Customers today continue to demand electronics that are more compact, faster, and lighter while also being affordable. With this incredible list of demands, developers have increasingly turned to more microvia to accommodate the high input/output density required of the more advanced printed circuit boards (PCBs). As these devices and components have become more sophisticated, the technology has evolved from single-level to stacked microvias to better accommodate the ever increasing density of the other components. Visit http://4pcb.com

1. The Reliability of Microvia
Customers today continue to demand electronics that are more compact, faster, and lighter
while also being affordable. With this incredible list of demands, developers have increasingly
turned to more microvia to accommodate the high input/output density required of the more
advanced printed circuit boards (PCBs). As these devices and components have become more
sophisticated, the technology has evolved from single-level to stacked microvias to better
accommodate the ever increasing density of the other components.
While these parts can be made and filled with a variety of different types of processes and
materials, the most important step in the development process is determining its reliability.
Developers must ensure that the microvia are capable of protecting other components and
keeping the PCB functioning at the high level that is required.
Factors that impact microvias
The reliability of microvia will be impacted by a number of different factors, including the
 the parameters in place for processing
 the properties of the dielectric materials
 the geometry of the board and the microvia
Generally, when researchers want to determine how reliable the microvia is, they look at the
stress and fatigue on the system, how long it takes for cracks to develop, and any interfacial
separation. These factors will all give a strong indication that the microvia has begun to fail. This
information can be used by researchers to improve the designs of the system and better
understand how long systems should last when they are built using specific guidelines.
What research has revealed about microvia reliability
The vast majority of the studies conducted on microvia currently were conducted on single stack
microvia. One study found that the most important variable in the how reliable the microvia
would be was the strain concentration, following by the ductility factor and how thick the

2. metallization was in the component. Another study found that microvia that have been filled
have a lower stress than those that have not been filled.
There has been some research on stacked microvia. One study, for example, found that single
and 2-level stacked microvias lasted longer than those that were 3 and 4 levels.
As the technology contained in PCBs continues to advance and offer the potential for greater
speed and smaller forms, the reliability of microvias will become critical. Those interested in this
technology should understand the research that has been done to better understand the
direction that the profess needs to go.