High-Quality Rigid PCBs with Competitive Pricing

  • 1-40 layers Mass Production & 100 Layers for Prototype
  • FR4, High Speed, Microwave & RF, Metcal core, Ceramic, PTFE
  • Blind & Buried Vias, Stacked & Staggered Vias, Any-Layer HDI
  • Conductive & Non-Conductive Via Plugging
  • Back Drill, Backplane, Embedded Devices, IC Substrate
  • ISO9001:2015 Certified & UL Listed

Introduction of Rigid PCB

If a person asks "Is rigid PCB the most commonly used printed circuit board in electronic products?” we will answer “Yes” truthfully. Depending on the number of layers, rigid PCBs can be divided into the following three categories.

  • Single-sided PCBs
  • Double-sided PCBs
  • Multi-layer PCBs

Categories of Rigid PCB

Single-sided PCBs

Is the single-sided PCB the most simple type of PCB in the PCB industry? Of course. The copper traces only exist on one side, and there are no plated-through holes. It is used in very simple electronic products normally, such as power PCB, led PCB, and PCBs for household appliances. Some people may ask: “Is the metal core PCB also usually single-sided PCB?” The answer is obviously “Yes”. For example, aluminum PCBs which are widely used in the LED industry are also usually single-sided.

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    Double-sided PCBs

    For double-sided PCBs, the circuits are placed on both sides and the dielectric is in the middle of the board. Both top and bottom layers can be connected by the plated through holes. Most of the double-sided circuit boards are simple, but some 2-layer PCBs are very complicated, with less than 4mil copper traces and 8mil drill sizes.

    So more functions can be realized in double-layer PCB. Someone may ask, “Can the power supply PCB, inverter PCB, amplifier PCB, energy meter PCB, and control PCB be double-sided PCB?” The answer is obviously “Yes!” Some may not believe that more than 50% of rigid PCBs are double-sided PCBs. But that is the case.

    Multi-layer PCBs

    Regarding the definition of multi-layer PCB, many people will grab the answer, “Multilayer PCB is a circuit board with more than two conductive layers, right?” Yes, they are right！

    Most multilayer printed circuit boards are even number layers, the symmetry helps to keep the PCBs flat, to reduce the change of bow ad twist after production. We add one or more power plane layers or signal layers in the middle, to achieve more integrated functions in one printed circuit board, and also possible to produce copper trace width and space, drill size, etc.

    Multilayer circuit boards are mainly used in electronic devices with complex functions and also need to be small in size, such as industrial control, telecommunications, medical, 5G base stations, computer peripherals, IT servers, automotive electronics, desktop computers, etc. Multilayer circuit boards generally range from 4 to 16 layers, and very complex ones may exceed 100 layers at most.

    Rigid Circuit Boards Production Process

    Purpose: The copper sheet from the material supplier is 36*48 inches, which is too big to produce, so it’s necessary to cut it into smaller pieces according to the requirements of the engineering data. The most common ones are 18*24 inches.
    Process: incoming large sheet → cutting into smaller pieces according to engineering data → smooth the edges

    Purpose: Laminate the inner layer with prepreg, to give multi-copper layers.
    Process: brown oxide–booking→ lay up → hot press → cold press → bread down→ target drilling → contour routing.

    Purpose: Drill the holes on the copper sheet, all sizes and positions should be the same as the Gerber files.
    Process: stacking pin → load the panel on the drilling machine → drilling

    Purpose: After the drilling process, to connect the top and bottom layers, we deposit 5-8um copper on the copper sheet and holes
    Process: Pretreatment →settle the copper panel on the machine → dip in the automatic immersion copper line

    Purpose: We use high-definition optical equipment to transfer the copper patterns to the production copper sheet.
    Process: grinding the copper sheet→lamination dry film→standing by→counterpoint→exposure→development

    Purpose: Electroplate around 20um copper (or any required thickness, normally less than 30um) on the copper trace and the PTH holes.
    Process: upload copper sheet on the moving equipment → pretreatment→ micro-etching → acid washing → copper plating

    Purpose: Dry film covers all the copper panels. We use chemicals to remove the film cover layers on the non-circuit part of copper.
    Process: Load the copper panel→ pass through the automatic machine

