The following figure shows the geometry and layer details of a PCB with magnified details at the two corners circled in red:
The analysis occurs in two parts:
| Step 1. Solve the thermal analysis due to thermal boundary conditions. |
| Step 2. Solve the downstream structural analysis due to thermal loads. |
Heat generation on some embedded metal traces due to operational loading can cause temperature gradients across the PCB. The gradients can result in PCB deformation during operation and induce thermal stresses and strains.