Any good PCB manufacturer for 6-layer custom stack-up boards

[jayx]

Hi All,

Can someone recommend a good (not necessarily the cheapest) PCB manufacturer for 6-layer custom stack-up boards?

[Psi]

What exactly does custom stack-up mean to you?

Do you want control over the exact core/prepreg material used between layers?
or just have a specific layer order, copper weight and thickness?
Buried/blind via / HDI board?

You usually cant have complete control over everything due to internal processes at each board house and how they have their machines and lines are setup, some things just aren't possible at some fabs.

[jayx]

Yes, specific prepreg (only prepreg, no fully cured core, to be exact Shengyi_s1000-2) and specific copper thickness (nothing fancy here, 0.035mm top / bot, 0.018mm internal). No blind or buried vias.

[Psi]

You'll probably have to find somewhere that actually stocks Shengyi_s1000-2 otherwise the cost for them to buy some solely for you is probably going to be crazy. Especially because they'll have no idea how exactly it behaves and won't know how to setup their machines to get good results. They'll price-in having to do (n) test runs.
That being said, if you are a big company and want to make 500,000 boards it might not be a problem at all.

PCBway has S1000H and S1000-2M but I think it's SYTECH, not Shengyi

[scottapotamas]

I've been happy with Multech

[jayx]

Yes, should have mention that someone who stock and have experience with Shengyi_s1000-2. I thought it's not rare, have seen s1000-2 as an option in JLCPCB and PCBway, but JLCPCB don't support custom stack-up, I'm waiting for answer from PCBWay. Anyway not sure about a quality of any of them.

[PCBA Partner]

For an exact prepreg request, I would avoid treating material availability and stack-up qualification as separate questions. Ask each prospective fab to return:

1. The approved laminate data sheet and actual material source/lot;
2. Their proposed press-out thickness for each dielectric;
3. Final copper weights after plating and etch;
4. Whether this is an established construction or a first-time qualification; and
5. If impedance matters, the coupon/measurement method and the target tolerance.

For a low-volume prototype, it is often safer to accept a fab's proven construction using an approved S1000-2 variant, while specifying finished thickness and impedance targets. A one-off material purchase plus press trials can otherwise dominate both cost and lead time.

I would also request the final fab stack-up drawing before release and keep it with the build record. That makes the result reproducible for a later revision rather than relying on the original design assumptions.

[May-High-speed PCB]

If your main requirement is a custom 6-layer stack-up rather than the lowest price, I'd recommend choosing a manufacturer that is willing to build the stack exactly as specified instead of forcing it into a standard stack.

We regularly manufacture 6-layer boards with customer-defined prepregs, custom copper weights, and controlled stack-ups for RF and industrial applications. Shengyi materials and 35µm / 18µm copper combinations are all standard for us.

Since there are no blind or buried vias in your design, this should be a fairly straightforward build as long as the fabricator follows the requested stack-up.

If you'd like, feel free to share the stack-up or Gerbers (privately is fine), and I'd be happy to check whether everything looks manufacturable before quoting.

[mikeselectricstuff]

As you're in the UK, try Garner Osbourne

[lichurbagan]

JLCPCB, PCBway, NextPCB, ; all of these are capable of manufacturing more than 10-layer PCB. So, 6-layer is not a big deal for any of these manufacturers. Yeah, one thing I should take into account considering your location that I can see in your profile. If you are looking for a manufacturer in Europe or UK in specific, none of their shipping charges might be economical to you. In that case, you can consider Eurocircuits. They manufacture upto 16- layer. So, 6-layer is well within their capacity. They have an office in the UK. Contact all prospects and select the one that you think will be the best suited for you. 

[bobof]

Yes, specific prepreg (only prepreg, no fully cured core, to be exact Shengyi_s1000-2) and specific copper thickness (nothing fancy here, 0.035mm top / bot, 0.018mm internal). No blind or buried vias.

Out of interest, what is the application where this construction method is useful?