Advanced Characterization of a Hybrid Shielding Solution for Reducing Electromagnetic Interferences at Board Level

Abstract

The development of new advanced functionalities, miniaturization, and the aim of obtaining optimized performance in electronic devices significantly impacts their electromagnetic compatibility (EMC). As electronic components become more densely packed on a printed circuit board (PCB), unintended coupling between components can cause electromagnetic interference (EMI). These requirements result in design restrictions that make using a board level shield (BLS) essential in reducing intra-system EMI in PCB designs. This contribution focuses on studying and characterizing a BLS solution based on combining a noise suppression sheet (NSS) with an aluminum layer to reduce intra-system EMI coupling. This hybrid solution has the advantage of providing a shielding option that does not require any electronic redesign. It does not need a footprint or a ground connection as it can be affixed over the EMI source. The solution is expected to provide higher attenuation levels than using only an NSS by combining the absorbing properties of the magnetic material and the loss mechanism of the metal. In order to verify the effectiveness of the hybrid BLS proposed solution, the magnetic near-field emissions of an EMI source are analyzed in this study. The experimental measurements and simulated results demonstrate a significant increase (51.6 dB at 1 GHz) in the shielding effectiveness (SE) provided by the proposed solution compared to a conventional NSS.