Master Thesis High-Speed PCB Test Structures for Resin Skew Characterization

Modern automotive systems operate at data rates exceeding 16 Gb/s, where small variations in printed circuit board (PCB) materials have a significant impact on signal integrity. One important effect is resin skew, caused by the inhomogeneous distribution of glass fibres and resin within PCB laminates. Differential signals propagating over glass bundles versus resin pockets experience different propagation velocities, leading to timing skew and potential eye-diagram degradation. This thesis investigates the measurement-based characterization of resin skew using dedicated, high-speed PCB test structures. The goal is to design, simulate and analyze differential test structures that enable the quantification of skew induced by glass weave and resin distribution. The work contributes to the development of standardized measurement structures for the reliable high-speed interconnect design and material selection.

• As a part of your Master thesis, you will review literature on glass weave effects and resin-induced skew in high-speed PCBs.
• You will perform Vector Network Analyzer (VNA) measurements of test coupons to obtain broadband S-parameters.
• In addition, you will analyze measured and simulated S-parameters to extract propagation delay and differential skew.
• Furthermore, you will investigate the influence of glass style, trace orientation and routing geometry.
• Last but not least, you will document your findings and propose improved characterization structures.