PCB Material Design Guide - Sierra Circuits - January 2021

TITLE
PCB Material
Design Guide
Table of Contents
Section 1. Printed‌ ‌circuit‌ ‌board‌ ‌materials‌.................................... 4
1.1 Prepreg........................................................................... 4
1.2 Copper foil..................................................................... 4
1.3 Copper clad laminates................................................... 5
Section 2. Basic properties of PCB materials’ dielectric............... 6
2.1 Thermal properties....................................................... 6
2.1.1 Glass transition temperature (Tg)........................................ 6

2.1.2 Decomposition temperature (Td)......................................... 6
2.1.3 Coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) .............................. 7
2.1.4 Thermal conductivity (k)..................................................... 8
2.2 Electrical properties...................................................... 8
2.2.1 Dielectric constant or relative permittivity (Er or Dk)............. 8

2.2.2 Dielectric loss tangent or dissipation factor (Tan δ or Df)..... 8
2.3 Mechanical properties................................................... 9
2.3.1 Tensile (Young’s) modulus...................................................... 9

2.3.2 Flexural strength or bend strength.......................................... 9
2.3.3 Tensile strength..................................................................... 9
Section 3: Signal loss in PCB substrates..................................... 10
3.1 Dielectric loss..................................................................... 10

3.2 Copper loss or skin effect loss............................................ 10
3.3. Correlation between signal loss and operating frequency.. 13
Section 4: Basic PCB material categories.................................... 14
4.1 Normal speed and loss...................................................... 14

4.2 Medium speed medium loss.............................................. 14
4.3 High speed low loss.......................................................... 14
4.4 Very high speed very low loss (RF/microwave).................. 14
4.5 PCB material options........................................................ 15
2 www.protoexpress.com
Section 5: Copper foil selection.................................................. 17
5.1 Critical properties to be considered.................................. 17

5.2 Copper foil types.............................................................. 17
Section 6: Choosing your PCB materials..................................... 19
6.1 PCB material selection best practices............................... 19

6.2 Sierra circuits preferred materials..................................... 20

Section 7: Choosing HDI materials - Key considerations.............. 21
7.1 Quality of HDI materials.................................................... 21

Section 8: The PCB Material Selector Tool.................................. 22
Section 9: PCB stack-up and its significance.............................. 26
9.1 Significance of multi-layer PCB stack-up......................... 26

9.2 How to achieve best possible PCB stack-up design?........ 27
Copyright Sierra Circuits Inc., 2021 3

Section 1: Printed circuit board materials
Material selection is important for all PCB designs. The goal is always to
select the right material for manufacturability, at the same time, meets your
temperature and your electrical requirements. When dealing with high speed designs the
material chosen significantly impacts the quality of the signals traversing through
the traces. The type of materials you choose defines the quality of your end product.
Figure 1: Materials used in a multi-layer PCB
A printed circuit board is manufactured using the following 3 items:
1.1 Prepreg
Prepreg is a sheet of woven-glass reinforcement impregnated with a resin that is not

fully cured (B stage material). This is a tacky material and allows the bonding of differ-
ent laminates or foils. Prepregs are available in a variety of glass weaves and epoxy
compositions.
1.2 Copper foil
Copper foil on the outermost layer is the conductive medium through which electric
current flows. Copper traces on a PCB are made by selectively etching copper foil.
Traces (conductors or circuits) create the electrical connections on the PCB. In case
of multilayer PCBs, the electrical connections between the layers are made through
the holes that are drilled on the PCBs. Copper is deposited on the walls of these drilled
hoes. These holes establish electrical connection between the inner and outer layers.
www.protoexpress.com
1.3 Copper clad laminates (Core)
Cores are basically made up of prepregs and copper foils that have been laminated and
cured. A variety of materials with different thicknesses, epoxy properties, and types of
glass weave are available. The designer must define the desired combination that is
well suited for his/her application. The process of creating copper clad laminate begins
with glass fiber interwoven to make glass cloth, this cloth is impregnated in epoxy resin
and semi cured to make a ply of prepreg. Number of plies of prepreg are bonded to-
gether along with the copper foils on the outermost layers to make a laminate (copper
cladded laminate). Some commonly used prepregs are 1080, 7628, 2116, 2113, and
2165.
Figure 2: Copper clad laminate

