Millimeter Wave Printed Circuit Board Developments - Improvements for Mechanical Packaging and Electrical Requirements

Millimeter applications place heightened and unique requirements on circuit board laminates used as transmission lines or as antennas. Historically, applications were low volume. Materials were either adapted from standard or semi-standard products that were not ideal for millimeter wave or the materials that were military grade in nature. Recent growth of millimeter applications, such as ACC (adaptive cruise control) and side lane changing sensors for standard, high volume, affordably priced vehicles or commercial millimeter communication systems, has driven circuit board laminate fabricators to innovate materials. This paper explores advancements in millimeter wave circuit boards and the technical requirements placed on materials.