The ongoing innovation and evolution of Rogers circuit board has driven the progress of high-frequency electronics, its breakthroughs in materials science and process technology opening new possibility for electronics design and manufacturing. This post explores the essential characteristics and applications of Rogers' specialized materials.

What Are Rogers PCBs?

Rogers PCBs are made using the laminates from Rogers company. Featuring the specialized high-performance laminates celebrated for outstanding electrical properties, Rogers PCBs are the go-to solution for high-frequency, high-performance electronic designs.

Applications of Rogers PCB Board

High-Performance Computing

Modern processors and motherboards in high-performance computing systems rely on Rogers laminates for efficient signal routing and minimal crosstalk at high data transfer rates, this ensures smooth operation of complex calculations and data processing.

Telecommunication Equipment

High-speed data transmission infrastructure like routers, switches, and servers depend on Rogers laminates. Their low loss and controlled impedance characteristics minimize data loss and ensure signal integrity, enabling reliable internet connectivity and communication.

Antenna Design

The efficiency of wireless communication relies heavily on antenna performance. Rogers laminates, with their low dielectric constant, minimize signal propagation delay within antennas. This translates to better signal transmission and reception for applications like smartphones, Wi-Fi routers, and other wireless devices.

RF Modules and Circuit

From smartphones to radar systems, robust RF modules and circuits are essential for various functionalities. Rogers materials offer the necessary combination of low loss and high-frequency capabilities, ensuring superior signal transmission and reception.

Microwave Components

High-frequency components like filters, amplifiers, and waveguides found in radar systems, communication satellites, and test instruments benefit significantly from Rogers laminates. Their superior electrical properties ensure efficient signal handling and reliable performance at microwave frequencies.

Medical Devices

Cutting-edge medical equipment, like MRI machine and ultrasound scanner, often incorporate Rogers laminates for their superior signal handling capabilities.

Why Choose Rogers PCB?

Rogers PCBs offer significant advantages for high-performance electronics, like cellular phones, satellite communications, wireless networks, radar systems, high-speed computing. These are key factors contributing to popularity:

Various Dielectric Constant (Dk)

A higher Dk value indicates a greater ability to store electrical energy. Rogers materials offer a range of Dk value between 2.2 - 10, allowing for controlled impedance and efficient signal transmission at high frequencies.

Low Loss Tangent (Df)

Rogers PCBs are recognized for their Df with only 0.0014-0.003 at 10 GHz, indicating the amount of energy lost as heat while transmitting signals. A lower Df implies reduced energy dissipation and enhanced signal integrity.

Tight Thickness Tolerances

Rogers provides laminates with very tight thickness tolerances, often within ±10% of the nominal value. This precision in material thickness allows for consistent and predictable performance of transmission lines, coupled structures.

Heat Transfer Capability

Rogers laminate, such as RO4000 and RO3000 series usually exhibit higher thermal conductivity, which helps in effectively dissipating heat from electronic component. This prevents overheating and maintaining optimal performance for high frequency electronics.

High Tg for Thermal Stability

Many Rogers laminates, such as the RO4000® and RT/duroid® series, have glass transition temperatures in the range of 280°C to 400°C. High Tg provides excellent thermal stability, minimizes PCB expansion and dimensional changes under elevated temperature.

Dimensional Stability

Rogers laminates are known for low CTE, the laminates expand and contract minimally with temperature changes. This is crucial for maintaining dimensional stability and preventing issues, like trace misalignment and solder joint failure in applications with varying temperature.

Pure Rogers PCB vs. Hybrid Rogers PCB

Cost Differences

Pure Rogers PCB is more expensive because they use Rogers' high performance substrate throughout the entire board. These substrates offer excellent electrical and thermal management properties, but they come at a high price. While, hybrid rogers PCB is less expensive because they combine Rogers materials with cheaper FR4 materials. By using Rogers materials only in critical high-frequency areas and FR4 elsewhere, the overall cost is reduced.

Production Methods

Pure Rogers PCB's production is simpler since the entire board uses the same material. While, manufacturing hybrid Rogers PCB is more complex due to the need to laminate different materials Rogers and FR4 onto the same board, requiring precise control to ensure compatibility between different materials.

Thermal Management

Since the entire board is made of Rogers materials, Pure Rogers PCB has uniform thermal conductivity and thermal expansion coefficients, resulting in excellent thermal management. While, hybrid Rogers PCB's thermal management is not that effective because different materials have different thermal conductivities and expansion coefficients. In high-temperature environment, these differences can lead to internal stress and deformation.

Mechanical Strength

Pure Rogers PCB has higher mechanical strength and stability because the entire board is made from high-strength Rogers materials, can resist mechanical stress and deformation better. While, hybrid Rogers PCB's mechanical strength might be lower due to the combination of FR4 materials. Stress concentration at the interfaces between different materials can lead to delamination or cracking under extreme conditions.