Section 2: Basic properties of PCB
materials’ dielectric
Designers most often consider two basic properties- thermal and electrical when
choosing materials for their PCB construction. In special applications, a designer might
also consider other properties such as mechanical and chemical.
2.1 Thermal properties

A material’s thermal properties govern its ability to withstand extreme temperatures
while retaining its characteristics. Below are the thermal properties that need to be
considered while selecting your PCB materials.
2.1.1 Glass transition temperature (Tg)
Glass transition temperature or Tg, is the temperature range in which a PCB substrate
transitions from a glassy, rigid state to a softened, deformable state as polymer chains
become more mobile. When the material cools back down, its properties return to their
original states. Tg is expressed in units of degrees Celsius (°C).
Below the Tg the substrates are hard. The substrates attain rubbery state between the
Tg and Tm (melting temperature) temperatures . At temperature greater than the melting
point (melting temperature) the materials transform from solid to viscous liquid. During
this phase the PCB material completely loses its shape.
2.1.2 Decomposition temperature (Td)
Decomposition temperature or Td, is the temperature at which a PCB material chemi-

cally decomposes (the material loses at least 5% of its mass). Like Tg, Td is expressed
in units of degrees Celsius (°C).
A material’s Td is an important parameter when assembling PCBs, because when a

material reaches or surpasses its Td, the resulting changes in its properties are not
reversible. Whereas in case of Tg, the material properties return to their original states
once the material cools below the Tg range.
So choose a material that can work in a temperature range that’s higher than the Tg
but well below the Td. Most solder temperatures during PCB assembly are in the 200°C
to 250°C range, so make sure Td is higher than this (luckily, most materials have a Td
greater than 320°C).
2.1.3 Coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE)
The coefficient of thermal expansion or CTE, is the rate of expansion of a PCB material
as it heats up. CTE is expressed in parts per million (ppm) expanded for every degree
Celsius that it is heated.
As the material’s temperature rises past Tg, the CTE will rise as well.
The CTE of a substrate is usually much higher than copper, this can cause interconnec-
tion issues when a PCB gets heated.
The CTE along the X and Y axes are generally low – around 10 to 20 ppm per degree
Celsius. This is usually due to the woven glass that constrains the material in the X
and Y directions, and the CTE doesn’t change much even as the material’s temperature
increases above Tg.
So the material must expand in the Z direction. The CTE along the Z axis should be as
low as possible.
Figure 3: A material’s expansion is measured

by the coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE).
CTE is also useful to locate the Tg of a material by using a CTE curve. Plot a material’s
temperature versus displacement, then find the intercept of the two curves.
Copyright Sierra Circuits Inc., 2021

7
2.1.4 Thermal conductivity
Thermal conductivity, or k, is the property of a material to conduct heat; low

thermal conductivity means low heat transfer while high conductivity means high
heat transfer. The measure of the rate of heat transfer is expressed in watts per meter
per degree Celsius (W/M °C).
Most PCB dielectric materials have a thermal conductivity in the range of 0.3 to 0.6
W/M °C, which is quite low compared to copper, whose k is 386 W/M °C. Therefore,
more heat will be carried away quickly by copper plane layers in a PCB than by the
dielectric material.
2.2 Electrical properties

2.2.1 Dielectric constant or relative permittivity (Er or Dk)
It is the ratio of the electric permittivity of the material to the electric permittivity of
free space (i.e., vacuum). It is also known as relative permittivity. The Er for most PCB
materials is in the range between 2.5 and 4.5.
The dielectric constant varies with frequency and generally decreases as frequency
increases; some materials have less of a change in relative permittivity than others.
Materials suitable for high frequency applications are those whose dielectric con-
stant remains relatively the same over a wide frequency range–from a few 100MHz
to several GHz.
2.2.2 Dielectric loss tangent or dissipation factor (Tan δ or Df)
The loss tangent is the phase angle between the resistive and reactive currents in the
dielectric. The dielectric loss increases with increasing values of Df. Low values of Df
result in a fast substrate while large values result in a slow substrate. Df gives a
measure of the power loss in a dielectric material. Df is frequency dependent – higher
the frequency, higher the Df. Generally, lower the Dk of a PCB material, lower is the Df,
and flatter is the Df vs Frequency curve. The values range from 0.001 to 0.030.
8
Figure 4: Dielectric loss tangent
2.3 Mechanical properties
A material’s mechanical properties determine its ability to withstand external stresses

