Surface Resistivity Characterization of New Printed Circuit Board Materials for Use in Spacecraft Electronics

Abstract

New dielectric materials have been introduced for printed circuit board applications, such as Thermount and polyimide with the aim to match the requirements for high speed and high density of electronic devices that are planned for new spacecraft electronic boards. Before these newer substrate can fully replace the well-known space-approved material epoxy FR-4, it is necessary to investigate more deeply their electrical and mechanical properties. The scope of this study is to report quantitative characterization of the surface resistivity for the different material samples under various testing conditions that include relative humidity, temperature, solder flux contamination, and corona discharge. The surface resistivity results are reported for sets of samples measured under a combination of testing conditions.