-
- News
- Books
Featured Books
- pcb007 Magazine
Latest Issues
Current IssueThe Growing Industry
In this issue of PCB007 Magazine, we talk with leading economic experts, advocacy specialists in Washington, D.C., and PCB company leadership to get a well-rounded picture of what’s happening in the industry today. Don’t miss it.
The Sustainability Issue
Sustainability is one of the most widely used terms in business today, especially for electronics and manufacturing but what does it mean to you? We explore the environmental, business, and economic impacts.
The Fabricator’s Guide to IPC APEX EXPO
This issue previews many of the important events taking place at this year's show and highlights some changes and opportunities. So, buckle up. We are counting down to IPC APEX EXPO 2024.
- Articles
- Columns
Search Console
- Links
- Events
||| MENU - pcb007 Magazine
Isola Launches Low-loss Laminate for 100 GB Ethernet Apps
March 30, 2015 | I-Connect007Estimated reading time: 2 minutes
I spent time at IPC APEX EXPO 2015 talking about Isola’s launch of a low-loss, low-skew laminate prepreg with Fred Hickman, senior director of high-speed digital products. Hickman explains that the new material, Chronon, will be one of the enablers of 100 GB Ethernet applications.
Pete Starkey: Fred, it’s great to meet you. As the senior director of high-speed digital products at Isola, you are the ideal person to tell us about the new product launch. The brand is Chronon and it's a low-loss, low-skew laminate prepreg. Could you just give me a short introduction to this material?
Fred Hickman: Thanks for coming by, Pete, and thank you for giving me a chance to introduce you and your readers to Chronon. Chronon is indeed a new low-loss material for us. Essentially, it's one of the enablers, we think anyway, for 100 GB Ethernet applications, with a combination of good DK, 3.64 DK, less than .004 loss, but also excellent for skew. Fiber weave affects skew so it is a skew mitigator. So what we're proposing for people who currently use other competitive materials on the market, this is a drop-in material with very similar electrical, but very much improved skew mitigation capabilities.
So we have this product, Chronon, and last year we also introduced Tachyon 100G. Both have lower insertion loss, but Tachyon does not have the same ability to mitigate skew as Chronon.
Starkey: Are you in a position to give me a brief explanation as to how you've gone about minimizing the skew? What is it about normal materials that causes skew and how can that be overcome?
Hickman: With most materials, when you change the resin content it has a very big impact on the DK of the material. For instance, our best skew mitigator is GigaSync, changing the resin content from 50% all the way up to 75% and you get about a 3% change in the DK. So if you have lines going across resin/glass it doesn't matter because the DK basically stays the same. With Chronon, the DK change is only about 9% and in that same range, but with most other materials the DK range is around 20%.
Starkey: Oh, I see.
Hickman: So essentially what we're doing is using a combination of spread glass, also some proprietary engineering techniques with which we're minimizing the weave effect of glass.
Starkey: I understand now. It’s really on a microscopic scale. Because there's such a difference in product and concept between glass and resin, if you've got a material where the signal has a glass-rich area and a resin-rich area, you can sort of smooth that out while still keeping the benefits of woven glass reinforcement, but having that reinforcement much more uniformly distributed through the substrate.
Hickman: Absolutely. You hit it right on the head.
Starkey: Well, Fred. Thanks very much indeed.
Hickman: Thank you, Pete.
Suggested Items
Janene Stinson, Boeing, Earns IPC Excellence in Education Award at IPC APEX EXPO 2024
04/22/2024 | IPCThe IPC Excellence in Education award was presented to Janene Stinson, Boeing, at IPC APEX EXPO 2024 in Anaheim, California, in recognition of her significant contributions to workforce development and leadership.
What’s Next Becomes Now at IPC APEX EXPO 2024
04/22/2024 | IPCFrom revolutionary advancements in artificial intelligence, augmented reality and the latest innovations in capital equipment on the show floor to a heightened learner experience through the 16th Electronic Circuits World Convention (ECWC16) technical conference, IPC APEX EXPO 2024 provided education, professional development and numerous networking opportunities, for 3,723 attendees from 57 countries.
Real Time with... IPC APEX EXPO 2024: Looking Back, Looking Forward With IEC
04/19/2024 | Real Time with...IPC APEX EXPOIEC came to the RTW booth and discussed both the legacy of IEC's past and the vision for its future. Industry veteran Bruno Ferri highlighted his quarter-century tenure in the industry and with IEC since its founding. He still exhibits boundless enthusiasm for the industry. Brando Stone, a young professional and a future face of IEC, talked about IEC's plans going forward and his experience at this year's IPC APEX EXPO.
I-Connect007 Editor’s Choice: Five Must-Reads for the Week
04/19/2024 | Marcy LaRont, PCB007 MagazineFor my must-read picks of the week, I’m highlighting Parker Capers, a young professional seeking employment, solid counsel from Dan Beaulieu on what your post-show plan should look like, more information and insight on “chiplets” and the need for secure data transfer standards from columnist Preeya Kuray, as well as Matt Stevenson’s design for reality wisdom. It’s a reminder to download one of our newest books (there are several) you don't want to miss if you are an assembler.
Real Time with... IPC APEX EXPO 2024: Exploring IPC's PCB Design Courses with Kris Moyer
04/18/2024 | Real Time with...IPC APEX EXPOGuest Editor Kelly Dack and IPC instructor Kris Moyer discuss IPC's PCB design training and education offerings. They delve into course topics such as design fundamentals, mil/aero, rigid-flex, RF design, and advanced design concepts. They also highlight material selection for high-speed design, thermal management, and dissipation techniques. The interview wraps up with details about how to access these courses online.