and loads while retaining its characteristics. Below are some mechanical properties
that can be considered if your board will be in a higher stress environment.
2.3.1 Tensile (Young’s) modulus or elastic modulus
It is the ratio of the electric permittivity of the material to the electric permittivity of
It is a measure of the stiffness of a solid material or the amount of force required to
deform a material. It is defined as the ratio of the stress (force per unit area) along
an axis to the strain (ratio of deformation over initial length) along that axis in the
range of stress in which Hooke’s law holds i.e., the stress-strain curve is linear. It is
expressed as Pascals or pounds (force) per square-inch (psi).
2.3.2 Flexural strength or bend strength
It is a measure of a material’s capability to withstand mechanical stress without frac-

turing when PCB is supported at the ends and is loaded in the center. IPC-4101 spec-
ifies the minimum flexural strength of various PCB materials. It is given in either Kg/
square-meter or Pounds/square-inch(psi).
2.3.3 Tensile strength
It is a measure of a material’s maximum stress it can take before breaking, while being
pulled from both sides. Like tensile modulus, it is expressed as Pascals or pounds/
square-inch (psi).

9
Section 3: Signal loss in PCB substrates
The PCB material can affect the signal integrity of your high-frequency circuits. You
can minimize attenuation on your board by choosing the right PCB substrates and
copper foil. These two materials play a very important role when it comes to signal
loss in your PCB. Signal loss comprises dielectric loss and copper loss.
3.1 Dielectric loss
Dielectric materials are made up of polarized molecules. These molecules vibrate

in the electric fields generated by the time varying signals on the signal traces. This
heats up the dielectric and results in the dielectric loss part of signal losses. This sig-
nal loss increases with frequency. Signal loss can be minimized by using a material
that has a lower dissipation factor. The higher the frequency, the more will be the loss
in any given material. This is due to the changing electromagnetic field causing the
molecules in the dielectric material to vibrate. The faster the molecules vibrate, the
more loss there is.
3.2 Copper loss or skin effect loss:

Copper loss is essentially associated with the current that flows through the conduc-
tors. Electrons may not always flow through the centers of the conductors. If copper
trace is finished with nickel, most of the current might flow through that nickel layer.
The skin-effect loss gets larger as frequencies go up. This can be compensated by in-
creasing the width of the traces which in turn creates larger surface area. Wider trace
will always have lower skin effect loss. Copper foil-dielectric toothy interface profile
increases the effective length and thus increases the copper loss.
Earlier, copper was made rough to make a strong bond between copper and sub-
strate. This resulted in an increase in loss. The below images outlines the difference
between smooth and rough copper.
Figure 5: Smooth copper (Source: Altium) Figure 6: Rough copper (Source: Altium)
When an alternative current is passing through a conductor, the varying magnetic fields
induce electric field (Eddy current). This induced electric field opposes the main current
that is flowing through the center of the conductor but strengthens the current that is
flowing outside on the outer surface of the conductor. As a result there is an increase in
current density on the conductor surface. This phenomenon is called skin effect.
Figure 7: Formation of Eddy current due to alternating magnetic field
The effective section of the conductor where most of the current flows (skin depth) can
be estimated with equation below:
Where,
ẟ is skin depth in meters
f is frequency in Hertz
μ is magnetic permeability
σ is electrical conductivity in Siemens per meter (S/m)
Skin depth in copper for different frequencies

11
Signal frequency Skin depth in copper
1Hz 65.2 mm
1MHz 65 μm
1GHz
2.1μm
10GHz
0.65 μm
50GHz 0.29 μm
Skin depth effect reduces the effective cross section of the current carrying con-
ductor. For conductors with a rough profile, a low skin depth causes the current flow
through the contour of the material, this increases the length of the propagation path
as illustrated in the below figure.
Figure 8: Comparison of current flow of DC and high frequency AC in rough

copper foil
In order to mitigate this effect it is always recommended to use low profile copper
with a good mechanical adhesion.
3.3 Correlation between signal loss and operating
Figure 9: Correlation between signal loss and operating frequency
As you can see from the graph above, there’s a direct correlation between signal loss
and frequency. At the same time, we can also see that certain materials are less lossy
than others.
Below chart classifies the essential materials into various buckets based on the
signal loss properties.
13
Figure 10: PCB material categories

