High speed PCB manufacturer · Signal integrity
High Speed PCB Manufacturing for 25–112 Gbps Channels
Low-loss Megtron, Isola and Tachyon stack-ups, tight dielectric control, back-drilling and TDR-verified impedance for PCIe, DDR5, 400G Ethernet and AI server boards.
- PAM4 channels
- 112 Gbps
- Ultra-low-loss option
- Megtron 7
- Via stub removal
- Back-drill
- Impedance tolerance
- ±8%
What is a high speed PCB
When a board becomes high speed.
A high speed PCB carries digital signals whose rise times are fast enough that traces behave as transmission lines, typically above about 1 Gbps or 100 MHz clocks. Its design and fabrication focus on controlled impedance, low dielectric loss, short via stubs and tight crosstalk control.
PCIe Gen4/5/6, DDR4/DDR5, USB 3.x/4, 10G–800G Ethernet and SerDes channels all need high speed PCB construction. At 56–112 Gbps PAM4, the laminate, copper roughness and via stubs can consume most of the channel loss budget.
Why AstroPCB
Why AstroPCB for high speed PCB.
Channel performance is decided in fabrication as much as in layout. We hold dielectric thickness through lamination, compensate etch to hit impedance, and back-drill stubs to your specified depth.
- Low-loss laminates: Megtron 6/7, Isola 370HR/IS415, Tachyon
- Back-drilling, via-in-pad and HDI for dense BGA breakout
- Engineering since 2008: 1,000+ engineers and 30+ partner factories in Shenzhen, Xi’an, Chengdu and Hangzhou
- Written DFM review on every order, prototype or production, before fabrication starts
- 99.6% on-time delivery across the partner factory network
- From 1 piece to volume with the same stack-up and process controls
- IPC Class 2 by default, Class 3 on request, with inspection records and batch traceability
- Fabrication plus assembly: component sourcing, SMT and tracked worldwide shipping
Capabilities
High speed PCB capabilities.
| Parameter | AstroPCB capability |
|---|---|
| Layer count | Up to 30 layers |
| Laminates | Megtron 6 / 7, Isola 370HR, IS415, Tachyon 100G, R-5775K |
| Impedance | Differential and single-ended to ±8% with TDR coupons |
| Via structures | Back-drilling, blind/buried, microvias, via-in-pad |
| HDI | Up to 7-step sequential lamination |
| Min. line / space | 50 / 50 µm |
| Copper | Low-profile / HVLP foil options for reduced conductor loss |
Materials
Laminate by data rate.
| Data rate | Recommended laminate class |
|---|---|
| Up to ~10 Gbps | Isola 370HR, IS415, high-Tg FR-4 |
| 25–56 Gbps (PAM4) | Megtron 6, R-5775K |
| 112 Gbps+ (PCIe Gen6, 800G) | Megtron 7, Tachyon 100G |
Signal integrity
Fabrication choices that protect signal integrity.
- Controlled impedance modeled on the real stack-up — see controlled impedance
- Back-drilled via stubs on SerDes nets
- Low-profile copper to cut conductor loss
- Spread or flat glass to limit fiber-weave skew
- Symmetric, balanced stack-up held through lamination
- TDR coupons on every controlled-impedance panel
Read the high speed PCB design guide.
Layer count
High speed PCB layer count and stack-up.
High speed boards we build run from 8 to 30 layers. The layer count follows the number of SerDes lanes and memory channels that have to escape the largest BGA, plus the reference planes each stripline needs on both sides. Thirty layers covers the large majority of switch, server and accelerator designs; we keep loss and stub length under control with low-loss laminate, back-drilling or blind and buried vias rather than adding layers. Line and space is 50 µm minimum, which is rarely the limit on high-speed channels where impedance sets the width.
What to include in your RFQ
What to include in your high speed PCB RFQ.
- Fabrication data and stack-up intent
- Data rates, channel lengths and loss budget
- Impedance targets per layer and reference
- Back-drill nets and depth
- Laminate and copper profile preference
- Quantities and schedule
Applications
Where high speed PCBs are used.
FAQ
High speed PCB questions.
What makes a PCB high speed?
When signal rise times are fast enough that traces act as transmission lines, typically above about 1 Gbps or 100 MHz clocks. Impedance, loss and crosstalk then must be controlled.
Which material should I use for high speed?
Isola 370HR or IS415 up to about 10 Gbps, Megtron 6 for 25–56 Gbps, and Megtron 7 or Tachyon 100G for 112 Gbps and above.
Do you offer back-drilling?
Yes. Via stubs are back-drilled to the specified depth on high-speed nets.
What impedance tolerance can you hold?
±8% as standard, verified by TDR on coupons built with the panel. Tighter targets can be reviewed.
High speed vs high frequency PCB?
High speed is about fast digital edges; high frequency is about RF signals at a carrier frequency. See high frequency PCB.
What copper foil should I use for high speed?
Low-profile HVLP or reverse-treated foil on signal layers to reduce conductor loss at high frequency.
Ready when your files are
Send your channel targets and stack-up for review.
Upload Gerber, ODB++ or IPC-2581 data. Every quote includes a written engineering DFM review, typically within one business day.