LAMINATES: DK, DF AND TRACE WIDTH

What are the Dk and Df of Rogers AD250C?

Rogers AD250C has a dielectric constant (Dk) of 2.5 and a loss factor (Df) of 0.0013 at 10 GHz, as published by its maker. A 50 ohm surface microstrip over a 0.2 mm dielectric comes out about 0.532 mm wide on it, against 0.353 mm on standard FR-4.

  • The nearest grade in the catalogue by Dk is Taconic fastRise 27, at Dk 2.7 and Df 0.0014 at 10 GHz.
  • Dielectric loss on that microstrip is about 0.036 dB per inch at 10 GHz, and the signal travels at about 121 ps per inch.
  • Buried as a stripline between planes 0.4 mm apart, 50 ohms needs a trace about 0.228 mm wide.

50 ohm surface microstrip, 1 oz copper

Dielectric heightTrace width on AD250COn standard FR-4
0.1 mm0.254 mm0.166 mm
0.2 mm0.532 mm0.353 mm
0.5 mm1.38 mm0.920 mm
1.6 mm4.49 mm3.02 mm

As published

PropertyValue
SeriesAD
Dk @ 10GHz2.50
Df @ 10GHz0.0013
Key ApplicationCellular BTS antennas (PIM −159dBc)

Nearest grades in the catalogue by Dk at 10 GHz

LaminateDkDfTg
Taconic fastRise 272.70.0014not published
AGC/Taconic TLY-52.20.0009not published
Rogers RT/duroid 58802.20.0009not published

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).