DFM Guidelines
DFM Guidelines
DFM Guidelines
Manufacturability Guide
Table of Contents
1.0 – Introduction ..........................................................................................................................................................4
1.1 Scope ...................................................................................................................................................................4
2.0 Required Documents ...............................................................................................................................................5
2.1 Gerber Files – RS-274X Format ............................................................................................................................5
2.2 ODB++ ..................................................................................................................................................................6
2.3 Drill / Route File ...................................................................................................................................................6
2.4 Netlist File ............................................................................................................................................................7
2.5 Centroid File / Pick and Place File ........................................................................................................................7
2.6 Assembly Bill of Materials (BOM) ........................................................................................................................7
2.7 Drawings ..............................................................................................................................................................8
2.8 Standard Manufacturing Specifications ..............................................................................................................9
3.0 Laminate Materials Selection ................................................................................................................................10
3.1 Material Selection & Properties ........................................................................................................................10
3.2 Laminate Material and Thickness ......................................................................................................................11
3.3 Prepreg Designation and Thickness ...................................................................................................................11
3.4 Copper Clad(Weight) for Materials ...................................................................................................................12
3.5 RF Substrates .....................................................................................................................................................12
3.6 Multi-layer Lay-Up .............................................................................................................................................12
3.7 Multi-layer Lay-up Recommendation ................................................................................................................13
3.8 Buried Capacitance ............................................................................................................................................15
3.9 Material Substitutes (North America vs China) .................................................................................................16
4.0 Standard PCB Manufacturing Capabilities .............................................................................................................17
4.1 PCB Technology Matrix ......................................................................................................................................17
4.2 Etch Factor .........................................................................................................................................................18
4.3 Drill Selection .....................................................................................................................................................19
4.4 Aspect Ratio .......................................................................................................................................................20
4.5 Annular Ring ......................................................................................................................................................21
4.6 Tear Drop Pads ..................................................................................................................................................21
4.7 Hole Clearance...................................................................................................................................................22
4.8 Conductor Clearance .........................................................................................................................................22
4.9 Via Holes Treatment ..........................................................................................................................................23
4.10 Finished Board Thickness ................................................................................................................................23
1.0 – Introduction
The purpose of this Design for Manufacturability (DFM) guide is to assist Bittele’s customers in designing
printed circuit boards (PCBs) that can be manufactured quickly and efficiently. These DFM guidelines define
the various tolerances, rules, and testing procedures to which Bittele adheres during PCB manufacturing.
It is beneficial to all parties involved, in terms of both cost and efficiency, if these issues can be addressed
during the design stage, rather than during production. By providing this guide, we hope to avoid the potential
scenario where our client has finished designing a board, but must later revise their design due to facility
limitations.
DFM guidelines are essential to promote a client’s understanding of the various options that we offer, the
reasons for each of these options, and the limitations of Bittele’s production facilities. At Bittele we specialize
in turn-key production rigid multi-layer PCBs with part procurement and placement.
For a quick overview of our manufacturing specifications please see our other document on our website titled
“PCB Fabrication Specifications”.
1.1 Scope
Consulting these DFM guidelines during your design process will allow you to plan a PCB that conforms to the
capabilities of Bittele’s facilities. A strong understanding of our manufacturing ability enables our clients to
achieve the special features that their designs require, while maximizing efficiency with regard to both time
and money.
Listed below are a few of the more notable benefits found in designing for manufacturability:
In order to fully reap the benefits listed above, our clients must understand our abilities concerning the specific
type of PCB option(s) that they require. This guide is therefore divided into sections according to the different
types of options and features that we offer at Bittele. Those sections are as follows:
In the OBD++ format, all data required for PCB fabrication and assembly are included within the .TGZ
compressed archive. Should you choose to use this format, you will just need to provide the .TGZ archive along
with a Bill of Materials (BOM) for assembly.
If you choose to use the Gerber file format, please ensure that you are using the RS-274X version. This format
specifies a set of files, where each individual file represents one type of design drawing, such as top copper,
bottom solder mask, or top silk screen. Please ensure that you provide a Gerber file for each design element in
your PCB layout, as well as any other relevant documentation for fabrication and assembly. When using the
gerber format, additional files are required for board assembly, a centroid file for pick and place as well as a
Bill of Materials with part numbers.
RS-274X is the “middle child” of the three Gerber file formats. The oldest format for Gerber files is RS-274D, or
Standard Gerber, which has now been generally deprecated in favour of the Extended Gerber format. The data
in RS-274X is much more comprehensive than RS-274D, since the RS-274D format keeps many of its critical
information separate from the main data file. The RS-274X format offers several benefits over the now-
obsolete RS-274D, including high level commands and controls, allowing for more precise machine plotting.
Gerber X2, the third and latest Gerber format, was released in February of 2014. It is fully backwards-
compatible with the RS-274X format, but includes some extra metadata to avoid ambiguity. Gerber X2 has not
yet seen widespread industry adoption, and so RS-274X remains the standard at present.
PCB layouts are created using a computer-aided design (CAD) system and saved in the RS-274X format, where
the Gerber set contains the complete description for each individual layer of the PCB. Normally, the CAD system
will be used to output one Gerber file for each relevant layer. These Gerber files can be loaded into a computer-
aided manufacturing (CAM) system to provide data for each step of the PCB production process.
In keeping with industry standards, we at Bittele will accept the RS-274X Gerber format. This allows our clients
to use the CAD design tool of their choice, provided that they can output their finished design files in Gerber
format. The Gerber RS-274X format will include separate files for the different copper layers, silkscreen layers,
solder mask layers, and milling/drilling locations included in a given design. Along with your Gerber files, you
should send a PCB Manufacturing Drawing and a PCB Assembly Drawing, as well as a Bill of Materials for your
order. A brief description for each of these file types is given in Table 1 below:
Table 1
2.2 ODB++
ODB++ is a printed circuit board (PCB) manufacturing database, with different data stored in a hierarchy of files
and file folders. For convenient transmission of data, some common operating system commands can be used
to create a single compressed file, while preserving the hierarchy information. That compressed file, containing
the printed circuit board (PCB) design information, can be sent directly to a PCB Fabrication and Assembly
company, such as Bittele. ODB++ stands for Open Data Base, with the ‘++’ suffix added in 1997, when
component descriptions were enabled. ODB++ was developed and disseminated by Valor Computerized
Systems, but was later acquired by Mentor Graphics in 2010.
The vast majority of electronic devices include a PCB, which acts to house the electronic components that
power the device, and also to connect these components together in a specific manner. Computer-aided design
(CAD) software is often used to create the layouts for these PCBs, and that layout information must then be
transferred to a photolithographic computer-aided manufacturing (CAM) system. These CAD and CAM systems
are generally produced by different companies, and therefore must use an intermediary file format, such as
ODB++, for successful data exchange. ODB++ has two versions: the original (owned by Mentor), as well an XML
version called ODB++(X), which was donated to the IPC organization by Valor Computerized Systems.
