Different types of PCB base materials

1) FR4:
Highlights:

 High Glass Transition Temperature (Tg) (150Tg or 170Tg)

 High Decomposition Temperature (Td) (> 345º C)
 Low Coefficient of Thermal Expansion (CTE) ((2.5%-3.8%)
 Dielectric Constant (@1 GHz): 4.25-4.55
 Dissipation Factor (@ 1 GHz): 0.016
 UL rated (94V-0, CTI = 3 minimum)
 Compatible with standard and lead-free assembly.
 Laminate thickness available from 0.005” to 0.125”
 Pre-preg thicknesses available (approximate after lamination):
(1080 glass style) 0.0022”
(2116 glass style) 0.0042”
(7628 glass style) 0.0075”

Most printed circuit boards are manufactured using glass-reinforced epoxy laminate as
the substrate. While there are a wide variety of laminates available on the market, FR-4 is
both versatile and well-accepted as a standard material for PCB manufacture. FR-4
functions well as an electrical insulator, and has a good strength-to-weight ratio, and is
flame resistant.

The standard FR-4 material that is used in our products is a high temperature, high Td,
low CTE 150Tg material.

If a higher Tg material is required, we do stock a 170Tg version of our standard FR-4

material as well, that can be selected in the quoting process.

RO4350B:

RO4350B materials are proprietary woven glass reinforced hydrocarbon/ceramics with

electrical performance close to PTFE/woven glass and the manufacturability of epoxy/
glass.

Providing tight control on dielectric constant and low loss while utilizing the same
processing method as standard epoxy/glass, RO4350B is available at a fraction of the cost
of conventional microwave laminates. No special through-hole treatments or handling
procedures are required as with PTFE based microwave materials.

RO4350B materials are UL 94V-0 rated for active devices and high power RF designs.
Typical Applications

Cellular Base Station Antennas and Power Amplifiers

Microwave point to point (P2P) links
Automotive Radar and Sensors
RF Identification (RFID) Tags
LNB’s for Direct Broadcast Satellites

The selection of laminates typically available to designers is significantly reduced once

operational frequencies increase to 500 MHz and above. RO4000 material possesses the
properties needed by designers of RF microwave circuits and matching networks and
controlled impedance transmission lines. Low dielectric loss allows RO4000 series
material to be used in many applications where higher operating frequencies limit the use
of conventional circuit board laminates. The temperature coefficient of dielectric constant
is among the lowest of any circuit board material (Chart 1), and the dielectric constant is
stable over a broad frequency range (Chart 2). For reduced insertion loss, foil is available
(Chart 3). This makes it an ideal substrate for broadband applications.RO4000 material’s
thermal coefficient of expansion (CTE) provides several key benefits to the circuit
designer. The expansion coefficient of RO4000 material is similar to that of copper which
allows the material to exhibit excellent dimensional stability; a property needed for mixed
dielectric multi-layer boards constructions. The low Z-axis CTE of RO4000 laminates
provides reliable plated through-hole quality, even in severe thermal shock applications.
RO4000 series material has a Tg of >280°C (536°F) so its expansion characteristics
remain stable over the entire range of circuit processing temperatures.RO4000 series
laminates can easily be fabricated into printed circuit boards using standard FR-4 circuit
board processing techniques. Unlike PTFE based high performance materials, RO4000
series laminates do not require specialized via preparation processes such as sodium etch.
This material is a rigid, thermo set laminate that is capable of being processed by
automated handling systems and scrubbing equipment used for copper surface
preparation.RO4003C™ laminates are currently offered in various configurations
utilizing both 1080 and 1674 glass fabric styles, with all configurations meeting the same
laminate electrical performance specification. Specifically designed as a drop-in
replacement for the RO4003C™ material, RO4350 laminate utilize RoHS compliant
flame-retardant technology for applications requiring UL 94V-0 certification.
RO4003C:
RO4003C™ materials are proprietary woven glass reinforced hydrocarbon/ceramics with
the electrical performance of PTFE/woven glass and the manufacturability of epoxy/
glass. Offered in various configurations, RO4003C utilizes both 1080 and 1674 glass
fabric styles with all configurations meeting the same laminate electrical performance
specification.

RO4003C provides tight control on dielectric constant and low loss while utilizing the
same processing method as standard epoxy/glass but at a fraction of the cost of
conventional microwave laminates. Unlike PTFE based microwave materials, no special
through-hole treatments or handling procedures are required.

RO4003C materials are non-brominated and are not UL 94V-0 rated. For applications or
designs requiring a UL 94V-0 flame rating, RO4835™ and RO4350B™ laminates do
meet this requirement.

Typical Applications

High reliability aerospace and defense

A wide range of typical and non-traditional microwave/RF applications

RT5880:

RT/duroid® 5870 and 5880 glass microfiber reinforced PTFE composites are designed
for exacting stripline and mi crostrip circuit applications.The randomly oriented
microfibers result in exceptional dielectric constant uniformity. The dielectric constant of
RT/duroid 5870 and 5880 laminates is uniform from panel to panel and is constant over a
wide frequency range. Its low dissipation factor extends the usefulness of RT/duroid
5870 and 5880 laminates to Ku-band and above. RT/duroid 5870 and 5880 laminates are
easily cut, sheared and machined to shape. They are resistant to all solvents and reagents,
hot or cold, normally used in etching printed circuits or in plating edges and holes.
Normally supplied as a laminate with electrodeposited copper of ½ to 2 ounces/ ft.2 (8to
70μm) or reverse treated EDC on both sides, RT/duroid5870 and 5880 composites can
also be clad with rolled copper foil for more critical electrical applications. Cladding with
aluminum, copper or brass plate may also be specified. When ordering RT/duroid 5870
and 5880 laminates, it is important to specify dielectric thickness, tolerance, rolled,
electrodeposited or reverse treated copper foil, and weight of copper foil required.
RT3003:
RO3003™ high frequency circuit materials are ceramic-filled PTFE composites intended
for use in commercial microwave and RF applications. This family of products was
designed to offer exceptional electrical and mechanical stability at competitive prices.

