sales@ipcb.com
5G communication is a huge and complex integrated technology. Its PCB process challenges are mainly focused on: large size,high multi-layer, high-frequency, high-speed low-loss, high-density, rigid-flexible combination of high and low-frequency mixing pressure, and many other process technologies to put forward a new or PCB materials, design, processing and quality control of higher requirements. PCB enterprises need to understand the changing needs, to put forward a full range of solutions.
5G Communications
Material requirements: A very clear direction for 5G PCBs is high-frequency and high-speed materials and board manufacturing. In terms of high-frequency materials, it is obvious that leading material manufacturers in the traditional high-speed field, such as Lianmao, Shengyi and Panasonic, have already started to deploy high-frequency panels and launched a series of new materials. This will break Rogers' current dominance in the HF panel field. Through healthy competition, the performance, convenience and availability of materials will be greatly improved. Therefore, the nationalisation of high frequency materials is an inevitable trend.
In terms of high-speed materials, 400G products require the use of M7N and MW4000 equivalent grade materials. In backplane design, M7N is already the lowest loss option. In the future, higher capacity backplanes/optical modules will require even lower loss materials. The combination of resin, copper foil and glass cloth will achieve the best balance of electrical performance and cost. In addition, high level, high density quantities will present reliability challenges.
PCB Design Requirements: Board selection must meet the requirements of high frequency and high speed, impedance matching, stacking planning, wiring spacing/holes, etc., and signal integrity requirements must be met, especially in terms of loss, embedding, high-frequency phase/amplitude, mixing, heat dissipation, and PIM.
Craftsmanship requirements: 5G-related applications will increase the demand for high-density PCBs, HDI will also become an important technology area. Multi-level HDI products and even any level of interconnection of products will be popular, buried resistance,buried capacitance and other new technologies will be more and more applications. PCB copper thickness uniformity, line width accuracy, interlayer alignment, interlayer dielectric thickness,back drilling depth control accuracy, plasma de-drilling capacity are worth in-depth study.
Requirements for equipment: high-precision equipment and less roughness on the copper surface of the pre-treatment line is currently more ideal processing equipment; test equipment, including passive intermodulation tester, flying probe impedance tester, wear and tear test equipment. Precise pattern transmission and vacuum etching equipment, inspection equipment that can monitor and feedback the change of line width and coupling spacing data in real time, plating equipment with good uniformity, high-precision laminating equipment, etc. can also meet the production requirements of 5G PCB.
5G Communication PCB
Quality control requirements: Due to the increase in 5G signal rate, the impact of veneer manufacturing deviation on signal performance is more significant, requiring more stringent control of veneer manufacturing deviation, and the existing mainstream veneer manufacturing processes and equipment have not been updated. The existing mainstream veneer manufacturing processes and equipment have not been updated, which will become a bottleneck for future technological development. How to break this situation is crucial for PCB manufacturers. In terms of quality control, to strengthen the statistical process control of key parameters of the product, the data for more real-time management, to ensure product consistency, to meet the performance requirements of the antenna. The terms phase, standing wave and amplitude.