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Why the Isola IS680 AG PCB Material is Useful in Radio Frequency and Microwave Applications

Are you in need of a PCB material that can serve different markets and applications? One that possesses great electrical properties that are stable over a broad temperature and frequency range. Then we have you covered because truly not all PCB materials you find out there can offer all these features.

Our simple answer and solution is the Isola IS680 AG PCB Material. True, you are not sure with my suggestion, but soon, you’ll understand that this material truly has these great qualities.

In this article, we will be discussing what it is, its properties and its applications. If this really interests you, why not take your time to read this article, and you’ll be glad you did.

What is the Isola IS680 AG PCB Material?

The Isola IS680 AG PCB Material is a laminate material that possesses great electrical properties that are stable over a broad temperature as well as frequency range.

The Isola IS680 AG PCB Material is great for the commercial RF and microwave PCB designs of today. Furthermore, it has a stable dielectric constant that falls within -55 degrees Celsius and +125 degrees Celsius and can reach W-band frequencies.

Furthermore, the Isola IS680 AG PCB Material offers a dissipation factor that is very low. This makes it a very cost-effective option to PTFE as well as other microwave materials used commercially in two sided applications.

The typical market applications of the Isola IS680 AG PCB Material includes aerospace and defense, as well as radio frequency and microwave.

Let’s elaborate more on the applications of this highly reliable material.

Applications of the Isola IS680 AG PCB Material

The following are the applications of the Isola IS680 AG PCB Material

Aerospace and Defense

The high speed RF/microwave and digital materials of the Isola IS680 AG PCB Material are great for aerospace and military applications. This is because they provide high temperatures of glass transition, as well as low rates of expansion and high decomposition temperature. These above attributes are necessary for demanding aerospace and military applications.

These applications include antenna, satellites, communications, avionics, weaponry systems, flight controls, and guidance and radar systems.

Radio Frequency and Microwave

The designers of radio frequency have been faced with more challenges recently regarding achieving the best balance between performance and cost when choosing base materials.

The main factors include proper control of the dissipation factor, dielectric constant and the dielectric thickness, thereby achieving the lowest tolerance in a batch and also batch-to-batch.

If there’s a change in any of the three factors, there will be variations in the circuit’s performance like phase stability, amplitude, and impedance control.

As there are increases in frequency, the designers are searching for dielectric materials that are very stable, just to achieve the best signal performance. Also, this includes designers paying much attention to choosing copper foils like VLP-2, and uniform glass reinforcement.

What are the Properties of the Isola IS680 AG PCB Material?

The following are the properties of the Isola IS680 AG.

Temperature for Glass Transition (Tg)

This property helps in adding to the board’s thermal performance. The Tg of the Isola IS680 AG PCB Material is 200 degrees Celsius. This is the temperature at which the material changes from the rigid state to a soft one. This means that the Isola IS680 AG PCB Material will need a very high temperature of 200 degrees Celsius to achieve this.

High Decomposition Temperature

The Isola IS680 AG PCB Material has a decomposition temperature of 360 degrees centigrade at a weight loss of 5%. At this value, the Isola IS680 AG PCB Material decomposes chemically. This means that there will be need for a high temperature before the Isola IS680 AG PCB Material can decompose chemically.

Coefficient of Thermal Expansion (CTE)

The coefficient of thermal expansion reveals the amount of contraction or expansion that you should expect when cooling or heating the material. Before Tg, the Isola IS680 AG PCB Material has a CTE of 44.7 ppm/°C. Post-Tg, the material has a CTE of 191 ppm/°C.

Also, during total expansion, which falls between a temperature of 50 – 260 degrees Celsius, the CTE at Z-axis is 2.9%. Furthermore, at the X and Y axis, the coefficient of thermal expansion stands at 12 ppm/°C before Tg.

Thermal Conductivity

The thermal conductivity helps in revealing the rate where the transfer of heat from a source happens to the material’s cooler region. The thermal conductivity of this material falls within the range of 0.38 and 0.53 W/m·K.

Moisture Absorption

The Isola IS680 AG PCB Material has a moisture absorption value of 0.10%. This makes it very reliable when it comes to fighting against moisture absorption.

What is the Thermal and Electrical Performance of the Isola IS680 AG PCB Material?

The Isola IS680 AG PCB Material has two main values as its thermal performance. First, is the temperature for glass transition which stands at 200 degrees Celsius. This means that, with this temperature, the PCB’s mechanical stability will not fail all through the PCB’s lifetime.

Furthermore, the decomposition temperature (Td) stands at 360 degrees Celsius. This means that you will require a very high temperature before this material can decompose chemically or lose about 5% of its mass weight. This shows that the Isola IS680 PCB Material is very reliable.

There are two properties that also describe electrical performance. These include the dielectric constant and the dissipation factor. There are four values for the dielectric performance of this PCB material. These include 3.00, 3.38, 3.45, and 3.48. The dissipation factor on the other hand falls within a specific range, which is 0.0020 and 0.0029. This means that the Isola IS680 AG PCB Material has a high ability to act as an insulator or hold energy.

Conclusion

We hope that you understand all you have read on the Isola IS680 AG PCB Material here. The Isola IS680 AG PCB material has great electrical properties that are stable over a broad temperature and frequency range. If you have any more questions, please reach out to us here.

 

 

 

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