Electronics Manufacturing News

A printed wiring board (PWB) is the foundation both literally and figuratively for virtually all electronics in the world. It is the platform upon which electronic components such as integrated circuit chips and capacitors are mounted. The PWB, or printed circuit board (PCB) provides both the physical structure for mounting and holding electronic components as well as the electrical interconnection between components. A PWB consists of a non-conducting substrate (typically fiberglass with epoxy resin) upon which a conductive pattern or circuitry is formed. Copper is the most prevalent conductor, although nickel, silver, tin, tin-lead, and gold may also be used as etch-resists or top-level metal. There are three types of PWBs: single-sided, double-sided, and multilayer. Single-sided boards have a conductive pattern on one side only, double-sided boards have conductive patterns on both faces, and multilayer boards consist of alternating layers of conductor and insulating material bonded together. The conductive layers are connected by plated through-holes, which are also used to mount and electrically connect components. PWBs may also be either rigid, flexible, or a combination of the two (rigid-flex).

When the electronic components have been mounted on the PWB, the combination of PWB and components is an electronic assembly, also called a printed wiring assembly (PWA). This assembly is the basic building block for all larger electronic systems, from toys to toasters to telecommunications.

These electronic systems, in turn, support every other critical technology in the United States. To quote the Council on Competitiveness from their 1991 Gaining New Ground report, "Electronic components are playing an especially important role in driving improvements in information and communication technologies, which in turn are enabling advances in all manufacturing and service industries."

PWBs play a crucial role in these improvements because advances in electronic packaging and interconnections reduce the size and cost of electronic devices while boosting performance. Progress in PWB technology and manufacturing drives U.S. competitiveness in both existing products and new technologies. The U.S. Department of Defense, the U.S. Department of Commerce, the Japanese Ministry of International Trade and Industry, and the European Community all include electronic systems and components on their critical technology lists.

The following areas are discussed in depth inside the report:
(1)Latest technological trends of advanced PWBs such as Stack Press Multi-layer (SPM), Filled via Stacked Via, all layers IVH Construction, Embedded.

(2)Trends in the PWB market and analysis to the PWB industry based on detailed survey. The analysis covers each manufacturer’s sales amount based on PWB processing technologies such as RCC-type/PP-type and application such as cellular phones/PDAs. A standard cost of an advanced PWB in the market is also surveyed.

(3)Trends in the market based on application such as cellular phones, digital still cameras (DSC), PDAs, flip chip BGA package substrates and multi chip modules (MCP).

(4)Detailed Analysis of 40 major PWB manufactures that covers each marker’s Production and technical trends based on processing methods and application.

Other Areas Mentioned includes:
Buildup Substrate Technology
Stack Press Multi-layer (SPM) Substrate
Technologies, Types and Features (By K. Takagi)
Technical Trend of Build-Up PWB
Market analysis of SBU substrate
Market analysis by applications
Worldwide electronic products market
A. NEC’s FOMA
B. EASTCOM’s GPRS
C. NOKIA
Digital Still Camera (DSC)

DSC demand forecast by region and shipping price
TV game machine demand forecast by region and shipping price
Market analysis of SBU substrate by major region

Study of major manufacturer’s
-Japan
-Taiwan
-Korea

For more information visit http://www.researchandmarkets.com/reports/c14000

Laura Wood
Senior Manager
Research and Markets
Fax: +353 1 4100 980