https://cdn.pcbdirectory.com/news/Untitled_design_4__639185667971838106.webp712370
Cirexx, a manufacturer specializing in flexible and rigid-flex printed circuit boards, offering design, fabrication, and assembly services, provides sequential lamination and stacked via manufacturing capabilities for High-Density Interconnect (HDI) printed circuit boards, outlining the processes, applications, design considerations, and production timelines for complex multilayer PCB designs.
The company explains that sequential lamination is used to manufacture HDI circuit boards by stacking layers of copper and insulating materials in a defined sequence to create compact, multilayer PCBs. The process begins with a core structure or sub-laminate, followed by drilling and plating holes to establish electrical connections between layers. Additional copper layers are then added, with each layer incorporating dielectric material, copper foil, drilling, and plating before the sequence is repeated until the required board structure is complete.
Cirexx states that sequential lamination supports the production of PCBs with more layers, enables compact and densely packed designs, and provides greater design flexibility for customized layouts. The company notes that the process requires additional manufacturing time because of the precision needed to align and bond each layer and may involve higher production costs due to its complexity. It also notes that the technique is commonly used for routing fine-pitch, densely packed designs and often complements via-in-pad technology.
The company also provides stacked via manufacturing capabilities, describing stacked vias as vertically aligned electrical connections that link multiple PCB layers through a specialized copper plating process. Manufacturing begins from the central PCB layer, followed by the sequential addition of new layers with dielectric insulation. Laser drilling forms the required via holes, which are then copper plated to establish electrical connections between layers.
According to Cirexx, stacked vias simplify interconnections across multilayer PCBs while supporting device miniaturization through compact circuit layouts. The company notes that stacked via manufacturing requires precise alignment during fabrication and may increase production costs because of the additional process complexity.
Cirexx explains that sequential lamination is suited for detailed multilayer and HDI PCB designs where signal integrity is important, while stacked vias are intended for compact layouts requiring direct interconnections across multiple layers and improved thermal management. The company states that both technologies can be used together depending on the design requirements of a project.
The company identifies application areas for these capabilities across telecommunications infrastructure, aerospace, medical devices, automotive electronics, consumer electronics, computing and data storage, and energy systems, where multilayer PCB performance, compact designs, and efficient interconnections are required.
Cirexx also notes that lead time is an important consideration for both manufacturing methods, with each additional feature incorporated into a PCB design typically adding approximately three days to production because of the additional processing required. The company states that it provides expertise in sequential lamination and stacked via manufacturing to support PCB projects requiring these specialized fabrication techniques.
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