    Purpose: To etch out non-circuit parts on the copper sheet, to get the traces as Gerber files.
    Process: Load the copper panel→ pass through the automatic machine

    Purpose: use permanently to cover the copper trace, to protect the circuit free from corrosion and oxidation, also prevent the tin on the copper trace when soldering electronic parts
    Process: pretreatment → print solder mask on one side → exposure → developing→ baking PCB→ print solder mask on the other side → baking PCB

    Purpose: silkscreen character is provided as an easily identifiable mark when assembling PCBs.
    Process: finishing the solder mask → produce silkscreen net→ adjusting the screen to fit the PCB → printing the component notations → baking

    Purpose: to protect the copper pads uncovered by solder ask free from corrosion and oxidation, and also easy to solder electronics components.

    There are several methods, such as HAL, immersion gold/ silver/tin, OSP, ENEPIG, gold-plated fingers, etc.

    We take HAL and gold-plated fingers as samples:
    HAL (hot air leveling)
    Purpose: the copper pads which are not covered by the solder mask may be oxidized, so we apply 10-40um of tin on the copper pad, to avoid oxidation and also easy to solder in PCB assembly.
    Process: micro-etching→air drying→preheating→→hot air leveling→air cooling→washing and air drying

    Gold finger hard gold plating
    Purpose: Gold fingers/connectors usually need to pull and plug-in equipment many times, so we apply a very thick hard gold on the pads, normally 10-50 micro inches.
    Process: water washing→micro-etching→water washing→pickling→nickel plating→water washing→gold plating

    Purpose: Through punching machines or CNC machines to get the PCB shape that the customer requires.

    Purpose: Through the electronic test, detect the open circuit or short circuit, and make sure all PCBs shipped to the customer are 100% functionally good.
    Process: load mold → input data→ test → pass the good ones

    Purpose: 100% visually inspect the appearance of PCBs to avoid the outflow of defective PCBs.
    Process: familiar with IPC class 2 or class 3 standard→ visual inspection for any defects → distinguish qualified and unqualified ones → FQA spot check the qualified ones → apply pass label → packaging

    Classification of Rigid PCB Materials

    There are hundreds of different types of materials for rigid PCBs. You may choose  the suitable rigid PCB material according to your technical requirements and cost. The most common types of rigid PCB material are:

    FR4 material for rigid circuit boards

    Normal FR4 materials are distinguished by their TG and TG value. TG=135 is normal, TG=150 is middle, and high TG is >=170 or more. Normally used FR4 material types used in rigid circuit board manufacturing are:

    Material Type Tg(℃by DSC) Td(℃) CTE(%,50-260 ℃)
    S1141
    140
    310
    4.5
    S1141 150
    150
    310
    4.2
    S1150G
    155
    355
    2.8
    S1170G
    180
    390
    2.3
    S1000
    155
    335
    3.4
    S1000-2
    180
    345
    2.8
    S1000-2M
    180
    355
    2.4
    S1190
    200
    350
    2.3
    KB-6164
    135
    330
    3.5
    KB-6164F
    140
    340
    3.4
    KB-6165F
    150
    345
    3.0
    KB-6167
    170
    350
    2.6
    KB-6168F
    180
    360
    2.2
    IT158TC
    155
    345
    3.3
    IT180TC
    175
    350
    3.0
    IS400
    150
    330
    3.9
    FR406
    170
    300
    3.93
    FR408
    180
    360
    3.67
    IS420
    170
    350
    4.04
    IS410
    180
    350
    3.97
    370HR
    180
    340
    4.04
    FR408HR
    190
    360
    3.68

    High signal speed material for rigid circuit boards:

    High-speed FR4 substrate with DF 1Ghz used in high speed rigid circuit board fabrication.

