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PTFE Teflon high-frequency board

Partial PCB Process Parameters
Base Material	PTFE Teflon
Layers	2Layers
Maximum Dimensions	590mm*438mm
PCB Thickness	0.76mm~1.65mm
PCB Color
Silkscreen
Material Type	ZYF255DA(Dk=2.55,Df=0.0018), ZYF265D(Dk=2.65,Df=0.0019), ZYF300CA-C(Dk=2.94,Df=0.0016), ZYF300CA-P(Dk=3.0,Df=0.0018), [Data Sheet]
Surface Finish	ENIG
Gold Thickness	1μ'', 2μ''
Outer Copper Weight	1oz
Via Covering	Tented, Untented, Plugged, Epoxy Filled & Capped, Copper Paste Filled & Capped
Test	AOI, Flying Probe Test

product details

PTFE Teflon High-Frequency Board
A Performance Benchmark Material in the High-Frequency Communication Field

In high-frequency electronic fields such as 5G communication, satellite navigation, radar systems, and aerospace, the integrity, stability, and low loss of signal transmission are core technical demands. Traditional epoxy glass cloth substrates (FR-4) are difficult to meet the strict requirements of high-frequency bands (usually above 1GHz) due to their unstable dielectric constant and high loss factor. However, PTFE Teflon high-frequency boards (polytetrafluoroethylene high-frequency printed circuit boards), with their outstanding characteristics such as extremely low dielectric loss, excellent dielectric stability, and wide temperature application range, have become the preferred substrate for high-frequency precision circuits, providing key support for the performance breakthrough of high-end electronic equipment.

1. Basic Concept and Core Characteristics of PTFE Teflon High-Frequency Board

PTFE (Polytetrafluoroethylene) is a fluoroplastic with excellent chemical stability and electrical properties, and its trade name "Teflon" was pioneered by DuPont. PTFE Teflon high-frequency board is a high-frequency printed circuit board substrate made of PTFE resin as the base material, filled with reinforcing materials such as glass fiber and ceramic powder (such as silica and aluminum nitride), through compression molding, copper cladding and other processes. Its core characteristics stem from the molecular structure of PTFE itself—the high bond energy of carbon-fluorine bonds endows it with a unique combination of properties:

Extremely low dielectric loss (Df): This is the core advantage of PTFE high-frequency boards. In the high-frequency band (such as 10GHz), its loss factor can usually be as low as 0.001-0.0025, which is much lower than FR-4's 0.02-0.03. Low dielectric loss means minimal energy attenuation during signal transmission, which can effectively ensure the integrity of long-distance and high-speed signals, especially suitable for scenarios sensitive to signal attenuation such as radar and satellite communication.
Stable dielectric constant (Dk): The dielectric constant is a key parameter to measure the ability of a material to store electrical energy, and its stability directly affects the signal transmission speed and impedance matching. The dielectric constant of PTFE high-frequency boards is usually between 2.0-3.0 (adjustable through filling materials), and changes minimally (change rate usually < 0.02) within a wide frequency range (1MHz-100GHz) and a wide temperature range (-55℃-260℃), which can ensure the impedance stability of high-frequency circuits under different working conditions.
Excellent chemical stability: PTFE has the characteristics of "acid resistance, alkali resistance, and solvent resistance", and hardly reacts with any known chemical substances. It can resist corrosive media (such as oil stains and chemical reagents) in harsh environments, making it suitable for complex environmental applications such as aerospace and marine detection.
Wide temperature application range: The melting temperature of PTFE is as high as 327℃, and the decomposition temperature exceeds 400℃. It can still maintain good flexibility at -200℃. Therefore, PTFE high-frequency boards can work stably in the extreme temperature range of -55℃-260℃, meeting the needs of high-temperature welding (such as lead-free welding) and low-temperature environment.
Low water absorption and high insulation strength: PTFE has extremely low water absorption (< 0.01%), and can maintain stable electrical performance even in humid environments; its breakdown voltage can reach 40-60kV/mm, with excellent insulation performance, which can effectively avoid insulation breakdown problems under high frequency and high voltage.

2. Main Types and Performance Parameters of PTFE Teflon High-Frequency Board

According to different filling materials, PTFE Teflon high-frequency boards can be divided into various types to meet the performance, cost and mechanical strength requirements of different scenarios:

Glass Fiber Reinforced Type (e.g., PTFE/Glass)

With glass fiber cloth as the reinforcing material, it has high mechanical strength (flexural strength about 150-200MPa) and relatively low cost, making it the most commonly used type of PTFE high-frequency board. The dielectric constant is usually between 2.5-2.8, and the loss factor is 0.0015-0.0025, which is suitable for medium and high-end high-frequency scenarios such as 5G base stations and wireless communication equipment.

Ceramic Filled Type (e.g., PTFE/Ceramic)

Filled with ceramic powders such as silica (SiO₂), aluminum nitride (AlN), and boron nitride (BN), the dielectric constant can be precisely adjusted (2.0-10.0). Among them, PTFE boards filled with aluminum nitride also have excellent thermal conductivity (thermal conductivity up to 3-10W/(m·K)), which is suitable for high-power microwave devices, radar modules and other scenarios that have both high-frequency requirements and heat dissipation requirements.

