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Microvia Fabrication: When to Drill, When to Blast!
June 19, 2013 |Estimated reading time: Less than a minute
Early into 2013, PCB shipments showed double-digit decreases. With this in mind, board houses have a choice: Either batten down the hatches and wait for the storm to settle, or innovate and enter into new markets to increase sales. One market that is often avoided by North American board houses is the microvia market, which includes through, buried, and blind microvias. This market is often regarded as a pay-to-play segment, where barriers to entry include the cost of engineering and perceived equipment needs. It is possible to dispel some of these myths by doing an in-depth analysis of the via formation process.
Best-practice methods for PCB via fabrication are as varied as the definition of the microvia. All things considered, the best practice is to consult the design rules when determining each via type’s optimal drilling method.
While there is no set definition for microvia, the industry primarily considers these to be drilled holes with diameters of 0.012” or less. Read the full article here.Editor's Note: This article originally appeared in the May 2013 issue of The PCB Magazine.