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January 2002

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Subject:
From:
"<Peter George Duncan>" <[log in to unmask]>
Reply To:
TechNet E-Mail Forum.
Date:
Fri, 18 Jan 2002 17:02:55 +0800
Content-Type:
text/plain
Parts/Attachments:
text/plain (475 lines)
I would still like more feedback/opinion concerning the mechanical function
of these 'non-functional' pads. I am very much of the opinion that they act
as 'wall ties' to better secure the plated barrels to the wall of the
holes, thus reducing the tendency or severity of deformation through
pull-away or resin recession, especially during temperature cycling and
vibration. For PTH components, I know that the extra keying afforded by
these pads reduces the incidence of barrels being ripped out during rework
by ham-fisted operators.

Are the stated fab problems actually of major significance or is a mole
hill becoming a mountain under this magnifying glass of a forum?

Peter




                    Charles
                    McMahon               To:     [log in to unmask]
                    <cmcmahon@EART        cc:     (bcc: DUNCAN Peter/Asst Prin Engr/ST
                    HLINK.NET>            Aero/ST Group)
                    Sent by:              Subject:     Re: [TN] Remove unused "dead" pads on
                    TechNet               internal layers
                    <[log in to unmask]
                    RG>


                    01/18/02 08:47
                    AM
                    Please respond
                    to "TechNet
                    E-Mail
                    Forum.";
                    Please respond
                    to Charles
                    McMahon






Ms. Bergman is correct.
The more features to deal with, the more opportunity for defects.
It only makes sense to eliminate non-functional components within a design.
This requires the end user to consider advising the designer to perform the
function of optimization.
I have found they will not do so except under extreme social pressure.
Was this type of scenario not the precursor to the need for DFM?

Lastly, as a provider of pcb's, I would be less inclined to have the FAB
shop make modifcations of this type to the data as a matter of process.
I would encourage instead that the customer have their designer do these
optimizations to avoid any mis-understandings.
The goal of course is to do it right the first time to increase yields and
lower costs to the customer.

Sincerely,
Charlie McMahon



Kathy Bergman wrote:
     I cannot resist this one....


     From a board manufacturer's point of view,  inner layer and outer
     layer pad concerns are completely different.


     The process of  imaging  and etching an inner layer involves: the
     photoresist being applied to an undrilled core material, then the
     exposing and developing of it. This positive image is then put through
     an etcher and this is the inner layer image, without holes. Then the
     cores are laminated and the board is drilled. If a board has 4,000
     holes, and 50 traces on an inner layer signal layer, I would rather
     deal with 50 traces only, than 50 traces and 4,000+ pads. When the
     board is completed, a hole with no pads on the innerlayers would be no
     different (or have no less integrity) than a hole on a non-multilayer
     board. If the processes are under control, there should be no problem
     with the holes. The material used in making a double sided board is
     manufactured in the same was as a multilayer board is built, with
     prepreg and foil (basically).


     As far as the outer layers go, small (< .150, say) non plated holes
     with pads that are intentional, must be processed differently (an
     extra step) than non plated holes without pads. AND, if you have a
     large non plated hole with small pad (<.015 per side over hole size),
     the pads can randomly pop off, for various reasons.


     I think the general opinion of most fab houses is this: Data comes in
     from so many different systems, it is hard to know if there were
     restrictions on the data output, or if many of the situations are
     intentional. If the fab house has a strong front end system all issues
     are addressed, and the boards are built to the customer's
     requirements. I can say that from a yeild point of view, though, most
     all builders of PCB's would rather delete unused pads on inner layers,
     and have no pads on outer layer Npth holes.


     Regards,
     K Bergman


     Genny Gibbard wrote:


          Fascinating stuff.  We had a board vendor at one point that
          wanted us to put
          pads on all the layers of a PTH.  I thought the reason given was
          to help the
          hole plating process.  Our standard block for multilayer boards
          automatically puts pads on all layers and if not a ground via, it
          also
          clears the ground plane away around it on all layers.  I've never
          heard of
          any of the problems mentioned over the last few days.
          It's kind of funny, the amount of things I hear about on this
          forum that
          question things or dispute things that we've never really paid
          much
          attention to in our own layouts makes me fascinated that this co.
          has gotten
          as much product out the door working as it has over the last
          dozen years.  I
          guess Murphy's law isn't always on duty.


          -----Original Message-----
          From: Hinners Hans M Civ WRALC/LUGE [
          mailto:[log in to unmask] ]
          Sent: January 17, 2002 4:03 PM
          To: [log in to unmask]
          Subject: Re: [TN] Remove unused "dead" pads on internal layers


          Hi All,


          Now that I think of it we always stuck our nonfunctional pads in
          places we
          didn't have to drill.  But I'm on the list to learn - thanks to
          Warren,
          Werner.


          Roger, this sounds very weird - granted I've only been in the
          industry since
          '98.  There are very good reasons to use nonfunctional pads.  Now
          I know not
          to use them in PTHs (& Route areas I imagine).  I wonder if
          people are
          making this more difficult than it has to be - we've always used
          decent
          sized dots so they wouldn't pop off of the core from rough
          handling or
          processing.  We kept them far enough away from traces to avoid
          etch problems
          - we're not talking about something that has to have a critical
          feature
          size.  They may have been struggling with metallic contamination
          but
          non-functional pads should be a fixable problem - no?