We at Bittele can work with ODB++ files of revision 7.0 or lower; there are no restrictions on the design tool
used for PCB layout, as long as the design can be translated to ODB++ format files. That being said, we Bittele
can NOT accept ODB++(X) files. If you find some trouble in outputting your ODB++ files, please forward your
.CAM or .PCB files to us, and we will attempt the conversion on your behalf.
On a standard 2-sided PCB, drill files are needed for the CNC machine to make accurate through-vias. For more
complex multi-layer boards, many of the holes will be micro-vias, which pass through only a few layers rather
than the entire board. These types of holes are also known as blind and buried vias. We will need a separate
drill file, with a distinct name, for each layer pair that will be included in your design.
For Example: Let us assume that you have a 4-layer board with most vias extending all the way from top to
bottom, and some buried vias extending from layer 1 to layer 2. In this case, you should have two drill files,
with one of them named “Drill_1-4” and another named “Drill_1-2”.
Route Files are a type of file that define the electrically-conductive copper traces, known colloquially as
“routing”, on a PCB design. These files are used to control a fabrication machine in order to lay copper traces
on a PCB board.
Regarding the submission of drill and route files to Bittele: if you use the ODB++ format, drill files and route
files will both be included in the .TGZ compression file. If you choose to use the Gerber RS-274X format, then
separate drill files and route files will need to be provided in RS-274X format.
We at Bittele request a netlist file for the electrical testing of your bare PCBs; we ensure an exact match
between the actual connectivity on your PCB and that of your netlist file for every board that leaves our facility.
The ODB++ format contains your netlist file by default, and so there will be no need to provide one separately.
If you use the Gerber RS-274X format, then you will need a separate netlist file in IPC356 format.
• Reference Designator – Short alphanumeric code assigned to each part in the layout (R12, C17)
• Component Value/Package – Component part numbers, part values, and package size
• Layer – Either the top or the bottom side
• XY Location – Cartesian coordinates, beginning at origin
• Rotation – Described part orientation in degrees (0, 45, 90, etc.)
We provide a sample Bill of Materials on our website that may be used as a basis for your Bill of Materials.
2.7 Drawings
Design drawings are not strictly required for all PCB fabrication and assembly projects, but they can help to
make your intentions clearer to our production team, particularly regarding special requirements. We
recommend you include design drawings for projects with a high number of layers or components.
The key factors to consider when selecting a laminate material for a PCB board Design are the cost, the quality,
and the lead time. Due to the amount of material needed for PCB fabrication, it is essential to optimize the size
of your designs; even a small difference in size can result in a significant difference in cost.
Different materials incur different costs and possess different characteristics, but higher quality laminates are
typically also more expensive. The following are some of the main characteristics to take note of when
comparing properties of different laminates:
Tg = Glass Transition Temperature – Temperature at which a critical change of physical properties will occur.
In the case of laminates, it transitions from a hard, glassy material into a soft, rubbery material
Df = Dissipation Factor – Indicates the efficiency of an insulating material by showing the rate of energy loss
for a certain mode of oscillation, such as mechanical, electrical, or electromechanical oscillation
Our fabrication facilities are located in China, so it is advisable to choose high-quality local laminates in order
to minimize shipping cost and lead time. The Shengyi S1000-H (Tg 150) laminate is generally our default choice
for a high-performance, mid-Tg laminate. Shengyi S1000-H is comparable to Isola FR406 (Tg 150), a standard
North American laminate option. As outlined in Table 2 below, FR406 does slightly outmatch Shengyi S1000H
in terms of Dielectric Constant and Dissipation Factor, but some clients may be willing to compromise on these
factors for a lower cost and/or a faster lead time.
Table 2
Shengyi S1141 (TG 130) is a good alternative to lower the cost of your project, at the sacrifice of some quality.
In cases where higher quality is needed, we recommend Shengyi S1000-2M (TG 170) which is the closest in
quality to Isola FR406 (Tg 170). Where quality is the highest priority, we would recommend utilizing ITEQ
IT180A (TG 180) which is also RoHS compliant. ITEQ IT180A (TG 180) is comparable in quality and to Isola 370HR
(TG 180). We at Bittele would suggest using Shengyi S1000H (Tg 130) for typical projects. We would
recommend using one of the higher quality laminate materials if any of these three conditions occur:
Table 4
Bittele Electronics is capable of fabricating multi- layer PCB boards with a maximum copper weight of 10 oz.
Copper weight of 4 oz. or higher will require an additional estimate, and may also affect lead times.
3.5 RF Substrates
For radio frequency applications, Bittele Electronics stocks Rogers RO4350B as our standard RF substrate. We
offer core thicknesses of 10mil, 20mil or 30mil in stock and the copper weight can be 0.5oz/0.5oz or 1oz/1oz.
Other sizes available for special order with added lead time are 6.6mil, 13.3mil, 16.6mil, 60mil. The dielectric
constant of this material is 3.76 at 1GHz and averages 3.66 for 8GHz to 40GHz. Further details can be found on
the material’s datasheet here. Additional material types may be available upon special request with added lead
time.
It is recommended that multi-layer designs balance the lay-up relative to Z-axis median to minimize bow and
twist. In other words, a layer stackup list should read the same from top to bottom as it does from bottom to
top. Dielectric thickness, copper thickness and the location of layers, median, Z-axis need to be balanced. If the
Multi-layer design rules are adhered to, the PCB should meet specification for the maximum allowable bow
and twist of 0.25mm per 25mm (1%) or better. It is also beneficial to balance the circuitry distribution between
the front and back of the board as much as possible. This is more of a concern with thicker copper weights.
Thickness Tolerance increases as the overall thickness of a multi-layer board increases. You should specify a
tolerance of ±10% for the overall thickness which is thicker than 1mm, or +/-0.1mm for 1mm thickness or
thinner. Also, you need to always indicate where the thickness measurement is to be taken.
