Exploring the history of PCB development: A comprehensive review of trends from early development to modern technology

PCB is an indispensable module for the normal operation of all electronic products, and it is also an important part of modern electronic technology. It plays a vital role in technological innovation and progress in all walks of life. From its early development to today's modern and complicated PCB, it is necessary to understand its development trajectory. The emergence and development of any technology has its historical significance and drivers, which can help us understand and value its value.

Early development

Before the appearance of these simple-looking and easy-to-use PCBs we are now exposed to, the circuit was connected to the bottom disk through a wiring harness.

This kind of circuit is complicated, heavy and fragile. In addition, the cost of building such an “ugly” circuit is very high, and it takes a lot of manpower and material resources.

So at the beginning of the 20th century, engineers began to try to create more efficient and compact circuits, and PCB was their early solution.

PCB Development History–Early drivers: Albert Hansen and Charles Ducas, and the impact of the stock market crash

In 1903, the German inventor Albert Hansen contributed to the development of PCB based on the research of early breadboards, which can be said to be the predecessor of modern PCB.

Albert's groundbreaking work in PCB technology has played a key role in the development of modern PCB.He introduced a double-sided conductive through-hole structure, similar to the current through-hole plate. His innovations also included the creation of prototype circuits, which contained wires on the insulating board, which laid the foundation for subsequent PCB development.

In 1927, the French inventor Charles Ducas obtained a patent for a circuit board variant. He used a template to print conductive ink on an insulating surface to effectively establish an electronic path.His creative patent is called printed wiring and is an early version of the development of electroplating technology today.

Unfortunately, the stock market crash of 1929 and the Great Depression temporarily interrupted the continuous innovation of PCB development.

Paul Eisler and the Impact of War

After the Second World War, due to the increasing demand for smaller, lighter, and more reliable electronic products, the attention to PCB has become higher and higher. PCB quickly gained commercial potential beyond technology and began to be integrated into various electronic applications.

In 1941, Austrian engineer Paul Eisler created the first functional PCB, taking an important step in the development of PCB. His innovation lies in the use of a copper foil layer attached to the insulating board to establish a conductive path for electronic components. By 1943, he launched a radio equipped with a PCB, and this kind of functional PCB was essential in subsequent military operations.

Progress and integration

In the late 20th century, advances in manufacturing technology, including etching and welding technology, made it possible to complicate and miniaturize PCBs. In the space arms race, PCB development has been further enhanced. The weight and energy efficiency of space vehicles are essential for space activities, and the lightweight and energy efficiency of PCB make space exploration more feasible.

The advent of the digital age has brought about the explosive growth of many electronic devices such as game consoles, VHS video recorders, computers and CD players. This era marks a huge leap in technology, and electronic devices are becoming more and more common in daily life. With the continuous shrinking of the size of electronic products (reflecting the trend of miniaturization), it has become more and more difficult to manufacture PCBs manually, which has led to a surge in demand for the industrialization of PCB manufacturing.

With the introduction of PCB standard manufacturing processes, people have also seen the importance of correct PCB design. Circuits are becoming more and more complex, components are getting smaller and smaller, and the accuracy requirements for welding are getting higher and higher. In terms of adapting to these evolving and changing technical needs, accurate PCB design is becoming more and more critical.

The Modernization of PCB–a Changing World

We can see huge complexity on today's PCB.A PCB that may be the size of a nail cover integrates multilayer board manufacturing technology, CAD computer-aided design technology, and surface mount technology. What promotes the current development of PCB technology is not only the innovation of these specific technical systems, but more importantly, the emergence of advanced technology trends and related applications has promoted the development of PCB and pointed out the direction of PCB development.

So, what are these technological trends driving the development of PCB?

They can be divided into two main parts: the trend of ”people-oriented“, which focuses on how technology affects humans, and the trend of ”smart space", which focuses on the direction of technology that affects the living or working environment.

These key technology trends include 5G, the Internet of Things (IOT), artificial intelligence (AI), human body enhancement, super automation, and automated objects. These trends make it possible for large amounts of data to be transmitted, transferred, managed, and processed in a short period of time, thereby minimizing latency–a key aspect of edge computing.

The technical direction of PCB development is the integration of PCB requirements with these advanced technology trends, so you can see that PCB has developed from the most basic through-hole board to high multilayer board, hard and soft combination board, semi–flexible board, HDI board using IC substrate technology, etc., and also see the requirements for 20-30 micron fine wires and gaps, micropores, 3D printed circuit boards, more automated manufacturing processes, and new surface treatment methods-of course, there are many other advancements.

As you can see, PCB has a long history of development, with countless inventors and engineers building on it, and emerging technological needs have also promoted its development.