IPC International Community magazine an association member publication
Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/1545404
30 I-CONNECT007 MAGAZINE I JUNE 2026 T RO U B L E I N YO U R TA N K The electronics industry supply chain is moving very quickly with the explosion of AI serv- ers, high-performance computing, ADAS, quantum computing, and 5G/6G. Signal integrity is under scrutiny in an entirely new role. With many factors influencing signal integrity, one area that contrib- utes to signal distortion at high frequencies is the PCB's final finish layer deposits. Frequencies above 40 GHz are susceptible to such distortions, and data transfer rates of 224 GB/s are driving changes in PCBs and IC substrates. The insertion loss of a high-frequency PCB can decrease the usable signal levels of a system, whether in a receiver or a transmitter. Additional details on insertion loss can be found in a previously published paper. 1 Certainly, the particular conductors' loss and the conductors' attributes (surface rough- ness, surface profile, final finish topography, and BY M I C H A E L CA R A N O, G LO BA L E L ECT RO N I C S AS S O C I AT I O N At 40 GHz, Everything Matters PART 1