Circuit board material targets high-performance PCB antennas for 4G, 5G, and IoT

Rogers Corporation (NYSE:ROG) introduces RO4730G3™ UL 94 V-0 antenna-grade laminates to meet present and future performance requirements in active antenna arrays and small cells, notably in 4G base transceiver stations (BTS) and Internet of Things (IoT) applications as well as emerging 5G wireless systems.

These flame-retardant (per UL 94V-0), thermoset laminate materials are an extension of Rogers’ dependable RO4000® circuit materials, which are a popular choice for base station antennas. RO4730G3 laminates provide the low dielectric constant (Dk) of 3.0 favored by antenna designers, held to a tolerance of ±0.05 through the thickness (z axis) when measured at 10 GHz.

RO4730G3 laminates are comprised of ceramic hydrocarbon materials with low-loss LoPro® copper foil. They offer excellent passive-intermodulation (PIM) performance (typically better than -160 dBc) that makes them attractive for intermodulation (IM) sensitive, high-frequency antennas. They are 30% lighter than PTFE circuit materials and feature a high glass transition temperature (T_g) of better than +280°C for compatibility with automated assembly techniques. RO4730G3 circuit laminates exhibit low z-axis coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) of 30.3 ppm/°C from -55 to +288°C for reliable plated through holes (PTHs) in multilayer circuit assemblies. They are lead-free-process compatible and offer improved flexural strength over RO4000JXR™ materials

The new antenna-grade circuit laminates are engineered for consistent performance with temperature. They have a coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) closely matched to that of copper and low thermal coefficient of dielectric constant in the z axis (+26 ppm/°C at 10 GHz) from -50 to +150°C. In addition, these laminates achieve low circuit losses at high frequencies, with a dissipation factor of 0.0023 at 2.5 GHz and 0.0029 at 10 GHz.

RO4730G3 laminates offer practical, cost effective circuit material solutions for active antenna arrays and PCB antennas for current wireless applications, including 4G and IoT, and those about to come, such as 5G. With the right combination of materials, these laminates provide an optimum blend of price, performance, and durability.