Several material options can be used to customize 12-layer PCB boards. These include different kinds of conductive materials, adhesives, coating materials, and so on. When specifying material specifications for 12-layer PCBs, you may find that your manufacturer uses many technical terms. You must be able to understand commonly used terminology to simplify communication between you and the manufacturer.

This article provides a brief description of the terms commonly used by PCB manufacturers.

When specifying the material requirements for a 12-layer PCB, you may find it difficult to understand the following terms.

The base material-is the insulating material on which the desired conductive pattern is created. It can be rigid or flexible; the choice must depend on the nature of the application, the manufacturing process and the application area.

Cover layer-This is the insulating material applied on the conductive pattern. Good insulation performance can protect the circuit in extreme environments while providing comprehensive electrical insulation.

Reinforced adhesive-the mechanical properties of the adhesive can be improved by adding glass fiber. Adhesives with glass fiber added are called reinforced adhesives.

Adhesive-free materials-Generally, adhesive-free materials are made by flowing thermal polyimide (the commonly used polyimide is Kapton) between two layers of copper. Polyimide is used as an adhesive, eliminating the need to use an adhesive such as epoxy or acrylic.

Liquid photoimageable solder resist-Compared with dry film solder resist, LPSM is an accurate and versatile method. This technique was chosen to apply a thin and uniform solder mask. Here, photographic imaging technology is used to spray solder resist on the board.

Curing-This is the process of applying heat and pressure on the laminate. This is done to generate keys.

Cladding or cladding-a thin layer or sheet of copper foil bonded to the cladding. This component can be used as a basic material for PCB.

The above technical terms will help you when specifying the requirements for a 12-layer rigid PCB. However, these are not a complete list. PCB manufacturers use several other terms when communicating with customers. If you have difficulty understanding any terminology during the conversation, please feel free to contact the manufacturer.