2 Layer Stackup
Layer Order Layer Name Material Type Thickness Copper Weight
1 Top Copper 1.4 mil 1 oz.
Core 57.7 mil
2 Bottom Copper 1.4 mil 1 oz.
Finished board thickness: 62mil +/-10%
4 Layer Stackup
Layer Order Layer Name Material Type Thickness Copper Weight
1 Top Copper 1.4 mil 1 oz.
Prepreg (2116*2) 9.1 mil
2 Inner 1 Copper 1.4 mil 1 oz.
Core 36.6 mil
3 Inner 2 Copper 1.4 mil 1 oz.
Prepreg (2116*2) 9.1 mil
4 Bottom Copper 1.4 mil 1 oz.
Finished board thickness: 62mil +/-10%
6 Layer Stackup
Layer Order Layer Name Material Type Thickness Copper Weight
1 Top Copper 1.4 mil 1 oz.
Prepreg (2116) 4.5 mil
2 Inner 1 Copper 1.4 mil 1 oz.
Core 16.9 mil
3 Inner 2 Copper 1.4 mil 1 oz.
Prepreg (2116*2) 9.1 mil
4 Inner 3 Copper 1.4 mil 1 oz.
Core 16.9 mil
5 Inner 4 Copper 1.4 mil 1 oz.
Prepreg (2116) 4.5 mil
6 Bottom Copper 1.4 mil 1 oz.
Finished board thickness: 62mil +/-10%
8 Layer Stackup
Layer Order Layer Name Material Type Thickness Copper Weight
1 Top Copper 1.4 mil 1 oz.
Prepreg (2116*2) 9.1 mil
2 Inner 1 Copper 1.4 mil 1 oz.
Core 5.1 mil
3 Inner 2 Copper 1.4 mil 1 oz.
Prepreg (2116*2) 9.1 mil
4 Inner 3 Copper 1.4 mil 1 oz.
Core 5.1 mil
5 Inner 4 Copper 1.4 mil 1 oz.
Prepreg (2116*2) 9.1 mil
6 Inner 5 Copper 1.4 mil 1 oz.
Core 5.1 mil
7 Inner 6 Copper 1.4 mil 1 oz.
Prepreg (2116*2) 9.1 mil
8 Bottom Copper 1.4 mil 1 oz.
Finished board thickness: 62mil +/-10%
10 Layer Stackup
Layer Order Layer Name Material Type Thickness Copper Weight
1 Top Copper 1.4 mil 1 oz.
Prepreg (2116) 4.5 mil
2 Inner 1 Copper 1.4 mil 1 oz.
Core 3.9 mil
3 Inner 2 Copper 1.4 mil 1 oz.
Prepreg (2116*2) 9.1 mil
4 Inner 3 Copper 1.4 mil 1 oz.
Core 3.9 mil
5 Inner 4 Copper 1.4 mil 1 oz.
Prepreg (1080*2) 5.9 mil
6 Inner 5 Copper 1.4 mil 1 oz.
Core 3.9 mil
7 Inner 6 Copper 1.4 mil 1 oz.
Prepreg (2116*2) 9.1 mil
8 Inner 7 Copper 1.4 mil 1 oz.
Core 3.9 mil
9 Inner 8 Copper 1.4 mil 1 oz.
Prepreg (2116) 4.5 mil
10 Bottom Copper 1.4 mil 1 oz.
Finished board thickness: 62mil +/-10%
Table 2
Tg 130 Tg 150 Tg 170 Tg 180
China U.S. China U.S. China U.S. China U.S.
S1141 FR406 S1000-H FR406 S1000-2 FR406 IT180A 370HR
Td (TGA @ 5% weight loss) N/A 300 N/A 300 N/A 300 350 340
Dk (50% resin @ 2 GHz) 4.2 3.93 4.38 3.93 4.28 3.93 4.3 4.04
Df (50% resin @ 2 GHz) 0.015 0.0167 0.015 0.0167 0.017 0.0167 0.015 0.21
RoHS Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y
Finally, apart from the laminate quality we must also take the available laminate’s material cost and delivery
lead time into account. Since Bittele’s PCB Fabrication and Assembly facilities are based in China the cost for
importing North American laminates would be higher and increase lead time as illustrated in the chart above.
Thus, from this comparison chart we can conclude that the use of local substitute is preferable due to the lower
material costs and shorter lead time.
Table 5
Table 6
PCB key factors also affect each other thus they increase or decrease in relation to each other.
• The trace width and the clearance affects each other, when trace width increase, the trace clearance
will decrease, and its impedance will also decease.
• The minimum hole size and board thickness affects aspect ratio so when minimum hole size decreases
or board thickness increases, the aspect ratio will enlarge.
• Hole sizes will affect the annular ring and the space between hole to other features, when hole size
enlarges, the annular ring and the space will decrease.
• Copper weight affects impedance. When copper weight increases, the impedance will decrease.
4.1.1 Pricing
Bittele Electronics offers baseline pricing for PCB fabrication and assembly. These will start with default values,
and can be customized to meet your needs. Final cost will be affected by material choice and component cost.
Material and component prices are constantly changing due to fluctuation in market prices. Some factors that
affect PCB fabrication and assembly cost include:
• Board Size- While PCB board is larger than 50x50mm, a smaller PCB can lower cost while a larger PCB
board will cost more. Boards less than 50x50mm are more complex to manufacture.
• Copper weight- each extra ounce over 3oz. will add one extra day lead time
• Oversized or very small boards require an extra day lead time
• Black solder masks require an extra day lead time for bare boards only (not turnkey)
the PCB’s gerber design files and then blocks the applied chemicals maintaining the pads and traces that need
to remain intact. We at Bittele use chemical etching as a normal method due to its precision and efficiency.
The etch factor for PCBs manufactured by Bittele depend on whether the layer is inside the board or outside.
Etch Factor for outer layers is 1.4 and the Etch Factor for inner layers is 2.5.
Table 7
Holes drilled into printed circuit boards can either be plated in copper or left bare. The plated holes will be
covered with copper on their walls after copper layers are etched, and they are used for forming electrical
connections from one copper layer to another in a PCB. Non-plated holes are usually used for positioning or
mounting, and thus do not require copper on their walls. Please indicate your choices in your gerber files. Your
circuit design program should be able to assist with this.
For multilayer boards, holes can be categorized based on their depth into through holes, blind holes and buried
holes. Through holes will be drilled through the whole board from top and bottom layer, blind holes will be
drilled from one outer layer to an inner layer, and buried holes are drilled from an inner layer to another inner
layer. See section 5.3 Micro-via for further explanation on these hole types. A separate drill hole layer is
necessary for each different depth of hole up to a maximum of 4 types. For example, a board with through
holes and buried via between layers 2 to 3 and 4 to 8 will require 3 different layers with hole locations and
sizes.
Pressfit holes are plated holes with tighter tolerance which are used for through hole components that are not
soldered to the board.
We at Bittele can control can control the holes size tolerance in Table 8 below.
Table 8
We at Bittele can control can control the slots size tolerance according to Table 9 below.
Table 9
We Bittele can build the board with aspect ratio listed in Table 10 below:
Table 10
Minimum plated holes size Available aspect ratio Maximum available board thickness
0.15mm <=8 : 1 1.2mm
0.20mm <=10 : 1 2.0mm
0.25mm <=12 : 1 (20 : 1 is also available, 3.0mm
but need an estimate at first) (If thicker, need an estimate at first)
Table 11
We at Bittele Electronics typically add tear drop pads whenever possible if an annular ring is thinner than 7mil
since it will increase tolerance limits for mistakes reducing the possibility of PCB problems occurring after
fabrication and assembly.
