10 Layer PCB Stackup

In this guide, you will find all information you need about 10 layer PCB stack up.

So if you want to learn more about these PCB stackup, read this guide.

What are 10-layer PCB Stackups?

10-layer printed circuit board stackups are multilayer PCBs that you will use when you require 6 routing layers.

You will also use the 10-layer PCB stackup in applications that require proper electromagnetic conductivity on your applications.

Figure 1 10 layer PCB Stack up

How Does the Arrangement on the 10-layer PCB Stackup Look Like?

In a 10-layer printed circuit board stackup, you will have six signal layers as well as four planes.

The six layers and four planes will help in creating a stackup board that has very good electromagnetic conduction.

This kind of board is free from the radiated electromagnetic energy thus making it suitable for such applications.

Here is a sample of the arrangement that you can have a 10-layer printed circuit board stackup.

Why Does the 10-layer Printed Circuit Board Exhibit Great Performance?

10-layer printed circuit board exhibit great performance because of the fact that they have very tight coupling.

It has very tight coupling on return planes as well as signal layers that push the performance to its highest limits.

In addition to that, the great performance is as a result of the shielding on the high-speed signal layers of the stackup.

Apart from that, 10-layer printed circuit board stackup has numerous ground planes and ground or pair planes.

These ground and pair planes are tightly coupled at the center of the 10-layer PCB stackup thus promoting and boosting performance.

It also has high speed signals that are routed on the signal layers that are between the ground planes and the pair planes.

These are some of the features that you will have on the 10-layer PCB stackup that should boost the overall performance.

How Do You Pair Signal Layers on the 10-layer PCB Stackup?

One of the most important things that you must take good care of is the arrangement of signal layers.

There are special configurations that you must take care of to have the best performance from the 10-layer PCB stackup.

Here is one of the model arrangements that you ought to embrace to get the best performance on 10-layer PCB stackups.

• You can pair layer one and layer ten both of which carry low frequency signals
• Apart from that, you can pair layer 3 and layer 4 because they carry the high-speed signals
• On the same note of high-speed signals, you can pair layer 7 and layer 8 because they carry high speed signals.

With this kind of pairing arrangement, you will have planes under layer 1 and another over layer 10.

You will ensure that you place the planes of layer 2 and 9 to protect the high frequency signal traces.

You must also separate the signals on layer 3 and 4 from the signals on layer 7 and layer 8 using ground/center planes.

This kind of arrangement will boost the working condition of the PCB layers by protecting them from unnecessary noise interferences.

What Should You Consider When Selecting a 10-layer PCB stackup?

There are special features of the 10-layer PCB stackup that you need to pay close attention to when making selections.

Implying that, you will get the best performance from the 10-layer PCB stackup only if it has particular features.

Here are the main factors that you must pay close attention to when selecting the 10-layer PCB stackup.

Arrangement of Layer

You must make sure that any of the signal layers on the 10-layer PCB stackup is adjacent or next to a plane.

It will help in limiting the number of signal layers that you will have embedded between different planes on the stackup.

Tight Coupling

You must also make sure that all the signal layers are tightly coupled to the adjacent planes on the stackup.

Here, you should also note that the thickness of the signal layers must be less than 10 MIL for better performance.

Signal Return Path

Your 10-layer printed circuit board must also have a return path on it to boost the performance of the stackup.

You have to ensure that it has the ground plane or the power plane which will create a signal return path.

Determine the Return Path

You should also have a return path of the signals by determining the plane that you will use as the return path.

In case of fast rise time signals, you should have it take the path of least inductance closest to the plane.

Cost of PCB Stackup

You must also have a budget that will guide your expenditure and how much money you will spend on the stackup.

Here, you have to understand that the higher the quality of the 10-layer PCB stackup, the higher the cost.

How Much Does the 10-layer PCB Stackup Cost?

You will pay different prices for different types of the 10-layer printed circuit board stackup.

There is a price variation on the different types of 10-layer PCB stackups due to variation in quality and quantity.

Implying that, the higher the quality of the 10-layer PCB stackup, the higher the amount of money you will pay.

You should also remember that 10-layer PCB stackups are available in different quantities thus affecting the price.

You will have to part with 0.50 to 17 US dollars per unit of the 10-layer PCB stackups.

How Does a 10-layer PCB Stackup Compare to a 12-layer PCB Stackup?

12-layer PCB stackups have more layer than the 10-layer PCB stackups.

 12 layer PCB stack up

Additional number of layers on the 12-layer PCB stackup are responsible for decreasing the chances of signal impedance.

In other words, signal impedance in the 10-layer printed circuit board is higher than that of the 12-layer PCB stackup.

In terms of performance, the 12-layer PCB stackup will exhibit better performance than the 10-layer PCB stackup.

12-layer PCB stackups have more surface areas where you can mount more components thus boosting the performance.

Since 10-layer PCB stackups have fewer layer, you should expect fewer components on them this less performance capabilities.

What are the Advantages of Using the 10-layer PCB Stackup?

In a technical perspective, 10-layer printed circuit board stackups have quite a number of benefits.

