From Prototype to Production
Rigid PCB Fabrication Capabilities
PCBELEC manufactures rigid PCBs with 1–64 layers and up to 10 oz finished copper. Explore fine-line routing, precision drilling, material options and fabrication tolerances for your prototype or production project.
- 1–64 PCB Layers Single-sided to multilayer builds
- 10 oz Maximum Finished Copper Heavy-copper fabrication options
- 2 / 2 mil Minimum Inner-Layer Line / Space Subject to base-copper conditions
- 0.075 mm Minimum Laser Drill Diameter Drill size, not finished-hole size
Capability limits depend on the selected materials, copper weight and stackup. Submit your fabrication files for design-specific review.
Manufacturing Overview
Rigid PCB Capabilities at a Glance
Review key dimensions, outer-layer circuit geometry, drilling and finishing options for your rigid PCB design. The detailed specifications below provide additional process conditions and fabrication tolerances.
609 × 889 mm
Maximum Board Size
Large-format rigid PCB fabrication. Define the required board outline and panel arrangement in the fabrication package.
0.1–8.0 mm
Finished Board Thickness
Specify finished thickness and tolerance with the layer stackup. Available combinations depend on materials, copper and construction.
2.5 / 2.5 mil
Minimum Outer-Layer Line / Space
Fine-line outer-layer fabrication under the specified base-copper conditions. Use separate design limits for heavier copper.
0.15 mm
Minimum Mechanical Drill Diameter
This value describes the mechanical drill diameter. Specify finished-hole diameter and plating requirements separately.
Fixture / Flying Probe
Electrical Testing
Electrical test methods are available for board verification. Provide the applicable test data and acceptance requirements with your order.
ENIG / ENEPIG / OSP
Multiple Surface Finish Options
Additional options include HASL, lead-free HASL, immersion silver, immersion tin and plated gold. Specify the finish required for your design.
Individual capability limits apply to their stated process conditions. Maximum board size, minimum thickness, fine-line geometry and heavy copper are not necessarily available together in one construction.
Detailed Manufacturing Specifications
Rigid PCB Fabrication Specifications
Review PCBELEC’s rigid PCB capabilities for materials, copper, circuit geometry, drilling, mechanical tolerances and finishing. Process conditions are listed alongside the specifications to support design-specific review.
Swipe each table horizontally to view all specifications.
Board Construction and Materials
| Parameter | Capability | Conditions and Notes |
|---|---|---|
| PCB layer count | 1–64 layers | Single-sided, double-sided and multilayer constructions. |
| Quality requirements | IPC Class 2 / Class 3 | Specify the applicable standard, revision, class and customer requirements. |
| Material categories | FR-4, high-Tg FR-4, high-frequency laminates, high-speed / low-loss laminates, polyimide, halogen-free materials | Select the material category and grade for the electrical, thermal and mechanical requirements. |
| Laminate suppliers | Kingboard, ITEQ, Shengyi, Nanya, Isola, TUC, SYL, Arlon, Nelco, Taconic, Hitachi, Rogers | Specify the required grade. Alternative materials require approval. |
| Maximum board size | 609 × 889 mm | Provide the board outline and panel arrangement for review. |
| Finished board thickness | 0.1–8.0 mm | Available combinations depend on the material system and stackup. |
| Board thickness tolerance | ±0.1 mm / ±10% | The applicable tolerance must be identified on the drawing and agreed for the selected thickness. |
Copper and Circuit Geometry
| Parameter | Capability | Conditions and Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Outer-layer base copper | 1/3–10 oz | Base copper is specified separately from finished copper. |
| Inner-layer base copper | 1/2–6 oz | Define the copper weight for each inner layer in the stackup. |
| Maximum finished copper weight | Up to 10 oz | Heavy-copper construction requires compatible line geometry and stackup. |
| Minimum inner-layer line / space | 2 / 2 mil | Applies under the specified thin-base-copper conditions; not a universal heavy-copper limit. |
| Minimum outer-layer line / space | 2.5 / 2.5 mil | Listed for 1/2 oz base copper. Review heavier-copper geometry separately. |
| Minimum hole-to-inner-conductor spacing | 6 mil | Define the hole and conductor reference in the fabrication data. |
| Minimum hole-to-outer-conductor spacing | 6 mil | Review together with annular-ring and registration requirements. |
| Minimum via annular ring | 3 mil | Specify the applicable hole and pad geometry. |
| Minimum component-hole annular ring | 5 mil | Review against finished-hole size and acceptance requirements. |
| Minimum BGA pad diameter | 8 mil | Confirm the pad definition and component footprint. |
