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42 I-CONNECT007 MAGAZINE I MARCH 2026 H A P PY'S T EC H TA L K # 47 BY H A P PY H O L D E N , I - C O N N ECT 0 07 Automation for Complex Multilayer Fabrication Stackups M ultilayer stackups have evolved dra- matically as they've been adopted for high-performance computing (HPC) and artificial intelligence (AI) server applications. These high-speed, high I/O designs require the designer and fabricator to manage more boundary condi- tions than ever before. In practice, the stackup is no longer "just a stackup." It becomes the founda- tion for signal integrity, reliability, manufacturability, and cost. For today's HPC and AI servers, the following considerations typically drive success or failure: • Importance of materials and stackup in high- speed design • Interaction of mechanical and electrical parameters • Materials and via planning • Best practices in stackup design • Simplified multilayer fabrication approaches • Sequential lamination, vias, materials, and plating • Lamination process cycles and registration • Impedance planning and signal integrity • Relevant specifications, standards, and test methods Figure 1: Design implementation and validation of complex multilayers for HPC and AI servers can require many steps.