Laminates boost performance of pcb antennas
Stephen Law
Electronics Wireless antenna-grade antenna-grade laminates laminatesROGERS CORP. RO4730G3 UL 94 V-0 antenna-grade laminates are made with standard profile electrodeposited copper foil to meet present and future performance requirements in active antenna arrays and small cells, notably in Internet of Things (IoT) applications, as well as emerging 5G wireless systems. With the option of multiple copper foil offerings, design flexibility increases and rounds out the performance versus cost portfolio. The ceramic hydrocarbon laminates were originally introduced with a standard profile low-loss LoPro copper foil option, providing improved passive-intermodulation (PIM) performance (typically better than -160 dBc). Products provide 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. Laminates are 30% lighter than PTFE circuit materials and feature a high glass transition temperature (Tg) of better than +280°C for compatibility with automated assembly techniques.