ITEQ IT988G: UltraLow Loss HalogenFree PCB for 56 Gbps+ HighSpeed Designs

As highspeed digital interfaces such as 112G SerDes, 400 G and 800 G backplanes, 5G mmWave RF, and AI accelerator fabrics push signal rates beyond 56 Gbps per channel, selecting the right substrate material is one of the most missioncritical decisions an engineer makes during PCB design. Standard FR4 no longer cuts it: dielectric loss, impedance instability, and thermal cycling issues become showstoppers in these demanding environments. RayPCB

ITEQ IT988G is a purposebuilt, ultralow loss, halogenfree laminate and prepreg designed specifically for these highend, highfrequency, and highreliability applications. From an engineering standpoint, IT988G delivers significant improvements in signal integrity, thermal performance, and manufacturability compared to legacy materials — enabling designers to confidently implement cuttingedge SerDes, RF, and mmWave systems. 聯茂電子股份有限公司

For supply flexibility and vendor independence during procurement and fabrication, many teams specify ITEQ PCB materials — and in particular IT988G — to balance performance, availability, and cost across complex board builds.
�� https://www.pcbsync.com/ITEQ-pcb/

---

Article Outline (Engineered for Reader Intent)

Executive Summary

What Is ITEQ IT988G?

Electrical & Material Properties

Dielectric Properties

Loss Tangent & Frequency Stability

Thermal Performance

Why Choose HalogenFree Materials?

PCB Stackup and Manufacturing Considerations

Typical Applications

Comparison With Common Alternatives

Engineering Design & Signal Integrity Impact

Useful Datasheets, Tools & Resources

5 Critical FAQs for Designers

Conclusion

---

What Is ITEQ IT988G?

ITEQ IT988G is an ultralow loss, halogenfree laminate with advanced resin technology optimized for 56 Gbps+ highspeed digital and RF applications. It combines a stable dielectric constant (Dk), very low dissipation factor (Df), and excellent thermal reliability across frequency to help preserve signal integrity — even on long, highlayer count boards. 聯茂電子股份有限公司+1

Unlike standard FR4, which was never designed for multiGHz or hyperscale data rates, IT988G targets highend SerDes, PAM4 signaling, and mmWave RF, making it an attractive choice for nextgeneration networking, AI, and 5G/6G base stations. RayPCB

---

Material & Electrical Properties

From an engineer’s perspective, the two most important substrate attributes for highspeed designs are:

Dielectric Constant (Dk) — impacts impedance control and signal delay

Dissipation Factor (Df) — determines insertion loss and integrity

Below is a summary of real performance values based on industry laminates data:

Key Electrical Parameters (Typical)

Parameter	IT988G (Typical)	Unit	Notes
Dielectric Constant (Dk)	~3.63	—	@10 GHz (53 % resin) mcl
Dissipation Factor (Df)	~0.0029	—	@10 GHz (53 % resin) mcl
Dielectric Stability	Stable	—	Minimal variation across 120 GHz Highleap Electronic
Tg (Glass Transition)	~190 °C	°C	TMA/DSC mcl
Td (Decomposition)	>400 °C	°C	Material thermal limit mcl
Zaxis CTE (50260 °C)	~2.95 %	—	Low expansion minimises warpage mcl

Why These Matter for HighSpeed Designs

Stable Dk: Ensures controlled impedance in microstrip/stripline and minimizes timing skew across traces.

Low Df: Reduces insertion loss — critical for maintaining eye height at 56 Gbps+ where every dB counts.

High Tg & low CTE: Supports leadfree processes and repeat reflow without delamination or reliability failure.

---

Thermal & Mechanical Reliability

High Tg and low loss are not enough if the material cannot survive realworld manufacturing and operating conditions.

Mechanical/Thermal Highlights

Property	Typical Value	Unit
Glass Transition Temperature (Tg)	190 °C	°C mcl
Decomposition Temperature (Td)	~405 °C	°C mcl
Moisture Absorption	~0.31 %	% mcl
Thermal Resistance T288	>120	min hemeixinpcb.com
X/Y Axis CTE	~15/16	ppm/°C hemeixinpcb.com

From a manufacturing reliability perspective:

High Tg and Td means IT988G tolerates multiple SMT reflows without degradation.

Low moisture absorption reduces risk of popcorn cracking and capacitance shifts during soldering.

Low CTE helps reduce warpage in larger boards and offers zaxis stability for dense via arrays.

---

Why Choose HalogenFree Materials?

The electronics industry is increasingly moving toward halogenfree laminates for environmental and safety reasons. Halogencontaining materials may release toxic gases when burned, leading to stricter regulations in automotive, aerospace, and telecom sectors.

IT988G’s halogenfree formulation means:

RoHS/WEEE compliance potential

Improved manufacturing safety

Fewer regulatory headaches when shipping boards globally

This makes it a higherconfidence choice for sectors where compliance and sustainability matter as much as electrical performance.

