Global Sourcing Spotlight: How Global Sourcing Drives Innovation
One World, One Industry: IPC APEX EXPO 2025 Marks a Special Anniversary Year
Nolan’s Notes: Your Golden Ticket
One Partial HDI Technique: mSAP
November 5, 2024 | Andy Shaughnessy, Design007 MagazineEstimated reading time: 2 minutes
Partial HDI has shown itself to be very useful, allowing designers to escape route tight-pitch BGAs without moving to full HDI and the required sequential lamination. It’s almost the best of both worlds.
Chris Hunrath, vice president of technology at Insulectro, believes that mSAP just might be the trick for designers considering partial HDI. As Chris explains, the materials and equipment required for the mSAP process are easily available, and the process is well established. This could be a great option for designers working with BGAs that have a pitch of 0.5 mm or less.
Andy Shaughnessy: Chris, why would somebody choose to move to partial HDI? When does that process make sense, and when is mSAP the answer?
Chris Hunrath: It’s all about BGA pitch, microvia location, and circuit routing. I've not heard anyone call it partial HDI, but I like that expression because that explains it just right: the rest of that layer or the board might be more, let's say, conventional. But you neck down the traces to be able to do your fan-out. One of the things I've learned in the past couple of years from designers is that it's okay to make the trace narrower—you won’t degrade the signal integrity as long as that neck-down area is a short length. You can get your routing and still have some registration budget where you won't risk having defects like shorts and whatnot.
First, there’s a lot of what we call “head trash” about exactly what mSAP is. It's also really important to remember that pattern plating, which is done in North American PCB shops every day, is a semi-additive process. We're just taking it to the next level with mSAP. A lot of things are converging right now. You have the finer-pitched BGA packages that are being developed for multiple markets. That's another thing. It's one thing to have lots of room, but if the component is made for multiple markets, you're stuck with that pitch. You just can't go to a bigger pitch.
Another point is that exposure units keep getting better and more capable. If your board shop has a direct imaging machine, you likely already have that 25-micron capability. Some of the materials have come together as well, and we supply those materials.
To read this entire conversation, which appeared in the October 2024 issue of Design007 Magazine, click here.
Share on:
Suggested Items
Ventec International Group Announce Launch of VT-47LT IPC410/126 Prepreg for HDI
03/12/2025 | Ventec International GroupVentec International Group announce launch of VT-47LT IPC4101 / 126 Prepreg. Are Microvia Failures Plaguing Your HDI Any Layer Designs? High-density interconnect (HDI) designs are pushing the envelope - higher layer count HDI relies on complex microvia designs: skip vias, staggered microvias, and stacked microvias in sequential laminations.
I-Connect007 Editor’s Choice: Five Must-Reads for the Week
03/07/2025 | Andy Shaughnessy, I-Connect007It’s been a busy week. My must-reads include articles and news items on global trends and challenges, groundbreaking technology, the hunt for the elusive young PCB designers, and some personnel changes. We also have a great column on the value of following up and keeping promises. We’re all guilty of “dropping the ball” from time to time, aren’t we?
Are Domestic Assemblers Ready for the Next Level of Electronics Miniaturization?
02/19/2025 | Chrys Shea, SHEA Engineering ServicesUHDI technology is more than another evolutionary level of miniaturization. It’s a fundamental change in how we create circuit boards, on a scale potentially as impactful as the transition from through-hole to surface mount was 40 years ago.
Standard of Excellence: The Power of Personalization in Customer Care
02/19/2025 | Anaya Vardya -- Column: Standard of ExcellenceProviding outstanding customer care is essential, yet many companies struggle to deliver service that leaves a lasting, positive impression. The secret lies in personalization. When you tailor your services to meet the unique needs of your customers, you win their loyalty and position yourself as a partner in their success. Here’s how personalization can transform your customer care strategy and elevate your business.
Calumet Electronics Expands Domestic Manufacturing with Capital Investments
02/12/2025 | Calumet ElectronicsCalumet Electronics Corporation, one of America’s most reliable and innovative printed circuit board suppliers, is committed to advancing technologies that are critical to the nation’s aerospace, defense, and commercial markets. In support of that mission, the company is making significant capital investments in equipment to produce high-reliability, high-density interconnect (HDI) printed circuit boards.