TC600 Microwave PCB: Supercharging Thermal Management for
High-Power RF Action
Hey there! Get ready to meet the TC600 laminate from Rogers, a
PTFE-based composite that's all about turbocharging thermal
management while giving those pesky dielectric and insertion losses
the boot. In this blog post, we'll dive into the awesome properties
of TC600 material, exploring its electrical, thermal, mechanical,
and physical characteristics.
TC600 Typical Properties
Dielectric Constant: TC600 rocks a dielectric constant of 6.15 at
1.8 MHz (resonant cavity method) and 10 GHz (IPC TM-650 testing).
That's some impressive electrical mojo!
Dissipation Factor: When it comes to loss, TC600 is a champ. With a
dissipation factor of 0.0017 at 1.8 GHz and 0.002 at 10 GHz (IPC
TM-650), it keeps those losses in check.
Temperature Coefficient of Dielectric Constant (TCDk): TC600's
dielectric constant stays cool across a wide temperature range,
thanks to its TCDk value of 75 ppm/ºC. No wild swings here!
Electrical Properties: TC600 is an electrifying performer! It has
killer volume and surface resistivity, with an electrical strength
of 850 Volts/mil or 34 Kv/mm. It laughs in the face of dielectric
breakdown, handling a whopping 62 kilovolts. And when it comes to
arc resistance, it's a marathon runner with over 240 seconds of
endurance.
Thermal Properties: TC600 is a hotshot when it comes to thermal
performance. It can take the heat with a decomposition temperature
exceeding 512 °C. Plus, it's got serious staying power with
time-to-delamination values (T260, T288, T300) all lasting over 60
minutes. Talk about reliability!
Mechanical Properties: TC600 is one tough cookie. It's got a peel
strength of 10 lb/in, a Young's modulus of 280 kpsi, a flexural
strength of 9.6 kpsi, and a tensile strength of 5.0 kpsi. It's
built to withstand the toughest challenges.
Physical Properties: TC600 is cool, calm, and collected. It barely
sips water with just 0.02% absorption. Its density is 2.9 g/cm³,
and it's a thermal conductor with a Z-direction thermal
conductivity of 1.1 W/mK. And hey, it's got a flammability rating
of 94V0! Safety first.
PCB Capability (TC600)
We've got a whole lineup of TC600 PCB options that'll blow your
mind. Whether you need a single-sided, double-sided, multilayer, or
hybrid setup, we've got you covered. And we're not limited in
thickness either. Choose from 10mil (0.254mm), 20mil (0.508mm),
30mil (0.762mm), or 60mil (1.524mm) to suit your fancy.
And hey, customization is the name of the game. We offer copper
weights of 1oz (35µm) and 2oz (70µm) so you can dial in your design
just right. Need some extra room? Our PCBs go up to ≤400mm X 500mm.
There's plenty of space to play.
Want to add some personality? We've got solder mask colors to match
your style—green, black, blue, yellow, red—you name it! And let's
not forget the finish. Go for immersion gold, hot air soldering
level (HASL), immersion silver, immersion tin, bare copper, OSP,
pure gold plated, or whatever tickles your fancy.
A Piece of TC600 PCB
Check out this sweet 30mil TC600 microwave PCB. It's rockin' a bold
blue solder mask and some slick immersion silver on the pads. It's
as eye-catching as it is functional.
Conclusion
When it comes to high-power RF applications, TC600 PCBs are the
stuff of legends. They're the secret sauce for optimizing thermal
management and taking your performance to the next level.
With its killer combo of high thermal conductivity, low loss
tangent, low coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE), and
temperature phase stability, TC600 is a force to be reckoned with.
It's the power boost your high-power applications have been waiting
for.
So, whether you're rocking power amplifiers, filters, couplers,
microwave combiners, power dividers, small footprint antennas,
digital audio broadcasting (DAB) antennas, GPS systems, or handheld
RFID reader antennas, TC600 PCBs have got your back.
Thanks for joining us on this wild ride. We hope you've enjoyed
discovering the awesomeness of TC600, and we can't wait to share
more mind-blowing insights with you in the future. Stay tuned!