---

PCB Stackup & Manufacturing Considerations

Working with ultralow loss materials like IT988G affects many aspects of hardware engineering:

Controlled Impedance

With Dk stable across frequency, designing controlled impedance traces becomes more predictable:

Trace Type	Typical Target	Notes
Microstrip	50 Ω	Outer layer signal controlled with ground plane
Stripline	85 Ω	Inner differential pair control
Differential Pairs	100 Ω	For highspeed SerDes

Engineering Tip: Get real stackup copper thickness and dielectric thickness from your fabricator early — target Dk uniformity at your primary signal frequency (e.g., 28 GHz Nyquist for 56 Gbps PAM4). pcbsky.com.cn

HDI & Via Structures

Low zaxis expansion and glass stability help support:

Microvias with tight tolerances

Sequential lamination

HDI and blind/buried via stackups

CAF & Reliability

Conductive anodic filamentation (CAF) is a failure mode in high humidity and current stress environments. IT988G materials exhibit good CAF resistance when properly processed, reducing longterm failure risk.

---

Typical Applications

Below are engineeringrelevant application areas where ITEQ IT988G excels:

Application Category	Why It Matters
Hyperscale Networking Boards	Backplanes & high layer counts
800G/400G Switch Fabrics	Low loss paths between SerDes
5G mmWave & RF Front Ends	Highfrequency signal fidelity
AI Accelerator Modules	Mixed highspeed digital + power
Automotive ADAS Radar Systems	Temperature cycling tolerance

---

Comparison: IT988G vs. Competitive PCB Materials

From an engineer’s standpoint, comparing materials helps choose the right substrate:

Material	Dk @ 10 GHz	Df @ 10 GHz	Tg	HalogenFree
ITEQ IT988G	~3.63	~0.0029	190 °C	Yes
ITEQ IT968SE	~3.3	~0.0038	~185 °C	Yes
Standard FR4	≥4.0	≥0.015	~130 °C	Varies

This clearly highlights ITEQ IT988G’s advantage in loss and thermal properties for highspeed systems. RayPCB

---

Engineering Design Impact

Selecting ITEQ IT988G impacts design outcomes in several practical ways:

Signal Integrity Improvement

Lower insertion loss preserves eye opening

Stable Dk reduces skew between differential pairs

Better return loss at high frequency

Thermal Stability

High Tg ensures minimal dielectric changes under reflow or harsh environments.

Manufacturing Yield and Reliability

Lower CAF tendency and moisture uptake reduce field failures over time.

---

Useful Resources & Downloads

Resource	Description	Link
ITEQ IT988G Datasheet (PDF)	Full material parameters & IPC methods	See distributor portals
ITEQ PCB Material Portfolio	Overview of alternative substrates	https://www.pcbsync.com/ITEQ-pcb/
IPCTM650 Test Methods	Industry standard electrical/mechanical test procedures	IPC Standards Subscription
Stackup Calculator Tools	Trace impedance calculators for controlled impedance	Polar Instruments / Saturn PCB Toolkit

Engineer strategy tip: Always request the raw IPCTM650 test reports from your laminate supplier for exact material lot values — nominal datasheet figures are starting points.

---

FAQs (From a PCB Engineer’s Perspective)

1. What is the typical use case for ITEQ IT988G?

It’s ideal for 56 Gbps+ highspeed SerDes, 400/800 G backplanes, 5G RF mmWave and any design where signal integrity and low loss are critical. 聯茂電子股份有限公司

2. What electrical properties make IT988G superior to standard FR4?

Lower dielectric constant and significantly lower dissipation factor deliver much lower insertion loss and better controlled impedance behavior. mcl

3. Can IT988G support HDI and microvia designs?

Yes — its mechanical and thermal stability supports sequential lamination and dense via schemes with high dimensional reliability. Highleap Electronic

4. Is IT988G halogenfree and environmentally compliant?

Yes — it meets halogenfree PCB requirements preferred in automotive, aerospace and commercial electronics. Shipco Circuits

5. How do I verify stackup performance with IT988G?

Use impedance simulators and verify with controlled impedance coupons in your fabrication panel to tune trace width/spacing. Work closely with your fab’s process engineers.

---

Conclusion

For modern PCB engineers confronting the challenges of ultrahigh speed signal transmission, materials like ITEQ IT988G have transitioned from nicetohave to missioncritical components in the design stack. With its ultralow loss, stable dielectric properties, halogenfree compliance, and impressive thermal reliability, IT988G supports the highest channel data rates — enabling robust, manufacturable designs for networking, RF/mmWave, automotive, and HPC applications. 聯茂電子股份有限公司

Whether you’re optimizing insertion loss budgets, tackling controlled impedance requirements, or building nextgeneration 5G hardware, IT988G belongs in your material spec toolbox.