RAYMING PCB & ASSEMBLY

What is the inner layer of a PCB?

The printed circuit board (PCB) is the foundation of all modern electronics. It

provides the physical structure and electrical connections between

components in an electronic device. A multi-layer PCB consists of alternate

conducting and insulating layers laminated together to form the final board.

The inner layers refer specifically to the conductive copper layers embedded in

between the top and bottom outer layers of the PCB.

The Role of Inner Layers

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The inner layers serve several key functions:

Power Distribution

The inner layers are typically dedicated for distributing power across the PCB.

They contain large copper fill areas and thick power traces to handle the

required current levels. Different voltage levels (e.g. 3.3V, 5V) are often routed

on separate inner layers to prevent noise coupling.

Signal Routing

In complex and dense PCB designs, the outer layers may run out of space for

routing signals between components. The inner layers provide additional real

estate for tracing out high-speed signals and ensuring controlled impedance

paths.

Shielding and Noise Isolation

The reference planes formed by large copper regions on inner layers help

isolate signals from external EMI/RFI noise sources. They also prevent coupling

between signals on different layers. Adding more layers increases shielding

and improves signal integrity.

Heat Conduction

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The copper inner layers conduct heat generated by components mounted on

the PCB to the edges of the board. More inner layers improves thermal

performance by reducing the thermal resistance.

Inner Layer Stackup

The arrangement of dielectric and copper layers is optimized based on

electrical, thermal, and mechanical considerations. Here are some common

PCB layer stackups:

4-Layer Board

Top Layer (Signal)

Dielectric 1

Power Plane (VCC)

Dielectric 2

Ground Plane (GND)

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Dielectric 3

Bottom Layer (Signal)

This configuration has a power distribution layer and a ground reference layer

embedded between the outer signal layers.

6-Layer Board

Top Layer (Signal)

Dielectric 1

Power Plane 1 (VCC)

Dielectric 2

Ground Plane 1 (GND)

Dielectric 3

Power Plane 2 (VCC)

Dielectric 4

Ground Plane 2 (GND)

Dielectric 5

Bottom Layer (Signal)

The extra two planes provide additional power distribution and noise isolation.

Differential signaling pairs can also be routed between the two ground planes.

8-Layer Board

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Top Layer (Signal)

Dielectric 1

Ground Plane 1 (GND)

Dielectric 2

Signal 1

Dielectric 3

Power Plane 1 (VCC)

Dielectric 4

Signal 2

Dielectric 5

Ground Plane 2 (GND)

Dielectric 6

Bottom Layer (Signal)

Here the two inner signal layers are used for routing high-speed or

noise-sensitive traces, shielded by the reference planes above and below.

Inner Layer Materials

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The conducting layers are made of electrodeposited copper foil. The dielectric

layers are typically FR-4 glass epoxy resin, but advanced boards may use exotic

materials for better performance:

Copper Foil

 Thickness - Typically 1oz (35μm) or 0.5oz (18μm). Thicker copper carries more current.
 Profile - Very Flat Foil (VFF) preferred for fine line etching. Reverse Treat Foil (RTF) easier
for drilling vias.
 Electrodeposited preferred over rolled copper for purity.

Dielectric Materials

 FR-4 Glass Epoxy - Standard material, cost effective. Prone to thermal stress.
 Getek - Modified FR-4 with improved thermal properties.
 Isola - High performance FR-4 replacement. Lower loss, stable dielectric constant.
 Polyimide - Extremely high frequency, low loss. Very expensive.
 PTFE Glass - Extremely low dielectric constant. Costly.

Quality Control

Manufacturing high layer-count PCBs with consistent reliability requires careful

process control:

Layer Registration

Aligning multiple layers accurately is critical. Registration errors lead to opens

or shorts between copper features. Advanced laserdirect imaging (LDI)

machines achieve extremely precise layer-to-layer registration.

Lamination Pressure

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Applying pressure evenly across the stackup during the lamination process

ensures there are no air gaps or resin-starved areas within the dielectrics. This

prevents electrical shorts between layers and avoids weaknesses that can crack

under thermal cycling stress.

Via Tenting

The drilling and plating process must completely seal the annular rings around

via barrels on inner layers to prevent migration between layers. Improper

tenting leads to shorts and reliability issues.

Copper Plating Quality

The copper must fully plate the micron-scale traces and gaps without voids.

High current density copper plating profiles ensure complete, void-free copper

fill.

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Design Rules for Inner Layers

To aid manufacturability, designers follow constraints called design rules while

laying out inner layers:

Trace Width/Spacing

The minimum trace width and clearance between copper features depends on

fabrication capabilities. Common rules are 8 mil trace/space for outer layers, 5

mil trace/space for inner layers.

Via Annular Rings

A clearance band must be maintained from the via barrel to adjacent copper to

ensure the plating seals to the inner layer pad. Typical annular ring rules are 8

mil pad size on outer layers, 6 mil pad size on inner layers.

Anti-pads

Clearance must be maintained between vias and adjacent traces or planes to

prevent shorting. Typical anti-pad dimensions are 10 mil.

Plane Relief

Islands must be maintained around vias traversing reference planes to break

up eddy current loops. Typical thermal relief connections are 7-8 mil.

Key Takeaways
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 Inner conductive layers serve critical functions like power distribution, signal routing,
shielding and heat conduction.
 Layer stackup arrangements optimize electrical, thermal and mechanical performance.
 Precise registration and bonding avoids reliability issues like layer-to-layer shorts.
 Design rules on trace spacing, vias, and planes ensure manufacturability.

Careful engineering of the materials, stackup, processes and design rules

enables manufacturing dense, high-speed PCBs.

Frequently Asked Questions

What determines the number of layers in a PCB?

The layer count depends on the complexity and routing density requirements

of the electronics circuits as well as electrical performance needs. Denser,

higher frequency designs require additional layers for breakout routing and

shielding. Cost, fabrication capability and overall thickness also factor in.

Why are some inner layer dielectrics different colored?

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Some fabricators use dielectric materials with different colors (e.g. blue, red,

green) on inner layers. This aids in visual tracing of layers during stackup

preparation, lamination, and debugging shorts between layers.

Can there be multiple VCC or GND planes on inner layers?

Yes, splitting power and ground into multiple reference planes reduces

impedance at higher frequencies. Separate analog and digital power planes

also help avoid coupling noise between circuits. Differential pair routing

benefits from closely spaced reference planes.

What is the maximum number of layers in multilayer PCBs?

Theoretically there is no limit, but cost, yield and reliability drop significantly

beyond 16-20 layers. High density interconnect (HDI) PCBs used in advanced

electronics can have over 20 layers, some reportedly going up to 70!

Why are some inner layer dielectrics very expensive?

Exotic materials like polyimides and PTFE-based substrates provide extreme

benefits like lower signal losses at high frequencies, very tight impedance

tolerances, and stability across temperature swings. But these come at much

higher cost compared to standard FR-4.

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