Application Differences

Pure Rogers PCB: Mainly used in applications requiring extremely high electrical performance, such as microwave communication, radar systems, satellite communications, and high-frequency RF circuit.

Hybrid Rogers PCB: Suitable for applications that need high-frequency performance also have cost constraints, such as mixed-signal circuits. They use Rogers materials in high-frequency areas and FR4 in less critical areas.

Comparison of Nanya PCB, Nelco PCB, Isola PCB, and Rogers PCB

Nanya PCB

Nanya, being a Taiwanese company, has better availability and shorter lead times in Asian markets. Nanya PCBs are notably more cost-effective, making them accessible for high-volume production scenarios, suitable for various electronic designs that do not require extremely high-performance specifications, providing a reliable option for cost-conscious projects.

Nelco PCB

Nelco PCB are generally cost-effective compared to similar products from Rogers, making them appealing for projects with budget constraints. Availability is another strength with Nelco materials often being readily accessible from multiple distributors, potentially minimizing lead time. However, compare to Rogers, Nelco laminates may not reach the absolute highest performance levels required for extremely demanding applications and the product range is less.

Isola PCB

Isola materials, such as their I-Tera and Astra lines, often provide a more cost-effective alternative to Rogers, offering good performance at a lower price point. However, Isola laminates have limitations to consider, they may not achieve the ultra-low loss and stable high-frequency performance of specialized laminates, particularly in very high-frequency or microwave applications where Rogers laminates excel. Additionally, Isola may have lower brand recognition compared to Rogers in certain global markets. For technical support and design assistance, Isola's offerings may not be as extensive as those provided by Rogers.

Common Types of Rogers PCB Laminates

Rogers Corporation offers a wide range of laminate materials with varying properties to suit specific application need. Some popular series include:

RO4000® Series:

Hydrocarbon-based, excellent high-frequency performance, low loss, and thermal stability.
● RO4003C
● RO4350B (Ceramic-filled and hydrocarbon resin)
● RO4360
● RO4835

RO3000® Series:

Ceramic-filled and hydrocarbon resin, moderate dielectric constant and loss, cost-effective high-performance option.
● RO3003
● RO3006
● RO3010

RT/duroid® Series:

PTFE (Teflon) and ceramic filler, ultra-low loss, high-frequency laminates, ideal for RF and microwave applications.
● RT/duroid 5880
● RT/duroid 6002
● RT/duroid 6006
● RT/duroid 6010LM

RO5000® Series:

Modified epoxy, halogen-free, high-frequency laminates with low loss.
● RO5870
● RO5880

Other Laminates:

● ULTRALAM® 3000 Series: Modified epoxy, flexible, high frequency laminates for multilayer and microstrip designs.

● RO2800 Series: Hydrocarbon resin and woven glass Reinforcement, cost-effective, glass reinforced hydrocarbon laminates.

● TMM® Series: Ceramic filled laminates with tight dielectric constant control.

How to Choose the Right Rogers PCB Laminates?

Determine the Frequency Range

Identify the highest signal frequencies that will be present in your design . This will help you select the Rogers material with the appropriate dielectric constant and loss tangent to support the required bandwidth.

Dielectric Constant

The dielectric constant reflects the ability of a material to store electric energy in an electric field. It is a key factor in determining the maximum operating frequency that can be supported while maintaining signal integrity and EMC performance . Generally, lower Dk materials like Rogers RT duroid 5880 are preferred for high-frequency, high-speed circuit board designs.

Loss Tangent

Loss tangent or Df of PCB materials is a crucial parameter indicating energy loss and signal attenuation at high frequencies.

Rogers' low loss tangent materials, particularly the RO4000®, RT/duroid® 5800, and RT/duroid® 6000 series, can help preserve signal integrity and reduce attenuation in high-frequency, high-speed designs, enabling reliable performance and efficient power transfer for 5G, radar, satellite.

Coefficient of Thermal Expansion (CTE)

The coefficient of thermal expansion describes the relative change in the material dimension due to temperature fluctuations, the low CTE value can help maintain dimensional stability and prevent issues like trace misalignment and solder joint failures.

You should match the CTE of the material with PCB’s surrounding components minimizes stress and ensures reliable operation. Rogers materials, such as the RO4000® and TMM® series, have relatively low in-plane CTE values, minimizing dimensional changes with temperature fluctuations.

Moisture Absorption

Moisture absorption can cause dimensional changes, but many Rogers materials such as the RT/duroid® series, naturally resist moisture absorption, preserving dimensional stability.

Materials of Rogers Laminates

The core advantage of Rogers PCB lies in their unique material composition. Unlike standard FR-4 (flame retardant 4) used in most PCBs, Rogers laminates often combine ceramic and epoxy resin to achieve the desired electrical, thermal, and mechanical property.

