Under the driving of portable electronics products’ miniaturization development trend, flex-rigid PCB (printed circuit board) has received its wide range of applications. Plus, PCB industry has been facing increasingly harsh competition, which leads to the most emphasis on flex-rigid PCB fabrication technology progress. Due to complex procedure of flex-rigid PCB fabrication, some PCB manufacturers specializing in rigid PCB fabrication only fail to meet the demands of flexible PCB fabrication. FR4 semi-flexible PCB that will be introduced in this article is a type of circuit boards featuring flexibility, capability to be 3D assembled, and bendability.

Properties of FR4 Semi-Flexible PCB

  • FR4 semi-flex PCB features flexibility, capable of 3D assembly, and is capable of changing its shape according to space limit.
  • FR4 semi-flex PCB is bendable without affecting signal transmission.
  • Based on concerning product’s design, assembly plant labor or errors can be reduced with product’s life span improved.
  • Product volume will be shrinked, weight dramatically reduced, functions increased and cost decreased.
  • FR4 semi-flex PCB shares simple fabrication procedure, compatible with rigid PCB manufacturers’ current manufacturing capabilities.

FR4 Semi-Flexible PCB Fabrication Procedure

FR4 mid-Tg material containing filler is applied as substrate material to fabricate a 6-layer rigid semi-flexible PCB that is manufactured by mechanically manufacturing a milling groove. The remaining thickness should be controlled to maintain in a range 0.25mm±0.025mm. Moreover, FR4 semi-flex PCB has to be capable of being bent at 90° for more than 10 times with no cracks generated.

Fabrication procedure of FR4 semi-flex PCB includes the following phases: material cutting, dry film coating, AOI (automated optical inspection), brownization, lamination, X-ray inspection, holes drilling, electroplating, graphics conversion, etching, silkscreen printing, exposure and development, surface finish, depth-controlled milling, electrical test, FQC (final quality control), packaging.

PCBA123 Can Manufacture Semi-Flexible PCBs

PCBA123 has rich experience to manufacture semi-flexible printed circuit boards. If you have similar requirements, please do not hesitate to reach us to discuss your project! We will provide practical and cost-effective solution asap.