FR4: The most commonly used substrate, FR4, is a fiber glass-reinforced epoxy laminate known for its strength, water resistance, and electrical insulation properties.

CEM 1: This composite material comprises woven glass fabric surfaces, paper core, and epoxy resin. It is less expensive than FR4 and offers good mechanical properties and electrical insulation.

CEM 3: Similar to FR4 but with better electrical properties, CEM 3 is a composite material composed of woven glass fabric and epoxy. It’s lighter than FR4 and widely used in consumer electronics for its excellent flame resistance and high thermal conductivity.

Advantages and Applications: Single-sided PCBs are cost-effective and straightforward regardless of substrate, making them ideal for high-volume production. They are typically employed in simpler electronics, like power supplies and consumer electronics. The choice of substrate depends on the application’s specific requirements, such as thermal management, mechanical strength, and cost considerations.

Advanced single-sided PCB: Advanced single-sided PCBs break the traditional form by incorporating a 3-layered structure, significantly enhancing their functionality while retaining the basic principle of single-sided circuitry. This design allows for a more complex circuit on a single-sided board.

3-Layered Structure: Conductive Carbon and Jumper Inserts
Conductive Carbon Layer: Positioned between the base substrate and the copper layer, the conductive carbon layer offers a low-resistance pathway for certain circuit connections. This layer is beneficial for keypads or touch-sensitive interfaces.

Copper Layer: This is the primary conductive layer where electronic components are soldered. It forms the main circuitry of the PCB.

Jumper Inserts: Jumper inserts are used to overcome the limitation of a single conductive layer. These small conducting pieces (often copper) are inserted through the substrate to connect different points on the copper layer. This technique allows for pseudo-multilayer functionality, enabling more complex circuits without needing multiple conductive layers.

Advantages and Innovative Applications: Including conductive carbon and jumper inserts in single-sided PCBs offers enhanced circuit complexity, reduced size and weight, and cost efficiency compared to traditional multilayer PCBs. These advanced PCBs find applications in compact electronic devices where space and cost are critical, such as in certain wearable technologies, sophisticated consumer electronics, and specialised medical devices. Jumper inserts, in particular, allow for designs previously only possible with multilayer PCBs, thus opening new avenues in electronic design and innovation.