| Minimum BGA pitch | 0.4 mm | Feasibility depends on the footprint, routing, via strategy and mask openings. |
| Minimum conductor air gap | 0.07 mm | This is a fabrication spacing capability, not a voltage-clearance rating. |
| Minimum SMD pad spacing | 0.07 mm | Pad-to-pad spacing; not component center-to-center pitch. |
| Minimum insulating-layer thickness | 2 mil | Define the dielectric construction and finished thickness in the stackup. |
Drilling and Interconnects
| Parameter | Capability | Conditions and Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum mechanical drill diameter | 0.15 mm | Drill-tool size; specify the finished-hole requirement separately. |
| Minimum laser drill diameter | 0.075 mm | Laser-drilled opening size; specify via depth and layer span. |
| Minimum finished hole — mechanical drilling | 0.15 mm | A finished-hole capability, not a guarantee that the minimum drill produces this finished diameter. |
| Minimum finished hole — laser drilling | 0.10 mm | Define the finished opening, via structure and measurement location. |
| Maximum plated through-hole aspect ratio | 20:1 | Specify the board thickness and hole-diameter definition; this is not a microvia aspect-ratio limit. |
| Maximum hole-wall roughness | 1.5 mil | State the applicable measurement and acceptance requirements. |
| Minimum local hole-wall copper thickness | ≥0.71 mil | Local minimum plating thickness. |
| Average hole-wall copper thickness | ≥0.8 mil | Average plating thickness; separate from the local minimum. |
| Maximum round PTH diameter | 8 mm | Specify the finished opening and plated-hole requirements. |
| Maximum plated slot dimensions | 6 × 10 mm | Define slot width, length and end geometry on the drawing. |
| Castellated / half-hole diameter | 1 mm minimum | Larger than 1 mm is preferred; review the edge and plating construction. |
| Hole position deviation | ±3 mil | Specify the drawing datum and applicable hole-position requirements. |
Drill diameter and finished-hole diameter are separate dimensions. Their minimum capabilities must not be treated as a matched drill-to-finished-hole pair.
Mechanical Processing and Panelization
| Parameter | Capability | Conditions and Notes |
|---|---|---|
| CNC routing tolerance | ±0.1 mm | Specify the finished outline and critical dimensions. |
| CNC V-cut tolerance | ±0.05 mm | Identify the dimension to which the V-cut tolerance applies. |
| Mould-die punching tolerance | ±0.1 mm | Review tooling and outline suitability. |
| Edge processing | Routing, V-cut, beveling, mould-die punching | Select the method for the board outline and panel arrangement. |
| Minimum trace-to-outline spacing | 0.3 mm for individually routed boards | Specify the conductor-to-finished-outline clearance. |
| Minimum trace-to-V-cut spacing | 0.4 mm | Applies to panelized boards with V-cut separation. |
| Panelization without spacing | 0 mm inter-board spacing | Requires a compatible separation method and panel design. |
| Routed panel spacing | 1.6 mm minimum | Provide the array drawing and routing requirements. |
Solder Mask and Legend
| Parameter | Capability | Conditions and Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum solder-mask bridge | 3 mil | Review pad geometry, mask openings and registration requirements. |
| Imaging methods | Film / LDI | Process selection depends on circuit and mask requirements. |
| Solder-mask options | Liquid photoimageable solder mask; peelable mask | Specify coverage, openings and any temporary protection areas. |
| Solder-mask colors | Green, red, white, black, blue, yellow, orange, purple, gray, transparent | Matte green, blue and black options are also available. |
| Silkscreen colors | Black, white, yellow | Specify the required legend color. |
| Minimum legend stroke width | 0.15 mm | Smaller strokes may not remain readable after processing. |
| Minimum legend character height | 0.8 mm | Review text layout and clearance to exposed pads. |
| Identification marking | Serial numbers, barcodes, QR codes | Provide the content, location and marking requirements. |
Surface Finishes
| Finish Category | Available Options | Specification Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Standard finish options | OSP, HASL, lead-free HASL, immersion silver, immersion tin | Specify the finish required for assembly and service conditions. |
| Nickel / gold finish options | ENIG, ENEPIG, plated gold | Specify the required deposit thickness and acceptance specification. |
| Selective and combined finishes | Gold fingers + HASL; ENIG + OSP; ENIG + gold fingers; OSP + gold fingers | Mark each finish area clearly on the fabrication drawing. |
Testing and Special Processes
| Category | Capability | Application Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Electrical testing | Fixture / flying probe | Provide the applicable electrical test data and acceptance requirements. |
