Abstract: Methods and apparatuses are disclosed for fabricating a printed circuit board (PCB) having electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding and also having reduced volume over conventional frame-and-shield approaches. Some embodiments include fabricating the PCB by mounting an integrated circuit to the PCB, outlining an area corresponding to the integrated circuit with a number of grounded vias, selectively applying an insulating layer over the PCB such that at least one of the grounded vias are exposed, and selectively applying a conductive layer over the PCB such that the conductive layer covers at least a portion of the integrated circuit and such that the conductive layer is coupled to the at least one of the grounded vias that are exposed.

Abstract: The described embodiments relate generally to the manufacturing of consumer electronics and computing devices, and more particularly to providing mechanisms that modify the surface energy of a substrate to facilitate the forming of a bond between disparate materials. In one embodiment, the surface energy of a polyester substrate can be enhanced by exposing a surface of the polyester substrate to a plasma formed from approximately 90% atmospheric air, 5% carbon dioxide, and 5% argon. In another embodiment, contaminants can be removed from the surface of the polyester substrate and the surface energy of the substrate can be increased by exposing the polyester substrate first to an argon plasma etching process and second to a plasma formed from approximately 95% atmospheric air and 5% carbon dioxide.