What's the Difference between Rogers PCB and FR4 PCB? PCBMASTER Elaborates on Rogers PCB for You

Rogers Corporation is a global supplier of new 5G chemical materials. It aims to provide the world with new chemical materials for electronics, protection, and connection. The RO - series copper - clad laminates it produces are mainly used for high - frequency microwave PCB manufacturing. Now, let PCB MASTER introduce Rogers PCBs in detail.

I. What Is a Rogers PCB?

The RO - series copper - clad laminates produced by Rogers Corporation are different from traditional FR - 4 copper - clad laminates. Rogers copper - clad laminates do not contain traditional epoxy resins. Instead, they are made of materials such as polytetrafluoroethylene + ceramics or PTFE + modified resins. Rogers copper - clad laminates have excellent dielectric constants and thermal stability.

The dielectric constant and dielectric loss application range of Rogers' high - frequency copper - clad laminates are very comprehensive, covering almost all fields of application. They can be used to address the deficiencies of PTFE substrates. It is highly suitable for high - speed PCBs and high - speed PCB design, as well as for commercial microwave antenna and radio - frequency product applications.

Due to its extremely low water absorption rate, Rogers PCB is an ideal choice for applications in high - humidity environments. It is widely used in microwave communication, 5G, radar, antenna base stations, satellite communication, national defense, and military fields.

Characteristics of Rogers PCBs

1. Good Rigidity but Brittleness: Rogers PCBs have good rigidity but are brittle. They have excellent mechanical and electroplating properties and are easy to metallize holes.

2. High - Precision Thickness Tolerance: Rogers PCBs have a high - precision tolerance for board thickness.

3. Good Copper Foil Adhesion: Rogers PCBs have good copper - foil adhesion and no delamination or blistering.

4. Compatible Processing Cost: The processing cost of Rogers' hydrocarbon - ceramic - series PCBs is compatible with FR - 4 processing technology, but the board cost is high.

5. Low Dielectric Loss and Low Water Absorption: It has the characteristics of low dielectric loss and low water absorption, and the dielectric constant (DK) changes stably with frequency.

II. Differences between Rogers PCB and FR4 PCB

1.Price Difference
FR - 4 PCB is the most cost - effective PCB on the market. If your design aims at the best conditions with low frequency and rated temperature settings, it is advisable to use FR - 4 PCB. However, if your application requires high - speed PCBs or has to deal with extreme temperatures, you may have to disregard the price of Rogers PCB and choose the more expensive Rogers PCB instead.

2.Impedance Stability Difference
The dielectric constant of Rogers PCB is one of the important factors that determine the impedance and stability of printed circuit boards. Although FR4 is the cheapest available PCB, its maximum dielectric value is 4.5. Rogers PCB has a higher and wider range of dielectric values, with its dielectric constant ranging from 2.2 to 16. This makes Rogers PCB the choice for Rogers PCB laminates in high - heat applications where stable impedance is crucial.

3.Thermal Management Difference
In high - speed PCB applications, significant heat will be generated by the PCB, and it must be carefully handled with a good heat management system. In such cases, the thermostat - based laminates in Rogers PCB are the best option. FR4 PCB cannot withstand high temperatures and thus cannot be used for these applications.

4.Dissipation Factor Difference
The dissipation factor represents the signal loss in the PCB. The loss factor of FR4 PCB is 0.02%, while that of Rogers PCB is 0.004%. Therefore, compared with FR4 PCB, Rogers PCB can provide reliable results with minimal electrical signal loss.

5.Hygroscopicity Difference
The hygroscopicity of Rogers PCB and FR4 PCB is directly related to the electrical and thermal properties of the substrate. This, in turn, affects the performance of the PCB. Rogers PCB has the least hygroscopicity, so it can provide the best efficiency under various environmental conditions.

In summary, FR4 PCB is considered the cheapest PCB and is most suitable for low - frequency applications. It is robust and durable, has a good balance in power stability, and can be easily manufactured using almost all existing processes in the PCB industry. On the other hand, Rogers PCB performs well in terms of performance and is thus suitable for applications with advanced performance requirements.

III. Rogers Substrate PCB Series

3000 Series (Polytetrafluoroethylene + Ceramic/PTFE + Ceramic Fiberglass, DK = 3.0 - 10.2): RO3003, RO3003G2, RO3035, RO3006, RO3010, RO3203, RO3206, RO3210.

