In Case You Missed It
Cleaning
“Comparison of Mask R-CNN and YOLOv8-seg for Improved Monitoring of the PCB Surface during Laser Cleaning”
Authors: Lu Qiao, Markus Veltrup and Bernd Mayer
Abstract: Potting compounds and coatings protect electronic components in harsh environments, requiring careful removal for recycling or repair. This study introduces the innovative use of YOLOv8-seg and Mask R-CNN to enhance the precision and efficiency of the laser cleaning process for PCBs (printed circuit boards). These models are utilized for two primary tasks: real-time segmentation for laser cleaning guidance and post-cleaning surface quality assessment. Real-time segmentation adapts cleaning strategies based on PCB surface states such as “bare Cu,” “complete removal,” “incomplete removal,” etc. Quality assessment ensures high-quality, damage-free surfaces post-cleaning. Both models were trained on an augmented dataset to improve robustness. In the initial test dataset, YOLOv8-seg, known for its speed, achieved a mAP50 (seg) of 82.8% at 3.98 FPS, proving suitable for time-sensitive laser cleaning processes due to its speed and precision. Mask R-CNN (ResNet-50) reached a mAP50 (seg) of 84.097% at 1.52 FPS, fulfilling real-time requirements with high precision. Although their visualization segmentation results on the initial test dataset vary, both models successfully address the previously mentioned tasks. When tested on a new dataset with unseen patterns it was shown that YOLOv8-seg excels at generalizing to new patterns while Mask R-CNN performs less effectively. This study confirms YOLOv8-seg’s effectiveness in real-time PCB monitoring during laser cleaning, boosting automation and efficiency in PCB recycling. (Scientific Reports, May 2025, https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-025-02131-7)
Flexible Circuits
“Laser-Enabled Fabrication of Flexible Printed Electronics with Integrated Functional Devices”
Authors: Wedyan Babatain, et al.
Abstract: A laser-enabled, additive process for fabricating flexible, double-sided PCBs is introduced. The E-LIG process combines laser-induced graphene patterning with copper electrodeposition, creating high-resolution circuits that integrate sensors and actuators directly on flexible or transparent substrates. This scalable method is ideal for wearables, soft robotics, and interactive smart surfaces. (Advanced Science, May 2025, https://advanced.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/advs.202570148)
PCB Materials
“Fabrication of Industrial Grade FGg-C3N4 Reinforced Banana Natural Fiber Sustainable PCB Substrates”
Authors: Dola Sundeep, Eswaramoorthy K. Varadharaj and C. Chandrasekhara Sastry
Abstract: The rapid growth of the electronics industry has led to a significant environmental impact due to conventional printed circuit boards (PCBs) which contribute heavily to electronics waste. Addressing this issue requires sustainable alternatives that can replace traditional PCB materials without compromising performance. In this study, the authors propose a novel sustainable PCB using banana fiber-reinforced natural fiber composite as the prepreg material combined with biodegradable resin engineered to meet IPC-4101 A/24 standards for fabrication of PCB laminates. The proposed composite exhibits enhanced thermal, mechanical and electrical properties suitable for low-power applications validated through rigorous testing. To improve the mechanical, thermal and electrical properties the authors incorporated the 4-bromobenzonitrile functionalized graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) nanoparticles into the banana composite. This reinforcement has shown a significant augment in flame resistance, dielectric constant and mechanical properties including tensile, flexural, and impact resistance which ensured durability for practical applications. A prototype of the fabricated sustainable PCB substrate was tested with a full-wave rectifier circuit, demonstrating effective performance and suggesting its viability as a sustainable replacement for conventional plastic-based FR-1 PCBs in low-power circuits aligning with circular economy principles. (Scientific Reports, June 2025, https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-04966-6)
Substrates
“Directly Printed Standing Ceramic Circuit Boards for Rapid Prototyping of Miniaturization and High-Power of Electronics”
Authors: Guangming Zhang, et al.
Abstract: Ceramic circuit boards (CCBs) have been extensively utilized in 5G communications, aerospace, and artificial intelligence due to their excellent thermal conductivity and electrical performance. Due to the limitation of manufacturing technologies, however, existing CCBs cannot take into account both the resolution and thickness, which restricts the miniaturization and high power of the resulting electronics. Herein, the authors report a standing-CCBs (S-CCBs) with both high-resolution and high aspect-ratio fabricated via sacrificial coating-assisted micro-3D printing. Benefiting from this technique, S-CCBs can be easily printed as a tall and thin-walled structure without landslides and sintered to be highly conductive wire with an overall shrinkage on the rough ceramic substrates, achieving a line width of 7µm and aspect ratio of 2.3 on various ceramic substrates (Al2O3, AlN, and ZrO2) with conductivity of 5.1 × 107 S m-1. Such circuits also possess environmental compatibility under mechanical tests (1000 adhesion test and scratch test) and harsh environments (500°C aging for 500hr and chemical attack for 500hr). The proposed technique free from traditional lithography, etching and plating processes opens a promising strategy for implementing both high-density integration and large current-carrying capacity. (Nature Communications, vol. 16, June 2025, https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-025-60408-x)
