PCB fabricagefouten en hoe ze te voorkomen

PCB manufacturing defects are rarely random.
Most defects originate from design decisions, material limitations, or process instability, long before final inspection takes place.

While inspection can detect many visible issues, defect prevention must occur earlier in the manufacturing process.

This article explains the most common PCB manufacturing defects, their root causes, and practical prevention strategies from a manufacturing perspective.

For quality fundamentals, see: What Determines PCB Quality?

What Is Considered a PCB Manufacturing Defect?

A PCB manufacturing defect is any deviation that:

• Affects electrical performance
• Compromises mechanical integrity
• Reduces long-term reliability
• Violates IPC or customer specifications

Defects may be visible, latentof progressive, appearing only after thermal or mechanical stress.

Inner Layer Defects

Common Inner Layer Defects

• Open circuits
• Short circuits
• Over-etching or under-etching
• Misregistration between layers

Onderliggende oorzaken

• Imaging inaccuracies
• Etching process variation
• Poor inner layer alignment

Because inner layers are sealed during lamination, defects at this stage are irreversible.

Process background: Uitleg over de fabricage van de binnenste laag

Drilling-Related Defects

Typical Drilling Defects

• Off-center holes
• Burrs and smear
• Broken drill bits
• Poor hole wall quality

Onderliggende oorzaken

• Excessive drill aspect ratio
• Worn tooling
• Incorrect feed and speed
• Inappropriate drilling method

Drilling defects directly affect copper plating quality and via reliability.

Method comparison:
PCB-boren vs. laserboren

Plating Defects

Common Plating Issues

• Thin copper in vias
• Voids or gaps
• Rough or nodular copper
• Poor adhesion

Onderliggende oorzaken

• Improper surface preparation
• Inconsistent current density
• Chemical imbalance
• Vias met hoge hoogte-breedteverhouding

Plating defects are a major cause of intermittent failures and thermal cycling issues.

Procesdetail: Copper Plating Process in PCB Manufacturing

Etching Defects

Typical Etching Defects

• Over-etched traces
• Under-etched copper bridges
• Variatie in lijndikte
• Trace neck-down

Onderliggende oorzaken

• Uneven copper thickness
• Aggressive etchant chemistry
• Poor process compensation
• Tight trace spacing

As trace geometry becomes finer, etching defects increasingly affect yield and reliability.

Yield-focused analysis: PCB Etching Process and Yield Control

Lamination and Delamination Defects

Common Lamination Issues

• Delaminatie
• Blistering
• Resin voids
• Layer shift

Onderliggende oorzaken

• Improper lamination pressure or temperature
• Poor prepreg selection
• Moisture absorption
• Unbalanced stack-ups

These defects often become apparent during assembly or thermal cycling, rather than during initial testing.

Material relationship: PCB-materiaal en -laagkosten

Solder Mask and Surface Finish Defects

Typical Defects

• Solder mask misalignment
• Poor adhesion
• Pinholes
• Uneven surface finish thickness

Onderliggende oorzaken

• Inadequate surface preparation
• Incorrect curing conditions
• Process contamination

These defects can lead to solder bridging, corrosion, and reduced shelf life.

Electrical Test Escapes and Latent Defects

Not all defects are detected during electrical testing.

Latent defects may:

• Pass initial tests
• Fail after thermal stress
• Appear during field operation

Common causes include:

• Marginal plating thickness
• Micro-cracks in vias
• CAF formation

Design-Related Defect Risks

Some defects originate from design choices rather than manufacturing errors.

High-risk design factors include:

• Extremely fine traces and spacing
• Vias met hoge hoogte-breedteverhouding
• Ongebalanceerde koperdistributie
• Te krappe toleranties

Design-quality connection: Kostenfactoren PCB-ontwerp

How to Prevent PCB Manufacturing Defects

Effective defect prevention focuses on process stability, not just inspection.

Key prevention strategies include:

• Early DFM review
• Conservative design margins
• Qualified material selection
• Process capability monitoring
• Yield data analysis

At TOPFAST, defect prevention is driven by upstream process control and data-based feedback, reducing reliance on end-of-line screening.

Defect Prevention vs Manufacturing Cost

Preventing defects often reduces total cost.

Benefits include:

• Higher yield
• Less rework
• Fewer delays
• Lower field failure risk

Balans tussen kosten en kwaliteit: Uitleg over de productiekosten van PCB's

Conclusie

PCB manufacturing defects are rarely isolated incidents.
They are the result of interactions between design, materials, and process control.

By understanding common defect types and their root causes, engineers and buyers can take proactive steps to prevent defects and improve long-term reliability.

This article forms a core pillar of the PCB-kwaliteit en -betrouwbaarheid cluster.

FAQ: PCB Manufacturing Defects