| Inspection and measurement | AOI, X-ray, dimensional measurement, hole-copper measurement, microsection inspection | Inspection scope and reporting depend on the agreed quality plan. |
| Controlled impedance | Coupon testing; third-party report option | Specify target impedance, tolerance, reference layers and reporting needs. |
| Additional verification | Peel-strength testing; solderability testing | Define the sample plan, test method and acceptance requirements. |
| HDI construction | 1–3 build-up steps | Provide the via map, layer spans and required lamination sequence. |
| Advanced interconnects | Blind and buried vias; via-in-pad | Define via filling, capping and planarization requirements where applicable. |
| Via and hole filling | Non-conductive resin filling; plated plug holes | Specify the required hole-treatment construction. |
| Special mechanical features | Countersunk holes, castellated holes, press-fit holes, controlled-depth holes, plated board edges | Provide dimensioned drawings and feature-specific tolerances. |
| Special finish and mask options | Gold fingers, thick gold up to 5 μm, carbon ink, peelable mask | Identify the applicable area, thickness and process requirements. |
| Special constructions | High-frequency mixed-material builds, buried capacitance / resistance, coil PCBs, miniature PCBs | Review the complete material system and fabrication requirements. |
Capability Conditions
Each specification applies to its stated material, copper weight, geometry and process conditions. Maximum layer count, maximum finished copper, minimum line spacing, minimum hole size and maximum aspect ratio are not necessarily achievable together. Provide the complete stackup and fabrication package for project-specific review.
Material and Construction Options
Rigid PCB Materials, Stack-Up and Process Options
PCBELEC supports rigid PCB builds using FR-4, high-Tg, high-frequency, low-loss and other specified laminates. Select the material system together with dielectric thickness, copper weight and interconnect requirements to define a manufacturable stackup.
Laminate Categories and Selection Factors
Swipe the table horizontally to view all selection factors.
| Material Category | Selection Context | What to Specify |
|---|---|---|
| Standard FR-4 | General-purpose rigid PCB constructions where the selected grade meets the electrical and thermal requirements. | Material grade, finished thickness, copper weight and applicable assembly conditions. |
| High-Tg FR-4 | Designs requiring a defined thermal-performance profile for assembly and service conditions. | Required Tg, decomposition temperature, thermal expansion characteristics and approved material grade. |
| High-Frequency Laminates | RF and microwave constructions where dielectric properties and loss must be evaluated at the operating frequency. | Material grade, design dielectric constant, loss factor, frequency range and copper foil requirements. |
| High-Speed / Low-Loss Laminates | Digital interconnects with defined impedance and channel-loss requirements. | Signal requirements, approved laminate, dielectric properties, reference layers and copper foil profile. |
| Polyimide Laminates | Rigid constructions where a specified polyimide material system is required by the design. | Rigid-board laminate grade, thermal requirements, thickness and bonding system. |
| Halogen-Free Materials | Constructions with a specified halogen-free material requirement. | Applicable material requirement, approved grade and requested supporting documentation. |
High-Tg, low-loss and halogen-free descriptions can apply to the same laminate. These categories are not mutually exclusive, and materials from different suppliers are not automatically interchangeable.
Provide a Layer-by-Layer Stackup
Include the material grade, core and prepreg construction, dielectric thickness, copper weight and finished board thickness. Identify controlled-impedance layers and any material substitutions that require approval. If the stackup is not finalized, submit the design requirements for engineering review.
Design for Manufacturability
Rigid PCB DFM Review Points
Match your design rules to the selected stackup, copper weight and fabrication process. Review the following items before releasing manufacturing data to help reduce engineering clarification and production changes.
Match Line Geometry to Copper Weight
Fine-line capabilities apply under specific base-copper conditions. Do not apply thin-copper minimum line widths and spacing directly to heavy-copper layers. Define base and finished copper requirements separately.
Define Drill and Finished-Hole Requirements
Identify plated and non-plated holes, mechanical and laser drilling, and the required finished dimensions. Review hole depth and diameter together rather than treating the minimum drill and maximum aspect ratio as automatically compatible.
