Technical Consultant Zach Peterson

Currently Playing: What Are These Copper Squares on a PCB? Copper Thieving Explained

Altium Develop puts your design, your BOM, and your fabricator's feedback in one shared workspace, so manufacturing questions like copper thieving get answered before you release files: https://www.altium.com/develop?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=video&utm_campaign=altium-academy-shorts&utm_content=what-are-these-copper-squares-on-a-pcb-copper-thieving-explained Copper thieving is the grid of small, disconnected copper squares you sometimes spot in the empty areas of a PCB, and a Reddit thread trying to explain it is where this clip begins. Commenters said the fabricator adds it per the fab notes, that it's called copper thieving on the outer layers and copper balancing on the inner layers, and that it keeps copper distribution uniform for a more consistent manufacturing process. Zach Peterson wasn't satisfied with a comment thread, so he went to the PCB manufacturers themselves, the experts, and the scholarly literature to see whether any of it holds up. This Short sets up that investigation; the full video walks through what thieving actually does for plating uniformity, warpage, and etch consistency, and how to set it up in Altium Designer. ▶ Watch the full video: https://youtu.be/WBZckq5t1uk 💡 Watch Next: - Copper Thieving in Altium Explained: When You Actually Need It: https://youtu.be/WBZckq5t1uk - To Pour or Not To Pour | Copper Pour in PCB Design: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R3w4Go1s1hM - How to Create Polygons in Altium Designer | PCB Layout: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RM18_zJs31E - Chemical Processing in PCB Manufacturing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jMCtsPK3drc - The Heavy Copper Myth That's Ruining Your DC Power Design: https://youtube.com/shorts/1IH6lpdNteo 💡 Stay Connected: Don't forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more in-depth tutorials and tips from @AltiumAcademy Share your thoughts and questions in the comments below! 👉 Subscribe for more: https://www.youtube.com/@AltiumAcademy?sub_confirmation=1 Don't forget to follow us on social to stay up-to-date on the latest Altium Academy content. 👉 Follow Altium on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@altiumdesigner 👉 Follow Altium on Twitter: https://twitter.com/altium 👉 Follow Altium on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/altium/ 👉 Follow Altium on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AltiumOfficial/ The Altium Academy is an online experience created to bring modern education to PCB Designers and Engineers all across the world. Here you can access a vast library of free training and educational content covering everything from basic design to advanced principles and step-by-step walkthroughs. Join industry legends as they share their career knowledge, review real-life design projects, or learn how to leverage one of Altium's leading design tools. No matter your level of experience, the Altium Academy can help you become a better Designer and Engineer! About Altium LLC Altium LLC (ASX:ALU), a global software company based in San Diego, California, is accelerating the pace of innovation through electronics. From individual inventors to multinational corporations, more PCB designers and engineers choose Altium software to design and realize electronics-based products. #altium #pcbdesign #copperthieving