Whether tear drop pads are needed or not depends on the annular ring thickness of the plated holes:
• For annular ring < 7mil tear drop pads are recommended to add, but not necessary
• For annular ring >= 7mil tear drop pads are not needed
The clearance to design between the holes to other copper feature will depend on the layer count as shown
below in Table 12:
Table 12
Layers count Minimum clearance between the hole to other copper feature
<=6 8.0mil preferred (6.5mil minimum)
8 10.0mil preferred (7.0mil minimum)
>=10 12.0mil preferred (8.0mil minimum)
The minimum conductor clearance depends on the copper weight as shown in Table 13 below.
Table 13
Copper weight minimum clearance (inner layers) minimum clearance (outer layers)
0.5oz 4.0mil preferred (3.0mil minimum) 4.0mil preferred (3.0mil OK only in a few places)
1oz 5.0mil preferred (4.0mil minimum) 6.0mil preferred (5.0mil minimum)
2oz 7.0mil preferred (6.0mil minimum) 8.0mil preferred (7.0mil minimum)
3oz 10.0mil preferred (9.0mil minimum) 12.0mil preferred (10.0mil minimum)
>3oz Ask our sales team to verify Ask our sales team to verify
Solder mask opening (also called solder mask clearance) indicates the area which should not be covered with
solder mask oil. These openings are required to be on their own separate layer in the gerber files for each outer
side of your board. For the via holes in your board’s Gerber files, if you have not designed a solder mask opening
for them, we can treat them following ways outlined in Table 14.
Table 14
Plugged with solder mask: The holes will be built as normal through holes first, and then be filled with solder
mask oil. After plugging, light will not be able to go through the holes. When you are using a part with a BGA
package, we advise that you plug the via holes under BGA area to avoid a short circuit when assembling.
Covered with solder mask: Solder mask oil will cover the top of the copper pads of the via holes, and solder
mask oil may also flow into the holes, but the holes are not filled, and light is able to go through these holes.
Via-in-pad: The via holes will be filled with non-conductive epoxy, and then plated over them. While there are
some via holes which are designed on SMD pads, we may also need to build via-in-pad to avoid the risk of
leaking tin when assembling certain designs.
Table 15
Layers count Maximum board thickness (inches) Maximum board thickness (mm)
<=2 layers 0.149 preferred (0.177 possible) 3.8 preferred (4.5mm possible)
>2 layer 0.149 preferred (0.236 possible) 3.8 preferred (6.0mm possible)
Note: For 2 layer boards, if the board is thicker than 3.0mm, we may have to build it as mock 4-layer board
since we do not have the suitable substrate to match this thickness.
Table 16
imperial metric
Hole to board edge ±6mil preferred (min. ±4mil) ±0.15mm preferred (min. ±0.1mm)
Board edge to board edge ±6mil preferred (min. ±4mil) ±0.15mm preferred (min. ±0.1mm)
V-score to V-score ±6mil preferred (min. ±4mil) ±0.15mm preferred (min. ±0.1mm)
You can calculate the depth or residual thickness of the bevelling using the geometry shown below in Figure 6.
Table 17
5.2 BGA
BGA is abbreviated from Ball Grid Array, a form of surface mount technology (SMT). BGA is now chosen more
commonly in circuit design. BGA packages were developed due to the market demand for a more robust and
convenient package to permanently mount integrated circuits with large numbers of pins. BGA allows for more
interconnection pins per surface area than possible on a dual in-line or flat package. Some BGA components
even mount integrated circuits with over 100 pins. To achieve this, the entire bottom of a BGA chip is largely
filled with interconnection pins. By not limiting connections to the perimeter, connections under the SMD
package will increase the efficiency of how space is utilized.
Over the years Bittele Electronics has accumulated a vast amount of Ball Grid Array (BGA) assembly expertise
and has developed a dependable process over time. Currently our fabrication and assembly facilities use the
most up to date BGA placement equipment and we also utilize X-ray inspection equipment to verify the
soldering. We have a proven record of producing BGA circuit boards with excellent yield rates and the highest
quality in the electronics manufacturing industry. At Bittele we can process BGA packages with the
specifications listed in Table 18.
Our skilled workforce employs thermal profiles even for low volume prototype boards, as it is a key function in
the BGA assembly process. We carefully review the circuit board files and BGA chip datasheets to make the
most appropriate thermal profile for BGA assembly. Lead-free BGA circuit boards pass through a particular
lead-free thermal profile to prevent ball issues, which may occur due to using a lower temperature.
Alternatively, the costly leaded BGA boards are diverted through specific leaded processes to avoid high
temperatures which lead to pin shorts. We have effective quality inspection procedures in place to offer high
quality services.
We possess high-tech BGA placement equipment, precise BGA assembly processes and automated x-ray
inspection (AXI) system to provide better quality BGA circuit board assembly. AXI is used to identify assembly
defects; our team uses 2D x-rays to render 3D images, to verify the issues such as a circuit board broken vias
in inner layers and BGA ball’s cold solder break.
Table 18
5.3 Micro-via
Standard micro-via consists of tiny copper plated holes with a diameter of 6mil (0.15mm) or less and are made
using a laser drill. Micro-via can connect adjacent layers allowing a single multilayer PCB to hold more circuit
traces which increases PCB circuit density. Although a single standard micro-via can only link two adjacent
copper layers there will still be significantly more available space for traces. Micro-vias consisting of various
types such as blind via and buried via are used in High Density Interconnect (HDI) PCB designs.
A standard micro-via is a highly reliable type of interconnection structure, and should be used in a board design
whenever possible. For a HDI PCB the circuit routes need to interconnect several layers to connect components
but a standard micro-via can only be used to connect two adjacent layers. Thus, in order to use micro-via in
HDI board design we need to use the micro-vias in a compound design structure to connect more than two
adjacent layers. There are two types of complex structures that use a standard micro-via: staggered and
stacked structures. These structures are described below in sections 5.3.3 and 5.3.4.
We at Bittele Electronics can fabricate micro-via with a size ranging from 4mil (0.1mm) to a maximum size
of 6mil (0.15mm). Fabrication of these vias will require separate drill files, with the via hole positions on all of
the different layers of a multi-layer PCB. An HDI PCB board layer with buried and blind vias can be laminated
on the same side a maximum of three times. This means that a board can be processed in a maximum of 3
steps for blind or buried vias. For example, as boards are built from the center we can have a buried via through
a center layer, then a second process can add layers on either side with more buried vias and then a third
pressing can add blind vias to the outer layers. Finally, through holes can be drilled for a total of 4 drilling stages.
See Figure 7 below for an example.
