Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/1526666
SEPTEMBER 2024 I PCB007 MAGAZINE 27 • Miniaturization and requirements for bet- ter tolerances in high-speed applications increase the importance of lower CTE dielectric materials development and usage. • One hurdle to overcome is achieving these improvements on larger-sized production panels, termed "large-format miniaturization." Needs, Gaps, and Challenges e following information is taken from the table, "PCB High Speed Substrates, Gaps, and Today's Technology Status with Respect to Current and Future Needs." 2 Raw Materials Composite electrical performance. Every component used in high-speed substrates is critical in achieving the overall composite elec- trical performance requirements. e dielec- tric constants (Dk) and especially the loss tan- gent (Df ) properties of the polymers, flame retardants, fillers, and reinforcements used in the laminates, prepregs, and bonding layers used to build high-speed printed circuits must be engineered precisely. Materials with lower Df values are needed, and in many cases lower Dk is desirable. However, in some applica- fly-over cables with miniature PCBs and/ or flip-chips or optical solutions. Research into higher conductivity solutions like gra- phene will also continue. 4. Synergies between computer-aided design (CAD) layout tools and computer-aided manufacturing (CAM) front-end design are needed to resolve simulated and real- life models envisaged by designers and realized by fabricators. e concept of digital twins is one of the possible better design practices ahead. High-speed PCB Substrates High-speed organic substrate boards are crit- ical to the future of integrated systems, but the transition requires significant investment and new manufacturing technologies: • As data rates and functionality increase, miniaturization and complex stacking structures challenge PCB manufacturing technology development and overall manufacturing process cleanliness. • Substrate-level solutions go beyond tradi- tional PCBs, using sophisticated processes like semi-additive processes (SAP) and even fully additive processes. Table 4: Issue: Copper