Design Challenges and Considerations for Reliable Rigid-Flex PCB up to 100GHz

Rigid-flex PCBs combine rigid boards and flexible circuits, enabling complex designs with high component density and improved reliability, while maintaining strong signal integrity (SI). They offer benefits like reducing connectors and wires, saving hardware space, and providing consistent impedance for high-speed signals due to stable materials. However, designing rigid-flex boards is more challenging than rigid PCBs, requiring precise control over bend radius and layer stackups. Manufacturing is also complex and varies by design. Bending introduces potential changes in impedance and parasitics, affecting SI performance, making accurate analysis crucial for optimizing these advanced interconnect systems.