Isola Shows Halogen-Free PCBs at DesignCon 2023

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Isola Group, a global leader in advanced circuit materials for printed-circuit boards (PCBs), is inviting exhibition visitors to learn more about halogen-free PCBs at DesignCon 2023. Visitors to Isola’s exhibition Booth 627 can discover how unmatched [AI1] levels of electrical performance are possible with a new trio of halogen-free circuit materials. DesignCon 2023, scheduled for January 31-February 2, 2023 in the heart if Silicon Valley, in the Santa Clara Convention Center (Santa Clara, CA), is the major conference and exhibition for high-speed communications and systems design and development.

Isola Group will be unveiling its latest TerraGreen® low-loss circuit materials: TerraGreen® 400G, TerraGreen® 400GE, and TerraGreen® 400G2. The circuit materials incorporate advances to Isola’s existing TerraGreen® standard halogen-free circuit materials and TerraGreen® (RF/MW) halogen-free circuit materials for RF and microwave circuit applications. The new TerraGreen® circuit materials are based on selected glass fibers and ultra smooth copper materials to form ultra-low-loss[AI2]  circuit materials ideal for high-speed-digital (HSD) and high-frequency analog circuits typically used to interconnect wired and wireless communications equipment and networks.

Because they are RoHS-compliant for use with lead-free circuit manufacturing processes and compatible with FR-4 circuit material manufacturing processes, they are well suited for producing cost-effective hybrid, mixed-signal circuits. The three new TerraGreen® materials all feature glass transition temperature (Tg) of +200°C and decomposition temperature (Td) of +380°C.

Isola Group’s Chief Sales and Marketing Officer, Sean Mirshafiei, explains: “We are very excited to offer the PCB industry our three new products that were created with a unique halogen-free resin system that has outstanding CAF and bond line resistance.” He added: “TerraGreen® 400G2 is our most advanced High Speed Digital product. We use ultra smooth copper foil and ultra low Dk glass fabric that are combined with this novel resin system for optimal performance for the next generation of high-end network and communication systems.”

The three new TerraGreen® circuit materials deliver outstanding stability with temperature and frequency, maintaining constant permittivity (Dk) and loss tangent (Df) at temperatures from -55 to +125°C. They are capable of even less loss than the company’s popular Tachyon® 100G circuit materials at 28 GHz. For example, TerraGreen® 400G exhibits typical Dk of 3.1 at 5, 10, and 20 GHz with typical loss tangent of 0.0018 at the same three evaluation frequencies. TerraGreen® 400GE halogen-free circuit laminates offer higher Dk of 3.4 at 10 and 20 GHz with slightly greater loss, with typical Df of 0.0026 at 10 and 20 GHz. The lowest-loss material of the halogen-free trio, TerraGreen® 400G2, features typical Dk of 3.1 at 5, 10, and 20 GHz with typical Df of 0.0015 at the same three frequencies.

03/16/2023 | Pete Starkey, I-Connect007

Widely believed to be the traditional Centre of England, Meriden was a popular venue for a gathering of the UK printed circuit community this month. They braved the forecast of heavy snow for the Institute of Circuit Technology’s annual general meeting to learn about current developments and challenges in a thought-provoking technical seminar and to network with industry peers and contemporaries. Thankfully, the forecasted heavy snowfall did not reach Meriden until after the event; we only had a few flurries, although the weather caused considerable disruption elsewhere in the country.

02/28/2023 | Pete Starkey, I-Connect007

Day 2 of the EIPC Winter Conference at the Groupama Stadium in the Décines-Charpieu region of the Metropolis of Lyon in eastern France included a privileged visit to the Bugey Nuclear Power Plant for those who were registered and passed their security clearance. Such was the interest that the party was split into morning and afternoon groups. EIPC board member Martyn Gaudion, CEO of Polar Instruments, made a fine job of moderating Session 6 twice over.

02/27/2023 | Pete Starkey, I-Connect007

The EIPC Winter Conference returned to the Metropolis of Lyon in eastern France this month. In 2018, the venue was Villeurbanne in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region. Five years later the setting was the Groupama Stadium in Décines-Charpieu, and leaders of the European printed circuit community gathered in expectation of a spectacular programme of 16 presentations, a visit to a nuclear power station, and an invaluable networking opportunity. They weren’t disappointed.