Green PCB Technologies
Robert Tarzwell and Mike DuBois -- IDTechEx
The PCB industry is about to become green throughthe introduction of new printed electronics manufacturing processesbeing developed.Currently, very few PCBmanufacturers are making money, being restricted by the high costsof complex capital equipment, high labor content, soaring energycosts and a multitude of consumables which, for the most part, endup in a waste stream or landfill.
Printed electroniccircuits (PECs) will have the ability to eliminate the requiredtraditional subtractive wet process and green the entire process.PEC has the capacity, even at this early stage, to breach thetechnology wall.
This greentechnology is a full additive process which automaticallyeliminates the need for any etching, stripping, metalizingand copper plating. Formaldehyde, chelators, ammonia, heavymetals, acids or electroless processing, therefore, eliminates theentire wastewater treatment system.
PEC allows theinterconnection of the circuitry to be accomplished by highlyconductive nano inks without the need to drill holes. Byeliminating the drilled via hole, PEC increases reliability of theinterconnect. The vias are 100% filled with silver ink and haveequal resistance to a drilled plated via. Special PEC conductiveinks allow a drilled hole to be filled with silver and re-drilledsmaller to create a very strong conductive through hole ifdesired.
CapitalExpenditures
The PEC process isperformed with minimal equipment requirements and is made with10% of the capital outlay when compared to the subtractive process.Out of the box, PEC will surpass the current incumbent technologiesin small line width and spaces producing multi-layered high densityPCB's without multilayer equipment.
EnergyConservation
Without the hugecostly wet processes and metal finishing, significant savings occurin labor, equipment and water consumption.
These savingsrepeat themselves by way of wastewater treatment and sewer userfees. Electric and gas consumptions see a remarkable reduction byeliminating the need to heat most of the wet processes, multilayerpresses, as well as the large plant wide demand for compressed air.HVAC reductions are also experienced due to greatly reduced exhaustrequirements.
Labor
With the reducedamount of the many complex chemical processes to monitor, highoverhead labor is eliminated. PEC is expected to use 20% of thecurrent labor requirement with the same square footoutput.