THE COMPANION GUIDE TO...

DFM Essentials
Tips for Designing for Manufacturing

LINKS TO TOPICS
» Manufacturing Data
» Fabrication Notes
» Specifications/Tests/Certifications
» Dielectric Materials and Specifications
» Layer Stackup Example
» Controlled Impedance
» Solder Mask Materials
» Surface Finishes
» Special Requirements
» Top CAM Issues
» PCB Data Checklist

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Manufacturing Data
There are many common data formats in use, depending on
the design provider’s software and preferences. PCB fabricators
need to be able to work with all of the formats. However, the
one that is overwhelmingly preferred is ODB++ because it is the
purest format between the designer and the fabricator.

Supported Formats
• ODB++ (preferred)

• Gerber 274X (preferred)

• Gerber 274 with aperture list

• IPC-2581

• DXF and DWG

• Adobe PDF

• 3D model files

• Excellon drill data

• Gerber drill data

• IPC-D-356A

• Design data

• SolidWorks

• Mentor-neutral file

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Fabrication Notes
Fabrication notes can be included in any of the drawing media, includ-
ing Paper Prints, Gerber, HPGL, PDF, Film Plot, and AutoCAD.

Note: The “drawing” can consist of a “drilling drawing” and detailed “read-
me” file.

The drawing/data package should include:

• Profile dimensions and tolerance for the board (schematic)

• A hole-to-board edge dimension in 2 axes

• List of finished hole sizes and hole size tolerance

• Fabrication notes

• Applicable acceptability specifications, as required

• Material type, thickness, and finished copper weight

• Layer stackup

• Impedance requirements

• Solder mask color, type, and number of sides

• Surface finish: HASL, LF-HASL, electroless nickel/gold, silver, etc.

• Special requirements

Fabrication Notes—Schematic
A PCB fabrication schematic (often called a PCB fabrication drawing) is a
detailed document that provides all the necessary information required
by a PCB manufacturer to fabricate the board. It outlines the physical
characteristics, materials, layer stackup, and other specifications need-
ed for production. This schematic differs from the electrical schematic,
which focuses on the functional connections between components.

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Fabrication Notes—Drill Chart and Drawing Title Block

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The Drill Chart identifies all the needed drilled hole information and
assigns a unique symbol for each size that correlates with the Drill Draw-
ing. The Title Block provides part identifiers like name/part number,
revision, general tolerances, and other general information.

Fabrication
Notes—
Drill Drawing
The Drill Drawing
provides the X-Y
location of each
drilled hole, us-
ing the symbols
from the Drill
Chart. This data
is typically found
in an electronic
CAM drill file
contained in the
data package.

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Fabrication Notes—General
Fabrication Notes provide critical information about the PCB-like
material type, specifications, IPC Class, solder mask and legend, surface
finish, and other critical fabrication data.

Notes:
1. Fabricate per IPC-6012A Class 2 specifications
2. Overall finished thickness shall be 62 mils, +/-5%
3. Surface finish with electroless nickel/immersion gold (ENIG)
per IPC-4552
4. Solder mask on both sides shall be LPI, matte black
5. Silkscreen shall be applied to stackup using white non-
conductive epoxy ink
6. Minimum trace width and spacing dimensions are 6 mil/6 mil,
+/-1 mil
7. Plated through-hole minimum wall thickness of 1 mil
8. All holes to be drilled within +/- 3 mils from center of pad
9. Front-to-back registration max. tolerance of +/- 3 mils
10. All vias shall be tented on both sides
11. Vias in pad shall be filled with non-conductive epoxy and
surface should be flat. +0 mil, -1 mil tolerance on both sides
12. Fabrication shall follow ROHS guidelines
13. Bow and twist shall not exceed .7% as per IPC-TM-650

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Specifications/Tests/Certifications
The fabricator must understand which class and specification the board
needs to be built to, as well as the required deliverables to be sent with
the PCBs.
Table 1: Supplied Information on Drawing

Dielectric Materials and Specifications

The specification of raw material to be used to manufacture a board is
one of the more critical decisions that need to be made and communi-
cated to the fabricator. The choice of materials is vast, and close collab-
oration with the fabricator is required to ensure the proper material set
is used for any specific application. In some cases, a particular material
manufacturer and type may need to be specified to meet design re-
quirements. We have published an extensive laminate selector guide.