On the left, we have materials like FR-4. These are your standard and simple to pro-
cess, everyday materials that can be used in any application. But they are also the
lossiest laminates. It can also have a plethora of other electrical and mechanical
issues. Materials like Isola I-speed, Isola Astra and Tachyon exhibit low loss at high
frequencies. We will be discussing more about the material categories in the next
section.
Section 4: Basic PCB material categories

4.1 Normal speed and loss
Normal-speed materials are the most common PCB materials—the FR-4 family. Their
dielectric constant (Dk) versus frequency response is not very flat and they have high-
er dielectric loss. Therefore, their suitability is limited to a few GHz digital/analog
applications. An example of this material is Isola 370HR.
4.2 Medium speed, medium loss
Medium-speed materials have a flatter Dk versus frequency response curve, and have
a dielectric loss about half that for normal speed materials. These are suitable for up
to ~10GHz. An example of this material is Nelco N7000-2 HT.
4.3 High speed, low loss
These materials also have flatter Dk versus frequency response curves and low di-
electric loss. They also generate less unwanted electrical noise compared to other
materials. They are suitable for ~10 - 30 GHz applications. An example of this mate-
rial is Isola I-Speed.
4.4 Very high speed, very low loss (RF/microwave)
Materials for RF/microwave applications have the flattest Dk versus frequency re-
sponse and the least dielectric loss. They are suitable for up to ~20GHz applications
and beyond. An example of this material is Isola Tachyon 100G.
4.5 PCB material options
Normal/medium speed (0 - 10GHz)
Manufacturer Material name Application areas
Medium speed,
Isola FR370HR normal loss
Nelco N7000-2 HT Medium speed, medi-

um loss
High speed ( 10 - 30GHz)
Isola FR408HR High speed, low loss
Isola I-Speed High speed, low loss
Panasonic Megtron6 R-5775 High speed, low loss
Isola FR408HR High speed, low loss

15
Very high speed/ microwave ( 20 - 60GHz)
Isola I-Tera MT40

Very high speed/fre-
quency, very low loss
Rogers RO3003 Very high speed/fre-

Rogers RO4350 B Very high speed/fre-

Isola Tachyon-100G Very high speed/fre-

Isola Astra MT77 Very high speed/fre-

Isola I-Tera MT40 Very high speed/fre-

Section 5: Copper foil selection
5.1 Critical properties to be considered
Below are a few properties that we need to consider while selecting copper foil.
Copper thickness: Typical thickness varies from 0.25 oz (0.3 mils) to 5 oz (7 mils)
Copper purity: It is the percentage of copper found in the copper foil. Electronic grade
copper foil has the purity of around 99.7%.
Copper-dielectric interface Profile: Low profile has lower signal copper losses at
high frequencies.
5.2 Copper foil types
Electro-deposited copper: This type of copper has vertical grain structure and rough-
er surface. Electo-desposited copper is typically used in rigid PCBs.
Rolled copper: A type of copper, made very thin by processing between heavy rollers,
extensively used to produce flexible PCBs. Rolled copper has horizontal grain struc-
ture and a smoother surface which makes them ideal for rigid-flex and flex PCBs.
Low profile copper:
The roughness in electro-deposited copper can be controlled by adding organic addi-

tives (also known as levelers)
The physical parameters of an ED copper foil can be controlled with the addition
of organic additives into the plating bath. Certain additives – known as levelers –
can decrease the roughness of the surface. During the electrodeposition process,
the current density and electric field strength tend to be higher on the peaks of the
substrate which therefore tend to grow faster. This yields a rough surface. However,
some organic molecules are adsorbed preferentially on the peaks of a surface and
the deposition is therefore favoured on the valleys, yielding a product with a much
smoother profile.

