High-speed telecommunications and cutting-edge electronics technology are now integrated, and Rogers PCB has become the core material for high-end areas such as 5G base stations, aerospace, and automotive, thanks to its excellent high-frequency performance, stable signal transmission, and outstanding thermal management.

Have you ever wondered what makes the 5G signal so fast and stable? What ensures the accurate detection of autonomous vehicle radar? The answers may be hidden in the Rogers PCB, which brings high performance. As the expert in the PCB area, today Jerico will lead you to learn more about Rogers Material and explore how it has become the performance engine of high-frequency electronic devices.

I. What is Rogers PCB？

Rogers PCB is one kind of PCB using high-performance substrate material manufactured by the Rogers Team. Different from traditional FR4 PCB, there is no glass fiber in Rogers PCB; it uses a ceramic substrate as a high-frequency material.

Rogers is a leading engineering material manufacturer located in the USA. It has nearly 200 years of history and is famous for its excellent performance in high-performance special materials. In the PCB substrate area, Rogers is absolutely the leader in high-frequency, high-speed circuit materials.

II. Outstanding Properties of Rogers PCB

Rogers PCB is widely used in high-frequency applications due to the following nice features:

1. Low Dissipation Factor (Df)
Rogers materials have relatively low Df, which means that in high-frequency applications, energy loss during signal transmission can be reduced, improving circuit performance. Its dissipation factor (Df) is as low as 0.0037, and signal transmission loss is only 1/5 of that of traditional FR-4 materials.

2. Nice High-Frequency Performance
Rogers PCB has great performance in high-frequency applications; it can offer stable signals in radio frequency and microwave applications with relatively low attenuation. It has a very stable Dk and can work normally in a wide range of temperatures.

3. Outstanding Thermal Stability
Rogers materials have nice thermal stability and high-temperature resistance, suitable for electronics devices that work under high temperature conditions. The CTE ensures stable performance under high-temperature and humidity environments.

4. Excellent Mechanical Strength
Rogers PCBs have high mechanical strength and shock resistance, suitable for applications requiring high reliability and durability. The materials used are hard and durable and can withstand large mechanical loads.

5. Low Hygroscopicity
Rogers PCBs have low hygroscopicity, which makes them an ideal choice for high humidity applications and can maintain solid dimensional stability under various conditions.

III. Compare Rogers PCB with FR-4 PCB

To better understand Rogers PCBs’ advantages, please see below comparison sheet

IV. Common Series and Applications of Rogers PCB

Rogers Team offers lots of high-performance series of materials, each with its own specific application scenarios.

1. RO4000 Series
Hydrocarbon-filled ceramic laminates offer excellent cost-performance, providing a highly cost-effective solution for microwave radio frequency, high-speed transmission, and other products. For example, the Dk value of RO4350B is stable at 3.48±0.05 at 10GHz, and the Df is as low as 0.0037.

2. RT/duroid Series
Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) filled with ceramic or random glass fiber laminates, with strict batch consistency and extremely stable electrical properties, such as RT/duroid 5000/6000 series.

3. TMM Series
This series has a rich candidate dielectric constant with very low temperature variation, DK ranging from 3.27-12.85, excellent mechanical properties, and can resist creep flow and cold flow.

4. 92ML Series
High thermal conductivity and high voltage resistance electronic material filled with epoxy resin and high thermal conductivity ceramic powder, UL MOT 150°C, and higher absolute voltage resistance for the same dielectric thickness.

V. Rogers PCBs in various High-Tech Areas

1. Wireless Telecommunication
Rogers PCB is the key component in high-frequency and base station antennas, for example, 5G telecommunication base stations, satellite telecommunication, and microwave devices. It supports 10Gbps stable transmission in the 28GHz frequency band.

2. Automotive Electronics
Used in automatic test equipment(ATE), automotive radar, sensor, etc, especially in ADAS(Advanced Driver Assistance Systems). In the 77GHz vehicle-mounted radar, the Rogers PCB can realize ±0.1°detection accuracy.