For non-HDI boards a single lamination step fuses all layers. For HDI boards our technique for creating a
multilayer PCB is sequential lamination; a process starting on a core layer fused with a conductive and dielectric
layer on both sides using multiple pressure passes. Sequential lamination allows both blind and buried via to
be created during the build-up process allowing discrete or formed components to be embedded using High
Density Interconnect (HDI) technology for HDI PCB manufacturing. Due to the complexity of the sequential
lamination process, it may add considerable cost to board fabrication as well as increase lead time. Bittele
Electronics suggest consulting with one of our representatives if your design for an HDI PCB requires to be
constructed using sequential lamination. Although Bittele Electronics has the capability to fabricate multi-layer
PCBs with up to 40 layers, it is recommended to design your PCBs with 20 layers at most. A PCB layer refers to
a core, copper and prepreg layer in a PCB board not including the silkscreen, solder mask, and other layers.
Surface finish acts as a protective coating to shield copper not covered by a solder mask on a printed circuit
board (PCB). A surface finish can be applied to a PCB using one of three primary ways: dipping, immersion, or
electrolytic fusion. Dipping involves lowering and dipping parts of an unfinished PCB into a vat of liquid metal
surface finish while restricting it to cover only the desired locations with surface finish. Immersion is a method
where a PCB is fully immersed in a bath of liquid metal surface finish, thereby fully galvanizing the PCB. Lastly,
in the electrolytic plating process the PCB is immersed in a solution containing dissolved metal ions known as
an “electrolyte”. An electric current is then passed through that solution so that metal ions deposit themselves
onto the conductive surface of the PCB. Many different types of surface finishes exist, and we at Bittele offer
a variety of the most popular finished as options in our PCB fabrication services.
6.1 HASL/LF-HASL
Hot Air Solder Leveling (HASL) is the most common type of PCB
surface finish used in the industry. HASL finishes are composed
of solder, with proportions of approximately 63% tin and 37%
lead, commonly referred to as a 60/40 split. The process for
applying this finish is begun by dipping the circuit board into a
molten pot of the tin/lead alloy after the solder mask has been
applied. Next, a Hot Air Leveler (HAL) removes the excess solder,
using hot air knives to leave behind only the thinnest possible
layer. This remaining layer of solder protects the traces
underneath it from corrosion, while easing the task of soldering
components to the board by pre-tinning the whole pad. HASL is
a very cost-effective surface finish compared to other types of
finishes, and thus is considered a great choice for general-
purpose boards.
Figure 9: Example of a HASL Surface Finish
Lead-Free Hot Air Solder Leveling (LF-HASL) is similar to HASL in
appearance and usage; however, the solder in this case contains a mix of 99.3% Tin and 0.6% Copper. This
alloy results in a higher melting point for lead-free solder, when compared with leaded solder. LF-HASL is a
replacement for leaded solder, used when a lead-free or RoHS compliant PCB is required. Please note that a
laminate with higher temperature tolerance is needed for applying this finish; otherwise, the process is
identical.
In the past, HASL was one of the most popular surface finish choices due to its qualities as a low cost and robust
solution. Recent fundamental changes in the PCB industry, such as new more complex surface mount
technology (SMT), have revealed HASL’s shortcomings. HASL is not suitable for using with SMT due to uneven
surfaces not being compatible with fine pitch components. Recently, lead-free LF-HASL became available, but
now there are other lead-free options more suitable for a high-reliability product.
Pros Cons
Low-Cost Finish Uneven Surfaces
Widely Available Not Good for Fine Pitch Components
Repairable Layer Thermal Shock
Excellent Shelf Life Not Good for Plated Through-Hole (PTH)
Poor Wetting
New Call-to-action
Solder Bridging
May Contain Lead (HASL)
Bittele offers a variety of surface finish options, all for a standard price, including HASL. Please note before
ordering that standard HASL finishes contain lead, therefore boards with this finish will not meet RoHS
standards. We suggest planning for the LF-HASL option if you want this type of surface finish.
6.2 ENTEK/OSP
Organic Surface Protectant (OSP) is a type of water-
based, organic surface finish that is typically applied to
copper pads on a PCB. OSP is an organic chemical
compound that will selectively bond to copper pads, and
provides an organometallic layer to protect that copper
layer. However, OSP is not as robust as HASL, and is very
sensitive to small abrasions requiring gloves to avoid
scratches. OSP is an environmentally-friendly compound,
and extremely green in comparison with other lead-free
finishes, which typically have more toxic substances or
require substantially higher energy consumption. OSP is
a good lead-free surface finish, with very flat surfaces but
it has a very short shelf life. To apply this surface finish,
you only need to dip the PCB into a chemical bath of the
OSP compound, but you must note that this may only be
Figure 10: Example of an OSP Surface Finish
done after all other processes are finished, including
Electrical Test and Inspection. OSP is not a standard
surface finish and incurs extra cost if chosen.
Pros Cons
Lead-free Not good for PTH (Plated Through Holes)
Flat surface No Way to Measure Thickness
Simple process Short Shelf Life
Repairable Can Cause ICT Issues
Cost Effective Exposed Cu on Final Assembly
Handling Sensitive
6.3 ENIG
Electro less Nickel/Immersion Gold (ENIG) is a double-layer
metallic surface finish that is composed of a very thin layer
of Gold applied over a layer of nickel. A nickel layer is first
plated onto the PCB copper pads using an electroless
process, a controlled chemical reaction. Then a gold layer
is applied on top of the nickel layer using immersion
methods to cover the pads and traces.
As a result of the many advantages listed above, ENIG has become the most highly-used finish in the PCB
industry since the growth and implementation of the RoHS regulation. Unfortunately, such great advantages
cannot come without drawbacks, and for ENIG the biggest drawback is it’s complex and sensitive application
procedure. If this procedure is not properly controlled, quality issues such as "Black Pad" may occur. Black Pad
is a buildup of phosphorous between the gold and nickel layers, which may result in fractured surfaces and
faulty connections.
Pros Cons
Flat surfaces Black Pad / Black Nickel
Strong Expensive
Lead-Free Not Re-workable
Good for PTH (Plated Through Holes) Damage from ET
Long Shelf Life Signal Loss (RF)
Limited availability
Complicated Process (two-parts)
We at Bittele offer ENIG as a standard surface finish option, with a standard price, meaning no additional cost
will be applied for selecting this finish. It is our most popular surface due to it’s improved quality at the standard
cost.
Pros Cons
Hard, Durable Surface Very Expensive
No Lead Extra Processing / Labor Intensive
Long Shelf Life Use of Resist / Tape
Plating / Bus Bars Required
Demarcation
Difficulty with Other Surface Finishes
Etching Undercut Leads to Slivering / Flaking
Not Solder-Able Above 17 μin
Finish Does Not Fully Encapsulate Trace
Sidewalls, Except in Finger Areas
We at Bittele also offer this finish option, but please note that the associated cost depends on the specific
amount of gold plating area that is ordered. Please send all necessary documents and data to Bittele, and we
will review your files before providing you with an estimate.
