MORRISVILLE, NC – The International Electronics Manufacturing Initiative (iNEMI) has announced the availability of three reports from the 5G/6G mmWave Materials and Electrical Test Technology Roadmap (5G/6G Maestro).

These reports, developed under the leadership of TechSearch International, Florida International University and Georgia Institute of Technology, assess current market and technology capabilities of 5G/6G mmWave materials and electrical test, primarily for printed circuit boards (PCBs) and packaging substrates.

Maestro, managed by iNEMI, is a joint industry/academia project sponsored by the NIST Office of Advance Manufacturing’s Advanced Manufacturing Technology (MfgTech) Roadmap. The goal is to create a foundation of knowledge and expertise in mmWave material selection, characterization and test to support the development and manufacture of leading-edge 5G and 6G products in the US. The Maestro team is developing a comprehensive 10-year hardware roadmap for mmWave materials development and electrical characterization and test, along with an implementation strategy to execute the vision of the roadmap and promote the growth of a strong U.S. workforce in radio frequency (RF) communications technologies.

“5G technology is expected to have a significant impact on the US economy and will not only generate trillions of dollars in economic output but will also create or transform millions of jobs,” said Shekhar Chandrashekhar, iNEMI CEO. “That’s why roadmaps like Maestro are so import. It’s critical that we identify the technology challenges we are facing and create a roadmap for addressing those challenges to ensure that we can achieve timely and cost-effective implementation of 5G technology.”

The three reports integrate information and feedback from industry, market analysts and academic researchers to provide a comprehensive assessment of the 5G market and technology. Together, they serve as a foundation from which the roadmap can be created.

Market Assessment (TechSearch International) – This report outlines the “industrial” needs for mmWave products for different market segments based on surveys and one-on-one interviews with industry experts. It identifies anticipated timelines for development and deployment of the technologies and capabilities required to support 5G deployment, such as materials for devices, substrates and PCBs, as well as thermal and test challenges/needs.

System Design Analysis (Florida International University) – Advances in mmWave system integration require innovative architectures and topologies along with 3D packaging integration. This report summarizes various critical system architecture trends that are expected to enable the next generation of communication systems.

Identification of Next-Generation Dielectric Materials and Testing Needs (Georgia Tech) – This report focuses on the primary needs of low loss materials and their adequate testing and characterization for accuracy and repeatability. It discusses the challenges faced in the 5G and 6G bands for device and heterogeneous packaging materials. The report reviews the literature on dielectric loss and permittivity in crystalline semiconductors and, for packaging, it discusses the materials classes of organics and inorganics, as well as more complex stackups. Dielectric and other testing needs are also addressed.

“These three reports represent significant contributions by our partner organizations to define the market and technology landscapes of where we are today, where we need to be heading and what challenges we face in getting there,” says Urmi Ray, iNEMI principal investigator for Maestro. “This substantial body of information lays the groundwork for development of the roadmap.”

Maestro is now working on the next phase of the project, which is to create a 10-year roadmap that focuses on three critical areas:

• Materials characterization – low loss dielectric materials
• Materials development
• Electrical test