Whitepapers (Technical Papers)

An Assessment of the Impact of Lead-Free Assembly Processes on Base Material and PCB Reliability

Technical Paper

This paper describes the regulations and lead-free materials and processes, base material properties and presents test data that highlights the importance of specific properties that should be considered when selecting materials for lead-free applications.

Anisotropic Design Considerations for 28 Gbps Via to Stripline Transitions

Technical Paper

This paper discusses how for 28-56 Gb/s design the homogeneous isotropic material assumption is a key impediment in model to measurement correlation.

CAF Resistance of NON-DICY FR-4

Article

This article discusses how non-dicyandiamide FR-4 stacks up under Telecordia GR-78 insulation and degradation tests.

Calculated Thickness vs. Measured Thickness

Application Note

This application note describes the overall thickness nedded to achieve and monitor the effectiveness of process changes intended to realize less taper in your panels.

Challenges and Opportunities for Halogen-free Flame Retardants in Anisotropic Composite Dielectric Materials for RF and Microwave Applications

Presentation

This presentation describes the Flame Retardants (FRs) used in electronic materials and new opportunities for growth.

Characterization of PCB Plated-Thru-Hole Reliability using Statistical Analysis

Technical Paper

This paper will discuss how certain statistical analysis techniques may be used to decipher the results, and predict capabilities of PCB materials and/or processes.

Characterizing Geometry-Dependent Crossover Frequency for Stripline Dielectric and Metal Losses

Technical Paper

This paper discusses how digital signaling requires interconnects operating at microwave frequencies to achieve current data transfer demands in computing platforms.

Coated Copper Foils for High Density Interconnects

Technical Paper

This paper discusses laser and plasma ablatable dielectric materials, available as coatings on copper.

Conductive Anodic Filament Growth Failure

Technical Paper

This paper provides describes Isola's work in finding the right combination of process and design conditions for improved CAF resistant products.

Control of Key Registration Variables for Improved Process Yields on Dense MLBs

Technical Paper

This paper explains the sources of registration error and outlines a path for improving process yield.

Detroit vs. Silicon Valley: What’s Driving the Proliferation of Automotive Electronics?

Article

This article discusses how technology is changing the automotive industry.

Developments in Glass Yarns and Fabric Constructions

Article

This article discusses how the process of glass fibre production remained largely unchanged over 50 years, however there have been a number of recent important developments that have enabled substrates made with woven glass fabrics to adapt to the changing requirements of circuit design.

Enabling Lower Cost Advanced Automotive Safety Systems Through Hybrid PCB Construction

Presentation

This presentation describes Printed Circuit Board (PCB) requirements for advanced automotive safety systems; hybrid PCB construction and benefits and material availability.

Fire Retardancy What, Why and How

White Paper

The paper takes a critical look at all aspects of fire retardancy, starting with the need for fire safety.

Halogen Free Base Materials for PWB Applications

Technical Paper

This paper discusses the challenges and concerns of commercially-available non-halogen materials.

High Tg Bromine-free Laminates for PWB Applications

Technical Paper

This paper describes chemical approaches that have been evaluated and the effects of those approaches on the performance of these laminates in the fabrication of circuit boards.

ICDs (InterConnect Defects) What are they? Where do they come from? How can we make them go away?

Presentation

This presentation describes smeared resin, hole debris and post separation ICDs.

Improved High Speed, Low Loss Materials for Lead-Free Assembly Compatibility

Technical Paper

This paper comparesa the properties of a low Dk, low Df material with an existing low Dk, low Df material in widespread use.

Laminate & Prepreg Manufacturing

Presentation

This presentation describes the process of laminate and prepreg manufacturing.

Laminate Materials for No-Lead Solder Applications

Technical Paper

This paper discusses the development of resin systems that withstand the higher reflow temperatures required of lead-free solders, while offering ease of fabrication processing and providing cost competitive solutions in today’s global marketplace.