17
Figure 11: Copper deposition with and without organic additives
(levelers)
Figure 12: Copper profiles
Section 6: Choosing your PCB materials
6.1 PCB Material selection: Best practices
Match coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE): CTE is the most critical thermal char-
acteristics for substrates. If the components of the substrates have different CTE,
they may expand at different rates during the fabrication process.
Opt for tight substrate weave: The Dk distribution in tight substrate weave will be
even.
Avoid FR4 for high-frequency applications: This is due to its high dielectric loss and
steeper Dk versus frequency response curve. (For frequencies less than 1 GHz)
Use lower moisture absorption materials: Moisture absorption is the ability of a PCB
material (copper in this case) to resist water absorption when immersed in water. It
is given by percentage increase in weight of a PCB material due to water absorption
under controlled conditions as per standard test methods. Most materials have mois-
ture absorption values in the range of 0.01% to 0.20%.
Always use CAF-resistant materials: Conductive anodic filament (CAF) is a metal-

lic filament that forms from an electrochemical migration process and is known to
cause PCB failures. Using CAF-resistant materials is one of the most effective ways
to prevent CAF formation and failure.

19
6.2 Sierra circuits preferred materials
Application Materials
type
Isola 370 Ventec

Standard HR VT47
FR-4 lead
free boards
Ceramic Rogers RO Rogers Rogers RO Rogers RO

reinforced 4350 B TTM 4003 4230
boards
High speed Isola FR408 Isola Isola I -Tera Isola Astra Isola
materials HR I-Speed MT77 Tachyon
with pro- 100G
cessing
similar to
standard
FR-4
Standard Isola P95 Nelco
Polyimide N7000-2HT
boards
Advanced Rogers RO Rogers Rogers
Teflon 3000 series RT/Duroid ULTRALAM
boards series 2000
Standard DuPont DuPont DuPont

flex boards Pyralux AP Pyralux LF Pyralux FR
Boards Thermagon Laird IMP-

that require 88 CB
higher ther-
mal con-
ductivity
Section 7: Choosing HDI materials:
Key considerations
Choose a PCB material whose Tg is more than or equal to the maximum withstanding
temperature required for the PCB. For example, if operating temperature (Top) is 200
⁰C, choose a PCB material whose Tg >= 200 ⁰C.
The physical thickness of the PCB is important when considering the through hole
aspect ratio.
The physical thickness of a dielectric layer is important when considering the aspect
ratio of the microvia to be plated. The current standard aspect ratio for a microvia is
0.75:1.
For PCB material selection, another important consideration is the highest frequency
content of the signals of the electrical circuit of the PCB.
Along with these items, the dielectric constant of the material and the dissipation
factor, will also play vital roles in HDI PCB material selection, as was discussed in
earlier slides.
7.1 Quality of HDI materials
Dimensional stability: The material should be dimensionally stable; this also applies to
the non-HDI PCBs as well. All materials shrink and stretch to some extent during man-
ufacturing processes, and patterning must be scaled to compensate, which is not an
issue provided the material movement is predictable.
Machinability: The material must be easily machinable. For HDI that means it can be
laser drilled (Vaporization) without problems. Highly concentrated energy is directed in
a focused beam on a specific area, which is absorbed by the material until it vaporizes.
Epoxy resin is the most commonly used thermosetting resin and is the backbone of the
industry. Thanks to its relatively low cost, excellent adhesion (to the metal foils as well
as to itself), and good thermal, mechanical, and electrical properties.
Make sure the chosen material is suitable for sequential laminations.
Sierra Circuits recommends Isola 370HR for normal-speed HDI PCBs and I-Speed
and I-TeraMT40 materials for high-speed HDI PCBs.
21
Section 8: The PCB Material
Selector Tool
In order to help you determine what sort of material will best suit your design needs,
Sierra Circuits provides a list of materials with their most important properties.
The operating frequencies:
Normal speed and normal loss - 0 to 3GHz
Medium speed, medium loss - 1 to 10GHz
High speed and low loss - 10 to 30GHz
Very high speed and very low loss (RF/microwave) - 20 to 60GHz
To view the material options you will have to key in the data into the various fields
of our material selector tool.
1.Application: High-speed application/lead free assembly
In this field, the users can select the type of application/assembly. The user is
allowed to select both of these options.
2.Filter results by IPC and Slash number
The users can select the IPC standard applicable to their PCB in this section.
The drop-down “IPC number” lists the available IPC standards as shown in the below
image.
If the option “All” is selected from the drop-down, the user will get to see the complete
range of materials that are available.
The significance of these IPC standards is explained at the end of this section.
Once the IPC standard is selected, the user can select the corresponding slash
number (if any) of the selected IPC standard.
3.Material characteristics

