What Are the New Technologies in the PCB Field?

November 19 2025

Material Technol

High-Frequency Low-Loss Materials: To meet the demands of high-frequency and high-speed scenarios such as 5G and 6G communication, high-frequency materials like Rogers RO4350B have emerged. These materials feature high dielectric constant (Dk) stability and low dissipation factor (Df), effectively reducing signal transmission loss. Furthermore, some manufacturers are developing programmable substrates based on liquid crystal materials, which allow for dynamic adjustment of the Dk value via an external electric field to adapt to different frequency band requirements.

Flexible and Stretchable Materials: Polyimide (PI) remains the mainstream flexible substrate material. Novel "PI + nanofiber" composite substrates offer greater flexibility, can be as thin as 25μm, withstand 180-degree folding, and exhibit a resistance change rate of less than 5% after 100,000 repeated bending cycles. Simultaneously, new conductive materials such as "silver nanowire + elastomer" composites are gradually being adopted; these materials maintain conductivity even when stretched by 30%, with a resistance change of less than 10%.

High-Performance Copper Clad Laminate Materials: To meet the requirements for 224G high-speed transmission, advanced materials like M9/PTFE resin, HVLP copper foil, and low-loss quartz fabric have become focal points in the industry. The low Df/Dk characteristics of these materials significantly reduce signal transmission loss, thereby enhancing PCB performance.

Manufacturing Process Technology

Laser Processing Technology: This includes laser micro-etching and laser direct imaging. Laser micro-etching utilizes ultraviolet laser etching systems to control circuit edge roughness at Ra < 0.5μm, enabling finer line width/spacing processing. Laser direct imaging achieves a positioning accuracy of ±2μm, resulting in interlayer alignment errors of less than 5μm in multilayer boards, which improves the manufacturing yield of high-density circuit boards like HDI boards.

mSAP/SAP Process: This process can push line width/spacing below 10 micrometers, providing technical support for high-density interconnects and helping to meet the demands of miniaturized, high-performance electronic devices for PCBs.

Roll-to-Roll Printing Process: This process is used for the mass production of flexible PCBs. Similar to newspaper printing, the flexible substrate is rolled into a cylinder and continuously processed through multiple printing steps, capable of processing 100 meters of flexible PCB per hour. The cost is only one-third of traditional processes, and the mass production yield has reached 92%.

3D Assembly Process: Utilizing "shape memory polymer" substrates, which automatically fold into a preset shape when heated to 60°C. Circuits employ "serpentine routing" at the folds to buffer stress and ensure electrical continuity, enabling the assembly of three-dimensional structures for flexible electronics.