The Shaughnessy Report: Watt About Power Integrity?
Global PCB Connections: Understanding Your Fabricator’s Capabilities (or Niche)
Elementary Mr. Watson: Chasing Checkmarks, Not Signal Integrity
Just Ask Happy: Stacked Microvia Reliability Issues
July 1, 2020 | I-Connect007 Editorial TeamEstimated reading time: Less than a minute
We asked for you to send in your questions for Happy Holden, and you took us up on it! The questions you've posed run the gamut, covering technology, the worldwide fab market, and everything in between. Enjoy.
Q: Stacked microvias look good on paper, but they may have reliability problems. What are the best rules for designing stacked microvias to ensure a reliable PCB?
A: The current best practice is stacking no more than two layers, and then moving over for the next buried or blind via or stacking two layers there. The stacked vias should never be stacked on any buried vias.
An IPC committee is currently testing various stacked via configurations to have a comparison for reliability and testing coupons and design. Hopefully, they will also get at the root cause of why stacked microvias are failing at their interface.
To pose your own question for Happy Holden, take the survey by clicking here.
Share on:
Testimonial
"The I-Connect007 team is outstanding—kind, responsive, and a true marketing partner. Their design team created fresh, eye-catching ads, and their editorial support polished our content to let our brand shine. Thank you all! "
Sweeney Ng - CEE PCBSuggested Items
New Course Presents a Comprehensive Guide to IPC Standards
10/10/2025 | Marcy LaRont, I-Connect007Francisco Fourcade, electronics technology standards manager for the Global Electronics Association, has spent years helping companies understand and implement the standards that keep the electronics manufacturing industry moving forward. In this interview, he shares updates on ongoing standards development efforts and previews a new course, "IPC Standards: A Guide for the Electronics Industry,” which starts Oct. 14.
North American EMS Industry Shipments Down 1.4% in August
10/02/2025 | Global Electronics AssociationThe Global Electronics Association announced the August 2025 findings from its North American Electronics Manufacturing Services (EMS) Statistical Program. The book-to-bill ratio stands at 1.26.
North American PCB Industry Sales Up 12.8% in August
10/02/2025 | Global Electronics AssociationThe Global Electronics Association announced the August 2025 findings from its North American Printed Circuit Board (PCB) Statistical Program. The book-to-bill ratio stands at 0.98.
Industry Leaders Shape a Sustainable Future at 2025 IPC CEMAC Electronics Manufacturing Annual Conference
09/30/2025 | Global Electronics AssociationThe 2025 IPC CEMAC Electronics Manufacturing Annual Conference, co-hosted by the Global Electronics Association and the Shanghai Pudong Association for Quality and Technology, successfully concluded on September 26 in Shanghai.
Winners of Hand Soldering and Wire Harness Competitions Announced at NEPCON Vietnam 2025
09/24/2025 | Global Electronics AssociationIn conjunction with NEPCON Vietnam 2025, the Global Electronics Association hosted its popular Hand Soldering Competition on September 11–12, 2025, and the Northen regional round of the Wire Harness Competition on September 10, 2025, in Hanoi, Vietnam.