Selective PCB stiffening with preferentially oriented fibers

Apparatus and methods are presented for reinforcing and stiffening a printed circuit board (PCB) in selected locations by utilizing preferentially oriented fibers. Selected fibers within the polymeric material matrix of the PCB fiber-matrix layer are removed and replaced with a similar quantity of fibers in a preferential orientation. Various combinations of layering of modified fiber-matrix layer material with conventional fiber-matrix layer material are presented to achieve the desired PCB stiffening. Printed circuit boards, under the weight of heavy attached electronic components, may deflect or flex along an axis, defined as the characteristic fold. This flexing is exasperated with manufacturing and handling loading, particularly when mounted in a chassis. Preferentially orientated fibers laid transverse to the characteristic fold reinforces the area to resist flexure within the area surrounding the characteristic fold. Reducing PCB flexure is particularly important in locations of the PCB containing surface mount technology (SMT) components, such as ball grid array electronic components. The lead attachment for BGA components is particularly susceptible to PCB flexure resulting in lead fatigue, fracture and failure. The presented methods and apparatus provide PCB stiffening without the addition of external PCB stiffeners and without effecting the PCB overall thickness, fiber to matrix ratio, uniform properties, or dielectric properties.