In the material characteristics field, the user can define the following properties of the
required material:
Whether CAF resistant: If yes, the user can click on the “YES” button.
Conductive anodic filament, also called CAF, is a metallic filament that forms from an
electrochemical migration process and is known to cause PCB failures.
Select range for Tg ⁰C: The range of the Tg (glass transition temperature) can be set
by the available range 130 ⁰C to 280 ⁰C.
Dielectric constant and frequency: The frequency and the corresponding dielectric
constant range can be defined in this field. The dielectric constant here ranges from
2.17 to 10.20.
Loss tangent: The frequency and the corresponding loss tangent range can be de-
fined in this field. The loss tangent here ranges from 0.0005 to 0.0230.
4.Family name and manufacturer
The user can choose from the available family of the materials and manufacturers.
The next step is to hit the “Find Materials” button. The available materials for your
requirement will be displayed on your screen as shown below:
The users can shortlist the materials by selecting them and compare the properties of
the shortlisted materials by hitting the compare button.
Significance of the IPC standards explained
IPC-4101: Specification for base materials for rigid and multi-layer boards
This standard covers the prerequisites for laminate or prepreg utilized for rigid or
multi-layer PCBs. The specification sheets are arranged by type of reinforcement,
resin system and/or construction. These specification sheets are provided with a
specification number for ordering purposes.
IPC-4101C is an update of the standard IPCB-4101.
IPC-4103: Specification for base materials for high-speed/high-frequency applica-

tions
This standard covers the prerequisites for the substrates that are used in the fabrica-
tion of high speed/high frequency PCBs. This specification applies to material thick-
ness defined in the specification sheets as measured over the dielectric only.
IPC/JPCA-4104: This standard defines the specification for HDI and microvia
materials.
IPC-4204: This standard covers the specifications for flexible metal-clad substrates
that are used in fabrication of flexible PCBs.

25
Section 9: PCB material stack-up and
its significance
Figure 13: PCB stack-up
A stack-up is the construction of a multilayer PCB in a sequential order. A PCB stack-

up layer consists of cores, prepregs, and copper foils. Generally, stack-ups are sym-
metrical. Majority of the products fall under 62 mil board thickness.
Standard stack-up design is dependent on the number of signal layers present. For
standard PCB stack-up, key parameters include the number of layers, number of
ground and power planes, frequency of the circuit, the sequence of the layers, and
emission requirements. Some of the additional parameters include spacing between
the layers and a shielded or unshielded enclosure.
9.1 Significance of multi-layer PCB stack-up
An accurately stacked PCB will reduce electromagnetic emissions, crosstalk,

and improve the signal integrity.
It controls the impedance of traces.
Reduces the size of the PCB.
Reduces the routing density.
Provides low noise ground and power planes.
Reduces resistivity of the ground and power planes.
9.2 How to achieve best possible PCB stack-up design?
Whether it’s an HDI or a standard stack-up board, following certain guidelines in ac-
cordance with the application and its requirements is the best possible way to imple-
ment the PCB stack-up design. Here are a few pointers for your PCB stack-up design:
The number of signal layers
PCB stack-up is dependent on the number of signal layers present in the design.
Signal layers change in accordance with the application of the PCB. For instance,
high-speed signal or high-power applications may require a greater number of layers
compared to low-speed signal levels. The ground layers or planes are also considered
before designing the PCB stack-up. PCB designers should avoid mixing different sig-
nals on inner layers.
The number of ground and power layers
Ground layer is the plane of copper in the PCB that is connected to the ground con-
nection of the power supply. Power layer is a flat plane of copper in the PCB connect-
ed to the power supply and the ground. The purpose of using ground planes in your
PCB is to provide voltage/signal return paths and to reduce noise and signal interfer-
ence. Power planes are used to improve the decoupling ability of the circuits in the
PCB. It also provides the shorter return paths which improves the EMC performance.
Power planes have a larger current carrying capacity than the traces. This reduces the
operating temperature of the PCB.
Controlled impedance traces
Controlled impedance is the characteristic impedance of a transmission line formed

by a PCB trace and its associated reference planes. It is relevant when high frequency
signals propagate on the PCB transmission lines. A uniform controlled impedance
is important for achieving good signal integrity, which is the propagation of signals
without significant distortion.

