Technology is the knowledge of how to create, produce, or
perform some object or function. In PCB design the term technologies is no more
than a categorization of values or capabilities of a manufacturer. These values
are based on capabilities of the manufacturer's equipment and the overall
process.
The three controlling points are etch, drill, and
registration. Other capabilities influence the overall category, but these are
the most important.
Previously, these technologies have not been clearly
defined. Manufacturers have not bought into a category for fear of scaring off
customers and displaying too much information for competitors to see. There are
also no organizations or groups that record and organize such values.
Therefore, during the creation of this book, a survey was taken of many PCB
manufacturers, and the following categories were defined more clearly:
conventional, advanced, leading edge, and state of the art (refer to the
following section). As with all technologies, the values will change through
time, and additional categories will evolve.
These are the categories and their
general definitions:
Conventional
This is the lowest technology and is the most common. The
general limitations of this technology are trace/space of .006"/.006"
(for .5 oz copper), a minimum finished drill of .012"[.3048], and 8 to 10
layers maximum.
Advanced
Advanced technology is a higher level of technology, limited
to 5/5, a minimum finished drill of .008"[.2032], and 15 to 20 layers.
Leading edge
Leading-edge technology is essentially the highest level of
manufacturing that is commonly used. This technology is limited to about 2/2, a
minimum finished drill of .006"[.1524], and about 25 to 30 layers.
State of the art
State-of-the-art technology is not well defined because it
is an ever-changing technology whose values will change with time and must be
adjusted regularly.