4000 Series (Hydrocarbon + Polytetrafluoroethylene, DK = 3.38 - 6.15): RO4350B, RO4003C, RO4835, RO4360G2 (Hydrocarbon + Polytetrafluoroethylene + Ceramic Fiberglass, DK = 3.3 - 3.5): RO4533, RO4534, RO4535, RO4725JXR, RO4730JXR, RO4730G3.

5000 Series (Fiberglass + Polytetrafluoroethylene, DK = 1.96 - 2.33): RT/Cemented Carbide 5880, RT/Hard Metal 5880LZ, RT/Hard Alloy 5870.

6000 Series, suitable for electronic circuits and microwave circuits that require a high dielectric constant. (Polytetrafluoroethylene + Ceramic, DK = 2.94 - 10.2): RT/Cemented Carbide 6002, RT/Hard - Hardness Alloy 6006, RT/Hard - Hardness Alloy 6035HTC, RT/Hardness Alloy 6010LM. (Polytetrafluoroethylene + Ceramic Fiberglass, DK = 2.9 - 10.2): RT/Cemented Carbide 6202, RT/Hard - Data 6202PR.

TMM Series (Carbon Oxide + Ceramic, DK = 3.27 - 12.85): TMM3, TMM4, TMM10, TMM10i, TMM13i. Others: Kappa 438.

Prepregs: RO4450B, RO4450F.

Adhesive Films: 2929, 3001, ULTRALAM3908, RO3003, RO3006, RO3010, RT/Cemented Carbide 6002.

IV. Design of Rogers PCB

1.Use of Rogers PCB Design Tools

The signal lines of PCI bus, PCI - E bus, USB, Ethernet, DDR memory, HDMI and LVDS signals, automotive collision - avoidance systems, satellite systems, and radio systems all require impedance control. The specific range is related to the impedance matching of the chip IO pins and is ultimately determined by the characteristics of the PCB. For example, differential signals require impedance control. Impedance control is adjusted through the width of PCB routing, the thickness of the PCB stack, and the routing spacing. Usually, the impedance control of differential signals is in the range of 85 - 120 ohms. If you choose a Rogers PCB board, Rogers Corporation provides the Rogers PCB impedance calculation tool MWI - 2018.

In the design type menu of the Rogers PCB impedance calculation tool mwi - 2018, there are more than ten models of microwave impedance lines to choose from, which are divided into three categories: coplanar waveguide, microstrip line, and stripline (also divided into models of the same medium and different media). Engineers can make selections according to their actual needs.

2.Online Ordering Process of PCB MASTER Company
(1) After selecting the model, start to choose the high - frequency PCB board to be used.
(2) All the high - frequency PCB data of Rogers can be found in the Rogers PCB impedance calculation tool. If you don't know much about the characteristics of the circuit board, please contact the engineers of PCB MASTER Company. We will recommend a suitable PCB for you according to your specific project and product requirements. For example, if you choose RO4350B as the required PCB data, the data characteristics of RO4350B, such as the Rogers substrate PCB DK, Rogers PCB DF and Rogers PCB thermal conductivity, will be automatically filled in.
(3) After selecting the data thickness, you also need to choose the copper thickness. The copper roughness RMS and copper conductivity will be automatically introduced without additional operations. After the above operations, the related actions for the PCB data have been completed.

3.What Rogers PCBs Can PCBMASTER Manufacture? What's the Price?
PCBMASTER can manufacture the entire series of Rogers PCBs. Usually, it manufactures Rogers PCBs like ro4350b, ro4003c, ro4835, rt5880, 6035htc, ro3003 and ro4725. It has a large inventory of Rogers PCB substrates for ro4350b, ro4003c, ro4835, rt5880, ro3003 and ro4725.
PCB MASTER Company has mature experience in PCB manufacturing and PCB quality management, which improves the output of PCB production and reduces costs. It can provide customers with the lowest price for Rogers PCBs.
If you need technical consultation on Rogers PCBs or a quotation for Rogers PCBs, please contact us.

Product Name: Rogers - substrate PCB
Material: rogers PCB
Quality Standard: IPCB6012 Class2 or Class3
Dielectric Constant: 2.2 - 16
Material: rogers Ceramic PCB
Number of Layers: 1 - layer to multi - layer hybrid PCB
Thickness: 0.1mm - 12mm
Copper Thickness: 0.5 oz - 3 oz
Surface Technology: Silver, Gold, OSP
Application: High - frequency Microwave PCB
Provided by PCB - circuit board - printed circuit board factory - PCB MASTER Company (www.pcbmaster.com)