Check Annular Rings and Hole-to-Copper Clearances
Review pad sizes and clearances with the applicable drilling, registration and acceptance requirements. Use the agreed hole-diameter definition when checking annular rings and nearby copper.
Review Solder-Mask Openings and Legend
Check mask bridges between adjacent pads, mask-opening registration and legend placement. Keep legend clear of exposed pads and use readable stroke widths and character heights.
Set Board-Edge and Panelization Clearances
Use the clearance requirements for the selected routing or V-cut process. Confirm inter-board spacing, separation features and panel layout before preparing the manufacturing array.
Keep the Stackup and Fabrication Notes Consistent
Ensure material grades, copper weights, finished thickness, impedance targets and special processes agree across the stackup, drawing and fabrication files. Resolve conflicting requirements before production release.
Fabrication Limits Are Not Universal Design Rules
The smallest line spacing, highest copper weight, largest board size and highest aspect ratio describe separate process limits. Review demanding combinations as a complete design. Electrical clearance and creepage requirements must also be evaluated separately from minimum fabrication spacing.
Quality Verification
Rigid PCB Quality Inspection and Testing
PCBELEC supports rigid PCB verification through electrical testing, circuit inspection, dimensional measurement and project-specific analysis. Define the inspection scope, acceptance criteria and required reports with your fabrication requirements.
Continuity and Isolation
Fixture and flying-probe electrical testing check intended connections and isolation between nets against the approved electrical test data.
Pattern, Dimension and Plating Checks
AOI, dimensional measurement and internal inspection methods address circuit features, finished dimensions and selected plating or interconnect requirements.
Impedance and Additional Verification
Impedance coupon testing, peel-strength testing and solderability testing are available for projects with defined verification requirements.
Inspection Methods and What They Verify
Swipe the table horizontally to view all inspection details.
| Inspection or Test | Verification Purpose | Requirements to Define |
|---|---|---|
| Electrical testing | Checks continuity and isolation to identify open circuits and unintended connections. | Approved netlist or test data, continuity and isolation limits, and required test documentation. |
| Automated optical inspection (AOI) | Compares visible circuit patterns with reference fabrication data to identify pattern discrepancies. | Applicable circuit layers, inspection stages and acceptance requirements. |
| Dimensional measurement | Verifies selected board dimensions, hole locations, slots and other measurable drawing features. | Critical dimensions, drawing datums, tolerances and measurement requirements. |
| X-ray inspection | Evaluates selected internal features and registration where suitable for the board construction. | Features to inspect, sample scope and acceptance criteria. |
| Hole-copper measurement | Verifies specified hole-wall copper thickness using the agreed measurement method. | Local minimum or average thickness, measurement locations and sampling plan. |
| Microsection inspection | Examines a prepared cross-section for plating, interconnect and selected laminate-construction features. | Coupon or sample location, features to measure, sample quantity and acceptance criteria. |
| Controlled-impedance testing | Measures representative impedance structures against the specified target and tolerance. | Target impedance, tolerance, approved stackup, coupon construction and reporting requirements. |
| Peel-strength testing | Evaluates copper-to-laminate adhesion under the specified test conditions. | Material and copper construction, specimen conditioning, method and acceptance limit. |
| Solderability testing | Evaluates solder wetting of the specified surface finish under defined test conditions. | Surface finish, conditioning, test method, sampling and acceptance criteria. |
Inspection coverage, sampling, report delivery and third-party verification should be agreed for the specific part number and order. Listed methods do not mean every test is included automatically in every order.
Match Quality Evidence to Your Design Requirements
Identify the applicable IPC class, drawing revision and any customer-specific acceptance requirements. Request the electrical, dimensional, impedance or internal-construction results needed for your project. Bare-board electrical testing verifies connectivity; it does not demonstrate the function of an assembled product.
Engineering Review and Quotation
What to Include in Your Rigid PCB RFQ
Send your fabrication data, layer stackup and order requirements to request a rigid PCB quotation. Clearly defined materials, dimensions and special processes help our team evaluate the design and identify any information needed before production.
Fabrication Files
Provide Gerber or ODB++ data covering the copper, solder mask, legend and board outline. Include electrical netlist data when available.
Drill and Via Information
Include NC drill files, plated and non-plated hole requirements, finished-hole dimensions and any blind, buried or laser-via layer spans.
Materials and Stackup
Specify layer order, laminate grades, dielectric thicknesses, copper weights and finished board thickness. Identify acceptable material alternatives.
