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Miniaturisation in electronics is a constantly growing trend as devices become smaller and lighter, while requiring improved levels of efficiency.
As a result of the demand for shrinking electronic components, contract electronics manufacturers are meeting new challenges to adapt their processes.
A prime example is the mobile phone, which was invented by Martin Cooper, a Motorola engineer, who made the first ever call to electronics engineer Joel Engel at New York City’s Bell Laboratories on 3rd April 1973. Literally the size of a brick, the first mobile phone was almost the same weight as one too!
Compared with today’s mobile phones, it was unrecognisable, as it had a six-inch antenna on top that must be extended to make a call. It took ten hours to charge, but the battery would be flat again within 30 minutes. It was 11 years before the first mobile phone was ready to go on sale to the public: the Motorola DynaTAC 8000X, a new version of Cooper’s prototype.
While today’s phones make calls, send texts and emails and have all sorts of extras such as apps, health trackers, cameras, calendars and much more, all the first phone did was make calls. In 1984, retailing at £3,135 (the equivalent of £9,500 today), the phone was released in an era when the average weekly wage was only £117 in the UK, so it was something only the rich and famous could afford.
The evolution of mobile phones into the tiny, slim, pocket-size mini-computers that just about everyone has today has been made possible by the miniaturisation of electronics and the latest advanced PCB assembly processes.
What is miniaturisation in electronics?
Miniaturisation refers to the trend of shrinking electronic components and devices to make them smaller, lighter and more efficient. It involves making miniature electronic components even tinier, while also enhancing their overall functionality. More transistors are fitted onto the smaller integrated circuits to achieve miniaturisation, which has been the key driver of today’s state-of-the-art technology.
Aside from mobile phones, examples of miniaturised electronic devices include calculators, desktop computers, laptops, tablets, medical devices, smart phones, electronic watches and smart fitness devices, although the advances in miniaturisation have also enabled electronics in an increasing number of applications, including home appliances, creating the concept of the smart kitchen and the Internet of Things.
Why is miniaturisation important?
Miniaturisation is vital to enable the continued technological advancements that industry and consumers need and expect. It is creating more powerful and smaller portable devices that allow improved performance, energy efficiency and a reduction in costs, as they require less materials.
Smaller devices are increasingly functional, providing a greatly improved user experience, while they are more portable, making life easier for businesses and the public. More features can be integrated into devices thanks to advanced miniature components, leading to additional fields of application, such as in the automobile sector.
What challenges do CEMs face?
Miniaturising electronic components presents many new challenges for the contract electronics manufacturing industry: as components become smaller, the technical challenges increase, such as keeping signal integrity intact and preventing overheating, while still meeting performance and quality standards.
Quality assurance is paramount, but small components are more difficult to test and maintain. It can also be challenging to find the tiny components needed for miniaturised PCB assemblies. These boards can be more difficult to work on due to their reduced size, with the layout design presenting its own challenges, leading engineers to develop more innovative techniques to accommodate the maximum number of components in smaller spaces.
Miniaturised components are usually packed densely, so heat dissipation can become challenging, as the design leads to increased heat generation. This can potentially impact the reliability and performance of the electronic devices. Another issue can be maintaining signal integrity, as placing the components in closer proximity increases the risk of electromagnetic interference and signal crosstalk.
How does Surface Mount Technology enable miniaturisation?
Surface mount technology allows components to be placed directly onto the surface of PCBs, saving space compared with traditional through-hole methods. Due to the small component size, precision is paramount, so CEMs must manage quality control when working with miniaturised electronics.
Assemblers have refined their manufacturing processes to handle the components accurately, with SMT allowing the precise placement of tiny components and suitable soldering techniques. Layout of the PCB is optimised by careful planning before fabrication begins, using vias to connect one or more layers of the board so that power and electrical signals can pass through efficiently.
Trace lengths are shortened and signal strength is tested to ensure integrity, while the selection of materials is becoming increasingly important to PCB assemblers, who are exploring new, innovative materials with exceptional durability, electrical performance and thermal conductivity. The best materials include copper for heat dissipating and to improve the PCB’s performance.
CEMs are also increasing the number of layers in a PCB to accommodate the largest number of components possible in a limited space. This will enhance the boards’ overall functionality and performance without making their size larger.
Flexible PCBs are also a viable option, as this enables the creation of electronic devices with compact designs due to the boards’ ability to be folded, bent or shaped to fit into tiny and irregular spaces.
Emerging trends in miniaturisation
New trends in miniaturisation look set to shape the future of electronics manufacturing, leading to more lightweight, ultra-thin and high-performance devices across various sectors including healthcare, consumer electronics and automotive.
The latest high-density interconnect technology enables more components to be placed on small boards, using multi-layer boards and fine-pitch components. These HDI boards provide finer trace widths and spaces, buried vias, micro-vias and a higher layer count.
Advanced multi-layer boards feature a minimum of two inner-layer PCBs in a compact design using a conductive network with smaller microprocessors that offer higher speeds and enhanced memory.
Various industries today are relying on PCB manufacturers to use advanced electronic assembly processes to enable the successful integration of miniaturised PCBs into ever-smaller devices.