Introductions

As a professional manufacturer of high-frequency circuit boards, GESP PCB often encounter the question of which is better,FR-4 VS. ROGERS PCB For Manufacturing RF PCBS？ This article will explain in detail the difference between FR4 and Rogers.

What is FR4 Materials？

FR-4 is a kind of flame-resistant material grade code. which means that the resin material must be able to extinguish itself after the burning . it means a material grade. so there are very many kinds of FR-4 grade materials used in general circuit boards. but mostly choose epoxy resin plus filler (filler) and glass fiber composite materials.

FR-4 PCB as the substrate for PCB. mainly classified into the following four types.

• FR-4: glass cloth substrate
• FR-1, FR-2, etc.: paper substrate
• CEM series: composite substrate
• Special material substrate FR-4 is a plate laminated product . That made of special electronic cloth dipped in epoxy phenolic resin. and other materials by high temperature and high pressure hot pressing.
• FR-4 PCB has features,as high mechanical and dielectric properties. good heat and moisture resistance and good machinability.

What is Rogers PCB Materials？

Rogers PCB is a type of high frequency board produced by Rogers. Unlike conventional PCBs, The main raw material is epoxy resin. there is no glass fiber in the middle of the board. and the ceramic base applied as the high frequency material. Rogers has superior dielectric constant and temperature stability. and its coefficient of thermal expansion of dielectric constant is very consistent with copper foil. which can improve the shortcomings of PTFE substrate. it is ideal for high frequency pcb design. as well as commercial microwave and RF applications. Because of its extremely low water absorption. it is ideal for high humidity applications. at the same time, providing customers in the high frequency board industry. with the highest quality materials and related resources to control product quality.

Benefits of Rogers PCB

• The Rogers PCBs have a low moisture absorption rate, minimal thermal expansion, and exceptional dimensional stability under varying conditions.
• The material of Rogers PCB is compatible and the PCB is simple to construct. because it is only 0.1mm thick.
• Rogers PCB provides superior thermal management and is appropriate for heat-generating electrical devices and circuits.
• In space applications, Rogers PCB reduces outgassing.
• The Rogers printed circuit board matches trace locations and dimensions, hence enhancing impedance control.
• The PCB from Rogers provides consistent high-frequency performance.

What Is The Difference Between FR4 Materials and Rogers PCB ？

When comparing fr4 materials with rogers PCB. they are usually used for the production of high frequency circuit boards. We can also combine the two types of boards to meet the needs of our customers in terms of price and performance.

6 Differences Between FR-4 Material and Rogers Material

Fees &Budget

FR-4 is one of the competitive-cost materials used in the manufacture of PCB. It preferred for minimal processing costs. Even though PCBs made of FR-4 materials are known for cost-effective and widely used. However, if you are not on a budget limit ,and need high-performing PCBs made of the best materials. you could choose Rogers materials. Nevertheless, By considering the price of the content and its processing needs, it becomes possible to determine if you get value for your money.

High Frequencies

People like printed circuit boards made of FR-4 . because they are cheap, reliable, and easy to understand how they work. widly used from making microwaves to making audio circuits. Unfortunately, high-frequency applications are not the best place for PCB made of FR-4. Rogers made the most well-known special laminates for high frequencies. The dielectric constant of its materials is about 20% lower than that of FR-4 materials. which used to make printed circuit boards.

The best way to decide if high-frequency laminates will work better for your project. It is to look at the mechanical and electrical needs of the job. If you think there are too many electrical and mechanical differences. Rogers’ materials is a better choice.

Df/Dissipation

One of the most important things that affect the impedance. and stability of a board is its dielectric constant. The more stable the impedance is, the higher the dielectric constant. Even though FR4 is the least expensive sub-state. Its highest dielectric value is 4.5, while Rogers PCBs have a higher and broader range, from 6.5 to 11. Because of this, Rogers PCBs are the best choice for high-temperature applications . where stable impedance is important.

Dielectric Constant (Dk)

Electronic circuits that operate at high frequencies need constant and stable DK values. over a wide range to make PCB material selection easier for designers. A substance with a high dielectric constant will store a large amount of charges. resulting in increased voltage and capacitance. Rogers’ PCB material supply a wide variety of frequencies with a consistent value of dk. making it an excellent choice for broadband purposes and applications. Its dielectric constant also has comparatively low temperature coefficient values. allowing it as first choice for use in temperature-sensitive devices. Roger 4350b has a dielectric constant of 3.66. making it appropriate for connecting two sites in a microwave application.

