LAMINATES: DK, DF AND TRACE WIDTH

What are the Dk and Df of ITEQ IT-988GSE?

ITEQ IT-988GSE has a dielectric constant (Dk) of 3.24 and a loss factor (Df) of 0.0014 at 10 GHz, as published by its maker. A 50 ohm surface microstrip over a 0.2 mm dielectric comes out about 0.444 mm wide on it, against 0.353 mm on standard FR-4.

  • The nearest grade in the catalogue by Dk is Rogers TMM 3, at Dk 3.27 and Df 0.002 at 10 GHz.
  • Dielectric loss on that microstrip is about 0.044 dB per inch at 10 GHz, and the signal travels at about 134 ps per inch.
  • Buried as a stripline between planes 0.4 mm apart, 50 ohms needs a trace about 0.177 mm wide.

50 ohm surface microstrip, 1 oz copper

Dielectric heightTrace width on IT-988GSEOn standard FR-4
0.1 mm0.211 mm0.166 mm
0.2 mm0.444 mm0.353 mm
0.5 mm1.15 mm0.920 mm
1.6 mm3.77 mm3.02 mm

As published

PropertyValue
Dk @ 10GHz3.24
Df @ 10GHz0.0014
Tg (°C)205
Halogen-FreeYes
Target Data Rate112 Gbps+

Nearest grades in the catalogue by Dk at 10 GHz

LaminateDkDfTg
Rogers TMM 33.270.002not published
AGC/Nelco Meteorwave 80003.280.0016185 (DMA)
Nanya NPG-198K3.280.0016200 (DMA)

How this was counted

Dk and Df are the maker's published values at 10 GHz, from the MPBxChange material catalogue, which keeps each source's test frequency and method. Where a maker publishes a range, the midpoint is used. Widths are solved with the Hammerstad and Jensen microstrip equations and Wadell's stripline form, for 1 oz copper, and are a starting point: Dk moves with frequency, resin content and glass style, and a fabricator's field solver is the authority. Standard FR-4 here is the median of 22 FR-4 grades in the catalogue (Dk 4.4).