          If they were truly having  problems with non-functional pads then
          they must
          have had the same trouble with the functional pads?  Houston . .
          . . we've
          had a problem.


          Hans


          Integrity First  -  Service Before Self  -  Excellence in All We
          Do
          ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
          Hans M. Hinners
          Electronics Engineer
          Warner Robins - Air Logistics Center (WR-ALC/LUGE)
          226 Cochran Street
          Robins AFB GA 31098-1622


          mailto:[log in to unmask]


          Com: (478) 926 - 5224
          Fax:   (478) 926 - 4911
          DSN Prefix: 468


          -----Original Message-----
          From: Roger M. Stoops [mailto:[log in to unmask] ]
          Sent: Wednesday, January 16, 2002 2:10 PM
          To: [log in to unmask]
          Subject: Re: [TN] Remove unused "dead" pads on internal layers


          I have been following this thread with interest.  When I asked a
          pcb vendor
          about having non-functional pads in the inner layers, they said
          it was not
          a good idea, that the unattached pads/lands would move around, or
          "float,"
          and cause potential mfg problems, such as shorts to other copper.

          Question:  Is there any truth to this statement, or is this just
          an old
          husband's tale?
          TIA,
          Roger M. Stoops, C.I.D., PCB Designer
          [log in to unmask]


          Trimble
          Engineering and Construction Division
          5475 Kellenburger Rd.
          Dayton, OH 45424-1099 USA
          Ph: +01 937.233.8921 or +01 937.233.4574 ext 288
          Fax: +01 937.233.7511


                              "<Peter
                              George               To:     [log in to unmask]
                              Duncan>"             cc:
                              Sent by:             Subject:     Re: [TN]
          Remove unused
          "dead" pads on internal layers
                              TechNet
                              <[log in to unmask]
                              ORG>


                              01/15/02
                              09:09 PM
                              Please
                              respond to
                              "TechNet
                              E-Mail
                              Forum.";
                              Please
                              respond to
                              peter.duncan


          Hi,


          Actually these "unused" pads are replicates of the hole "rules"
          created for
          the surface layers. Most routing packages, or routers, seem to do
          this by
          default for each layer to save manual replication where traces,
          etc are to
          be connected. (At least PADS, Alegro and Mentor do). On the
          grounds that
          it's always easier to destroy than to build, it's easier to
          delete pad data
          than to create it, so it's put in by default as there's a good
          chance it
          will be needed.


          I still say you should consider hole barrel strength/support
          issues before
          just deleting them - e.g. they can constrain the "resin
          recession" and hole
          wall pull-away that have been recent threads on this forum. Think
          of the
          "unused" pads as 'wall ties' holding the copper at frequent
          intervals to
          the hole wall. Copper bulging or pull-away in the event of
          recession or
          whatever is reduced.


          Peter Duncan


                              Hinners Hans M Civ
                              WRALC/LUGE                To:
          [log in to unmask]
                              <Hans.Hinners@ROBI        cc:     (bcc:
          DUNCAN
          Peter/Asst Prin Engr/ST
                              NS.AF.MIL>                Aero/ST Group)
                              Sent by: TechNet          Subject:     Re:
          [TN] Remove
          unused "dead" pads on
                              <[log in to unmask]>         internal layers


                              01/15/02 09:40 PM
                              Please respond to
                              "TechNet E-Mail
                              Forum."; Please
                              respond to Hinners
                              Hans M Civ
                              WRALC/LUGE


          Hi Patrick,


          As others have said, I don't think the class of board matters for
          "unused"
          pads.  It all depends on what your procurement documentation
          states, are
          you
          building to drawing or is there a clause that says process
          improvements
          that
          do not affect functionality are permissible.


          "Are they really unused pads?"


          They may be electrically nonfunctioning but they are there for a
          reason -
          better lamination quality (avoiding low pressure areas or
          excessive prepreg
          flow), better hole wall quality, better plating quality (esp. for
          any
          isolated traces), reduced loading of your etch solution or better
          thermal
          loading during assembly.


          Hans


          Integrity First  -  Service Before Self  -  Excellence in All We
          Do
          ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
          Hans M. Hinners
          Electronics Engineer
          Warner Robins - Air Logistics Center (WR-ALC/LUGE)
          226 Cochran Street
          Robins AFB GA 31098-1622


          mailto:[log in to unmask]


          Com: (478) 926 - 5224
          Fax:   (478) 926 - 4911
          DSN Prefix: 468


          -----Original Message-----
          From: Patrick Lam [mailto:[log in to unmask] ]
          Sent: Friday, January 11, 2002 5:12 PM
          To: [log in to unmask]
          Subject: [TN] Remove unused "dead" pads on internal layers


          Hi TechNetters,


          For class 3 boards, is it acceptable to have unused pads removed
          on
          interanal
          layers.


          Thanks,
          Pat


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