RO3003 excellent stability of dielectric constant over temperature including the

elimination of the step change in dielectric constant, which occurs near room temperature
with PTFE glass materials. Additionally, RO3003 laminates exhibit a low dissipation
factor of 0.0013 at 10 GhZ.
Typical Applications

Automotive radar
RF Couplers
Cost sensitive aerospace and defense applications
GPS Antennas

RO4534:

RO4500™ Series High Frequency Laminates are cost/performance materials from

Rogers Corporation, specifi cally engineered and manufactured to meet the specifi c
demands of the antenna markets. RO4533™, RO4534™ and RO4535™ laminates extend
the capabilities of the successful RO4000® product series into antenna applications. This
ceramic-fi lled, glass-reinforced hydrocarbon based material set provides the controlled
dielectric constant, low loss performance and excellent passive intermodulation response
required for mobile infrastructure microstrip antenna applications.As with all RO4000
high frequency laminates, RO4500 laminates are fully compatible with conventional FR-
4 and high temperature lead free solder processing. These laminates do not require
special treatment needed on traditional PTFE-based laminates for plated through hole
preparation. This product series is an affordable alternative to more conventional PTFE
antenna technologies, thus allowing designers to optimize the price and performance of
their antennas. Moreover, RO4533 and RO4534 laminates are available halogen-free to
meet the most stringent “green” standards, and RO4535 laminates are available with our
RoHS-compliant fl ame-retardant technology for applications requiring UL94 V-0
certifi cation.The resin systems of RO4500 dielectric materials are designed to provide
the necessary properties for ideal antenna performance. The coeffi cients of thermal
expansion (CTEs) in both the X and Y directions are similar to that of copper. The good
CTE match reduces stresses in the printed circuit board antenna. The typical glass
transition temperature of RO4500 materials exceeds 280°C (536°F), leading to a low z-
axis CTE and excellent plated through hole reliability. These properties, in combination
with a dimensional stability value of less than 0.05%, make RO4500 laminates an
excellent candidate for printed circuit antenna applications. RO4500 materials also
provide increased thermal conductivity over equivalent PTFE/woven glass materials,
allowing for design of antennas with increased power handling capability.In addition to
these excellent thermo-mechanical properties, RO4500 laminates embody electrical
characteristics that antenna designers need. The laminates have a dielectric constant (Dk)
ranging from 3.3 to 3.5 (±0.08) and a loss tangent (Df) of 0.0020 to 0.0037 measured at
2.5 GHz. These values allow antenna designers to realize substantial gain values while
minimizing signal loss. Materials are available with demonstrated low PIM performance,
with values better than –155 dBC using two 43 dBm swept tones at 1900 MHz

ITERA-MT

I-Tera® MT RF laminate materials exhibit exceptional electrical properties which are

very stable over a broad frequency and temperature range. I-Tera MT RF is suitable for
today’s RF/microwave printed circuit designs. I-Tera MT RF features a dielectric
constant (Dk) that is stable between -55°C and +125°C up to 20 GHz. In addition, I-Tera
MT RF offers a lower dissipation factor (Df) that is stable between -55°C and +125°C up
to 20 GHz making it a cost effective alternative to PTFE and other commercial
microwave and high-speed digital laminate materials. I-Tera MT RF laminate materials
are designed for double-sided, multilayer and hybrid-multilayer applications. I-Tera MT
RF is easy to process, including short lamination cycles, easy drill parameters and it does
not require plasma desmear or any special through hole treatments commonly needed
when processing PTFE-based laminate materials.I-Tera MT RF materials have been used
for base station, power amplifier, small cell antenna, DAS antenna, CPE antenna,
military and automotive radar applications operating at 24 GHz.

Features
• High Thermal Performance Tg: 200°C (DSC) Td: 360°C (TGA @ 5% wt loss) Low
CTE in the Z-axis – 2.8% (50-260°C)
• T260: >60 minutes
• T288: >60 minutes
• RoHS Compliant
• Electrical Properties Dk: 3.38, 3.45, 3.50 & 3.80 Df: 0.0028 to 0.0038 Typical electrical
properties over a broad frequency and temperature range per IPC-TM-650-2.5.5.5
• Core Material Standard Availability Thickness: 0.010′′, 0.020" & 0.030′′ Available in
full size sheet or panel form
• Copper Foil Type Availability Standard HTE Grade 3 RTF (Reverse Treat Foil) VLP-2
(2 micron)
• Copper Weights ½, 1 and 2 oz (18, 35 and 70 μm) available Heavier copper available
upon request Thinner copper foil available upon request
• Industry Approvals UL 94 V-0 UL Qualified - 130 MOT Non-ANSI IPC-4103 /17