IPC-4761

ASSOCIATION CONNECTING
ELECTRONICS INDUSTRIES ®

Design Guide
for Protection
of Printed Board
Via Structures

Developed by the Via Protection Task Group (D-33d)

of the Rigid Printed Board Committee (D-30) of IPC

Users of this publication are encouraged to participate in the

development of future revisions.

Contact:

IPC
3000 Lakeside Drive, Suite 309S
Bannockburn, Illinois
60015-1219
Tel 847 615.7100
Fax 847 615.7105
IPC-4761 July 2006

Table of Contents

1 SCOPE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 6.3 Moisture Absorption . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

1.1 Purpose . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 6.4 Cleanliness Concerns . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
1.2 Terms and Definitions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 6.5 Use of Conformal Coating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

2 APPLICABLE DOCUMENTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 7 SAMPLE DESIGNS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

2.1 IPC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
8 EXAMPLES OF DRAWING NOTES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
3 PWB FABRICATION AND ASSEMBLY
GUIDELINES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Figures
3.1 Advantages of Via Protection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Figure 1-1 Bumped Via Protection Material . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
3.2 PWB Fabrication Issues . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Figure 1-2 Dimpled Via Protection Material . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
3.2.1 Fill or Plug Separation from Plated Hole Figure 1-3 Planarized and Capped Via Protection
Wall . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Material . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
3.2.2 Voids . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Figure 3-1 Example of Hole Fill/Plug Separation from
Plated Hole Wall . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
3.3 Assembly Process Issues . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Figure 3-2 Example of Depression Within Fill/Plug
3.4 Long Term Reliability Concerns . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Material . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Figure 3-3 Voids in Via Fill Material . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
4 MATERIALS/DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS . . . . . . . . 4
Figure 3-4 Large Voids in Via Fill Material . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
4.1 End Use Considerations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Figure 3-5 Corroding of Hole Wall Plating Resulting from
4.2 Fabrication Considerations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Single-Side Via Protection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
4.3 Assembly Considerations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Figure 5-1 Examples of Type I Tented Vias . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
4.4 Types of Materials for Filled/Plugged . . . . . . . . . 5 Figure 5-2 Examples of Type II Tented and Covered
Vias . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
4.4.1 Non-conductive (Organic) – Non-imageable . . 5
Figure 5-3 Examples of Type III Plugged Vias . . . . . . . . . . 8
4.4.2 Non-conductive – Photoimageable . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Figure 5-4 Examples of Type IV Plugged and Covered
4.4.3 Conductive Ink . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Vias . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
4.5 Materials for Tented/Covered Via Structures . . 5 Figure 5-5 Example of Type V Filled Via . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
4.5.1 Tented Only . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Figure 5-6 Examples of Type VI Filled and Covered Vias,
Dry Film Cover . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
4.5.2 Tented and Covered . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Figure 5-7 Examples of Type VI Filled and Covered Vias,
4.6 Material Specification and Selection . . . . . . . . . . 6 Liquid Film Cover . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
5 VIA PROTECTION DEFINITIONS AND TYPES . . . 6 Figure 5-8 Examples of Type VII Filled and Capped
Via . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
5.1 Tented Via (Type I Via) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Figure 5-9 Examples of Partially Filled Vias . . . . . . . . . . . 10
5.2 Tented and Covered Via (Type II Via) . . . . . . . . 7
Figure 7-1 Illustration of “Tented and Covered” Via
5.3 Plugged Via (Type III Via) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Protection Method . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
5.4 Plugged and Covered Via (Type IV Via) . . . . . . 8 Figure 7-2 Design Rule formula with exploded view of
tent and cover detail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
5.5 Filled Via (Type V Via) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Figure 7-3 Top View Illustration of Solder Mask
5.6 Filled and Covered Via (Type VI Via) . . . . . . . . 9 Clearance around a BGA Pad . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
5.7 Filled and Capped Via (Type VII Via) . . . . . . . . 9 Figure 7-4 Top View Illustration of Overlap Detail for
5.8 Partially Filled Via . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Tent and Covered Vias . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

6 PERFORMANCE TRADEOFFS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Tables

6.1 Planarity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Table 5-1 Application Guidelines for Via Protection
6.2 Via Metallization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

iv
July 2006 IPC-4761

Design Guide for Protection

of Printed Board Via Structures

1 SCOPE

The protection of through vias within Printed Wiring Boards

(PWB) has evolved from limited use to common practice.
Technology has evolved where via fabrication techniques
and protection methodologies need to be defined to allow
current designs to be manufacturable at an acceptable yield
and cost. Numerous techniques and objectives exist, and will
be discussed in this document. This document is the product
of the IPC D-33d Via Protection Task Group and has been
developed to provide guidance for the designer and fabri-
cator on how via protection should be approached as well as
guidance on how via protection should be specified in pro-
curement documentation.
IPC-4761-1-2

1.1 Purpose This guideline provides PWB designers, Figure 1-2 Dimpled Via Protection Material
fabricators and/or users with information on existing meth-
ods for the protection of vias on printed boards. In addition Planarized Via Protection – Via protection where the ex-
to detailing some of the advantages of via protection, pro- cess hole plugging or fill material protruding above the hole
duction and material issues are given to aid the user in evalu- interface has been removed by a process to produce a co-
ating the benefits and concerns for each type of protection. planar surface. See Figure 1-3.

1.2 Terms and Definitions The definition of all terms

used herein shall be as specified in IPC-T-50 and as defined
below.
Bumped Via Protection – Via protection where the hole
plugging or fill material protrudes above the surface of the
hole interface producing a convex shape. See Figure 1-1.

IPC-4761-1-3

Figure 1-3 Planarized and Capped Via Protection Material

2 APPLICABLE DOCUMENTS

2.1 IPC1

IPC-4761-1-1 IPC-T-50 Terms and Definitions for Interconnecting and

Figure 1-1 Bumped Via Protection Material Packaging Electronic Circuits
IPC-A-600 Acceptability of Printed Boards
Dimpled Via Protection – Via protection where the hole
plugging or fill material recedes below the hole interface IPC-SM-840 Qualification and Performance of Permanent
producing a concave shape. See Figure 1-2. Solder Mask

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