Fiber Distribution
Fiberglass reinforcements woven with flattened yarn bundles create a uniform distribution of glass and resin across the substrate surface. The use of spread glass involves mechanically flattening the yarn in both the warp and fill directions during fabric manufacturing. This process closes the open windows between intersecting fibers, resulting in a smooth sheet with fewer resin-rich pockets.
It provides a more homogeneous dielectric constant across the plane of the laminate, which is essential for high-frequency signal integrity.
Skew Control
Differential signal lines routed over homogeneous substrates experience matching propagation delays and minimized phase skew. Incorporating spread glass into the prepreg and laminate layers prevents the fiber-weave effect that causes signal degradation in high-speed digital designs. When differential traces run over a uniform glass distribution, each conductor sees the same average dielectric constant.
This consistency eliminates the time-delay difference between the two traces of a pair, which preserves signal quality and avoids eye-closure in high-speed channels.
Processing Benefit
Board lamination and drilling benefits of uniform fiberglass reinforcements improve the quality of microvias and plating consistency. This fabric style reduces the risk of glass fiber protrusion and resin-rich region voids during high-density multi-layer lamination. It ensures clean drilling of through-holes and microvias with minimal drill deflection and taper.