This Rogers TC350 Plus laminates review will focus on the qualities that make this material unique. These laminates can perform in several applications, such as amplifiers, combiners, power dividers, couplers, filters, etc. Their range of uses extends beyond the commercial and consumer markets and even into aerospace and defense applications. Read on to find out how this material stacks up against other similar materials.
Low loss tangent
The TC350 Plus from Rayming PCB & Assembly are PTFE-based composite materials reinforced with woven glass and filled with ceramic. These materials provide high thermal conductivity and exceptional thermal dissipation in a circuit board. The advanced filler system also allows this composite to possess improved drilling performance. The improved drilling performance results in reduced manufacturing costs. These laminates are ideal for high-power RF signal applications, such as power amplifiers and passive components sensitive to temperature phase stability.
The new material features a combination of lower tangent and insertion loss, low moisture absorption, and excellent dimensional stability. The low loss tangent and high thermal conductivity properties of TC350 Plus materials help improve the reliability of the panels and reduce operating temperatures. In addition, they are present in various sizes. As a result, we can use them for different types of applications. They are also a preferred choice for telecommunications and other high-power applications.
RO4835 high-frequency laminates from Rogers Electronics have improved oxidation resistance and a dielectric constant of 3.48. They exhibit low loss tangent at the 10 GHz mark and are compatible with lead-free processing methods. Their low loss tangent and high electrical stability make them viable for demanding RF/microwave circuits. They also exhibit similar expansion coefficients to copper and are RoHS-compliant.
High-frequency laminates are better for projects with broad mechanical, electrical, and mechanical requirements. Rogers TC350 Plus laminates exhibit low loss tangents, reducing the cost of a high-frequency board. The loss factor, or Df, is a significant consideration when choosing the best material for your circuit boards. It’s the essential aspect of a printed circuit board, and the type of material is the biggest determining factor. For example, if you use FR-4 materials, you will experience higher losses.
High thermally conductive fillers
Designed for RF signal applications, TC Series(tm) laminates from Rogers Corporation feature high thermal conductivity, low loss tangent, and excellent drilling performance. With their high thermal conductivity and high dielectric strength, they are ideal for high-power RF designs, including power amplifiers and passive components that are sensitive to changes in dielectric constant with temperature.
TC350 Plus laminates feature a unique combination of low tangent and insertion losses and high thermally conductive fillers. Combining these features increases reliability and reduces operating temperatures in high-power applications. As a result, we can use them for various high-performance applications, including RF antennas, power dividers, couplers, filters, and amplifiers.
Rogers’s high thermally conductive circuit material is suitable for RF and microwave applications. Unlike standard PTFE materials, it has an impressive thermal conductivity of almost twice the standard RT/duroid 6000 products. The circuit material also boasts excellent drill-ability, which reduces drilling costs. Once you’ve decided on the Rogers TC350 Plus Laminates material for your application, you’ll want to consider the many benefits.
Arlon TC 350 laminate is a superior PCB substrate. It has superior heat-transfer properties and can help in various high-frequency applications, including digital communication control systems and power amplifiers. It also boasts a low insertion loss and has low CTE. It’s also easy to fabricate. Using industry-standard manufacturing processes, you can assemble the Rogers TC 350 laminate and store it in a flat, cool environment, away from sunlight.
Smooth copper foil cladding
There has been introduction of new TC350 Plus laminates made of woven glass PTFE-based and ceramic-filled materials that exhibit excellent thermal dissipation within circuit boards. These materials are capable of low-cost manufacturing while offering high-performance thermal management in the industrial heating and higher-power microwave applications. These products also feature a cutting-edge filler system that helps the composite achieve excellent drilling performance.
TC350 Plus laminates have various applications, including amplifiers, combiners, power dividers, couplers, filters, and more. They are accessible in a variety of thicknesses, ranging from 0.01 to 0.06 in. In addition to these applications, TC350 Plus laminates are applicable in aerospace and defense markets. Despite the advantages of using copper foil as a cladding material, it is not without its drawbacks.
Thermoset materials process similarly to FR-4, resulting in lower costs when ultimate performance is not required. However, when high-speed digital applications are necessary, thermoset laminates with low permittivity and low loss must be designed accordingly. This is a challenge requiring engineering solutions to overcome the challenges of high-frequency digital applications. Rogers introduced a line of high-frequency laminates in 1968. The RO4000(r) series of high-frequency laminates feature fused silica and a high glass content to reduce CTE in all three axes.
The Rogers TC350 Plus copper foil cladding meets the strictest electrical and mechanical properties requirements. Copper foil is a cathodic material easily bonded to a PCB base. In addition, copper foil laminates with cladding have a printed protective layer that protects against corrosion. It is also important to note that copper foil laminates need to meet specific size, diagonal deviation, and warpage requirements.
Advantages
There are several advantages to using a copper foil laminate. The CCLs offer a highly conductive surface and allow for efficient heat transfer. They are often helpful as the outermost layer of the PCB. This is because of their ability to draw heat away from the inner layers of the board. This can be helpful in high-power electronics applications that require optimal performance, even at high temperatures.
In addition to these benefits, CCLs can increase circuit speed while keeping tight control over impedance matching. The high conductivity of the laminate allows for the creation of circuits that can harness much more power from a power supply and produce less heat. This property allows the creation of high-power amplifiers that are much easier to cool than their counterparts. In addition to these advantages, CCLs can also help prevent corrosion in environments where salt spray or humidity is present.
Disadvantages
Despite these benefits, there are some limitations to using copper foil laminates. Although they offer good heat transfer, they can trap and store heat near the surface of the PCB. This limits their use as an outermost layer in high-power applications. To use a CCL as an outer layer, we must pair it with a lower Z-axis coefficient material like FR4 or polyimide for the internal layers of the board.
There are also some performance challenges when using CCLs in high-frequency applications. They are somewhat difficult to process and may require special equipment. In addition, they are sensitive to moisture. Whenever we process a CCL in a heated environment, we must seal it with a protective lacquer coating. This prevents the copper foil from reacting with water vapor present in the air.
Another drawback of using CCLs is that they are at risk for corrosion when used in harsh environments. Therefore, we should not use them in salt spray or humidity environments.
Conclusion
Despite the status of CCLs as a niche material, they are available and can operate in specific applications. They offer several benefits that make them viable in certain situations. They can handle higher current loads, making them ideal for power amplifiers. In addition to this, they have excellent heat dissipation characteristics and are therefore suitable for creating circuit boards with efficient thermal management, even at high temperatures.