6.9 ENEPIG
Electroless Nickel / Electroless Palladium /
Immersion Gold (ENEPIG) is an advanced and
complicated surface finish. ENEPIG is similar to
ENIG, and was developed over a decade ago as a
design improvement on the ENIG surface finish.
ENEPIG recently became more popular due to a
decrease in the price of palladium. The application
process of ENEPIG is similar to the ENIG application
process, with one extra step: the application of a
palladium layer over the nickel layer, before adding
the top gold layer. The palladium layer in the middle
removes the possibility of “Black Pad”, caused by
the nickel layer being corroded by the gold. The
ENEPIG method forms a flat, coplanar, hard surface
that is good for gold wire bonding, aluminum wire
bonding, and provides excellent solder-ability.
Pros Cons
Flat surfaces Expensive
Strong Not Re-workable
Lead-free Very Limited Availability
Good for PTH (Plated Through Holes) Complicated Process (Three Parts)
Long Shelf Life
Please note that we at Bittele usually do not provide ENEPIG as one of our standard surface finish options. If a
client is interested in this finish, we ask that they please contact one of our technical support specialists for
further details about cost and lead time before finalizing their order.
surface underneath from oxidation throughout the PCB’s intended shelf life. However, one problematic aspect
of this finish is the strong affinity of tin and copper for one another which allows the diffusion of one metal
into another. This process can cause the formation of “tin whiskers”, which are small strands of diffuse tin that
can cause shorts and reduce the quality of solder joints, negatively impacting the shelf life and the performance
of the PCB.
Pros Cons
Lead-free Not Good for PTH
High Reliability Process Uses Thiourea, a known Carcinogen
Flat Surface/Planar Not Good for Multiple Reflow/Assembly
Cost Effective Processes
Can Substitute for Reflowed Solder Tin Whiskers
Top Choice for Press Fit Pin Insertion Could Damage Solder Mask
Re-workable Easy to Cause Handling Damage
Difficult to Measure Thickness
We at Bittele offer Immersive Tin as a standard surface finish option, with a standard price, meaning no
additional cost will be applied for selecting this finish.
Pros Cons
RoHS complaint Tarnishes
Planar Silver Whiskering
Fine pitch Some Systems Cannot Throw into Micro-Via
Cost effective Aspect Ratios of > 1:1
Good alternative to ENIG High Friction Coefficient/Not Suited to
High stability Compliant-Pin Insertion (Ni-Au Pins)
We at Bittele offer Immersion Silver as a standard surface finish option, with a standard price, meaning no
additional cost will be applied for selecting this finish.
Considering both price and performance, the following options are suggested for typical projects:
Table 19
HASL LF-HASL OSP ENIG Tin Silver Hard Gold Soft Gold ENEPIG
Deposit Dipped Dipped Dipped Electro- Immersion Immersion Electrolytic Electrolytic Electro-
less/ less/
Immersion Immersion
Cost $ $ $ $$ $$ $$ $$$ $$$ $$
RoHS No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Shelf Life Long Long Medium Long Medium Medium Long Long Long
The solder mask becomes even more essential in the mass assembly of PCBs, where a solder bath is used to tin
each copper pad. During this process, the solder mask acts to ensure that no traces of solder are left in
unintended areas as a result of the solder bath. Such trace amounts of solder could cause a short circuit
between two points on the board which should be unconnected.
Unlike some older solder masks, LPI inks are sensitive to UV light and can be cured after a short “tack cure
cycle”, making use of UV light exposure. This curing process cements the solder mask in place permanently. To
ensure that the LPI mask is cured in the proper locations, negative film stencils of the top and bottom solder
masks are printed using a contact printer and the original Gerber files. The film sheets are printed with black
sections corresponding to any areas of the PCB that are to be left uncoated for soldering, or otherwise free
from the solder mask. The entire PCB is then exposed to a UV light, which causes the solder mask to cure and
harden in any exposed areas, but has no effect on those areas shielded by the black film. After curing is
complete, the uncured mask can be washed off of the film-shielded sections, leaving solder mask in only the
desired areas.
Our high quality solder mask is durable and long lasting. Usually, we consider that a 1um solder mask layer can
withstand 100 VDC. We can ensure the solder mask thickness will be minimum 5um on the conductor corner
and minimum 10um on conductor surface. These thicknesses ensure that for the majority of designs,
breakdown of the solder mask is not an issue.
professional, making them a good choice for fully-developed finished products that will not require much trace
visibility.
Yellow
Yellow solder masks show very high contrast between planes, traces, and empty spaces. In fact, the contract
achieved by the use of a yellow mask is as high as green; however, the colour is unpopular.
Black
Black is a glossy colour that looks good but has almost no contrast between traces, planes and empty space.
Black also absorbs heat, which increases the danger of overheating for sensitive components.
White
White has the lowest contrast and is also the hardest to clean. If possible, we avoid choosing white.
A savvy PCB design engineer should understand the responsibilities of the silkscreen layer, as well as the design
requirements that will allow for a clear and durable silkscreen. It is also useful to become familiar with the
many options in colour and composition for the silkscreen on your PCB project.
This section describes the function and design of the silkscreen layer, and proceeds with a discussion of the
many silkscreen options that Bittele Electronics makes available to our clients.
Other common silkscreen applications are company logos and PCB design serial numbers.
Bittele Electronics is able to print silkscreen layers with a ± 4 mil (0.004 inch) margin of error, and so we
recommend that your silkscreen layers be designed with at least a 4-mil clearance from all component and
board edges. In the case that this margin of error causes silkscreen to be printed over solder-able pads, our
production process will automatically correct the mistake.
Minimum text height refers to the smallest character that a silkscreen printer can produce, in terms of physical
dimensions. We at Bittele can print PCB silkscreen text with a minimum height of 30 mil (0.762mm).
At Bittele Electronics, we offer to apply etchings onto the PCB’s copper layer, but only the ENIG or the HASL
surface finish may be used in this case. Other surface finishes increase the risk of silkscreen discolouration and
pollution of the exposed copper area.
8.2.3 – Logos
At Bittele Electronics, we certainly can print logos on silkscreen layers. However, keep in mind that all parts of
your logo must also adhere to our limits in Minimum Line Width and Minimum Text Height, as outlined in
Sections 8.2.1 and 8.2.2. Your CAD program should allow you to measure line width and text height once your
logo is imported.
8.7 – Serialization
At Bittele Electronics, we are happy to offer silkscreen printing for unique serial numbers on each PCB. If serial
numbers were not included in your original design, we can provide our own unique number on each of your
PCBs, but we cannot guarantee a particular starting point for serial numbers that we supply.
If you choose to use the ODB++ format, the NETLIST file will be contained within your design files, and there is
no need to supply one separately. If you use a different format, such as Gerber RS-274X, then you will need to
supply a separate netlist file in IPC356 format.
