https://cdn.pcbdirectory.com/news/Untitled_design_14__639130432668591184.webp712370
AT&S, a manufacturer of high-end printed circuit boards and IC substrates for applications in electronics and microelectronics, provides substrate-like printed circuit boards (SLPs) as part of its product portfolio, addressing increasing demands for miniaturization in electronic devices.
AT&S Provides Substrate-Like PCBs for Advanced Device Miniaturization
Contact AT&S to learn more.
AT&S notes that digital devices continue to require higher performance in smaller form factors. Smartphones are cited as an example, evolving from large devices into compact systems that integrate multiple components into a single housing. This development has been enabled by the miniaturization of underlying technologies, requiring more components to be combined within limited space.
AT&S' SLPs represent a development in this trend. Circuits on SLPs are smaller than those in conventional PCBs, enabling the construction of complete electronic systems with compact layouts. These boards keep signal paths short and reduce losses. To achieve the required fine structures, production processes used for IC substrates are applied.
The company lists key characteristics of SLPs, including space savings, low signal loss with reduced power consumption, and faster data transmission.
AT&S explains that modern smartphones typically contain a single circuit board that connects system components such as memory, cameras, sensors, and processors. Miniaturization reduces space requirements, power consumption, and production costs. Applications extend to mobile phones, laptops, smartwatches, electric vehicles, and industrial robots. The company notes that SLPs can reduce the space required for the main circuit board in smartphones by around one third.
AT&S states that its experience in microelectronics supports the development of these technologies. The company indicates that manufacturing processes are approaching semiconductor-scale dimensions, with SLPs enabling space reductions of up to 30 percent compared to conventional PCBs. Conductor tracks on SLPs are between 12 and 50 micrometres wide.
The company also references further developments including embedded trace substrates and coreless PCBs. Embedded trace substrates place traces directly into the surface of IC substrates or PCBs, increasing circuit density and reducing electrical losses. Coreless PCBs remove the traditional core structure, enabling thinner designs and allowing production with an uneven number of layers.
Click here to learn more about the SLPs.