In addition to good performance outcomes, you will enjoy working with the 10-layer PC stackups.

Here are some of the benefits that you will derive from using the 10-layer PCB stackups.

Small in Size

Due to layering of different layers that make 10-layer PCB stackups, you will have smaller PCB stackup contrary to popular beliefs.

You can use this advantage to develop smaller and more compact electronic devices which is the current trend.

Light in Weight

As much as the 10-layer PCB stackup may have numerous layers, you will be amazed at how light it is in weight.

It does not have numerous connectors on them thus making the 10-layer printed circuit board lighter in weight.

Increased Durability

10-layer printed circuit boards are also very strong and will survive the impact from external heat and pressure without damages.

It also has multiple layers of binding between the circuits which increases the strength of the boards from external interferences.

Better Flexibility

Even though some of the 10-layer PCB stackups are not flexible, you might relist the opportunity of using flexible PCBs.

You will use the flexible 10-layer PCB stackup in applications or appliances that require sight bending and fast operations.

Increased Power

An increase in the number of layers simply means an increase in the surface area thus more space for further component inputs.

With more components on the 10-layer PCB stackup, there is increased power that boosts the performance of the stackup.

Which Materials Do You Use to Manufacture the 10-layer PCB Stackups?

10-layer printed circuit board typically consist of numerous layers which you will laminate to form a stackup.

Among the different layers, there are different materials which you will use to make the different layers.

From the bottom of the 10-layer PCB stackup to the bottom, there are numerous types of materials such as:

• Silkscreen Materials
• Solder Mask Materials
• Copper Materials
• Substrate Materials

Substrate layer consists of the glass epoxy materials which you can also refer to as FR4 materials.

The substrate materials are fire retardant and will provide the best foundation for the 10-layer printed circuit board.

In case you are looking for a cheaper option, you can consider using epoxies and phenolics which lose lamination easily.

They also give off a foul smell during the soldering process thus making them cheaper.

Copper is the other material which you will laminate onto the substrate using adhesives and heat.

It is often quite thin in comparison to the other materials on the stackup and act as conductive materials.

What is the Impact of Heat and Power in the Material Selection of 10-layer PC stackup?

Heat and power are the most important factors that you need to consider in the selection of different materials.

Implying that, heat and power will be produced during the normal operations of the 10-layer PCB stackup.

In that case, you have to select materials that have the ability to resist very high temperatures or heat conditions.

Apart from that, you need to have conductive materials that can transmit as much poser as possible through the stackup.

What are Some of the Applications of the 10-layer PCB stackup?

As much as you may enjoy the benefits, you may also wonder where you can use the 10-layer PCB stackup.

Well, there are numerous applications where you can have the 10-layer printed circuit board stackups.

In many industries, you will obviously enjoy using the 10-layer PCB stackup due to the benefits.

Here are some of the applications where the 10-layer printed circuit board stackup will come in handy.

• Consumer Electronics Industry
• Computer Electronics Industry
• Telecommunications Industry
• Industrial Processing Industry
• Medical Equipment Industry
• Military and Defense Industry
• Automotive Industry
• Aerospace and Aviation Industry

What Information will You Include in the 10-layer PCB Stackup Pre-order Checklist?

In case you are looking for a 10-layer PCB stackup, you must have a budget and specifications you want.

To avoid unnecessary delays on the things that you need on the stackup, you ought to have a checklist.

The checklist will provide all the information that you need on the PCB stackup thus helping the budget process.

Here is the main set of information that you must have on the checklist of your 10-layer PCB stackup.

• Number of layers or layer count of the PCB stackup
• Board Dimensions and Thickness
• Weight and Thickness of Copper Materials
• Minimum Spacing and Tracing
• Minimum Hole Mounting Sizes
• Minimum Annular Ring
• Types of Surface Finishes
• Types of Solder Masks and Color
• Color of the Silkscreen Legend
• Drill File Tool List

What are the Disadvantages of Using the 10-layer PCB Stackups?

As much as we have numerous benefits with the 10-layer PCB stackup, you may wonder about the limitations.

Well, 10-layer PCB stackups are not as perfect as you may imagine and there are particular limitations.

Here are some of the limitations that you will experience with the use of 10-layer PCB stackups.

Higher Manufacturing Cost

As the number of layers on your PCB stackup increases, so does the complexity in construction and the cost of construction.

The process of designing is also very difficult and will take a considerable amount of time and money to complete.

Complicated Production Process

In addition to high cost, you will also go through a difficult time in the production of the 10-layer PCB stackup.

You will spend time designing, and considering the complicated manufacturing techniques in comparison to others.

Limited Availability

Since the machines for producing 10-layer PCB stackups are scarce, the 10-layer PCB stackups are not easy to find.

You must plan in advance and order your custom 10-layer PCB stackup in time for the manufacturers to produce.

Skilled Design Requirement

You will also need skilled designers with plenty of experience in the designing process to produce the 10-llayer PCB stackup.

The issue, in this case, is the unavailability or scarce nature of such designers thus increasing their demand and cost.

Longer Production Time

You will have to wait for a longer period to produce the best type of 10-layer PCB stackups using different machines.