9.1.3 – Capabilities
Our testing capabilities are listed below in Table 20:
Table 20
Testing Capabilities
Minimum Continuity Resistance 0.1 Ohms
Maximum Test Voltage 1000 Volts
Maximum Isolated Resistance 25 M Ohm - 2 G Ohm
Electrical Test Pitch (Fixture) 0.020"
Electrical Test Pitch (Flying Probe) 0.004"
At Bittele Electronics, we consider the standard threshold for deciding the electrical test type to be 15
manufacturing panels. We would use Flying Probe if order quantity is less than 15 Manufacturing Panels or if
the PCB order in question has an area smaller than 1 square meter
At Bittele Electronics, we consider the standard threshold for deciding the electrical test type to be 15
manufacturing panels. We may choose Fixture method if the order quantity is greater than 15 Manufacturing
Panels, or if the PCB order in question has an area greater than 1 square meter.
9.4 – Cost
At Bittele Electronics, we perform two different types of electrical testing, and the associated cost differs
between the two. These two types of tests are known as the Fixture method and the Flying Probe method.
The Fixture method, also known as Bed of Nails, requires that a template be created which will then be used
to test each PCB in turn. Building this template, or Fixture, requires time and additional costs for the necessary
materials, but can test large numbers of PCBs very rapidly. At Bittele, we offer a standard test price on the
condition that your design incorporates less than 1,300 test points. In the case that your design boasts over
1300 test points, we will calculate the price depending upon the number of test points required on the fixture.
The Flying Probe method does not require expensive materials for the building of fixtures; instead, a machine
sequentially connects electro-mechanically-controlled probes to individual test points on a PCB. This method
is not well-suited to very high volume orders due to the time required to the probe to learn the testing
sequence, and also to actually move through each board during testing. Since the time required for a Flying
Probe test can vary so widely depending upon the design in questions, our cost for this testing method will be
calculated depending on the PCB’s physical size and layer count.
Bittele Electronics performs 100% electrical testing on all bare PCBs produced at its facilities and this is included
in all quotes unless otherwise specified.
Electrical impedance is the total amount of opposition given to the electrical current flow in an electrical circuit.
Impedance can be calculated using the resistance and reactance of the current in a circuit when a voltage is
applied measured and expressed in ohms. Resistance is the opposition to an electrical current flow present in
all materials. Reactance is the opposition to an electrical current flow from inherent capacitance and
inductance in the electrical circuit interacting with changes in the voltage and current.
Theoretically for an ideal PCB performance situation, all output energy from a component’s output pin would
flow through the connected PCB routing into the load input pin on the other end. However, in reality not all
the energy is absorbed by the load and any leftover energy would be reflected back into the PCB routing,
flowing back toward the output source pin. Reflected energy is a concern for AC (Alternating Current) signals
because reflected energy can cause noise that interfere with the original signal, changing the signal’s
waveform. In a worst cases scenario, reflected energy would affect the signal’s integrity, resulting in
unpredictable PCB behavior. Impedance matching is not as much of a concern for Digital DC (Direct Current)
signals as signals are either high or low and devices’ noise thresholds are usually able to compensate for the
small amount of noise from reflected energy.
Energy being reflected back and forth between the source and the load in a PCB can be avoided by impedance
matching. In theory, matching impedance should ensure all of the energy emitted from the source flows into
the load with little to no reflected energy.
Table 21: Sample Impedance Control Stackup
For a PBC to be considered to have controlled impedance, the
routing of the traces must be designed in such a way that the
impedance matches the specifications. In order to control
impedance in a PCB, both the components and traces of the
board must be matched correctly.
Foil-built PCB consists of one less core layer than core-built PCBS as shown in the stack-up (Table 22) below
with copper foil layers on the outside. Foil-built boards require various types of foils with different copper
weights, however foils are much easier to acquire than different types of cores. Another factor to consider is
that since Foil-built PCBs are covered in copper foil, the designer has more choice in regards to dielectric
thickness for the outer layers due to using prepeg. Using prepreg boards is less expensive compared to cores
especially if the core is 5 Mils or thinner.
A Core-built PCB would have core layers on the outside so there is no need to use copper foil layers. However,
material availability depends on the market so cores with uneven copper weights may be difficult to acquire.
In that case PCB manufacturers need to order cores with higher copper weight then etch down the cores which
is costly since additional labor costs are involved. Using cores with higher copper weight also adds to the
material cost.
Bittele Electronics will provide free impedance calculations for PCB designs upon request. For performing
impedance calculation, we at Bittele use the industry standard Polar Impedance Calculator SI8000 or SI9000.
We enter published prepreg values from datasheets and your specific design parameters onto the Impedance
Calculator to calculate the impedance of PCB design.
achieve your desired impedance, however there may be other factors in your design that affect the stack-up
to consider and balance. Some relationships to consider are listed below.
• The thicker the dielectric thickness is, the higher the impedance value will be.
• The smaller the dielectric constant is, the greater the impedance value will be.
• The thicker the copper weight is, the lower the impedance value will be.
• A thinner impedance trace width means higher impedance value.
• Greater Inductance means higher impedance.
• Greater Capacitance means lower impedance.
For microstrip and stripline transmission lines, the largest factors that affect impedance of a line are the
dielectric constant of the substrate, the thickness of the copper and the width of the line. Our dielectric
constants are listed in Section 3.1 Material Selection & Properties. Please inquire about our available Rogers RF
substrates if desired. Next you may select your desired copper weight. With these two factors chosen, our
impedance calculations can aid you in determining the width of your transmission lines.
Bittele Electronics can use Time Domain Reflectometry (TDR) as a way to test whether impedance in a PCB is
matched or not. However, our factory usually uses a different machine to test. A TDR test is performed by
applying a very fast electrical step signal to the PCB using a controlled impedance cable and probe. The TDR
testing equipment records and graphs the changes in impedance value using the part of the signal which is
reflected back. This graph data shows the impedance values for that PCB or the values simulated by the TDR
test with average, standard deviation, minimum and maximum values.
Bittele Electronics will provide serialized TDR coupons for each batch of PCB free of charge with our impedance
report. If we have a PCB order with 2000 PCBs, of which we build one batch of 1000 pieces first then build the
rest a few days later then we provide two coupons, one for each batch. The TDR coupon for each batch of PCB
are fabricated at the same time as when fabricating the boards. Each coupon is built at the same time as PCB
fabrication to ensure that they match your PCB, this way we provide a TDR coupon to you for impedance testing
of each batch.
11.0 Panelization
Panels consist of multiple circuit board designs combined together in order to form a single large board called
a “panel”. Some designs strive to fit multiple circuit boards onto a single panel, as more circuit boards on one
panel can be more cost efficient. There are two main types of panelization, simple panels (also called arrays),
and complex panels. Simple panels have the same circuit board repeated on one panel while complex panels
are composed of different circuit boards on the same panel.
