DFM (Design for Manufacturing)
In plain English
A reality check that makes sure a design can actually be built by a specific factory — like a builder reviewing house plans before construction to catch problems early.
The technical version
Checking a design against a fab's real capabilities to ensure yield.
Design for Manufacturing is the practice of verifying that a PCB layout can be etched, drilled, plated, and assembled with acceptable yield at a specific fabricator. DFM catches issues a design-rule check misses, such as insufficient annular ring, acute slivers, and hanging copper. It is run against fab-specific rule decks, not generic rules.
Related terms
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