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Printed Circuit Structures: The Evolution of Printed Circuit Boards
August 20, 2013 |Estimated reading time: 1 minute
The printed circuit board is the backbone of electronics and a large number of consumer devices. The challenge to put more function in a smaller space requires more components utilizing smaller bond pads, smaller lines and tighter pitch. The electronic packaging industry has aggressively pursued novel ways to shrink and stack multilayer boards inside smaller volumes. The industry is approaching serious obstacles in the continued size reduction requirements with the need for wires, epoxy, vias, solder and sometimes bolts and screws to mount the boards. The next logical step is to move beyond 2D stacking, which is 2.5D, to make 3D packages and to utilize the third dimension directly. Eliminate the traditional 2D FR-4 board and the wires, epoxies, vias and solder and make the next-generation packages utilizing 3D: the printed circuit structure (PCS).
The PCS concept will allow passives, actives and even antennas to move out of the XY plane and into the XZ and YZ planes. This new dimension will appear to be very complex and next-generation circuit optimization will be required, but the end result will net a significant improvement in volume utilization. In addition, if new materials are developed and utilized properly, the PCS will be the box or the package, thus eliminating all the bolts and screws necessary to mount a PCB in a traditional box or package, saving space and reducing weight.
In this paper, nScrypt and the University of Texas at El Paso will present 3D printing of printed circuit structures. A demonstration of true 3D electronic structures will be demonstrated and shown as well as novel approaches that utilize CAD to 3D printing, including the electronics portion.
Editor's Note: This article originally appeared in the July 2013 issue of The PCB Magazine