PCB Fabrication - Laminate Suggestion
From standard FR-4 to high-performance specialty materials, we provide comprehensive PCB substrate solutions tailored to your specific application requirements.
Laminate Material Showcase
PCB Laminate
This image shows how Gerber circuits are transferred onto copper-clad laminate (board material).
FPC Laminate
The first image shows PI film sandwiched between two copper sheets, and the second image shows the FPC substrate material formed after conveyor belt lamination.
Substrate Thickness: 0.025mm - 0.125 mm
Aluminum Substrate
Aluminum substrate material used for manufacturing LED boards. LED light boards have no shape restrictions.
Core Laminate Capabilities
| Core Laminate Elements | Specific Capabilities / Options | Meeting Customer Needs & Functions |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Basic Materials & Layer Count | Supply FR-4 standard series, high Tg, halogen-free materials to meet most needs in consumer electronics and industrial control. Flexible supply from single/double-sided boards to 12 layers or more. | Function: Circuit interconnection. Needs: Cost control, reliability, meeting basic electrical insulation and mechanical strength. |
| 2. High-Performance/Specialty Materials | Supply high-frequency/high-speed materials (such as Rogers, Isola, Taconic series) with low loss factor (Dk/Df); high thermal conductivity metal substrates (aluminum, copper); flexible boards (FPC)/rigid-flex boards. | Function: Transmit high-frequency signals, efficient heat dissipation, wiring in tight/bending spaces. Needs: Improve product performance (signal integrity, heat dissipation efficiency). |
| 3. Key Process Capabilities | High-precision circuits (minimum line width/spacing 3/3mil); various surface treatments (immersion gold, immersion tin, OSP, immersion silver, immersion tin, gold fingers); impedance control (±10% or stricter); HDI (high-density interconnect) and blind/buried via technology. | Function: Support high-density chips (such as BGA), ensure soldering quality and long-term reliability, guarantee signal transmission quality. Needs: Support high-integration design, improve mass production yield, meet high-speed signal protocol requirements (such as USB3.0, PCIe, differential pairs). |
| 4. Special Structures & Reliability | Heavy copper boards (outer layer 3oz or more); via in pad; specific area reinforcement (gold finger thickening with hard gold); high CTI (Comparative Tracking Index) materials. | Function: Carry high current, achieve special electrical connections, enhance local wear resistance and plugging life, improve safety in high-voltage and high-humidity environments. Needs: Handle extreme working conditions (such as power modules, automotive battery management), extend product life, meet safety certifications (such as UL). |
| 5. Supporting Design Collaboration & Services | Provide DFM (Design for Manufacturability) analysis reports, early warning and design optimization; establish traceability system from materials to finished products. | Function: Shorten R&D cycle, improve first-time success rate, ensure batch consistency. Needs: Reduce R&D and production risks, accelerate product launch, meet quality traceability requirements (such as automotive, medical industries). |
Application Scenarios
Scenario 1: High-Speed Communication Devices
Client: Developing routers, optical modules, etc.
Pain Point: "My design needs to run signals above 10Gbps, but the boards always have noise and loss, failing signal integrity standards."
Material Selection Solution: Based on your design Gerber, we understand your signal integrity requirements. We recommend using Rogers 4350B or similar high-frequency laminates, matching corresponding layer stack-up design and performing precise impedance calculations, while controlling impedance tolerance in production. From material selection to process control, we jointly ensure the purity of high-speed signals.
Scenario 2: Compact Consumer Electronics
Client: Designing TWS earphones, smartwatches, etc.
Pain Point: "Our product space is extremely limited, requiring the board to bend into a small housing while ensuring it doesn't break with long-term use."
Material Selection Solution: We recommend multi-layer rigid-flex boards (Rigid-Flex). The rigid parts integrate main chips, while the flexible parts achieve three-dimensional interconnection. We guide bending area design and assist in providing dynamic fatigue test reports.
Scenario 3: Automotive Infotainment System
Client: Designing a mainboard for automotive infotainment system with high-speed video signals, operating in -40℃~105℃ environment.
Material Recommendation: FR4, Tg 170
Reasoning: Automotive infotainment systems mainly transmit LVDS or eDP signals at rates between 1.5Gbps to 3Gbps. The main causes of signal attenuation are impedance continuity, crosstalk, and reference plane integrity, which can be resolved through layer stack-up design and impedance control processes. High Tg (≥170℃) halogen-free materials can meet AEC-Q100 requirements. Rogers laminates may be an "over-specification" choice, and PCB costs would increase several times immediately, with potential signal integrity improvement possibly less than 1% in this application.
Reasoning: Automotive infotainment systems mainly transmit LVDS or eDP signals at rates between 1.5Gbps to 3Gbps. The main causes of signal attenuation are impedance continuity, crosstalk, and reference plane integrity, which can be resolved through layer stack-up design and impedance control processes. High Tg (≥170℃) halogen-free materials can meet AEC-Q100 requirements. Rogers laminates may be an "over-specification" choice, and PCB costs would increase several times immediately, with potential signal integrity improvement possibly less than 1% in this application.
Scenario 4: Experience Sharing
Technical Insight: For heavy copper boards (3oz), there may be thermal stress risks in large copper area regions.
Recommendation: It is advisable to increase grid patterns or balance copper foil distribution. We can assist in optimization.
Expert Tip: When designing with heavy copper, always consider thermal expansion mismatches and incorporate stress-relief patterns in large copper pours to prevent delamination during thermal cycling.
Expert Tip: When designing with heavy copper, always consider thermal expansion mismatches and incorporate stress-relief patterns in large copper pours to prevent delamination during thermal cycling.