Sequential layer arrangement
Another key aspect of the stack-up design is the sequential layer arrangement. Ar-
ranging high-speed signal layers depending on the thickness of prepreg is one of the
key parameters that a designer must consider before routing. Placing signal layers
below the power plane will allow tight coupling.
For precise layer arrangement, keep a minimum distance between power and ground
plane. Other key parameters include, avoid placement of two signal layers adjacent to
each other, and build symmetric stack-up of the top and bottom layers.In sequential
lamination, try to limit the number of lamination steps as it becomes more expensive
and time consuming.
Determining layer material types
An important consideration for your PCB stack-up is the thickness of each signal
layer. This should be established in conjunction with determining thicknesses for pre-
preg and core(s). There are standard thicknesses, as well as other properties, for
different circuit board material types. Your process for selecting materials should
include these electrical, mechanical and thermal properties.
For instance, layers that require higher voltage will require thicker copper layer.
Sequence of the stack-up:
It is recommended to have signal, ground/power, signal, ground/power and so on. As

a good practice high-speed signals should be routed between two ground planes in
the inner layers and on ground references for the outer layers.
Proper material selection is important since materials will affect the electrical per-
formance of the signal traces. Following the guidelines provided in this design guide
enables you to choose the best possible PCB materials for your design.
29
Sierra Circuits
1108 West Evelyn Avenue
Sunnyvale, CA 94086
+1 (408) 735-7137
30

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TITLE

Section 2. Basic properties of PCB materials’ dielectric............... 6

2.1 Thermal properties....................................................... 6

2.1.1 Glass transition temperature (Tg)........................................ 6

2.2 Electrical properties...................................................... 8

2.2.1 Dielectric constant or relative permittivity (Er or Dk)............. 8

2.3 Mechanical properties................................................... 9

2.3.1 Tensile (Young’s) modulus...................................................... 9

Section 3: Signal loss in PCB substrates..................................... 10

3.1 Dielectric loss..................................................................... 10

Section 4: Basic PCB material categories.................................... 14

4.1 Normal speed and loss...................................................... 14

5.1 Critical properties to be considered.................................. 17

Section 6: Choosing your PCB materials..................................... 19

6.1 PCB material selection best practices............................... 19

7.1 Quality of HDI materials.................................................... 21

Section 9: PCB stack-up and its significance.............................. 26

9.1 Significance of multi-layer PCB stack-up......................... 26

Copyright Sierra Circuits Inc., 2021 3

Figure 1: Materials used in a multi-layer PCB

A printed circuit board is manufactured using the following 3 items:

Prepreg is a sheet of woven-glass reinforcement impregnated with a resin that is not

1.2 Copper foil

Figure 2: Copper clad laminate

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2.1 Thermal properties

2.1.1 Glass transition temperature (Tg)

Decomposition temperature or Td, is the temperature at which a PCB material chemi-

A material’s Td is an important parameter when assembling PCBs, because when a

Figure 3: A material’s expansion is measured

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Thermal conductivity, or k, is the property of a material to conduct heat; low

2.2 Electrical properties

A material’s mechanical properties determine its ability to withstand external stresses

2.3.1 Tensile (Young’s) modulus or elastic modulus

It is a measure of a material’s capability to withstand mechanical stress without frac-

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3.1 Dielectric loss

Dielectric materials are made up of polarized molecules. These molecules vibrate

3.2 Copper loss or skin effect loss:

Figure 7: Formation of Eddy current due to alternating magnetic field

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Figure 8: Comparison of current flow of DC and high frequency AC in rough

3.3 Correlation between signal loss and operating

Figure 9: Correlation between signal loss and operating frequency

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Section 4: Basic PCB material categories

4.2 Medium speed, medium loss

4.3 High speed, low loss

4.4 Very high speed, very low loss (RF/microwave)

Normal/medium speed (0 - 10GHz)

Manufacturer Material name Application areas

Nelco N7000-2 HT Medium speed, medi-

High speed ( 10 - 30GHz)

Manufacturer Material name Application areas