Let's get small: the latest craze: putting actives inside multilayer boards. (The Flex Market).

FOR CONSUMER MANUFACTURERS Christmas was a disappointment. Japan's December PCB revenue--52 billion yen--was the lowest since January 1996. The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry  changed its data collection method for rigid multilayers last year, so the exact figure is not known but the trendline is headed down. Single-sided boards declined 8% from a year ago; double-sided was flat. Japanese manufacturers are losing business to aggressive Taiwanese competitors. Concern over market demand this year is high.

Flex circuits are the exception, having rebounded remarkably last year. Flex revenue grew 39% over 2001, and finished near 2000's peak. But production volume increased only 24%, signaling a shift to high-margin products. New-generation cellphones and digital cameras consume more flex circuits. The monthly trend shows some slowing this year, but it remains a seller's market.

At InterNepcon most major flex circuit manufacturers had booths, as did many new ones. High-density flexible circuits and multilayer rigid-flex for portable equipment such as cellphones and digital cameras was the talk of the show. Building 25 [micro]m lines/spaces for single-side circuits seems the norm. Thirty micron pitch double-sided circuits for next-gen portable products will be ready for volume production in 12 to 15 months. Nippon Mektron displayed 3 [micro]m lines/spaces. Fujikura introduced an extremely high aspect ratio for microvias for wafer level packaging.

Nippon Steel Chemical, a leading material vendor, showed many new versions of adhesiveless laminate and new manufacturing lines, to solve the shortages. Second-tier manufacturers had new materials too. Ube Industries  introduced two types of adhesiveless laminate. PI Laboratory introduced one. LCP-based flexible circuits are also a hot topic. Japan Gore-Tex and Nippon Steel Chemical introduced LCP laminates and Mektron and Yamaichi displayed flex for high-speed applications.

Many new PCB technologies were unveiled as well. Denso, Casio, CMK, Matsushita and others are embedding components--passives and actives--inside multilayer boards. The new concepts are more practical than conventional methods, the manufacturers insist. Their applicability and flexibility could be higher, and total costs (including components) lower, than embedded passive technology. Volume production will start soon.

High density and high speed were other talking points. Some spoke of building of 25 to 30 [micro]m line and space traces. Material vendors and fabricators also offered 30 to 50 [micro]m pitch (vs. line and space) technologies.

Several fabricators promoted high-frequency technology using low-loss LCP resin for dielectric layers. Denso showed multilayer rigid boards, and Mektron and Yamaichi displayed several flex circuits using these resins. They said volume production will start soon.

Briefs

PCB material vendor and flex circuit maker Sumitomo Bakelite Group developed a high-speed, high-density PCB using a dry manufacturing process. A low (2.7) Dk material was introduced.

Toppan Print developed a high-aspect-ratio etching technology capable of 35 [micro]m line/space traces on 35 [micro]m-thick copper foils.

Tawianese EMS maker Portwell has begun lead-free soldering operations. Fuji Electric developed a low-melting (140[degrees]C) lead-free solder.

DT Circuits is considering volume production of B2it multilayer boards in China. MEC will build a second plant in China this summer. Uniden will move its Philippines manufacturing work to China.

Oki Electric will invest 100 million yen in manufacturing capacity of chip-on-flex modules for LCD drivers.

Zuken and SII formed a technical alliance to provide PCB EDA. Zuken and Oki Electric will cooperate on a comprehensive component search service (COIN Serv Net).

Flex maker Mikawa Seiki went bankrupt and will close its plants in Japan and Malaysia.

Matsushita and Fujitsu will codevelop a multilayer PCB construction using Matsushita's ALIHV and Fujitsu's MV Technology, for telecom and packaging.

Murata developed a thin-dielectric chip capacitance series said to offer 22 microfarads in an EIAJ-sized 2012 package and 10 microfarads in a 1608 sized-package.

Toppan NEC Circuit Solutions developed a buildup technology for ultra-thin boards for IC packages. The board is 0.06 mm thick for two conductor layers with 30 [micro]m lines and spaces.

Tokyo University developed a copper through-via hole technology for system in package.

Shinko Seisakusho has a new build-up manufacturing process, "Addplap," for high-density multilayer boards using CSPs, BGAs and MCMs.

Mitsubishi Gas Chemical developed Cerajin, a ceramic-based PCB material with organic resin.

Nippon Mektron introduced an all-LCP multilayer flex circuit for high-speed applications.

DOMINIQUE NUMAKURA is managing director of DKN Research (Haverhill, MA) and publisher of Electronic Packaging Technologies. He can be reached at [e-mail].