(FPC’s are custom-made products. The picture and parameters shown are for reference only.)

This microwave amplifier application utilizes a 0.15mm thick single-layer flexible circuit constructed on Shengyi PET substrate. Manufactured to IPC 6012 Class 2 standards using customer-provided Gerber data, the design incorporates polyimide stiffener reinforcement at the insertion interface for enhanced mechanical durability.

Features and Benefits

1. Excellent flexibility

2. Reducing the volume

3. Weight reduction

4. Consistency of assembly

5. Increased reliability

6. Low cost

7. Continuity of processing

8. The end can be whole soldered

9. No minimum order quantity and low cost sample.

10. Meeting your printed circuit board needs from PCB prototyping to mass volume production.

Flexible circuit boards can be categorized into two types based on the composition of the base material and copper foil: adhesive-based flexible PCBs and adhesive-less flexible PCBs. Adhesive-less flexible PCBs are significantly more expensive than their adhesive-based counterparts, but they offer superior flexibility, stronger bonding between the copper foil and substrate, and better solder pad flatness. As a result, they are typically reserved for high-performance applications, such as COF (Chip On Flex, where bare chips are mounted on flexible boards requiring extremely flat pads). Due to their higher cost, adhesive-based flexible PCBs remain the dominant choice in the market.

Since flexible circuit boards are primarily used in applications involving repeated bending, improper design or manufacturing processes can lead to defects such as micro-cracks and soldering issues. Ensuring proper structural and process optimization is critical to maintaining reliability in dynamic flexing environments.

Economy of using FPC

For simpler circuit designs with low production volumes and sufficient space, traditional internal connections are often the more cost-effective solution. However, flexible circuits become a preferable choice when dealing with complex layouts, high signal density, or specialized electrical and mechanical demands. Once an application's size and performance exceed the limits of rigid PCBs, flexible assemblies offer greater cost efficiency.

Flexible circuits can achieve fine-pitch designs, such as 12mil pads with 5mil via holes and trace widths/spacing as narrow as 3mil, all fabricated on thin-film substrates. This precision makes them ideal for direct chip-on-film (COF) mounting, ensuring higher reliability. Unlike rigid boards, flexible materials eliminate the need for flame-retardant additives that could introduce ionic contamination. Additionally, these films can undergo high-temperature curing, enhancing their thermal stability with higher glass transition temperatures (Tg). Since flexible circuits often remove the necessity for additional connectors, they can also reduce overall material costs compared to rigid alternatives.