Signal Integrity Webinar Series

Title: Laminate Materials Characterization for High Speed Applications

Date: May 17, 2017

Time: 8am PT/ 11am ET

Sponsored by: Sierra Circuits

Presented by: Yuriy Shlepnev, President and Founder of Simberian Inc. and Alfred P. Neves, Founder and Chief Technologist at Wild River

Abstract:

This webinar focuses on the recent advances in PCB laminates modeling, to have interconnect analysis to measurement correlation up to 20-50 GHz. Accurate prediction of PCB interconnect behavior for 10-56 Gbps data links requires frequency-continuous dielectric and conductor roughness models spanning from about 1 MHz up to 20-50 GHz. Such models are not available from the laminate and PCB manufacturers. PCB laminates are complex mixtures of materials and Dk/Df at one or a few frequency points from spreadsheets does not allow building accurate broadband models in many cases.
An overview of models for composite dielectrics and conductor roughness suitable for the broadband PCB interconnect analysis are covered first. Multipole and Wideband Debye (aka Djordjevic-Sarkar or Swensson-Dermer) models are introduces and explained. We show how Dk/Df from the dielectric datasheet can be used to define parameters of the broadband dielectric models for preliminary interconnect analysis. Modified Hammerstad and Huray snowball conductor surface roughness models are also outlined. Possible ways to confirm or identify the dielectric and conductor roughness models for the analysis to measurement correlation up to the target frequency are presented. Material model identification with GMS-parameters and complex propagation constant or Gamma (SPP Light) are outlined and illustrated with multiple practical examples. To build material models that work for wide range of line types and trace widths, losses from conductor roughness have to be separated from the dielectric polarization losses. The webinar will introduce simple practical techniques to build the models with proper loss separation.

Presenter Bio:

Yuriy Shlepnev , is President and Founder of Simberian Inc., where he develops Simbeor electromagnetic signal integrity software. He received M.S. degree in radio engineering from Novosibirsk State Technical University in 1983, and the Ph.D. degree in computational electromagnetics from Siberian State University of Telecommunications and Informatics in 1990. He was principal developer of electromagnetic simulator for Eagleware Corporation and leading developer of electromagnetic software for simulation of signal and power distribution networks at Mentor Graphics. The results of his research are published in multiple papers and conference proceedings.

Alfred P. Neves, Founder and Chief Technologist at Wild River, has 30 years of experience designing and application development of semiconductor products, capitol equipment design focused on jitter and signal integrity analysis, and has successfully been involved with numerous business developments and startup activity for the last 13 years. Al is involved with the Signal Integrity community as a consultant, high-speed system level design manager and engineer. Recent technical accomplishments include development of platforms and methods to improve 3D electromagnetic correspondence to measure-based methods, including advancing time and frequency domain calibration methods.

Al focuses on measure-based model development, package characterization, high-speed board design, low jitter design, analysis, and training. He earned a B.S. in Applied Mathematics at the University of Massachusetts.