    Brand Material Type Dk Df
    SHENGYI
    S7045G
    4.3
    0.01
    SHENGYI
    S7045GH
    3.95
    0.0095
    ISOLA
    FR408
    3.67
    0.012
    ISOLA
    I-Speed
    3.64
    0.006
    TUC
    TU-742 HF
    4.6
    0.012
    Ventec
    VT-463
    3.6
    0.0018
    Ventec
    VT-462S
    3.6
    0.003
    Ventec
    VT-461
    3.9
    0.008

    High-speed FR4 substrate with Df 10Ghz for rigid circuit boards

    Brand Material Type Dk Df
    SHENGYI
    S7040G
    3.72
    0.0089
    SHENGYI
    S7439
    3.66
    0.0060
    SHENGYI
    Synamic8G
    3.66
    0.0032
    TUC
    TU-872 LK
    3.8
    0.009
    TUC
    ThunderClad 1
    3.9
    0.0095
    TUC
    TU-900
    3.7
    0.0055
    TUC
    ThunderClad 2
    3.57
    0.0046
    ISOLA
    I-Tera MT40
    3.75
    0.0035
    ISOLA
    I-Tera MT40
    3.45
    0.0031
    ISOLA
    IS680 AG
    3.38
    0.0026
    ISOLA
    IS680
    3.0
    0.0030
    ISOLA
    Tachyon 100G
    3.02
    0.0021 (5G)
    ISOLA
    Astra MT77
    3.00
    0.0017
    TUC
    ThunderClad 3
    3.4
    0.0025
    TUC
    ThunderClad 4N
    3.22
    0.0017
    TUC
    ThunderClad 4R
    3.22
    0.0015
    Panasonic
    MEGTRON 6(R-5775)
    3.4
    0.004
    Panasonic
    MEGTRON 7(R-5785)
    3.35
    0.002

    Low Df ceramic material, performance at 10Ghz for rigid circuit boards

    Brand Material Type Dk Df
    Rogers
    RO4350B
    3.48
    0.0037
    Rogers
    RO4003C
    3.38
    0.0027
    Rogers
    RO4835
    3.48
    0.0037
    Rogers
    RO4533
    3.30
    0.0027
    Rogers
    RO4534
    3.40
    0.0037
    SHENGYI
    LNB33
    3.3
    0.0025
    SHENGYI
    S7136H
    3.42
    0.0030
    ITEQ
    IT-968TC
    3.66
    0.0050
    ITEQ
    IT-968SETC
    3.16
    0.0037
    ITEQ
    IT-988GTC
    3.76
    0.0035
    ITEQ
    IT-8350G
    3.5
    0.0025
    ITEQ
    IT-8300GA
    3.0
    0.0020
    ITEQ
    IT-988GSETC
    3.21
    0.0014
    ITEQ
    IT-88GMW-3.0
    3.0
    0.0012

    PTFE material or reinforced PTFE material used in rigid circuit boards

    Brand Material Type Dk Df
    SHENGYI
    SG7350D
    3.5
    0.0019
    Rogers
    RT/duroid 5880
    2.2
    0.0009
    Rogers
    RT/duroid 6002
    2.94
    0.0012
    SHENGYI
    mmWave77
    3.0
    0.001
    SHENGYI
    SCGA-500 GF220
    2.2
    0.0009
    SHENGYI
    SCGA-500 GF255
    2.55
    0.0014
    SHENGYI
    SCGA-500 GF265
    2.65
    0.0017
    SHENGYI
    SCGA-500 GF300
    3.0
    0.0023
    Rogers
    RO3003
    3.0
    0.001
    Rogers
    RO3006
    6.4
    0.002
    Rogers
    AD250C
    2.5
    0.0013
    Rogers
    Diclad527
    2.4
    0.0017
    Rogers
    Diclad880
    2.17
    0.0009
    Rogers
    RO3010
    10.2
    0.0022
    Rogers
    RO3020
    10.2
    0.0027
    Rogers
    TMM 3
    3.27
    0.0020
    Rogers
    TMM 10
    9.2
    0.0023
    Rogers
    TMM 10i
    9.8
    0.0020
    Rogers
    TMM 13i
    12.85
    0.0019
    Ventec
    VT-6710
    10.20
    0.0022
    Ventec
    VT-6702
    2.94
    0.0011
    AGC
    RF-30A
    2.97
    0.0020
    AGC
    RF-35TC
    3.5
    0.0020
    AGC
    RF-60TC
    6.15
    0.0020
    AGC
    TLF-35A
    3.5
    0.0026
    AGC
    TSM-DS3
    3.0
    0.0014
    AGC
    TLC-32
    3.2
    0.0030
    AGC
    TLE-95
    2.95
    0.0026
    AGC
    TLX-8
    2.55
    0.0018
    AGC
    TLY-5
    2.2
    0.0009

