Rogers AD350A - A Specialty Laminate for Harsh Environment Applications

Rogers AD350A is a woven fiberglass reinforced, ceramic-filled PTFE laminate engineered to excel in demanding thermal conditions. With properties like low loss, controlled Dk, and excellent thermal conductivity/stability, AD350A is well-suited for high-power designs that operate in extreme temperatures.

Key Features

• Dk of 3.5 ±0.05 allows repeatable performance across temperature shifts
• Extremely low loss tangent of 0.003 up to 10GHz and low Z-axis CTE of 35ppm/°C
• Decomposition temperature over 500°C and moisture absorption of just 0.1%

Benefits

• Superior heat dissipation keeps sensitive components cool under heavy loads
• Extremely low PIM and dimensional stability maintain efficiency and reliability

However, like any material, AD350A has limitations to consider:

Higher Cost:
The specialized composite formulation results in significantly higher material and manufacturing costs compared to FR-4 or similar laminates.

Limited Stackups:
While suitable for 2-layer boards up to 8 layers may be possible, complex multilayer designs push the limits of AD350A's CTE matching capabilities.

Moisture Absorption:
At 0.1%, absorbed moisture can slightly affect dielectric properties over time in humid environments.

thinner/tighter tolerances:
Minimum trace/space of 4/4 mils and base thickness of 0.8mm may preclude certain dense circuit designs.

Long Lead Times:
Special order boards typically require 4-6 weeks lead time versus 2-3 weeks for standard materials.

While a premier choice when heat must be wiped away, AD350A's added cost and design constraints necessitate careful evaluation against performance needs. It remains best suited for applications fully leveraging its thermal strengths.

Applications

• cellular base stations
• automotive electronics
• industrial controls
• and more—anywhere heat rejection is mission critical.

Please contact us to discuss how AD350A might benefit your next design project. Its thermal management abilities solve challenges in applications exposed to wide temperature extremes.