What are the Dimensions of the Standard 10-layer PCB Stackup?

You have numerous options to choose from when looking for the perfect 10-layer PCB stackup.

Despite the numerous options, there are common types of 10-layer PCB stackups that you can opt for.

Here are the main dimensions of the most common 10-layer PCB stackup available.

PCB Thickness

The most common 10-layer printed circuit board has a thickness of 1.3mm, 1.6mm, 2.0mm, 2.4mm, or 3.0mm.

You can choose among the various thickness levels on the 10-layer PCB stackup that will suit your application requirements.

Copper Thickness

You must also be very careful in your selection and consider the thickness of copper on your 10-layer PCB stackup.

Glass Transition Temperature

In addition to the size and dimensions of the 10-layer PCB stackups, you should also look at the thermal dimensions.

Here, you will look at the glass transition temperature of the 10-layer PCB stackup which is at 170 degrees centigrade.

You also have the chance to distribute the thickness of the 10-layer PCB stackup in accordance to track distribution.

Which Factors Help in Determining EMC of the 10-layer PCB Stackup?

You need to balance numerous aspects on the 10-layer PCB Stackup in order to get the right electromagnetic conductance.

The main factors that you must pay close attention to in this case include:

• Number of layers on the PCB stackup which is 10 in this case.
• Type of layers which can either signal layers, plane layers, or ground plane layers.
• Ordering or Arrangement of the Layers on the PCB
• Spacing dimensions between the layers
• Assigning of the signal layer pairs for orthogonal routing of different signals
• Assignment of the different types of signals to the routing layer where they belong

What Effect Does the Solder Mask Have on 10-layer PCB Stackup Impedance?

Solder mask

On a careful study of the 10-layer PCB stackup, you must come across the solder mask at the top and the bottom.

The solder mask is the cover of the 10-layer PCB stackup at the bottom and at the top.

Despite being a cover on the 10-layer PCB Stackup, it also has conformal effects on the functions of the PCB stackup.

It is a very important factor that you have to pay close attention to when calculating impedance on 10-layer PCB stackups.

Solder masks on your 10-layer PCB stackups are very important in reducing impedance on the stackup.

It will reduce the level of impedance on the PC stackup by about 2 to 3 ohms on the thinner traces.

Ass the thickness of the traces increase, you will realize a decrease in the level of impedance on the PCB stackup.

In other words, to reduce the effect of solder mask impedance, you have to make the traces on the PCB stackup thicker.

You must consider the effect of solder mask impedance to ensure that the calculations are in line by 3 to 4%.

Which is the Most Popular Dielectric Material for the 10 -layer PCB Stackup?

The most common dielectric materials that you will use in the manufacturing process of the 10-layer PCB stackup is FR4.

 dielectric materials

You will need the FR4 materials in the form of reimpregnated (prepreg) materials or core of the layer stackups.

It is the most suitable dielectric materials because it is fire retardant and does not burn that easily.

In addition to that, it has very good thermal properties with a high glass transition temperature.

The higher the glass transition temperature, the easier it will be to manufacture the 10-layer PCB stackup.

The most common glass transition temperature for the 10-layer PCB stackup is high Tg of about 170 degrees centigrade.

What are the Best Storage Conditions for the 10-layer PCB Stackup?

After manufacturing the 10-layer PCB stackup, you may have to store it in particular conditions awaiting use.

You need to have very good storage conditions to avoid the danger that electrostatic discharge may have.

Apart from the effects of the electrostatic discharge, you have to protect it from the effects of moisture.

It is the reason why you should store the 10-layer PCB stackup inside moisture barrier bags that are vacuum sealed.

In addition to that, you should desiccant bags and cards that indicate humidity within the storage of the stackups.

In other words, you need a dry package that will keep the 10-layer printed circuit board away from moisture.

It is also very important to store the 10-layer PCB stackup in a dry place that is free of moisture.

How Do You Test the 10-layer PCB stackup?

Well, you can test the 10-layer PCB stackup using different testing methods available.

As soon as you complete the manufacturing process of the 10-layer PCB stackup, you will have to test them.

There are quite a number of tests that you can perform on the 10-layer PCB stackup such as.

In-Circuit Testing (ICT) Methods

ICT is the most common and robust method of testing that you can use to test the 10-layer PCB stackup.

It is also the most accurate methods that you can use even though you will pay higher prices.

Flying Probe Testing Methods

In case you have less resources, you can opt for the cheaper options which is the flying probe testing method.

You will use this non-powered form of testing to determine the following aspects:

1. Opens
2. Shorts

• Resistance

1. Capacitance
2. Inductance
3. Diode issues

In addition to the above forms of testing, you can also explore other 10-layer PCB stackup testing options.

Here are the other 10-layer PCB stackup testing options you can explore:

• Automated Optical Inspection (AOI) Method
• Burn in Testing Methods
• X ray Inspection Methods
• Functional Testing Methods

At Venture Electronics, we will help you in both design and PCB fabrication processes.

Besides, we will help you choose perfect PCB material.

For an inquiries or questions about 10 layer PCB stackup, contact Venture Electronics engineers.