Drawing and Finish Requirements
Provide a dimensioned fabrication drawing, critical tolerances, surface finish, mask and legend colors, plus panelization requirements when applicable.
Electrical and Quality Requirements
Identify impedance targets and tolerances, the applicable IPC class, required inspections and any test reports or third-party verification.
Quantity and Delivery Requirements
State the requested quantity, prototype or production stage, target delivery date and delivery destination. Include quantity breaks if multiple volumes need pricing.
Flag Special Processes in Your Request
Highlight features that require additional construction or process review:
- Heavy copper and mixed-material stackups.
- HDI, via-in-pad, filled or capped vias.
- Gold fingers, selective finishes and plated edges.
- Press-fit, castellated or controlled-depth holes.
- Customer-specific inspection and documentation.
Ready to Request a Quote?
Email your design package and requirements to PCBELEC. If some specifications are still open, identify them clearly and share the design information available.
Email Your Rigid PCB RFQ sales@pcbelec.comUse a consistent part number and drawing revision across the submitted files. Clearly distinguish preliminary information from data approved for production.
Manufacturing Questions
Rigid PCB Capability FAQs
Find answers about layer count, copper weight, circuit geometry, drilling, materials and the files needed for a rigid PCB fabrication review.
What layer counts and board dimensions does PCBELEC support?
PCBELEC supports rigid PCB fabrication from 1–64 layers, with a maximum board size of 609 × 889 mm and a finished thickness range of 0.1–8.0 mm. The achievable combination depends on the material system, stackup and process requirements.
See the detailed fabrication specifications for applicable conditions.
Can a 10 oz copper PCB use the minimum line width and spacing?
Not automatically. PCBELEC supports finished copper up to 10 oz, but the listed 2/2 mil inner-layer and 2.5/2.5 mil outer-layer capabilities apply under specified thin-base-copper conditions. Heavy-copper layers require separately reviewed line geometry and construction.
What is the difference between drill diameter and finished-hole diameter?
Drill diameter describes the drilling tool or process opening, while finished-hole diameter describes the required opening after fabrication. They are separate specifications and should be identified separately in the manufacturing data.
The listed minimum mechanical drill diameter is 0.15 mm and the minimum laser drill diameter is 0.075 mm. Finished-hole capabilities are listed separately; these values are not matched drill-to-finished-hole pairs.
Can the minimum hole size be combined with the maximum board thickness?
Not necessarily. Hole depth, diameter, plating requirements and the selected process must be evaluated together. The listed maximum plated through-hole aspect ratio is 20:1; it does not mean every minimum hole is available at the maximum 8.0 mm board thickness.
Which rigid PCB materials and surface finishes are available?
Material options include FR-4, high-Tg FR-4, high-frequency, high-speed / low-loss, polyimide and halogen-free laminates. Specify the required grade or approved alternatives with your stackup.
Surface finishes include OSP, HASL, lead-free HASL, immersion silver, immersion tin, ENIG, ENEPIG and plated gold. Selective and combined finishes require clearly marked areas on the drawing.
Can PCBELEC manufacture HDI and controlled-impedance rigid PCBs?
Yes. Available processes include HDI with 1–3 build-up steps, blind and buried vias, via-in-pad and controlled-impedance fabrication. Include the via map, layer spans, filling or capping requirements, target impedance and tolerance for engineering review.
What inspections and tests are available for rigid PCBs?
Available methods include fixture or flying-probe electrical testing, AOI, X-ray, dimensional measurement, hole-copper measurement, microsection inspection, impedance coupon testing, peel-strength testing and solderability testing.
Inspection coverage, sampling and required reports should be agreed for the order. See quality inspection and testing for the purpose of each method.
What should I send to request a rigid PCB quote?
Send Gerber or ODB++ fabrication data, NC drill files, a layer stackup and a dimensioned fabrication drawing. Include materials, copper weights, surface finish, quantity, delivery requirements and any impedance, inspection or special-process requirements.
Review the RFQ file checklist or email your request to sales@pcbelec.com .
Start Your Rigid PCB Project
Request a Rigid PCB Fabrication Quote
Send your fabrication files, layer stackup and order requirements to PCBELEC. Our team can review your construction and special processes to prepare a quotation for your prototype or production project.
- Fabrication and drill files
- Layer stackup and material requirements
- Quantity and target delivery date
Send your request to sales@pcbelec.com
Include any impedance targets, inspection requirements or special-process notes. Quotation and lead time depend on the submitted design, materials, quantity and process scope.