Description
With the development of FPC and Rigid PCB, it comes to a new product called rigid-flex PCB. The rigid flex PCB combines the flexible PCB and rigid PCB characteristics after the lamination and other processes. Rigid flex board can be categorized into: single-layer, double-layer, and multilayer rigid flex PCB. The multilayer rigid flex PCB consists of complex combinations of multiple rigid layers and flex layers, it used for high-end electronic products.
The Manufacturing Process of Multilayer Rigid Flex PCB
- Design and Prepare
Design the circuit board using different software to ensure the rigid part and flex part will be connected accurately.
Choosing the right material for the product, like PI (polyimide)， FR4 and etc
Using the Photolithography process to make the conductive pattern
- Inner Layer Circuit Fabrication
Inner Layer Pattern Transfer: Transfer the designed circuit pattern onto the copper-clad laminate using methods such as photolithography or laser direct imaging (LDI).
Etching Process: Remove extra copper with chemical etching to form the circuit pattern.
- Lamination
Rigid Lamination: laminate the pre-treatment inner layer pattern with the rigid substrate together
Flex Lamination: Combine the flex substrate with the conductive layer through the high-pressure bonding process
- Drilling and plating copper
Mechanical Drilling: Drilling at the designated locations to mount the components later or establish the layer’s connection
Copper plating: Depositing the copper on the hole walls via chemical plating or electrolytic plating, which can ensure the reliable electrical interconnections
- Outer layer Pattern and Etching
Outer Layer Fabrication: It is similar to inner layer processing, using the pattern transfer and etching to create the outer conductive traces
Flexible circuit production: Making the circuit patterns on flexible substrates to protect the bendability of flexible areas.
- Multilayer Rigid-flex PCB bonding process
Bonding technology: Using thermal compression bonding or adhesive to bond the flexible circuits with the rigid boards precisely
- Surface treatment
Apply the surface treatment for the Rigid flex PCB, such as ENIG, OSP, HAL Leadfree and etc, which can increase the solderability and avoid oxidation.
- Test and Quality Control
Checking the appearance, dimension, and layer-to-layer alignment, conducting the Electrical Testing, impedance testing, solderability test and etc
FX PCB is strictly conrol the quality of each PCB shipped by us, and all our multilayer rigid-flex PCB will follow the IPC Class II standard. Click here to send us your inquiry or send us an email [email protected] directly