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Material Brand and Type Examples
• DuPont flex materials
• EMC 827, EMC371Z
• Isola 185HR, 370HR, 408HR, I-Tera MT40
• Nelco 4000-29, -13, -13SI, -13EP
• Panasonic
• Ventec VT47
• Aluminum-clad materials
• Metal back, metal core and chassis
• Polyimide
• RF microwave laminates
• Thermally conductive substrates

Whenever possible, it is more cost-effective to specify the performance

requirements of the material, not the specific manufacturer and type.
This gives the fabricator greater flexibility to use their standard material
sets.
List material requirements, but not specific brands:
• Tg—The glass transition temperature of the material
• Td—The decomposition temperature of the material
• IPC 4101 slash sheet—defines other material requirements
• IPC 4101/126 (Standard FR4)
• IPC 4101/41 (Polyimide)
• Er or Dk—Dielectric constant applicable to impedance control
• UL minimum requirements. What is the flame rating?
• 94-V0 - Best
• 94-V1 – Good
• 94-V2 - Drips
• UL material only or fabricator-certified

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Specify the tolerances of each element:
• Minimum dielectric thickness (when required)

• Number of material plies (when required)

• Thickness range for each dielectric and overall

(when required)
• Plating thickness requirements

Layer Stackup Example

A PCB layer stackup refers to the material construction of the PCB, in-
cluding core dielectrics, prepreg dielectrics, and copper weights. Many
factors need to be considered when developing a stackup, including
overall thickness restrictions, circuit width and spacing, and impedance
values required.
Required Information
• List all layers
• List makeup for each section
• Specify copper weights
» Finished copper on plated layers, including
blind/buried layers
• Estimate thicknesses
• Total thickness

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Controlled Impedance
PCBs that contain controlled impedance lines require specific construc-
tions and tighter manufacturing process controls. The fabricator needs
to tailor the construction for PCBs requiring impedance to precisely
match the required nominal impedance values. The fabrication drawing
should specify the required nominal impedance and tolerance and the
fabricator will create a construction to meet the intended design imped-
ance requirements.

• Impedance specification and signal validation

• Coupon design and verification

• Dielectric control and reference stack

• Impedance line widths

• Impedance layers with corresponding reference layers

• Ohm requirements and tolerances

How Is Impedance
Calculated?
There are many calculators
on the market today. Before
creating your stackup request,
consider the impedance and
routing solvability.
It’s highly encouraged that you
work with your fabricator from
the beginning. Submit your
stackup request. Let them pro-
vide the actual build stackup
based on their impedance
modeling.

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Solder Mask Materials
Solder mask is a protective coating that shields selected areas of a PCB
from oxidation, handling, and unwanted solder during assembly. It
comes in a variety of colors, finishes, types, and application methods.
• Solder mask industry standard: IPC-SM-840
• Specify the brand, type, color, and finish (as applicable)

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Surface Finishes
Final finishes provide a surface for the component assembler to either
solder, wire bond, or conductively attach a component pad or lead to a
pad, hole, or area of a PCB. Another use for a final finish is to provide a
known contact resistance and life cycle for connectors, keys, or switches.
The primary purpose of a final finish is to create electrical and thermal
continuity with the PCB’s surface.

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Special Requirements
• Etch back if needed

• Via fill if needed

» Conductive vs. non-conductive

• Back-drilled holes

• Laser-drilled holes
• Blind or buried vias

• Beveled finger locations

• Pockets or cavities

• Multiple surface finishes

• Specific line width tolerances

One of the greatest challenges that PCB designers face is a lack of
understanding of the cost drivers in the manufacturing process. Gain-
ing insight into these cost factors—and engaging early with your
fabricator—are essential steps toward achieving a cost-effective, suc-
cessful design. A strong starting point is to follow your fabricator’s
design-for-manufacturing (DFM) guidelines closely.

