MODELS TO ESTIMATE PRINTED CIRCUIT BOARD FABRICATION YIELD DURING THE DESIGN STAGE

Abstract

First pass yield is an important manufacturability measure of a printed circuit board (PCB) design. Designers need to strive to maximize process yield in order to improve product quality and reduce cost. To achieve this goal, the designer needs to understand the relationship between design decisions and their impact on process yield. The importance of process yield in electronics is bellied by the many studies dedicated to the topic; however there is a lack of a complete yield model of the PCB fabrication process that can be utilized during the early design stages. This paper aggregates the many studies and puts yield in the context of design so that yield can be estimated before board layout and routing. Early feedback on yield is important so that designers can explore different alternative technology sets before committing significant resources to the design. The application of the yield model is illustrated through a typical design session.