be drilled using laser technology. These vias can be used in the smaller boards, which are used in the Internet of Things (IoT) applications. As the size of boards gets smaller, the cost of fabrication also reduced. This makes the UV laser technology a cost-effective solution.

The advantages explained above explain why and how UV lasers play a significant role in the designing of high density interconnect PCB layout. If you have any requirements related to HDI PCBs, then you can reach out to experts, who can help you with their experience. Creative Hi-Tech is one such expert manufacturer of high density interconnect printed circuit boards.