Washington, May 27, 2025 – The bipartisan Protecting Circuit Boards and Substrates Act of 2025 introduced by Representatives Blake Moore (R-UT) and Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL) addresses a long-standing weakness in our nation’s capacity to produce trusted and secure microelectronics. Chips need a printed circuit board and an integrated circuit substrate to connect to an electronic device.

Printed circuit boards (PCBs) are found in all national defense and critical infrastructure systems that run our country.

We once made 30 percent of the world’s PCBs but now make only 4 percent and less than 1 percent of the substrates. We rely on Asia for 90 percent of the PCBs: over 50 percent from China.

Being at the end of a long and vulnerable supply chain in a region where the risk of supply chain disruption is high, and the geopolitical situation uncertain, the U.S. needs to have domestic capacity to match the output from American semiconductor fabs.

“Without a concurrent investment in PCBs and substrates, the American-made chips are being shipped to Asia to be packaged with Asian-made PCBs and substrates,” said Shane Whiteside, Chairman of the Printed Circuit Board Association of America and CEO of Summit Interconnect. “If we don’t reverse the drastic offshoring that we’ve experienced, we will continue to be reliant on sources whose provenance and security are not always clear. Our national defense and critical infrastructure systems are full of PCBs from China. This legislation will reverse the trend so the U.S. can produce secure and trusted microelectronics for our most sensitive national defense and economic systems.”

Major provisions of the bill:

• Provides a 25% tax credit for the purchase or acquisition of American-made PCBs
• Establishes a financial assistance program, modeled on the CHIPS for America Act, for American facilities manufacturing or researching PCBs
• Requires a Presidential determination for single financial awards over $150 million
• Authorizes appropriations of $3 billion to carry out the program.

PCBAA Executive Director David Schild said, “From F-35s to F-150s, the modern world is built on printed circuit boards, and we need to make more of them in America. This bill will lead to new factories, high paying jobs and an ecosystem to support the work being done by our colleagues in the semiconductor industry.”

H.R. 3249: Text – H.R.3249 – 118th Congress (2023-2024): Protecting Circuit Boards and Substrates Act | Congress.gov | Library of Congress

Representatives Blake Moore and Raja Krishnamoorthi Reintroduce Bipartisan Legislation to Bring Electronics Manufacturing to America and Strengthen Supply Chains: Representatives Blake Moore and Raja Krishnamoorthi Reintroduce Bipartisan Legislation to Bring Electronics Manufacturing to America and Strengthen Supply Chains | U.S. Congressman Blake Moore

Reposted from PCBAA.org: Bipartisan PCBS Act to Revitalize a Long Neglected Part of the Microelectronics Ecosystem | Printed Circuit Board Association of America

Industrial PCB manufacturing requires precision, reliability, and strict quality control to meet the demands of industries like aerospace, automotive, telecommunications, and medical technology. Ensuring high-quality fabrication involves careful material selection, process control, adherence to industry standards, and advanced testing techniques.

Key Factors in High-Quality PCB Manufacturing

1. Material Selection: Enhancing Performance & Reliability

Selecting the right PCB materials is essential for ensuring long-term durability and signal integrity. Key considerations include:

• Dielectric properties: Low-loss laminates improve high-frequency signal transmission.
• High-Tg substrates: Enhance thermal stability for high-power applications.
• Advanced copper foils: Reduce conductor loss and improve electrical performance.
• Flex and rigid-flex materials: Provide mechanical flexibility while maintaining signal stability.

2. Process Control: Precision in Manufacturing

Strict control at every stage of PCB production is crucial. Important processes include:

• Lamination & Layer Alignment: Ensures precise stack-ups for multilayer PCBs.
• Drilling & Via Formation: Laser drilling and microvia technology improve high-density interconnects (HDI).
• Copper Plating & Surface Finishes: Enhances conductivity and solderability with options like ENIG and immersion silver.
• Solder Mask & Silkscreen Application: Protects circuit traces and aids in assembly identification.

Automated optical inspection (AOI), X-ray testing, and 3D solder paste inspection detect defects early, ensuring flawless board fabrication.

3. Compliance with Industry Standards

High-quality PCB production must adhere to industry regulations and standards. Examples include:

• IPC-6012: Governs performance for rigid PCBs.
• ISO 9001: Establishes quality management system requirements.
• MIL-PRF-31032: Defines military-grade PCB specifications.
• RoHS & REACH Compliance: Ensures environmentally safe manufacturing.

Following these standards guarantees that PCBs meet performance, durability, and environmental requirements.

4. Testing & Reliability Assurance

Rigorous testing ensures that PCBs meet electrical and mechanical performance expectations. Key testing methods include:

• Electrical Testing: Flying probe and in-circuit testing (ICT) verify signal continuity.
• Thermal Cycling & Stress Testing: Simulates extreme temperature and humidity conditions.
• Vibration & Shock Testing: Ensures durability in harsh operating environments.
• X-ray & Microsection Analysis: Detects hidden defects in fine-pitch components and BGA soldering.

5. Advanced Manufacturing Techniques

With increasing demand for miniaturization and high-speed performance, PCB manufacturers leverage cutting-edge technologies such as:

• High-Density Interconnect (HDI): Allows compact, high-speed circuits.
• Embedded Components: Reduces space requirements and improves electrical performance.
• Sequential Lamination & Via-in-Pad: Enhances thermal management and high-frequency performance.
• Flexible & Rigid-Flex PCB Manufacturing: Enables bendable, lightweight designs.

Ensuring high-quality PCB fabrication requires advanced materials, precise manufacturing, rigorous testing, and adherence to industry standards. As electronics evolve, manufacturers must continually refine their processes, adopt new technologies, and enhance quality assurance to meet growing industry demands.