PCB Stack-Up Design Guide
Sierra Circuits’ PCB Stack-Up Design Guide provides guidelines for building an efficient stack-up with improved signal integrity, power distribution, and heat dissipation.
Download the PCB Stack-Up Design Guide today to maximize your functionalities
A stack-up refers to the sequential arrangement of copper and dielectric layers in a PCB. It communicates the layer order and essential details such as material thickness, copper weights, prepreg types, and the overall board thickness to the contract manufacturer.
The stack-up design significantly impacts PCB factors such as signal integrity, power distribution, and thermal management. It provides the mechanical support necessary to withstand physical stresses and environmental factors. A well-designed signal-to-ground plane arrangement minimizes cross-talk and signal distortions.
4 steps for designing a perfect stack-up:
- Material selection: Choose materials based on your requirements. Consider electrical (Dk and Df), thermal (CTE, Tg, Td, and k), chemical, and mechanical properties.
- Layer count estimation: Estimate the optimum number of layers based on the operating frequency, board dimensions, design complexity, and routing density. Have a symmetrical stack-up to avoid board deformation
- Layer arrangement: Avoid placing adjacent signal layers and provide solid ground planes for short and continuous return paths.
- Lamination cycles: Refrain from having more than 4 lamination cycles to avoid manufacturing issues.
Depending on the type of application, select the right build-up for maximum efficiency. Options include HDI, flexible, rigid-flex, and hybrid (mixed material) constructions.
We have put together this comprehensive PCB Stack-Up Design Guide with the help of industry experts who have hands-on experience in building complex circuit boards.
And don’t forget to try our Stackup Designer tool to design cost-optimized build-up structures.
What’s inside:
- Design guidelines for HDI, flex, and hybrid stack-ups
- Stack-up representation in fab drawing
- DFM checks for layer stacks
- Manufacturing tolerances
- Inspection methods
- PCB stack-up examples with illustrations