    Note: AGC acquired a high-frequency PCB laminate business from Park Nelco and Taconic, so some material type from Nelco and Taconic is not available anymore. So AGC combined the technology from Nelco and Taconic and developed a new generation of high-frequency PCB material, mainly woven glass-reinforced PTFE and ceramic-filled PTFE material. These materials are designed to meet the ultra-low Dk and low Df parameters required by automotive radar, 5G base stations, and other telecommunication equipment. And they are one of the best microwave & RF rigid circuit board material manufacturer. 

    Viasion has more than 16 years of experience in rigid circuit boards manufacturing, and please contact us freely for a rigid boards quote.

    High-temperature PTFE material used in rigid circuit board

    Brand Material Type Tg(℃by DSC) Dk(1Ghz)
    Arlon
    85N
    250
    4.0
    Arlon
    33N
    250
    4.1
    Arlon
    35N
    250
    4.0
    Arlon
    84N
    250
    4.0
    Ventec
    VT-901
    250
    4.1

    Main Types of Rigid PCB

    FR4 PCBs are the most widely used PCBs as rigid circuit board. They are almost used in every electronics product stated below. Viasion is a supplier of rigid PCBs with 16+ years of experience. Please contact us for a free quote of your rigid printed circuit boards requirement.

    Consuming electronics: TV, Hi-FI, household applications such as mixers, toasters, dryers, washing machines, water heaters, microwave ovens, fridges, hair dryers, cookers, freezers, cookers, coffee machines, etc.

    Information Technology: computers, laptops, minicomputers, numerical control systems, computer peripherals, including 3D printers,3D scanners, Add-on memory, computers, Bar code scanners, CD-ROM and DVD – writers, CD-ROM and DVD drives, Cassettes, magnetic Hard disk drives, Keyboards, Modems and interfaces, Monitors, Scanners.

    Measurement equipment: power meters, GPS, Calibration products.

    Electromagnetic devices, gas meters, oil meters, Flow meters, GAS detectors, smoke detectors, Inductive sensors, pressure sensors, Speedometers, and other meters.

    Optical equipment & instruments: cameras, film copying equipment, laser cutting and welding machines, optical measuring equipment, projectors, laser equipment, etc.

    Telecommunications Industry: audio, video, internet and telephony, office automation,

    They are also used in equipment for medical products, agricultural machines, military, and Aerospace.

    The 2 main characteristics of high-frequency material are:

    1. low dielectric constant (DK), if the DK is lower, then the transmission speed is higher, so the smaller the better;

    2. low dielectric loss (DF), will affect the quality of signal transmission, so the lower the better.

    High-frequency PCBs are produced by high-speed and high-frequency materials. They are widely used in wireless products, satellite communication equipment, cellphone receiving base stations, etc.

    We are one of the best rigid PCB manufacturers in China for high speed material circuit boards. 

    Metal core PCBs is also a kind of rigid circuit board, they are mainly divided into 3 types: Aluminum base PCB, copper base PCB, and Iron base PCB. According to industry experience, the most common types are aluminum PCBs and copper PCBs. Viasion supply high quality low cost metal core PCBs since 2007, please contact us sales team when you need such kind of rigid PCB manufacturing.

    Some people may ask the question, “Why is aluminum-based material so popular? What is so special about it?” The reason why aluminum-based materials are so popular is that they have good thermal conductivity and electrical insulation properties. The aluminum core material is the most widely used metal core material by far. Aluminum material has far higher thermal conductivity than normal epoxy laminate. Aluminum PCBs are one layer normally, but can also be produced as 2 layers or more.

    Metal core PCBs are widely used in these applications such as LED lighting(office LED lamps, street lamps, LED backlights for TV, LED light for cars, emergency lighting, LED display, etc.), power supplies, power converter, power regulators, power amplifier, power modules, telecommunication devices.