Panelization is a way to safely manufacture multiple PCBs simultaneously while keeping the PCB’s separation
process afterwards as smooth as possible. In terms of large volume PCB manufacturing, cost will be lower based
on how many boards fit onto a single panel as the process will be more efficient. Higher panelization efficiency
requires carefully setting PCB design sizes for effective panel space usage. For the highest efficiency, circuit
board length and/or width should be integer divisors of default panel size when margin and spacing are taken
into account.
We at Bittele Electronics offer panelization services to clients for PCB fabrication but we do not offer any set
default panel sizes. We only require the PCB design to be panelized to have a circuit board size within a range
of 50mm*50mm to 500*500mm. Bittele primarily produces low and medium volumes of PCB, therefore when
fabricating we typically will automatically adjust for the most appropriate panel size for better material
utilization. With these smaller volumes of PCB fabrication, the cost saving from higher production efficiency is
not significant therefore Bittele does not offer cost saving for using panelization. However, producing multiple
designs simultaneously does save a portion of the shipping costs. You are not required to lay out the panels
yourself as our technicians will do this to optimize our process.
11.1 Fiducials
Fiducial markers, also known simply as fiducials, are marks meant to be seen on images produced by an imaging
system. Fiducials, also known as circuit pattern recognition marks, are a point of reference for SMT placement
equipment to accurately locate and place parts onto the printed circuit boards. By measuring the fiducials
locations relative to the board layout, the machine can compute the how much each part must be moved
relative to the layout to ensure accurate part placement.
We at Bittele can apply these fiducial marks onto our fabricated panelized boards if specified. Multiple fiducial
marks are needed as common measurable points to precisely determine a board's orientation. At least three
fiducial marks placed asymmetrically are needed to allow machines to determine offset of both the X and Y
axis and determine if the PCB has rotated during clamping. If a clamped board has been rotated the SMT
placement machine will automatically rotate parts to match. Additional fiducial marks are required to further
fine-tune the targeting for placement of parts such as ball grid array packages. The lower end boards do not
require as much precision and may only have two fiducials or use screen printed fiducials.
the range of 0.8mm to 4.0mm. For typical tooling holes, Bittele suggests to drill tooling holes at the standard
size of 2.0mm.
11.3 V-Score
Bittele Electronics can apply scores to our fabricated panelized
boards when requested. Scores are essentially V-shaped grooves
made on a panel with multiple boards so the PCBs can be easily
separated. Typically, scores are V-shaped grooves with 1/3rd
removed on top and 1/3rd cut away on the bottom leaving 1/3rd
of the material remaining in the middle to hold the PCBs together
in a panel. For thin panels, thinner than 0.8mm/31mil (down to
min. 0.6mm/24mil) one-sided scoring is recommended. V-scores
must be applied as straight lines onto PCB boards so various
restrictions exist for use. Scores must be straight V-shaped lines
to pre-separate the circuit boards, and are formed with precision
Figure 20: V Score Profile View
cutting tools therefore scores can only be used for square or
rectangular PCBs.
13.1.1 Solder
Solder is a fusible metal alloy that can be melted and used to make electrical connections between electronic
components. Solders can be separated into two main types: lead-free solder which is RoHS compliant, and non-
RoHS compliant leaded solder. Leaded solder alloys commonly used for electrical soldering are 63/37 Sn-Pb
which has the lowest melting point (183 °C or 361 °F) of all the tin-lead alloys. However due to the use of lead
this type of solder is not RoHS compliant.
For the assembly of our turn-key orders, we at Bittele use lead-free solder that fully complies to RoHS
guidelines. Our solder used contains only Tin (Sn), Silver (Ag) and Copper (Cu) as raw materials. Various lead-
free solders were developed to provide RoHS compliant solder that can be used for commercial PCB assembly.
Currently the most popular commercial lead-free solder is an alloy of Tin-Silver-Copper due its reduced melting
point of 217 ˚C.
Pitch is the distance between SMD pads measured center to center. At Bittele the smallest component size we
can place is 0201 imperial (0603 metric) as our component pads cannot have a finer pitch than 0.2mm (8mil)
to prevent shorts in the soldering stage. Moreover, your component outlines and pads should also have a
clearance of at minimum 0.2mm (8mil) between components and we recommend more if possible. Fine pitch
assembly requires stricter tolerances and more precise manufacturing thus we charge additional cost for
component assembly with pitches of 0.5mm (20mil) or less. Another cost consideration is placing components
on both sides of the board. While we are fully capable of two-sided assembly, the extra step adds extra cost,
therefore should only be designed when necessary.
For assembly service please ensure you include a “pick and place” file with your order as described in Section
2.5 Centroid File / Pick and Place File as well as a Bill of Materials as described in Section 2.6 Assembly Bill of
Materials (BOM).
At Bittele Electronics AOI is one tool we use to provide the best product quality to our turn-key customers. We
do not conduct AOI on bare PCBs as our other testing methods are effective and AOI is generally more used for
component related issues. Due to the added labor of setting up the AOI equipment, it is more economical for
our clients if we conduct this type of inspection on larger (>=50 pcs) or complex orders (>=50 components). All
of our work is visually inspected by our quality assurance technicians. There is no additional cost when AOI is
used, as it is included in our standard assembly services.
Functional testers typically work on a computer that runs advanced testing software, which in turn operates
the various testing instruments such as digital multimeters, input/output PCBs, and communication ports. The
FCT procedure determines whether boards pass or fail based on whether or not the test results satisfy a set of
predefined requirements. Often, the FCT procedure includes multiple cycles of testing, each with different
loading conditions or operating modes, according to the specific function of the PCB under test.
At Bittele Electronics, we offer Functional Testing (FCT) in addition to our turn-key assembly services. If you
desire FCT for your project, we simply ask that you specify detailed instructions for the FCT of your particular
PCB. Of course, we at Bittele are happy to assist you in developing a proper FCT procedure if you are unsure.
Our functional testing engineer will preview your requirements, such as test scope and test instruction, design
the test jig if necessary, set up the instruments, and prepare the test report form and design testing workflow.
At Bittele Electronics, we maintain state-of-the-art functional test equipment, such as adjustable DC power
supplies, a 200MHz digital oscilloscope, a signal generator, an LRC multi-meter, and a universal programmer.
In the case that a board does not pass FCT, a troubleshooting program will be launched to find the root cause
of the failure. A Design for Assembly (DFA) form will be issued by our process engineer, and an 8D quality
assurance report will be created by our quality engineer. This DFA report will be sent to the customer as a
design reference, and another as a sample in our quality improvement guideline.
If you have any further questions about your order please consult our sales team during the quotation stage
of your order. Design issues that arise during production may delay your order.
Thank you for working with Bittele Electronics to make your project a success!