Microwave Journal
www.microwavejournal.com/articles/16223-heatwave-metal-matrix-composites

Heatwave™ Metal Matrix Composites

January 17, 2011


Chandler, Arizona - Rogers Corporation will display a selection of its materials-based solutions from two of its divisions at the upcoming 2010 IEEE International Microwave Symposium (IMS) (www.ims2010.org), scheduled for May 25-27, 2010 at the Anaheim Convention Center, Anaheim, CA.

Rogers Advanced Circuit Materials (ACM) Division and Thermal Management Solutions (TMS) Division will be in force at Booth # 2920 at the RF/microwave industry’s leading trade show to detail optimum use of their high-performance materials, including RT/duroid® 5880LZ, RT/duroid 6202PR, award-winning RO4360™ laminate, and HEATWAVE™ metal matrix composites, an innovative thermal-management solution.

Rogers’ representatives will be on hand to offer advice on the use of their RT/duroid 5880LZ, RT/duroid 6202PR, and RO4360 materials. RT/duroid 5880LZ is a PTFE-based composite with unique filler for applications requiring low-density, light-weight circuit boards. With its low loss and low dielectric constant of 1.96 at 10 GHz, RT/duroid 5880LZ laminates are ideal for exacting stripline and microstrip circuits, including airborne antennas.

Woven-glass-reinforced RT/duroid 6202PR laminates offer superb mechanical and electrical stability in ground-based and airborne applications. They exhibit tight control of dielectric constant and thickness, and outstanding dimensional stability of 0.05 to 0.07 mils/in. for stable planar resistors, resonators, filters, and other high-frequency circuits. The proven stability and low thermal coefficient of dielectric constant of RT/duroid 6202PR laminates makes them well suited for multilayer circuits.

For designers needing commercial grade off-the-shelf materials, Rogers RO4000® laminates are a lower-cost alternative with strong RF performance. These glass-reinforced thermoset materials can be processed in automated assembly lines just like FR-4 and exhibit low loss with high thermal conductivity. The groundbreaking new RO4360 product is the first high Dk RF grade thermoset material to be offered in the industry. With a dielectric constant of 6.15 at 2.5 and 10 GHz, RO4360 laminates can be used for miniature printed antennas and other compact circuits. RO4360 laminates recently won a New Product Introduction (NPI) award as the best laminate introduced during the past year, presented by industry trade publications’ Circuits Design and Printed Circuit Design & Fabrication.

Rogers TMS Division will feature its HEATWAVE aluminum silicon carbide (AlSiC) metal matrix composite (MMC) thermal-management material. Supplied in a range of thermal conductivities from 170 to 230 W/mK, this light-weight material is suitable for thermal base plates, heat spreaders, semiconductor packaging and pin fin heat sinks. It is available with tightly controlled coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) from 5 to 14 ppm/K, allowing users to minimize stress during thermal cycling in a wide range of thermal-management applications.