The introduction of 5G, a communication standard for 28GHz mmWave, has made manufacturing tolerances, which were previously ignored, an important factor when designing PCBs and cables for mobile devices. In the high-frequency region, even small differences of a few micrometers in PCB manufacturing tolerance affect RF performance, so it is necessary to minimize manufacturing tolerances.
However, since reducing manufacturing tolerance means increasing development costs, we must find an appropriate balance between the manufacturing tolerance specs presented by manufacturers and the RF performance standards of our products. In particular, due to the various design variables of FPCBs introduced for miniaturization and ultra-thin design of mobile devices, it is impossible to produce samples of all combinations and verify them in person, and the inspection method for detecting defects during mass production is also unclear.
In this presentation, we will analyze the impact of manufacturing tolerance of design variables of FPCB on RF performance through DoE analysis through custom design and introduce the process of ensuring quality of FPCB through this.
