Signal Integrity Engineer at Multitest to Present PCB Material Analysis at IEEE Semiconductor Workshop in San Diego

The increasing operating frequency of many of today’s devices magnifies the importance of accurately characterizing the electrical performance of PCB materials used in test boards. Characterization not only ensures that the correct PCB materials are used for each application, but also that the performance is predictable.

Over the past year, Multitest launched an extensive PCB materials characterization study. The project scope included fabricating multiple PCBs from a dozen different PCB materials. Each PCB included 50 Ω microstrip and stripline traces on various core thicknesses. Measurements evaluated dielectric constants, loss tangents, repeatability, surface roughness, and the effect of soldermask on performance.

Results of the project have been presented previously, but little detail was provided regarding the analysis of those results. This presentation will focus on explaining the findings and describing the next steps required to improve high-frequency simulation and characterization.