Rogers TMM10 PCB 5.08mm Core ENIG 2-Layer High-Dk Microwave Board

 Product Description & TMM10 CCL Material Guide

The TMM10 PCB 5.08mm Core ENIG is a two-layer rigid microwave board built on Rogers TMM10, a ceramic-filled thermoset laminate with a 9.20 Dk at 10 GHz. Its 5.08 mm (200 mil) core is clad with 1 oz copper and finished with ENIG; with no mask/silkscreen, two nets and 100% testing, it serves high-frequency antennas where a stable high-Dk dielectric matters more than routing density.

Part 1 — The TMM10 PCB

1.1 Product Design and Application

A dedicated microwave substrate rather than a general-purpose board, its 63.9 × 48 mm outline, single 200 mil core and two copper layers suit planar RF circuits with a high controlled Dk: GPS and patch antennas, satellite feeds, dielectric polarizers, chip testers and stripline/microstrip structures.

1.2 PCB Construction Details

The table below summarizes the as-built construction from base material to finish and inspection.

Table 1. PCB construction details.

The board carries no solder mask or silkscreen, since a polymer mask would add a dielectric layer over the traces, shifting Dk and adding loss; bare ENIG pads keep only the TMM10 core in the signal path. It is qualified to IPC Class 2 and 100% electrically tested.

1.3 PCB Stackup

The two-layer stackup places the RF network on a single, homogeneous5.08 mm TMM10 core.

Table 2. Two-layer PCB stackup.

The 200 mil core is one of the thickest standards in the TMM10 range; the 5.1 mm board is the core plus two 35 µm copper layers. A thick high-Dk core raises the Dk seen by a radiator, shortening the guided wavelength and shrinking the antenna footprint, and a deep uniform dielectric for polarizers and cavity fixtures.

1.4 PCB Statistics

The statistics describe a compact, single-sided RF assembly on two nets.

Table 3. PCB statistics.

1.5 Surface Finish, Quality and Test

ENIG gives a flat, planar surface and durable protection: a nickel barrier under immersion gold provides good solderability for the 17 SMT pads and through-hole terminations and resists oxidation. The thermoset core does not soften in assembly, so pads stay bonded, and the board is 100% tested for continuity and isolation.

1.6  PCB Conclusion

The TMM10 high frequency PCB is a focused microwave board: two-layer, single-core construction on a controlled 9.20 Dk laminate, a thick 200 mil core, 1 oz copper and a flat ENIG finish, with no mask or silkscreen to disturb the RF field. It is a purpose-built platform for compact antennas, satellite and GPS circuits and dielectric-loaded components, with full electrical verification.

Part 2 — CCL Material Knowledge: Rogers TMM10

Part 1 covered the board; this part covers the underlying CCL: composition, data sheet, forms and applications.

2.1 What TMM10 Is

Rogers TMM10 substrate is a ceramic-filled hydrocarbon thermoset composite designed for high-reliability plated-through-hole stripline/microstrip circuits. It combines ceramic-like electrical behavior with the ease of soft laminates: a high Dk, low loss, copper-matched CTE, no sodium napthanate treatment prior to plating, and resistance to creep, cold flow and chemicals. It does not soften when heated, so wire bonding proceeds without pad lifting and lead-free assembly is supported; it is clad with electrodeposited copper foil.

Figure 1. Copper-clad TMM10 laminate 

2.2 TMM10 Complete Data Sheet

The completeTMM10 data sheet follows.

Table 4. TMM10 complete data sheet (typical values; not specification limits). Source: Rogers TMM10 data sheet, publication 92-108.

Typical values, not specification limits; confirm critical parameters with Rogers.

2.2 Electrical Performance and Differentiation

TMM10's key design payoff is miniaturization: guided wavelength scales with 1/√Dk, so a radiator on TMM10 occupies roughly 1/√9.8, about 32% of the linear dimension of an air radiator and 67% of one on 4.4-Dk FR-4 — why it replaces alumina-class substrates. Its 0.0022 loss, −38 ppm/°K thermal coefficient, insulation resistance above 2000 GΩ and 285 V/mil strength preserve performance across temperature.

2.3 Thermal Behaviour and PTH Reliability

Isotropic CTE of 21, 21 and 20 ppm/K in x, y and z closely matches copper, giving plated barrels low thermal-cycling stress and reliable PTHs. The 425 °C Td and lead-free compatibility give ample soldering margin, while the 0.76 W/m/K conductivity is about twice that of PTFE/ceramic laminates, aiding heat removal, and peel strength of 5.0 lb/in confirms the foil adheres.

2.4 Available Thicknesses, Panel Sizes and Claddings

TMM10 is available across a broad thickness range, standard sizes and two weights.

Table 5. TMM10 standard thicknesses, panel sizes and claddings.

2.5 Typical Applications

TMM10 serves the RF, antenna, aerospace and test systems.

2.6 CCL Conclusion

TMM10 high frequency laminate is a differentiated ceramic-filled thermoset laminate: a 9.20 process Dk (9.8 design), 0.0022 loss, a −38 ppm/°K thermal coefficient, copper-matched CTE, 425 °C Td and roughly twice the conductivity of PTFE/ceramic substrates. It offers ceramic-like behavior with soft-board processing, no sodium napthanate treatment and reliable wire bonding — the basis of its use in compact antennas and dielectric-loaded circuits.