    IC substrate PCBs is a special high tech rigid circuit board, they are developed based on HDI PCBs. During the development of HDI production capabilities, HDI PCB can be produced with 50um ore thinner traces. It has excellent characteristics, such as high density, high precision, high performance, miniaturization, and lightness. A complete chip is composed of an IC chip and an IC package substrate board.

    According to the application field, ic substrate PCB can be divided into memory chip packaging substrate, MEMS packaging substrate, RF module packaging substrate, processor chip packaging substrate, and IC substrate used in High-speed communication.

    EMMC: usually used as the memory modules of smartphones, SSD for laptops, tablet computers, etc.

    MEMS: sensors used in smartphones, tablet computers, wearable electronic products, etc.

    RF: RF modules used in wireless communication, such wife modules in smartphones.

    WB-CSP: baseband and application processors in smartphones, tablet computers, Internet of Things, etc.

    FC-CSP: baseband and application processors in smartphones, cloud computing, 5G communications, tablets, intelligent driving, etc.
    IC substrate PCBs used in High-speed communication: 100G high-speed telecommunication, optical fiber/FTTX, cloud computing, smart security monitoring system, etc.

    Viasion is a trustworthy supplier of rigid printed circuit boards (PCBs), please contact us any time when you have PCB rigid boards demands.

    Advantages and Disadvantages of Rigid PCBs

    Advantages of Rigid PCBs

    1
    Widely used

    They are widely used in almost all kinds of electronics products, to meet the different requirements of different electronics products, such as high-speed PCB for RF products and communication technology, high thermal conductivity for LED PCBs, heavy copper PCBs for high currency power products, high-density PCB for computers, cellphones, etc. With our strong production and engineering team, Viasion is one of the best rigid PCB supplier in China.

    2
    High dimensional stability

    High dimensional stability: Rigid PCBs can be produced in any shape you require, without dimensional change; so rigid PCBs can be produced as multilayers such as 4 layer PCB, 6 layer PCB, 8 layer PCB, 10 layer PCB, up to 100 layers. The vias can be produced as small as 4mil, blind vias PCBs and buried via PCBs are available, with stacked vias, via pug, and over the plate. The copper trace can be produced as small as 2mils in HDI PCBs.

    3
    High reliability

    High reliability: Rigid PCB substrates are very mature, and with high-tech equipment and experienced workers, rigid PCBs are highly reliable in electronic products.

    4
    Low-cost

    Low-cost: Rigid PCB is the most cost-effective compared with flexible PCBs or rigid-flex PCBs. Especially FR4 PCB and aluminum PCBs are widely used in consumer products that need low cost. Viasion is a premier rigid PCB supplier who has been supplying high quality low cost rigid circuit boards since year 2006.

    Comparing flexible PCBs, the disadvantage of rigid PCBs are as following:

    Disadvantages of Rigid PCBs

    1
    Not flexible

    Rigid circuit board is not bendable, so it can not be used in any products that need to be bent.

    2
    Heavier than flex PCB

    Rigid PCBs are heavier than flex circuit boards, so rigid PCBs are not suitable to be used in products that need to be lightweight, such as portable or wearable electronic products.

    The Disadvantages of Rigid-Flex PCBs

    • High cost, the flexible material used in rigid flexible PCBs is very expensive and is normally produced by Dupont and Panasonic.
    • If a person says, "It is not difficult at all to manufacture rigid-flex PCBs", we will scoff at his statement. To combine the characteristics of both rigid PCBs and flexible PCBs, you can imagine that the process of rigid-flex PCBs is very complex. Manufacturers must invest a lot in high-technology equipment and also need to hire highly experienced workers.

    Differences between Rigid PCB, Flex PCB, and Rigid-Flex PCB

    According to whether the circuit board can be bent, PCB (Printed Circuit Board) can be divided into 3 categories: rigid PCB, flexible PCB, and rigid flexible PCB. We can learn from their names that rigid PCBs can not be bent, while flexible PCBs can be bent up to thousands of times. About rigid-flex PCBs, many people will think “I guess rigid-flexible PCB is the type of circuit board that has characteristics of both rigid PCB and flex PCB, right?” Yes, your guess is correct. The electronic components can be assembled on the rigid part, and the flexible part can realize three-dimensional installation and is bendable in certain parts.

