What is rigid flex PCBs?
Rigid flex PCBs are an abbreviation of rigid flexible printed circuit board.
This is very special PCB board that can flex in some areas.
And have higher reliability than the flexible PCB board.
In some manufacturing process, there were many similar with the flexible multilayer PCB.
So this post will from rigid flex PCB point to know detail.
The construction of rigid flex PCB
Usually rigid flex PCB has several layers of flexible circuit substrates.
And there must have a flexible circuit area outside of the board.
Most of green engineers were using this area to know this is a rigid flexible PCB.
Most of the rigid PCB board has many layers of externally or internally circuit, depending upon the design of the application.
To more clear understand the construction of the rigid flex PCB, Emma has listed four type of rigid flex PCB.
Single sided rigid flexible PCB introduces
This is the most simple rigid flex PCBs.
Some of the single rigid flex PCB produce with a shield or stiffener to improve its reliability
But there also has some single rigid flex PCB no shield or stiffener, use in some simple applications.
Double sided rigid flexible PCB introduces
This type rigid flex PCB very similar with single sided rigid flex PCB.
Also have shield or stiffener, to increase reliability performance of double sided rigid flex PCB.
The most different is that plated through holes to connect two sided circuits.
If you have read the article about the cost down FR-4 PCB boards, you will be find the price has double or more than single rigid flex PCB board.
Multilayer rigid flex PCB board introduces
The complex has increased than single or double sided rigid flex PCB board.
There were more than two conductor layer in multilayer rigid flex PCB.
This parameter may differ from other boards, but most difference is that plated through holes and HDI.
High end multilayer rigid flex PCB
Last but not the least, high end multilayer rigid PCB have the most complex construction and manufacture process.
Similar withe the multilayer rigid flex PCB, also have two conductor layers.
And those conductor layers plated through holes and HDI.
If you have know well multilayer rigid flex PCB, you will find most of depend on stiffener to improve reliability.
