Materials

Rogers Debuts 3D-Printable Dielectrics and Laminates

June 14, 2022

At IMS2022, Rogers Corp. will be showcasing a new 3D-printable dielectric for use in gradient dielectric-constant (GRIN) structures as well as laminates for short-range industrial radar applications.

David Maliniak

Related To: Microwaves & RF

This article is part of our IMS2022 coverage.

Rogers Corporation will be in Booth #2030 at IMS showing products that include the company’s Radix 3D-printable dielectrics and RO4835IND LoPro laminates. Radix 3D-printable dielectric is claimed as the first 3D material featuring a dielectric constant of 2.8 and low loss characteristics at microwave frequencies. These printable dielectric materials give RF designers great design freedom in creating new components, eliminating the need to consider typical manufacturing design constraints.

Rogers Corporation’s Radix 3D-printable dielectric is a proprietary composite material designed for Digital Light Processing (DLP) 3D printing, enabling a scalable, high-resolution printing process for end-use RF dielectric component manufacturing. This printable dielectric material has a targeted dielectric constant of 2.8 and a dissipation factor of 0.0043 at 10 GHz when cured.

The new material is intended for use as RF material in applications where new geometric freedom can enhance the figure of merits of an RF system, such as gradient dielectric constant (GRIN) structures and other complex three-dimensional parts. The Radix 3D Printable Dielectric offers the industry a way to manufacture systems and components at scale that could not be made with traditional fabrication methods. Radix materials are available directly from Rogers Corporation and its 3D-printing partners.

RO4835IND LoPro thermoset laminates are specially designed for 60-to-81-GHz, short-range industrial radar applications, in which excellent electrical performance and cost efficiency are equally important. These laminates also provide environmental reliability and interconnection stability, which are critical criteria for PCB material selection.

With a low insertion loss of 2.13 dB/inch at 60 GHz, these laminates meet customers’ critical radar-coverage requirements. The expanded-weave fiber provides excellent Dk uniformity, and Rogers’ tight quality control provides low Dk variation from lot to lot. RO4835IND LoPro laminates are compatible with standard epoxy/glass (FR-4) processes and have a higher fabrication yield rate compared to conventional PTFE-based laminates. Low material and fabrication costs make RO4835IND LoPro laminates a cost-effective solution for industrial radar.

In addition, Rogers’ Technical Marketing Manager, John Coonrod, will give three presentations on June 21st in the MicroApps Theater at IMS. Topics will include “Radix 3D Printable Dielectrics & Lens Demonstrator,” “An Overview of Copper Foil: How It's Made, Roughness Effects & RF/ HSD Influences,” and “How to Get Consistent Millimeter-Wave Performance Using Grounded Coplanar Waveguide.”

For more information, visit the company website.

For more IMS2022 coverage, visit our digital magazine.

About the Author

David Maliniak | Executive Editor, Microwaves & RF

I am Executive Editor of Microwaves & RF, an all-digital publication that broadly covers all aspects of wireless communications. More particularly, we're keeping a close eye on technologies in the consumer-oriented 5G, 6G, IoT, M2M, and V2X markets, in which much of the wireless market's growth will occur in this decade and beyond. I work with a great team of editors to provide engineers, developers, and technical managers with interesting and useful articles and videos on a regular basis. Check out our free newsletters to see the latest content.

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About me:

In his long career in the B2B electronics-industry media, David Maliniak has held editorial roles as both generalist and specialist. As Components Editor and, later, as Editor in Chief of EE Product News, David gained breadth of experience in covering the industry at large. In serving as EDA/Test and Measurement Technology Editor at Electronic Design, he developed deep insight into those complex areas of technology. Most recently, David worked in technical marketing communications at Teledyne LeCroy, leaving to rejoin the EOEM B2B publishing world in January 2020. David earned a B.A. in journalism at New York University.