# PCB

## System definition - Goal and scope

### Definition

#### What is it used for?

* PCB = Printed Circuit Board
* Other name: printed wiring board (PWB)
* It is used to connect components to one another in an electronic circuit.

#### Are there different types/technologies?

They are various types of PCBs.

They can differ in terms of technology:
  * **Through-Hole Technology** (THT), old technology. Still used for power electronics.
  * **Surface-Mount Technology** (SMT), used in most digital equipment

They can have different structures:
  * Rigid
  * Rigid-flex
  * Flex

They can be very different depending on their specialization too:
  * High temperature
  * Heavy copper
  * High frequency
  * Metal core
  * High density
  * Substrate-like

#### If different types, what are the differences in terms of materials, process, use consumption?

#### Is there a generic component that represents a family of components?

#### How many sub-parts does the system consist of?


### Perimeter

#### What is included?

* Naked PCB
  * Rigid
  * Double-sided or multilayer

#### What is excluded?

* ICs on top of the PCB, without any electronic components on it
* R&D activities to develop the PCB

### Functional unit and reference flows

#### What is the functional unit?
#### What are the reference flows?



## Life cycle - Inventory

=> Goal: Define state of the art on life cycle stages to be considered.

### Database and tools

#### What are the already existing data (dataset, parametric model, paper, etc.)?

### Raw materials
=> Goal: List the technical information needed for the LCI.

#### What is it made of?

  * Raw materials
    * FR-4 = glass-reinforced epoxy laminate material (epoxy resin + glass fiber)
    * copper
  * Chemicals
    * potassium carbonate
    * dicyanoaurate
    * sodium hydroxide


#### Who are the main mining? Where are they located?
#### Is there mining processes information available?


### Manufacturing

=> Goal: List the technical information needed for the LCI.

For each system sub-part:

#### What are the manufacturing processes?

* laminating
* drilling
* etching
* plating

#### What are the assembly processes?
#### For each process, what is the energy consumption?
#### For each process, what are the inputs (water, chemicals, etc.) ?
#### For each process, what is the yield? Are they co-products and/or losses?

#### How the “main” manufacturers can be characterized: by the number of components manufactured, the market share (€), other?
#### Who are the main manufacturers? Where are they located?


### Distribution and packaging

=> Goal: List the technical information needed for the LCI.

#### What are the packaging? Made of which materials?
#### Which are the transport modes?
#### What are the transport distances?

### Use

=> Goal: List the technical information needed for the LCI.

#### What is the service lifespan? (durée d'utilisation)
#### Is there a reparation factor?
#### Is there sub-parts replacement?

#### Where is it used?
#### Who are the users?
#### Which + how much energy does it need?
#### Is there emissions from use?


### End of life

=> Goal: List the technical information needed for the LCI.

#### What is the lifetime? (durée de vie)
#### Is it different from lifespan and why?
#### Is it refurbished? + Where?
#### Is it recyclable? Can it be dismantled? Which material can be separated? + Where and how?
#### Is it incinerated with energy recovery? Just incinerated? Buried? + Where?
#### Which part of waste can be considered as mismanaged (neither recycled, nor incinerated, nor buried)?


## Environmental footprint

=> Goal: Define state of the art on environmental impacts. 

#### What are the impact assessment methods used (EF, ReCiPe, others)?
#### What are the known environmental impacts associated to the system (indicators)?
#### What are the known hotspots? Which raw material? Which life stage?

* Processes
    * PCB factory

* Energy use
    * Electricity

Data needed from manufacturer :

* production volume
* line capacity
* installed power
* water usage


#### What are the potential parameters affecting environmental impacts?

Impactful parameters :

* Technology: Through-Hole Technology (THT) or Surface Mount Technology (SMT)
* Substrate material: FR4 (mostly used), bio-based material, etc.
* Number of layers (1 to 16 generally)
* Surface (m2) -> yield
* Type of surface finish

#### What are the main source of uncertainty?



## Bibliography
=> Goal: Source every data we cited previously

#### List of our sources
#### Data origin: bibliographic source / consortium hypothesis / expert opinion - required if a Data Quality Rating (DQR) must be completed



## Next steps
=> Goal: List challenges and clarify priority areas for action

#### What do we know we don't know?
#### What are the identified challenges?
#### What paths/ideas should be explored?