Laminate Materials with Low Dielectric Properties

Technical Paper

This paper focuses on new laminate materials with potential uses in multilayer printed circuit boards (PCBs) for high-speed digital/RF/microwave applications.

Lead Free Assembly: A Practical Tool For Laminate Materials Selection

Technical Paper

This paper defines a “best practice” methodology to be used in determining selection criteria for lead-free assembly materials.

Making Sense of Laminate Dielectric Properties

Technical Paper

This paper highlights the critical selection factors that go beyond a typical product data sheet and explains how these factors must be considered when selecting materials for high speed applications.

Material & Process Influences on Conductive Anodic Filamentation (CAF)

Presentation

This presentation describes how Bell Laboratories investigated the mechanism of CAF formation.

Meeting Flame Resistance Requirements for Green Electronics

Presentation

This presentation discusses challenges and opportunities for halogen-free laminates.

Micro-sectioning of Laminates

Technical Paper

This paper describes how micro-sectioning can be an extremely useful technique to inspect PCBs.

Modelling Skew and Jitter induced by Fiber weave effect in PCB dielectrics

Presentation

This presentation describes a practical fiber-weave effect model to mitigate skew.

Moisture Absorption Properties of Laminates Used in Chip Packaging Applications

Technical Paper

This paper discusses how plastic laminates are increasingly used as interposers within chip packaging applications.

Multilayer Lamination: Vacuum Frames

Application Note

This application note discusses a common method of introducing vacuum lamination to a facility that has a well-functioning hydraulic lamination press is to use “vacuum frames.”

New Developments in High Frequency Dielectric Measurements of PWB Materials Part II: Applications of the Bereskin Method to PWB Materials

Technical Paper

This paper discusses how a relatively easy and repeatable technique is presented for measuring the Dielectric Constant and Dissipation Factor (Dk/Df) of PWB materials for frequencies in the range of 1.5 GHz to 12 GHz.

New Low Dielectric Constant, High Tg, Printed Circuitry Substrates

Technical Paper

This paper discusses new technologies presenting results of PCB fabrication techniques for these materials as well as the benefits to the end users.

New Thermoset PCB Material Emerging for mmWave Applications

Article

This paper discusses a new enabling technology which employs a thermoset matrix that has very good adhesion to metals, enabling the use of copper with extremely smooth surfaces.

New Thermoset PCB Materials Improve Millimeter Wave Performance and Reliability at Reduced Cost

Presentation

This presentation discusses the following: - Printed Circuit Board (PCB) - Requirements for Operation in mmWave Frequency Band - Requirements for Automotive Safety Systems - Available Materials - Case Study: Automotive RADAR

Passive Intermodulation (PIM) in PCBs

Presentation

This presentation the sources of Passive Intermodulation in PCBs and how to measure it.

PCB Material Selection for High-speed Digital Designs

Presentation

This presentation describes PCB factors that limit high-speed digital performance and the PCB material selection process and Isola product solutions.

PCB Material Selection for RF, Microwave and Millimeter-wave Design

Presentation

This presentation discusses Printed Circuit Board (PCB) attributes for RF, microwave, millimeter-wave systems through an application example using an advanced automotive safety system.

PCB-Substrate Characterization at Multigigahertz Frequencies Through SIW Measurements

Technical Paper

This paper discusses how substrate integrated waveguides (SIWs) mimic the behavior of rectangular waveguides (RWGs) and can be implemented with standard PCB technology.

PIM in PCBs: Mechanisms & Mitigation

Presentation

This presentation describes the sources & physical mechanisms of PIM in communication systems.

Predicting Dimensional Deformation During Lamination- for Multilayer Printed Circuit Boards

Technical Paper

This paper describes a model that helps predict the dimensional movement as a function of CTE’s and moduli of the constituent layers and as a function of the lamination temperature.

