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Rogers Ceramic PCB Substrate Material Selection Guide

How to choose Rogers ceramic PCB substrate material?

When discussing ceramic PCB, Rogers inevitably emerges as a prominent subject. Among Rogers’ extensive range of laminate materials, the RO4000 series stands out as a ceramic-based PCB substrate material. It has garnered significant favor among electronic manufacturing merchants, primarily due to its desirable attributes. Notably, the RO4000 series exhibits low-loss characteristics while remaining compatible with the commonly employed epoxy/glass (FR-4) fabrication method.

  • The RO4000 series boasts a dielectric constant range spanning from 2.55 to 6.15, offering both general and flame retardant variants.
  • Multiple options for copper foil finishes are available, including silver-plated, tin-plated, and gold-plated variants.
  • This material excels in high frequency performance, showcasing remarkable characteristics such as lower dielectric loss and a wide range of dielectric constants.

RO4000® LoPro® Laminates

RO4000® LoPro® laminates have been meticulously engineered to deliver exceptional high frequency performance and cost-effective circuit construction. These laminates seamlessly integrate with standard epoxy/FR-4 processes, thereby enabling more competitive manufacturing solutions.

Rogers employs its proprietary technique in the production of these ceramic PCBs, facilitating the bonding of reverse processed foil to the standard RO4000 dielectric. This innovative approach yields boards with minimal conductor loss, resulting in improved insertion loss and superior signal integrity. Remarkably, these benefits are achieved while preserving all other essential attributes inherent in a standard RO4000 laminate system.

Key Advantages of RO4000® LoPro® Laminate:

  • Low insertion loss, allowing for designs that support higher operating frequencies, even surpassing 40 GHz.
  • Reduced passive intermodulation (PIM) for base station antennas, enhancing overall system performance.
  • Lower conductor losses, leading to enhanced thermal performance.
  • Reduction in manufacturing costs, ensuring a more cost-efficient production process.
  • Excellent high frequency performance, enabling reliable signal transmission at elevated frequencies.
  • Minimized losses, maximizing overall efficiency.
  • Thin Reverse Processing Copper Foil, optimizing the design flexibility.
  • High glass transition temperature, guaranteeing stability under varying thermal conditions.
  • High thermal conductivity along the Z-axis, facilitating effective heat dissipation.
  • RoHS Compliant, adhering to environmental regulations and promoting sustainability.

RO4003C™ Laminates

Rogers Corporation has developed a proprietary woven glass-reinforced hydrocarbon/ceramic material, widely recognized as RO4003C™ laminate. This laminate encompasses various combinations utilizing 1080 and 1674 glass fiber types, all adhering to the same stringent electrical performance standards. Leveraging RO4003C™ laminate for Rogers ceramic PCB fabrication presents numerous advantageous features, including:

  • High-frequency operation: The material exhibits exceptional performance in high-frequency applications, ensuring reliable signal transmission.
  • Loss reduction: RO4003C™ laminate minimizes signal losses, enabling enhanced overall system efficiency.
  • Simple processing: The laminate’s composition facilitates straightforward processing, streamlining the manufacturing process.
  • Cost-effective products: Utilizing RO4003C™ laminate allows for the production of cost-effective Rogers Ceramic PCB, contributing to overall affordability. Additionally, these products comply with RoHS regulations.

Technical Specifications of RO4003C™ laminate:

PropertyValue
Dielectric constant4.0
Loss tangent0.002
Dielectric strength200 MV/m
Thermal conductivity0.95 W/m/K
Coefficient of thermal expansion14 ppm/°C
Flame retardantUL 94 V-0

RO4350B™ Laminates

RO4350B™ laminates have garnered significant interest among electronics manufacturers as preferred ceramic PCB materials. Traditional ceramic PCB face challenges in achieving multi-layer manufacturing, making the construction of even double-layer boards quite difficult. However, RO4350B™ laminates have revolutionized the field by enabling the production of multilayer ceramic PCB. These laminates are crafted from woven glass cloth, meticulously combined with ceramic resin and hydrocarbons. This unique composition endows the circuit with exceptional high-frequency performance. In addition, RO4350B™ laminates adhere to the rigorous UL 94V-0 compliance standards, ensuring flame retardancy. This remarkable combination of features makes RO4350B™ laminates an ideal choice for various high-frequency applications, including microwave circuits and antennas.

FeatureValue
Dielectric constant3.48 ± 0.05
Dissipation factor0.0037 at 10 GHz