embedded component technology (ECT)
Embedded Component Technology (ECT) is a technology used in printed circuit board manufacturing for miniaturization. In ECT technology, active and passive components - chips, transistors, thin-film resistors, capacitors, striplines - are embedded in the layers of multilayer printed circuit boards.
This technology can be used to produce compact printed circuit boards or modules. In terms of performance, the assemblies are characterized by short runtimes, as the signal connections can be extremely short.
The printed circuit boards or substrates of ECT assemblies are fitted with the embedded components using soldering, sintering or bonding techniques. Multilayer PCBs are manufactured using press-fit techniques. The connection between several layers is made with microvias and vias which are drilled and then metallized. Embedded components are also referred to as hidden - burried - components, since they can be embedded in the PCB and are not visible from the outside.
In addition to the electronic components mentioned, there are also concepts in which the tubes of heat pipes for cooling the circuit boards are embedded in embedded technology. This cooling is more effective than the classic heat dissipation with copper.