Temperature Management

Heat management materials are an important part of many electronic uses.

Because the temperature of these things needs to kept at certain levels.

So, it is true that materials that can handle heat are a basic requirement for making PCBs.

If PCBs need to work at a wide range of high temperatures with few changes. Rogers materials are better options. In short, when it comes to managing temperature. Rogers material does a better job than FR-4 because it has less variation.

Moisture Absorption

Moisture absorption is the electrical and thermal properties of the substrate material. This, in turn, affects the performance of the board. Rogers PCBs have minimal moisture absorption . and so provide greatest efficiency in a wide range of environmental conditions.

Recommend the Type of Rogers PCB

Rogers 4350B

The Rogers 4350B’s materials suited for high power RF designs and super-active appliances due to their low loss capability and reliable control of their dielectric constant (DK).

Rogers 3003

With a frequency of 77 GHz, this Rogers PCB type is suitable for automobile radar applications, as well as 5G wireless applications and ADAS.

Rogers 3006 

The 3006 type has outstanding mechanical and electrical stability, as well as a consistent dielectric constant throughout a wide range of temperatures. It also removes the step change from the Dk.

Rogers 3010 

The 3010 is one of the most cost-effective variants that uses advanced ceramic-filled PTFE materials. As a result, its stability simplifies the broadband components.

Rogers 5880

The Rogers 5880 is made of glass microfibers and has a low DK and loss characteristic. As a result, the model is well-suited for broadband and high-frequency applications.

Rogers 6002 

The 6002 variant is equipped with low DK materials that are suited for complex microwave designs. As a result, it is perfect for multi-layer board designs.

Rogers 6010 

This RO6010 is excellent for microwave and electronic board applications where a high DK is required. Furthermore, the model is perfect if you intend to deal with circuit size reduction.

Rogers 4003 

The Rogers 4003 model employs glass fabric types 1674 and 1080. Its settings are all the same; they do not support bromination.

Rogers 4835 

This 4835 laminate is a low-loss material with great stability at high temperatures and significant oxidation resistance. It provides traditional glass or epoxy FR-4 methods as well as low-cost circuit fabrication.

Rogers 4360G2 

This laminate strikes the ideal balance between processing capabilities and performance. Furthermore, the low-loss laminate is made up of hydrocarbon ceramic-filled thermostat components.

How to Choosing the Right Substances to Handle High Frequency PCBs？

1.Different signal working frequency has different requirements for PCB high frequency board plate.

2.work in 622Mb/s above fiber optic communication products and 1G above 3GHz below the small signal microwave transceiver. you can use modified epoxy resin materials such as S1139. 10GHz due to more stable, lower cost, multi-layer press board process and FR4 the same. Such as 622Mb/s data multiplexing split, clock extraction. small signal amplification, optical transceiver and other similar plates. So that the production of multi-layer board and cost is slightly higher than FR4 (high 4 cents / cm2 or so). the disadvantage is that the thickness of the substrate is not as complete as FR4 varieties.

At present, the domestic general use is RO4350, RO4003c single-sided high frequency board. double-sided high frequency board. multi-layer high frequency board. high frequency mixed pressure board, high frequency pure pressure board.

Such as RO4003C Rogers high-frequency plate manufacturers . produce specifications of 10mil/20mil/30mil/60mil . of course, there are Rogers or Taconite plates. mainly according to your design requirements to choose different models of high-frequency plate. the dielectric constant 2.2-10.6 ranging.

3.PCB board working below 1GHz can choose FR4. with low cost and mature multi-layer press board technology. If the signal impedance is low (50 ohms), it needs strict impedance and interline coupling when wiring. The disadvantage is that different high frequency board manufacturers . and different batches of FR4 boards have different doping and dielectric constants (4.2-5.4).

4.3GHz below the large signal microwave circuits. such as power amplifiers and low-noise amplifiers recommended to use similar RO4350 plate. RO4350 dielectric constant is quite stable. dielectric constant RO4003C dielectric constant of 3.38. these two conventional high-frequency plate. loss factor are relatively low, good heat resistance characteristics. processing technology and FR4 equivalent.

Contact us for more information about Rogers PCB.

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