3. Aerospace and Defense
Rogers PCB has wide applications in radar, satellite, missiles, aircraft collision avoidance systems, return radios, microstrip antennas, and other key equipment.

4. Medical Equipment
Rogers PCB can also be used in medical monitoring instruments, pacemakers, MRI, and other equipment. Its high stability and reliability ensure the accuracy and safety of medical equipment.

VI. Features of Rogers PCB Manufacturing Process

There are some differences in Rogers PCB and traditional FR-4 manufacturing processes; Rogers PCB requires more accuracy and stricter control.

1. Laminate cutting: requires high-accuracy cutting technology to ensure the laminate dimensions and size fully meet the PCB requirements.

2. Surface treatment: using special chemicals and processes for surface treatment, which can effectively remove surface oxides and improve the bonding strength between the laminate and subsequent process materials.

3. Coating process: The surface needs to be coated with a layer of copper foil to enhance its conductive properties. The electroplating or wet coating process is used to ensure the uniformity and adhesion of the copper foil.

4. Drilling Process: using a high-tech process to drill holes, control the via diameter and via space accurately, to ensure the accuracy and high reliability of printed circuit boards.

5. Copper Plating Process: Electrolytic copper plating technology is used to strictly control the thickness and uniformity of the copper layer to improve the conductivity and stability of the circuit board.

6. Final Test: We conduct strict finished product testing, including silk screen quality, circuit continuity, electrical performance testing, etc., to ensure product quality and performance.

VII. Considerable Factors for Choosing Rogers PCB

Technical Factors
-. Frequency range: different materials should be chosen when considering the different working frequencies; low-frequency applications do not need to choose high-performance materials.
-. Power level: high-frequency applications should consider the thermal conductivity and stability of materials
-. Dimension limit: high Dk material can realize a smaller size design.
-. Environmental conditions: Environments with large temperature and humidity changes require the selection of materials with better stability
Economic Factors
-. Material cost: Rogers materials are normally much higher than the normal FR-4 cost
-. Manufacturing cost: for some special processes, it may cause a higher manufacturing cost.
-. Overall cost: Though the initial cost is high, in high-performance applications, the overall cost may be lower, as the performance is better with higher reliability.

VIII. The Future Development Trend and Challenges

Technology Development Trend
-. Higher frequency: As 5G-Advanced and 6G research advances, demand for higher frequency band (terahertz) materials will grow
-. Higher integration: Higher Dk materials are needed to achieve smaller circuit designs.
-. Better thermal management: Increasing power density places higher demands on thermal conductivity.
-. More environmentally friendly materials: Developing new material systems that meet environmental requirements.

Market Opportunity and Challenge
-. Opportunity: 5G and future 6G information technology, automotive intelligence application, popularization of the Internet of Things, and other developments will drive market requirements continuous growth.
-. Challenge: the competition of alternative materials with low cost, manufacturing difficulty and cost control, and the stability of the supply chain.

Material innovation drives advancements in electronic technology.
Rogers PCB is more than just a basic material; it is a current high-technology electronic device, representing the pinnacle of electronic materials science. As a PCB manufacturing expert, Jerico PCB fully recognizes the importance of material development to electronics technology improvement. With the technology constantly developing, we believe there will be more innovative materials in the future and push electronics technology to a higher development level.
When choosing PCB material, the designers should consider the performance requirements, cost factors, and manufacturing capabilities comprehensively to make the most suitable plan. To those applications that require high performance, Rogers PCB is no doubt a worthy choice; it will offer stability, performance, and market competitiveness.

IX. Future Vision

With the rapid development of 5G telecommunication, AI, IOT, cloud computing, new energy automotive, and other new technologies, the requirement for PCB materials is becoming more strict. Predictably, Rogers PCB will develop towards higher performance, better thermal management, and a more stable direction. Shenzhen Jerico Multilayer PCB Co., Ltd. has nearly 20 years of experience in fabrication custom Rogers PCBs. If you have any Rogers PCB projects in hand, we are happy to listen to your thoughts and support you with our engineering service.

Let’s talk about PCB today!