Low-return Loss Design of PCB Probe-to-Microstrip Transition for Frequencies up to 150 GHz

Hatab, Ziad; Alterkawi, Ahmad Bader Alothman; Takahashi, Hiroaki; Gadringer, Michael Ernst; Bösch, Wolfgang

doi:10.23919/apmc55665.2022.9999913

Cited by 4 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 6 publications

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“…FormFactor ACP ground-signal-ground (GSG) RF probes established the interface between our measurement equipment and the microstrip lines. Since the probes can only measure structures in GSG configuration, a tapered pad for the microstrip was designed to enable broadband measurement, following the procedures outlined in [7]. A photo of the measurement setup can be seen in Figure 2.…”

Section: B High Frequency Measurementsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Investigating the Impact of Final Finishes on the Insertion Loss in As Received and After Aging

Schafsteller,

Schwaemmlein,

Rosin

et al. 2024

IMAPSource Proceedings

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The task of the final finish on the printed circuit board is to protect the copper surface and at the same time keep it active for the subsequent assembly steps. In high frequency applications, additionally the impact on the signal loss becomes of interest. Typically, the choice of the final finish is defined by the target application. The demands on solderability and bondability need to be considered and the acceptable price level needs to be defined. For the use in high frequency applications the signal integrity becomes of interest and adds on the reliability criteria such as solder joint reliability or corrosion resistance. In this study various surface finishes were tested towards their performance on insertion loss at high frequency. In contrast to earlier studies the frequency range was investigated up to 150 GHz and the impact of thermal or humid aging of the final finish was evaluated. Overall, seven different finishes have been selected including EPAG (Electroless palladium/Autocatalytic gold), I-Sn (Immersion tin), I-Ag (immersion silver), DIG (direct immersion gold), Au/Pd/Au (Gold/Palladium/Gold), ENIG (Electroless Nickel/Immersion Gold) with high and medium phosphorous Nickel and ENEPIG (Electroless Nickel/Electroless Palladium/Immersion Gold). The paper compiles the data for insertion loss versus frequency for the different final finishes at layer thicknesses as commonly used in the PCB industry. The results in the insertion loss performance are correlated to other properties of the different final finishes such as reliability and assembly performance to identify the best candidates for high frequency applications.

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Section: B High Frequency Measurementsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Investigating the Impact of Final Finishes on the Insertion Loss in As Received and After Aging

Schafsteller,

Schwaemmlein,

Rosin

et al. 2024

IMAPSource Proceedings

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“…The multiline TRL kit includes multiple microstrip lines with lengths of {0, 0.5, 1, 1.5, 2, 3, 5, 6.5} mm, and a reflect standard implemented as a short using microvias. The microstrip lines' probing pads are implemented using a low-return loss design of ground-signal-ground (GSG) pads, as discussed in [14]. The microstrip lines have a width of 0.107 mm and a substrate thickness of 0.05 mm, corresponding to an average characteristic impedance of 50 Ω.…”

Section: Experiments a Measurement Setupmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Thru-Free Multiline Calibration

Hatab,

Gadringer,

Bösch

2023

IEEE Trans. Instrum. Meas.

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This paper proposes a modification to the traditional multiline thru-reflect-line (TRL) or line-reflect-line (LRL) calibration method used for vector network analyzers (VNAs). Our proposed method eliminates the need for a thru (or line) standard by using an arbitrary transmissive two-port device in combination with an additional reflect standard. This combination of standards allows us to arbitrarily set the location of the calibration plane using physical artifacts. In contrast to the standard multiline TRL method, the suggested approach avoids a post-processing step to shift the calibration plane if a line standard is used. We demonstrate our proposed method with measurements on a printed circuit board (PCB) and compare it to the multiline TRL method with a perfectly defined thru.

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“…(33) The partial derivatives in (33) are determined following the discussion in Section II, using (12). The same derivative calculation can be applied to the phase of Γ in a similar way.…”

Section: Defining Validation Boundsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The setup comprises of two multiline TRL calibration kits based on microstrip technology. As we are using a probe station with ground-signal-ground (GSG) probes for measurements, the interface pads of the microstrip lines were designed as a tapered grounded coplanar waveguide (GCPW) with optimized low-return loss based on the work in [33]. The measurements were performed using an Anritsu VectorStar VNA with millimeter-wave extenders that support frequencies up to 150 GHz.…”

Section: A Measurement Setupmentioning

confidence: 99%

Validation of the Reference Impedance in Multiline Calibration With Stepped Impedance Standards

Hatab,

Gadringer,

Alterkawi

et al. 2023

IEEE Open J. Instrum. Meas.

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This paper presents a new technique for evaluating the consistency of the reference impedance in multiline thru-reflect-line (TRL) calibration. During the calibration process, it is assumed that all transmission line standards have the same characteristic impedance. However, these assumptions are prone to errors due to imperfections, which can affect the validity of the reference impedance after calibration. Our proposed method involves using multiple stepped impedance lines of different lengths to extract the broadband reflection coefficient of the impedance transition. This reflection coefficient can be used to validate the reference impedance experimentally without requiring fully defined standards. We demonstrate this method using multiline TRL based on microstrip structures on a printed circuit board (PCB) with an on-wafer probing setup.

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Low-return Loss Design of PCB Probe-to-Microstrip Transition for Frequencies up to 150 GHz

Cited by 4 publications

References 6 publications

Investigating the Impact of Final Finishes on the Insertion Loss in As Received and After Aging

Investigating the Impact of Final Finishes on the Insertion Loss in As Received and After Aging

A Thru-Free Multiline Calibration

Validation of the Reference Impedance in Multiline Calibration With Stepped Impedance Standards

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