Ceramic and PTFE (Teflon)

PTFE (polytetrafluoroethylene) is a fluoropolymer material with exceptional electrical property and a very low dielectric constant, the ceramic filler improve dimensional stability and thermal management, making it ideal for application with high heat generation.

Ceramic and Hydrocarbon

The ceramic fillers enhance the dielectric properties, hydrocarbon resin offer a good balance of cost and performance.

Modified Epoxy and Other Additives

By chemically modifying the epoxy resin often with the addition of fluorine or other compounds, the dielectric and thermal characteristics can be improved beyond standard FR4.

Hydrocarbon Resin and Woven Glass Reinforcement

The hydrocarbon resin forms the core base material, the addition of a woven glass reinforcement truly bolsters the mechanical and dimensional stability characteristics of the laminate.

Difference Between Rogers Laminates and Standard FR-4 Laminates

Why Rogers PCBs Are More Expensive Than Traditional FR4 PCBs?

Raw material cost: Rogers materials are distinguished by their high-frequency performance, excellent thermal management, robust mechanical properties, which contribute the expense of Rogers materials, because their specialized formulations as they incorporate costly substances such as ceramic and PTFE.

Complex manufacturing process: Rogers materials often require specialized processing equipment and techniques. Stricter temperature and pressure control increases production costs.

Lower production volumes: The market demand for Rogers PCBs is relatively small, leading to smaller production scales. Small batch production increases unit costs.

Stricter material handling: Rogers materials are more sensitive to environmental conditions like humidity and temperature, requiring special storage and handling conditions, this increases logistics and inventory cost.

Factors of Designing Rogers PCBs

Signal Integrity

The integrity of high frequency signal places extremely high demands on design layout and routing, and issues such as impedance matching, signal reflection and crosstalk must be considered. High precision simulation tool and test equipment are required to verify and adjust repeatedly during design.

Impedance Control

The dielectric constant and loss tangent of Rogers materials change with frequency, complicating impedance control. Conventional impedance calculation formulas may not be sufficiently accurate. To address these challenges, specialized high-frequency PCB design software, such as Keysight ADS, should be used. Additionally, performing electromagnetic field simulations can help accurately predict impedance. It is also important to account for manufacturing tolerances and include allowances for impedance adjustments to ensure precision in the final product.

Routing Technique

Advanced routing technique such as microstrip lines and striplines are essential for Rogers PCB to achieve the desired performance in high-frequency and high-speed applications, this helps ensure controlled impedance, improved signal integrity, and reduced electromagnetic interference.

Rogers PCB Manufacturing Challenges

Brittleness

Rogers laminates, those incorporating PTFE or ceramic fillers, exhibit a heightened susceptibility to cracking and delamination during handling. This arises from their inherent material properties, rendering them less tolerant of physical stress compared to standard FR4.

Moisture Absorption

Compared to the more homogeneous FR-4 laminates, certain Rogers laminates like those made with PTFE and ceramic-based materials exhibit a more porous structure, can lead to easier moisture penetration. Proper drying and baking processes during the fabrication can help mitigate the risks associated with moisture related problems.

Drilling

Many Rogers laminates, those contain ceramic fillers or PTFE (Teflon) are harder and more abrasive than FR-4. This increased hardness can cause faster wear and tear on drill bits. To address these challenges, it is recommended the use of specialized drill bits, optimized drilling parameters. This includes considerations such as:

● Drill bit selection and maintenance
● Spindle speed and feed rate optimization
● Hole-to-hole positioning accuracy
● Drill bit wear monitoring and replacement

Cost

Rogers materials are high-performance substrates that are typically 5-10 times more expensive than standard FR4, this is mainly due to high raw material costs such as PTFE, complex manufacturing process and relatively low yield.

Availability

Many Rogers laminates incorporate unique material compositions, such as PTFE (Teflon) or advanced ceramic fillers and require more specialized manufacturing processes compared to basic FR-4. This makes their longer lead times compared to standard FR-4.

Why Choose ApplePCB?

Our Manufacturing Capabilities

Deep Expertise

As a Rogers PCB manufacturer, ApplePCB has a wealth of knowledge in processing the Rogers Corporation laminates. As an approved partner of Rogers, we understand the unique characteristics and processing requirement of these specialized material.

Full Range of Rogers Materials

Whether you're designing for 5G communication, radar systems, satellite, or high-speed digital applications, ApplePCB is a Rogers PCB supplier, has the know-how to bring your vision to life. We expertly handle the full range of Rogers materials, including the renowned RO4000®, RT/duroid®, and TMM® series.

Precision Manufacturing

Experience the difference our precision Rogers PCB fabrication makes:

• Consistently meet the tight dimensional tolerances of Rogers laminates
• Achieve flawless via formation for reliable high-frequency interconnects
• Benefit from our rigorous quality control and testing protocols
• Accelerate your time-to-market with rapid turnaround times