Laser Drill Micro Vias PCB Manufacturing Service
PCB Company offers high-quality laser drill micro vias manufacturing for HDI PCB designs. We serve customers throughout the UK and Europe requiring micro via PCB assemblies and prototypes. Laser-drilled micro vias allow for high-density routing, better signal integrity, and miniaturisation of electronics. Our micro via laser drilling services support complex multilayer HDI PCBs in automotive, medical, telecommunication, and industrial electronics.
Our engineers are experienced in working with laser-drilled micro vias and will provide support throughout your prototype or production run. We use a combination of modern manufacturing technology and robust quality control processes to manufacture micro vias.
What are Laser Drilled Micro Vias?
Micro vias are small holes plated through PCBs to allow electrical connection of adjacent layers. Laser-drilled micro vias use lasers to remove layers of material, creating extremely small diameter holes.
Micro vias are plated through holes used in high-density interconnect PCBs to allow routing between closely spaced layers. This allows designers to mount fine pitch components on both sides of a board and maximise signal routing density. With micro vias, it is possible to place vias within pad areas or between traces.
Blind and Buried Vias
Blind vias are plated through holes that connect an outer layer to one or more inner layers. Buried vias do not connect to an outer layer and instead join two or more inner layers of a PCB. Laser-drilled micro vias create holes with low aspect ratios. Smaller aspect ratios also result in better reliability of micro vias compared to small drilled holes.
Micro via laser drilling is used when designing HDI PCBs, where reducing the total number of layers is important for impedance control or manufacturing. Advanced packages such as BGAs, CSPs, and chip-scale packages require micro vias for interlayer connections.
Microvia Design Considerations
Microvia manufacturability depends on the full stack-up, via depth, pad geometry, copper requirements, dielectric thickness and whether the via is open, filled or used in-pad. Stacked or staggered structures may also change the lamination and plating route. Designers should identify the target interconnect structure early so the microvia design can be reviewed together with the HDI stack-up rather than treated as a separate drill feature.
Benefits of Laser Drill Micro Via Technology
- Increased Routing Density: Laser-drilled micro vias allow PCB designers to increase the density of routing on a board. Micro vias use less area than mechanically drilled vias for signal return and component connection.
- Improved Signal Integrity: Laser-drilled micro vias have smaller diameters, which means less via stub and smaller anti-parallel capacitance & inductance between vias. This causes less reflection and crosstalk, making them ideal for high-speed digital or RF signals.
- Reduced Layer Counts: Layer counts can be reduced on PCBs by using micro vias since sequential build-up techniques can be utilised by the fabrication house.
- Miniaturisation: Advanced mobile devices and portable electronics require laser-drilled micro vias in their PCB designs for creating compact multi-layer boards.
- Enhanced Reliability: Since the aspect ratio is smaller during the plating process, there will be fewer voids in the copper fill. Consistent diameter results in less thermal stress and reduced barrel cracking.
Applications of Laser Drill Micro Vias
- HDI PCBs: One of the most common applications. Allows for 10, 12+ layer PCBs to be built up in sequence.
- Automotive Industry: Used for powertrain electronics, body control modules and ADAS.
- Medical Devices: Essential for miniaturisation in implants and portable monitoring equipment.
- Industrial Electronics: Vital for machine controllers, smart sensors, and industrial IoT devices.
- Telecom Infrastructure: Necessary for controlled impedance in base stations and antennas.
Laser Micro Via Drilling Process
1. Design Files and Materials:
Before laser micro via drilling, we will review your design files to ensure the via drilling specifications are available. We will check aspect ratios and material availability against your layer stack specification. PCB Company uses a high-quality FR4 material for laser micro via PCBs.
2. Laser Drilling:
The laser drill micro via process utilises UV lasers or CO2 lasers, depending on the type and number of layers your design has. A beam is focused onto the PCB, which ablates the material to create a via hole.
3. Cleaning / Desmear:
After drilling all of the vias, they will then undergo a cleaning process to remove any resin leftover from drilling. Desmear is also important to prepare the inside of the via holes for copper plating.
4. Plating and Inspection:
We will plate copper inside the laser-drilled vias using standard PCB copper plating methods. After plating, we will inspect the micro vias using automated optical inspection (AOI).
Laser Drill Micro Vias vs Mechanical Drilling
- Accuracy: Laser drilling achieves micron-level accuracy. Mechanical drill bits can deflect if they go below 200 microns.
- Aspect Ratio: Laser-drilled micro vias have aspect ratios between .75:1 and 1:1 for optimal reliability, whereas mechanical drills are better suited for through-hole connections.
- Fine-Pitch Capability: Laser drilling provides the precision required for BGA and via-in-pad designs that mechanical drilling cannot match.
- Tolerances: Diameter tolerances are much tighter with lasers. Mechanical drills are prone to wandering and breakage at small diameters.
Why Choose PCB Company For Laser Drill Micro Vias?
As leaders in PCB prototyping and manufacturing, we offer:
- Manufactured in the UK and EU: All micro via PCBs are manufactured in-house to industry-accepted quality systems.
- Engineering Support: Support during design reviews, stack-up optimisation, and Manufacturing for Testability (MFT).
- Modern Equipment: Continual investment in technology for the best customer value.
- Quality Manufacturing: ISO 9001 accreditation with multiple process controls and high-quality yields.
- Expertise with HDI PCBs: Experience with complex stacked vias and staggered micro via designs.
Quality Standards for Laser Drill Micro Vias
- IPC-6012 Compliance: We strive to exceed IPC class 2 standards by following IPC-6012 guidelines.
- Process Tolerances: Statistical process controls are used from drilling to plating.
- Automated Optical Inspection: Ensures all micro vias are plated correctly.
- Thermal Cycle Testing: Sample boards undergo testing to handle thermal stress during normal usage.
Get Your PCB Quote Today!
Frequently Asked Questions!
The minimum micro via we regularly manufacture is 100 microns. We can produce smaller vias down to 75 microns with material and design approval.
No, they are used for multilayer PCBs, often when a design requires <6 layers or high layer counts on HDI PCBs using sequential build-up.
Yes, and they are often more reliable. Designs using micro vias can be qualified to IPC Class 3 environmental standards.
We produce prototype and production quantities with low minimums. To quote, we require a Gerber file set, drill file, layer stack up, material specifications, and volume requirements.
Get A Quote For Laser Drill Micro Vias!
Micro via PCBs offer many benefits to designers when space is limited. PCB Company can provide engineering support to help answer any questions you may have about micro vias.
Contact PCB Company at 0203 750 0201 to learn more about how laser drill micro vias can fit into your next project. Get in touch with our team to discuss your PCB design and receive a quote!
