january 2016 - pcb cavities have played a large role in making electronic products get smaller. cavity pcb's have structural recesses which enable additional functions compared to what a standard pcb can do. the main drivers for cavities are thermal management and the miniaturization of electronic devices! the end customer is looking for an overall smaller product, therefore we are having more and more customers approach us looking for the cavity pcb technology.

cavities allow for the position of electronic components such as capacitors, transistors and logic modules, giving the assembled pcb a thinner overall structure. the process can be applied to multilayer pcb ́s and allows for different variations and layouts with several cavities and different depths if desired on a single circuit board.

there are various ways the pcb manufacturers create cavities on pcbs. the majority of the cavity boards are made using a controlled depth routing process done with special routing machines. the cavities are plated if the design calls for it. another way to produce cavities is with sequential lamination using low-flow or no-flow prepregs.

the third method is laser cavities. laser cavities are formed using a laser. laser cavities are a new technology for creating the smallest and finest deep milling grooves with the use of a laser. applications that use to be impossible to produce are now possible. laser cavities that are structured at the base, in particular, offer new possibilities for integrating flip chips into circuit boards.