How to design PCB stackup

Posted on August by Robert Feranec

There are two options: 1) Leave your PCB manufacturer to design PCB stackup for you (Recommended) Why? You dont need to spend your time by designing stackup. Leave it on PCB manufacturer they are professionals. They do it every day. Also, by doing it this way, you can work on design in parallel of handling issues with PCB stackup. Many times PCB manufacturer is not able to build PCB stackup designed by other company or a person outside their company. The main reason is unavailability of material used in some PCB stackups. Selection of material is the best to leave on them they will choose stocked material. PCB manufacturers use different track geometry calculators and they will not guarantee track impedance if track geometry is calculated by someone else. Many times their calculated numbers and your calculated numbers will be different. An example of email to PCB manufacturer with request for PCB stackup and track geometry Please suggest PCB stackup and track geometry for PCB with following parameters: PCB Description - 12 Layers: L1 Signal L2 GND L3 Signal L4 Signal L5 GND L6 Powers L7 Powers L8 GND L9 Signal L10 Signal

L11 GND L12 Signal Please suggest stackup. - Required impedances: Single ended: 50 OHMs (L1 (Ref: L2); L3, L4 (Ref: L2, L5); L9, L10 (Ref: L8, L11); L12 (Ref: L11)) Differential: 70, 90, 100 OHMs (L1 (Ref: L2); L3, L4 (Ref: L2, L5); L9, L10 (Ref: L8, L11); L12 (Ref: L11)) Please suggest geometry for impedance controlled tracks: Track width / Gap - Used VIAs: Through hole VIA: 0.45mm (pad) / 0.2mm (drill), Start layer: L1, End layer: L12 uVIAs: Start layer: L1, End layer: L2; 0.27mm (pad) / 0.1mm (laser drilled hole) Start layer: L2, End layer: L3; 0.27mm (pad) / 0.1mm (laser drilled hole) Start layer: L10, End layer: L11; 0.27mm (pad) / 0.1mm (laser drilled hole) Start layer: L11, End layer: L12; 0.27mm (pad) / 0.1mm (laser drilled hole) Buried VIA: Start Layer: L3, End layer: L10; 0.45mm (pad) / 0.2mm (drill) - Other: Minimum track: 0.1mm / Minimum gap: 0.1mm Board thickness: approximately 1.6mm Board size: 40x80mm

2) Design PCB stackup by yourself Basic information about PCB stackups:

PCB is build from three basic materials: Copper foil, Prepreg, Core Standard Copper foil thickness: 5um, 12um, 18um, 35um, 70um Standard prepreg thickness: 65um, 100um, 180um Standard core thickness: 0.15mm, 0.20mm, 0.36mm, 0.46mm, 0.56mm, 0.71mm, 1mm, 1.2mm, 1.5mm, 2.0mm, 2.4mm, 3.2mm. Core is supplied with copper foil on both sides. For some cores you need to add copper foil thickness (18um or 35um) to the core thickness.

PCB stackup examples Standard 4 Layer PCB stackup [mm] Standard 6 Layer PCB stackup [mm] Standard 8 Layer PCB stackup [mm] Copper foil 0.10 prepreg 0.10 prepreg 0.20 core 0.10 prepreg 0.10 prepreg 0.20 core 0.10 prepreg 0.10 prepreg 0.20 core 0.10 prepreg 0.10 prepreg Copper foil

Copper foil 0.18 prepreg 0.18 prepreg 0.71 core 0.18 prepreg 0.18 prepreg Copper foil

Copper foil 0.10 prepreg 0.10 prepreg 0.36 core 0.10 prepreg 0.10 prepreg 0.10 prepreg 0.36 core 0.10 prepreg 0.10 prepreg Copper foil

There are some rules how to build your stackup. Not every combination is possible. Check it out with your PCB manufacturer. Note: If you calculate impedances for your own stackup, dont forget about PLATING. Plating process add an additional copper (e.g. 20um) to top and bottom layer (or if you use uVIAs and buried VIAs, then also to some of the inner layers). PCB impedance calculation and Track geometry design Example of Microstrip (the tracks on TOP and BOTTOM layers) impedance calculation 90 Ohms Differential / 55 Ohm Single ended for: Track width: 11mil / Copper foil 18um (0.7mil) / Track Gap 8 mil / Dielectric thickness 2x 0.1 prepreg = 0.2mm (7.8mil) / material FR-4 (dielectric constant 4.8)

PCB impedance calculator Single ended / Differential pair

Tip: Its easy to convert between mm and mils. Use google and look for: 10mil to mm or 0.2mm to mil