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.

  • 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)

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).