Dielectric material characterization of high frequency printed circuit board laminates and an analysis of their transmission line high frequency losses

High frequency printed circuit board (PCB) laminates are receiving increased attention due to applications in the K/Ka and Q/V bands. As a result, the extraction of electrical properties for the applications in these bands is increasingly important. Material properties at 60GHz, 77GHz, and 81GHz were extracted for four glass reinforced thermoset and one polytetraflouroethylene (PTFE) material. The attenuation of transmission lines on these materials was also analyzed, taking into account the dielectric loss properties as well as processing tolerances and surface roughness. The results show that mechanical properties of materials, for example the adhesion, will indirectly affect the high frequency losses with their effects on the conductor cross-sections and must be considered during the design of high speed and high frequency systems.