Flex Board Characterization Report

This report summarizes the measurement results of the Samtec flex board using DuPont Pyralux FR dielectric material. The overall project had a number of objectives, including investigate structures for extracting electrical parameters, determine the electrical parameters up to 20 GHz, study the matching of the adhesive versus Pyralux FR, study the effect of meshed grounds, and build a lossy model based on results.

This report focuses on the first three objectives. A large flat was designed with many test structures for the purpose of trying out several promising extraction methods. Two methods based on direct transmission line stripline measurements and on resonator structures were considered. Because frequency dependent effects were of concern, the primary measurements were based on an Agilent Technology Vector Network Analyzer for S-parameter measurements up to 20 GHz. The most promising extraction method was based on some stripline test structures. Several resonator structures were also considered. The major results of these methods correlated with each other and with predicted results. The published results from the manufacturer were measured at a lower frequency and therefore had higher values.