Process-specific PCB Thickness Modeling

Technical Paper

This paper discusses a method to design a thickness prediction model for a specific board shop process.

Prepreg Selection: Individual Dielectric Space

Application Note

This application note discusses how a PCB fabricator use a slightly different method of selecting prepreg to achieve specific thickness and fill requirements.

Quantifying Timing Skew In Differential Signaling using Practical Fiber Weave Model

Presentation

This presentation outlines practical fiber weave effect model for skew and jitter.

Re-engineered FR-4 Base Materials for Improved Multilayer PCB Performance

Technical Paper

This paper discusses the continuing evolution of FR-4 base materials.

Roughness Characterization for Interconnect Analysis

Technical Paper

This paper discusses the electrical characterization of roughness effect for analysis of digital and microwave signal propagation in rough PCB interconnects.

Sequential Lamination in Printed Circuit Boards

Application Note

This application note addresses the mechanical issues of this technology, when it is used on thicker boards.

Signal Integrity Analysis Techniques Used to Characterize PCB Substrates

Technical Paper

This paper explores several methods used characterize PCB substrate electrical performance.

SITV’s Stack-ups and Loss

Presentation

This presentation outlines SITV stack-ups general, loss characterization and balancing resin content.

Signal Integrity Considerations in High-Reliability Designs

Article

This article outlines the challenges for lead-free designs with demanding signal integrity requirements while managing cost constraints and dispels the perception that signal integrity material challenges only exist with very high-speed applications, requiring long transmission lines.

Stack-up and routing optimization by understanding micro-scale PCB effects

Technical Paper

This paper presents an experimental, numerical, and analytical investigation of the important role that micro-scale PCB effects play in defining the characteristic impedance of interconnects, the associated attenuation and phase constant, and the appearance of resonances in the insertion and return loss.

Standardizing a Test Method for Conductive Anodic Filament Growth Failure

Technical Paper

This paper discusses a standard test vehicle design and test method, CAF analysis and board manufacturing.

Stress Voids: Distorted Internal Pads After HASL

Application Note

This application note discusses how stress voids are a widespread condition not always recognized for what they are, how they are formed and how to eliminate them.

The Compensation Problem and Solution Using Design of Experiments for Dense Multilayer Printed Circuit Boards

Technical Paper

This paper shows how small sets of designed experiments can be used to create a compensation model.

Thermal Analysis of BASE MATERIALS Through Assembly

Article

This article discusses if current analytical techniques predict and characterize differences in laminate performance prior to exposure to thermal excursions during assembly?

Thermal Management of PCBs in Embedded Systems

Presentation

This presentation discusses thermal management considerations for embedded systems.

Thermal Reliability of Laser-ablated Microvias and Standard Through-Hole Technologies as a Function of Materials and Processing

Technical Paper

This paper examines the thermal reliability of microvias and standard vias in relation to the materials and processes in which by they are created.

Thermosets’ Cost and Reliability Advantages for Automotive Radar PCBs

White Paper

This paper discusses how new thermoset resins are emerging as a viable alternative for advanced automotive safety systems by offering cost and reliability advantages over

Understanding Glass Fabric

Presentation

This presentation defines and compares the types of glass fabrics available.

Understanding Glass Transition Temperature Measurements of Printed Circuit Boards by DSC

Application Note

This application note discusses how Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) measures the flow of heat into or out of a sample compared to a reference.

Utilizing Thermal Fatigue Testing to Differentiate the Performance of Epoxy Materials at Various Glass Transition Temperature Levels

Technical Paper

This paper discusses Interconnect Stress Testing (IST), an accelerated fatigue test used for evaluating the failure modes of a printed circuit board (PCB) interconnect.

Isola Quality

Isola was the first in the industry to embrace in-depth testing as an internal qualification tool. What’s that mean? It means before we’re asked to meet any external tests or certifications, we’ve already put our products through rigorous performance testing of our own to be sure they meet the absolute highest standards.