PCB Capability (TC600)
| Property | Unit | Value | Test Method |
| 1. Electrical Properties |
| Dielectric Constant (may vary by thickness) | | | |
| @1.8 MHz | - | 6.15 | Resonant Cavity |
| @10 GHz | - | 6.15 | IPC TM-650 2.5.5.5 |
| Dissipation Factor | | | |
| @1.8 GHz | - | 0.0017 | Resonant Cavity |
| @10 GHz | - | 0.002 | IPC TM-650 2.5.5.5 |
| Temperature Coefficient of Dielectric Constant: TCεr @ 10 GHz
(-40-150°C) | ppm/ºC | -75 | IPC TM-650 2.5.5.5 |
| Volume Resistivity | | | |
| C96/35/90 | MΩ-cm | 1.6x109 | IPC TM-650 2.5.17.1 |
| E24/125 | MΩ-cm | 2.4x108 | IPC TM-650 2.5.17.1 |
| Surface Resistivity | | | |
| C96/35/90 | MΩ | 3.1x109 | IPC TM-650 2.5.17.1 |
| E24/125 | MΩ | 9.0x108 | IPC TM-650 2.5.17.1 |
| Electrical Strength | Volts/mil (kV/mm) | 850 (34) | IPC TM-650 2.5.6.2 |
| Dielectric Breakdown | kV | 62 | IPC TM-650 2.5.6 |
| Arc Resistance | sec | >240 | IPC TM-650 2.5.1 |
| 2. Thermal Properties |
| Decomposition Temperature (Td) | | | |
| Initial | °C | 512 | IPC TM-650 2.4.24.6 |
| 5% | °C | 572 | IPC TM-650 2.4.24.6 |
| T260 | min | >60 | IPC TM-650 2.4.24.1 |
| T288 | min | >60 | IPC TM-650 2.4.24.1 |
| T300 | min | >60 | IPC TM-650 2.4.24.1 |
| Thermal Expansion, CTE (x,y) 50-150ºC | ppm/ºC | 9, 9 | IPC TM-650 2.4.41 |
| Thermal Expansion, CTE (z) 50-150ºC | ppm/ºC | 35 | IPC TM-650 2.4.24 |
| % z-axis Expansion (50-260ºC) | % | 1.5 | IPC TM-650 2.4.24 |
| 3. Mechanical Properties |
| Peel Strength to Copper (1 oz/35 micron) | | | |
| After Thermal Stress | lb/in (N/mm) | 10 (1.8) | IPC TM-650 2.4.8 |
| At Elevated Temperatures (150ºC) | lb/in (N/mm) | 10 (1.8) | IPC TM-650 2.4.8.2 |
| After Process Solutions | lb/in (N/mm) | 9 (1.6) | IPC TM-650 2.4.8 |
| Young’s Modulus | kpsi (MPa) | 280 (1930) | IPC TM-650 2.4.18.3 |
| Flexural Strength (Machine/Cross) | kpsi (MPa) | 9.60/9.30 (66/64) | IPC TM-650 2.4.4 |
| Tensile Strength (Machine/Cross) | kpsi (MPa) | 5.0/4.30 (34/30) | IPC TM-650 2.4.18.3 |
| Compressive Modulus | kpsi (MPa) | | ASTM D-3410 |
| Poisson’s Ratio | - | | ASTM D-3039 |
| 4. Physical Properties |
| Water Absorption | % | 0.02 | IPC TM-650 2.6.2.1 |
| Density, ambient 23ºC | g/cm3 | 2.9 | ASTM D792 Method A |
| Thermal Conductivity (z-axis) | W/mK | 1.1 | ASTM E1461 |
| Thermal Conductivity (x, y) | W/mK | 1.4 | ASTM E1461 |
| Specific Heat | J/gK | 0.94 | ASTM E1461 |
| Flammability | class | V0 | UL-94 |
| NASA Outgassing, 125ºC, ≤10-6 torr | | | |
| Total Mass Loss | % | 0.02 | NASA SP-R-0022A |
| Collected Volatiles | % | 0 | NASA SP-R-0022A |
| Water Vapor Recovered | % | 0 | NASA SP-R-0022A |