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Manufacturing Data
• ODB++
• Gerber 274X

Dimensions/Tolerances
• Printed circuit board
• Array
• Drill chart & tolerances

Specifications/Tests/Certifications
• IPC specification

Dielectric Materials and Specifications

• Type
• Copper weight and plating

Reference Stackup
• Layers
• Copper weights
• Thickness

Impedance Requirements
• Ohms with tolerances

Solder Mask
• Color
• Finish (matte, glossy, semi)

Surface Finish
Special Requirements
• Via fill

• Back-drilled holes

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Top CAM Issues
CAD Data Common Problems—General
• Provided Netlist

» Doesn’t match Netlist extracted from data (can often be

fixed by discussing output options with fab house)

• Array Requirements

» Little or insufficient information provided regarding

scoring/breakaway holes/tabs (time lost going back
and forth)
• No PCB or array outline provided electronically
• Data with mixed fill, scratch/paint (positive, negative data)
• Converting and modifying data so that a usable netlist and
manufacturing modifications can easily be done
• Contract manufacturer notes conflict with OEM notes
• Fab drawings with missing dimensions

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Drawn Data
Copper poured or filled areas with lines sometimes as small as 1 mil
makes editing very difficult and that particular data file extremely large.
Unnecessary CAM “busy work” by the fabricator increases cost and adds
time in engineering.

Hanging Traces
Intentionally left hanging traces not mentioned on the Fab drawing or
in a Readme file can result in EMI interference, unnecessary parasitic ca-
pacitance/inductance, and thermal issues. The fabricator does not know
if this is intentional or a design error.

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Touching or Overlapping
Holes
Touching or overlapping holes
refer to situations where two
or more drilled holes (vias,
mounting holes, or component
holes) overlap or are placed too
close together. This can result in
manufacturing challenges and
mechanical integrity issues for
the PCB. The fabricator does not
know if this is intentional or a
design error.

Legend/Silkscreen on Pads
Silkscreen on pads can cause a
variety of problems, such as sol-
derability, contamination, solder
bridging, legibility, surface finish
compatibility, adhesion, and
assembly heat-related issues.

Non-plated Hole to
Trace
Maintaining proper
clearance between these
holes and nearby traces is
critical to avoid potential
issues in manufacturing
and assembly depending
on what is going in the
hole (component, mount-
ing screw, etc.).

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Pad-to-trace Spacing
Pad-to-trace spacing violations
in a PCB design refer to instances
where the distance between a
pad (the area where compo-
nents or vias are soldered) and
a nearby trace (the copper path
that carries signals between
pads) is too small. This violation
can lead to various issues during
manufacturing or operation,
such as short circuits, signal
interference, or failure to meet
manufacturing requirements.

CAD Data Image (Annular

Ring Violation)
Annular ring refers to the ring of
copper around the drilled hole
(via or pad). It’s the difference
between the radius of the pad
and the radius of the drilled hole.
An annular ring violation occurs
when this copper ring becomes
too thin or is missing altogeth-
er, which can lead to reliability
issues like poor electrical connec-
tions or mechanical failures.

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Getting Accurate Quotes
The quality and completeness of the information we receive can vary
significantly. Sometimes, we are provided with a full data package; other
times, we receive partial drawings or even verbal descriptions. Since
PCB fabrication is a build-to-print process, incomplete information often
results in longer quotation times and frustration for both parties. There-
fore, having a complete data package is essential. Key components of
this data package include:

Gerber Files
• All layers, including circuitry, solder mask, silkscreen, accurate
outline showing all mechanical features such as slots on a
single layer

Fab drawings with stackup, drill table, surface finish, and plating requirements.
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About ASC
In the world of DFM, American Standard Circuits and ASC Sunstone Circuits
come together as a unified PCB manufacturing powerhouse with over 50 years
of combined experience. As a cohesive company, they offer a comprehensive
range of solutions and excel in producing Ultra HDI, rigid, metal-backed, RF/
microwave, flex, and rigid-flex PCBs for various industries.

Their commitment to excellence is reflected in their impressive certifications

and advanced technology expertise. They prioritize unparalleled customer
support, ensuring that clients’ needs are met with precision and care.

This strategic alliance represents their dedication to delivering exceptional

products and simplifying the PCB procurement process. By merging their
strengths, they set a groundbreaking standard in PCB manufacturing,
providing engineers with the ultimate PCB solution for everything from
design and prototypes to large-scale production, all based on the principles
of Design for Manufacturability.

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