If we take ourselves a few years back, we’d hear again about many electronic devices shutting down because of overheating. In some cases, they even explode if the trapped temperature continues to swell in the engine.
Even today, there are still many devices that fail due to excessive temperature despite having built-in thermal control systems. But it’s a different story for gadgets with microvias, particularly compact devices.
Learn more about this component and how it assists in thermal management solutions:
The Challenge of Heat Dissipation in Compact Devices
There’s no one-size-fits-all-all in PCB assembly, especially when it comes to thermal management solutions. Every miniaturized electronics may have a unique structure, so designers must conduct an accurate analysis of the PCB to avoid overheating.
Moreover, PCBAs continuously decrease in size to meet the market’s demands. With more parts being fitted into smaller spaces, the high-powered components generate more heat. Manufacturers of mass-produced electronics use many thermal management techniques. However, nothing does heat dissipation better than the use of microvias.
What Are Microvias?
From its name, microvias are minuscule through-holes or interconnections found in PCBs. Their sizes are about 0.1-0.3mm in diameter. Compared to traditional vias, which range from about 7 to 10 mil, microvias are at a microscopic tier.
In today’s tech, microvias are essential components in creating HDI PCBs. These are compact, highly efficient printed circuit boards present in modern inventions like autonomous vehicles, advanced military equipment, 4G/5G network communications, etc.
Because of their tiny nature, they allow a higher number of interconnections in space-constrained environments. Although designing electronics with microvias is more complex compared with traditional vias, they reduce the use of materials like copper and manufacturing costs in a larger scale.
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How Microvias Enhance Thermal Management
The microscopic size of microvias allows more connection of multiple layers in a high-density interconnect structure. This disposition creates efficient thermal pathways that lead to dedicated heat sinks. Moreover, microvias distributes heat effectively and away from critical areas of the HDI PCB, reducing hotspots.
The enhanced dissipation prevents overheating in many HDI PCB devices, which explains their longer life expectancy, lesser power failures, and high performance.
Future Trends in Microvia Technology for Thermal Management
It’s no longer surprising that leading manufacturers will continue to use microvias to create more advanced PCBs. Thus, the market can expect further miniaturization and high performance on electronic devices without worrying about overheating. Microvia placement may also be more prevalent in IoT, 5G, and wearable tech, so solving the big thermal management issue of the past makes our future tech brighter yet cooler.