    With strong production and engineering team, Viasion is a trusted rigid PCB manufacturer since 2007, please get in touch with us for any of your rigid printed circuit boards needs.

    • Rigid PCBs, all the PCBs which is not bendable are rigid PCBs, such as FR4 PCBs, metal core PCBs, aluminum PCBs, heavy copper PCBs, etc. Some people may wonder, "Rigid PCBs are pivotal in the PCB industry. This means that rigid PCBs can be used in consumer electronics, telecommunications, computers and peripherals, measurement, industrial and other fields?" Definitely “Yes”.
    • Flexible PCBs, normally produced by polyimide (PI) materials, meet certain requirements, such as three-dimensional installation, bendable in certain parts, or products that need to be small and lightweight. Many people who understand the requirements of flexible PCBs can conclude that flexible PCBs are suitable for laptop computers, smartphones, aerospace, cameras, and other fields.
    • If there is no demand for PCB products with the advantages of both rigid PCB and flexible PCB, there will be no rigid-flex PCB. Rigid-flex PCB is used in smartphones, tablet computers, wearable devices, 5g data communication networks, fixed network broadband links, medical equipment, digital equipment, and other portable consumer electronic products.
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    Frequently Asked Questions

    FR4 material
    High signal speed material
    High-speed FR4 substrate with DF 1Ghz.
    High-speed FR4 substrate with Df 10Ghz
    Low Df ceramic material, performance at 10Ghz
    PTFE material or reinforced PTFE material
    High-temperature PTFE material

    There are many fabrication techniques used to make rigid PCBs. The following steps are included in most techniques.
    Lamination
    Drilling
    Copper plating
    Copper etching
    Solder mask
    Surface Finish
    Components silkscreen
    Depanelization
    Testing

    Electrical Test for Open and short
    AOI (Automated Optical Inspection)
    TDR Impedance test
    Hi Potential Testing
    Visual Defects Inspection
    Solderability Test
    Thermal Test
    Tape Test
    Peel Test
    Ionic Contamination Test

    The following is about the time needed to produce rigid PCBs in Viasion.
    It takes 1-5 days for quick turn rigid PCBs.
    1-2 weeks are taken for prototype and small series production of rigid PCBs.
    2-4 weeks are spent on the mass production of rigid PCBs.

    The main difference between rigid PCB board and flex PCB board are:
    1), They are produced by different material: rigid circuit boards are produced by FR4, ceramic, metal core, PTFE etc, all of them are rigid (can not be bent), while flexible PCB are produced by polyimide(PI), PET, Kapton matrial which can be bent thousands of times;
    2), If they are bendable or not: rigid PCB is not bendable, but flex PCB is bendable;
    3), They have different usage: rigid circuit boards are used in the electronic devices which do not move, but flex circuit boards are used in devices which always move, such as cameras, laptops, cellphones, moving probes etc.

    It is difficult to say how many a rigid PCB is. The following is about the main factors which affect the cost of rigid PCB.
    Base material type
    Layer counts of the rigid PCB
    Copper thickness
    The thickness of the rigid PCB
    Layup structure
    Blind/Buried vias
    Surface finishes
    Special technology or requirement

    Rigid PCBs are the most widely used PCBs. It’s main benefits are:
    High dimensional stability
    High reliability
    Low-cost

    The drawbacks are listed below:
    Rigid PCB is not bendable, so it can not be used in any products that need to be bent.
    Rigid PCBs are heavier than flex circuit boards, so rigid PCBs are not suitable to be used in products that need to be lightweight, such as portable or wearable electronic products.

    As stated before, low cost is one of the advantages of using rigid PCBs. Rigid PCBs are the most cost-effective compared with flexible PCBs or rigid-flex PCBs. Especially FR4 PCBs and aluminum PCBs are widely used in consumer products that need low cost.

    Rigid-flex circuit boards are a combination of rigid circuit boards and flex circuit boards.

    Semi-rigid PCB is a particular type of rigid PCB. In rigid circuit board production, the part must be partially removed by a controlled depth routing bit, which can be bent to a certain degree a few times. Please note unique rigid PCB material should be used in such kind of rigid PCB manufacturing.