Unfilled Pure PTFE Type

It does not contain reinforcing materials, has the lowest dielectric constant (about 2.0-2.1) and the smallest loss factor (< 0.0015), but its mechanical strength is low (flexural strength about 20-30MPa). It is mainly used in special scenarios that require extreme electrical performance, such as ultra-high frequency antennas of aerospace satellites.

The following table shows the comparison of key performance parameters of common PTFE Teflon high-frequency boards:

Type	Dielectric Constant (10GHz)	Loss Factor (10GHz)	Thermal Conductivity (W/(m·K))	Flexural Strength (MPa)	Application Scenarios
PTFE/Glass	2.5-2.8	0.0015-0.0025	0.3-0.5	150-200	5G Base Stations, Wireless APs
PTFE/SiO₂	2.8-3.5	0.0018-0.003	0.4-0.6	180-220	Radar Receivers, Navigation Equipment
PTFE/AlN	3.0-4.0	0.002-0.0035	3-10	160-190	High-Power Microwave Devices, Medical RF Equipment
Pure PTFE	2.0-2.1	<0.0015	0.2-0.3	20-30	Aerospace Satellite Ultra-High Frequency Antennas

3. Manufacturing Process Characteristics of PTFE Teflon High-Frequency Board

The low surface energy and high melting point characteristics of PTFE make its manufacturing process more complex than traditional FR-4, requiring higher equipment and technology:

Substrate Molding Process

Adopting the "mold pressing sintering method": After mixing PTFE resin powder with filling materials, it is pressed in a mold under high pressure (usually 30-50MPa) to make a blank, then sintered at high temperature (360-380℃) to melt and bond PTFE particles, and finally cooled and shaped. This process can accurately control the density and dielectric performance uniformity of the substrate.

Copper Cladding Process

Due to the high surface inertness of PTFE, direct copper cladding has poor adhesion, so special treatment processes are required:

Chemical etching method: The PTFE surface is etched with chemical reagents such as sodium naphthalene solution to generate polar groups and enhance the bonding force with copper foil.
Plasma treatment method: Using plasma to bombard the PTFE surface to introduce active functional groups and improve surface energy and adhesion.
Adhesive lamination method: Using special high-temperature resistant adhesives (such as polyimide adhesives) to bond copper foil and PTFE substrate, which is suitable for scenarios with extremely high reliability requirements.

Circuit Processing Technology

High-frequency circuits have strict requirements on line precision, so high-precision photolithography and etching processes are needed to ensure that the line width and spacing error are controlled within ±0.01mm. At the same time, to reduce signal reflection, it is also necessary to carry out impedance matching design and surface treatment (such as gold plating and silver plating) on the lines to reduce surface loss.

4. Typical Application Scenarios of PTFE Teflon High-Frequency Board

With its excellent high-frequency performance, PTFE Teflon high-frequency boards are widely used in high-end fields that require strict signal quality and environmental adaptability:

5G/6G Communication Field

In 5G millimeter-wave base stations and millimeter-wave terminal equipment, PTFE high-frequency boards are used to manufacture antenna arrays and radio frequency front-end modules. Their low-loss characteristics can reduce signal attenuation during transmission and improve communication distance and speed; in 6G pre-research, PTFE high-frequency boards are one of the core substrates for terahertz band requirements.

Aerospace and National Defense Field

It is used in satellite communication antennas, radar systems (such as phased array radars), missile guidance systems, etc. In harsh environments such as extreme temperatures, vacuum, and radiation, PTFE high-frequency boards can maintain stable electrical and mechanical properties to ensure reliable operation of equipment. For example, almost all high-frequency transceiver modules of military radars use PTFE Teflon high-frequency boards.

Medical Electronic Field

In medical equipment such as radiofrequency ablation instruments, nuclear magnetic resonance (MRI) equipment, and ultrasonic diagnostic instruments, PTFE high-frequency boards are used to manufacture high-frequency signal transmission circuits. Their low loss and biocompatibility (some medical-grade PTFE materials) make them an ideal choice.

Test and Measurement Field

It is used to manufacture high-frequency test probes, calibration parts, test circuits of vector network analyzers, etc. These equipment require extremely high measurement accuracy, and the stable dielectric properties of PTFE high-frequency boards can ensure the accuracy of test results.

Industrial and Automotive Electronic Field

In industrial microwave equipment (such as microwave dryers) and automotive radars (such as millimeter-wave collision avoidance radars), PTFE high-frequency boards are used to manufacture high-frequency power amplifier circuits and antennas, meeting the needs of high-power and high-temperature environments.

5. Development Trends of PTFE Teflon High-Frequency Board

With the continuous evolution of high-frequency electronic technology, PTFE Teflon high-frequency boards are developing in the following directions:

High performance: Through new filling materials (such as nano-ceramic particles) and modification technologies, further reduce the loss factor (target < 0.001), expand the dielectric constant adjustment range (1.5-20), and meet the application needs of higher frequency bands (such as terahertz).
Low cost: Develop new molding processes (such as continuous extrusion molding) and low-cost filling materials to reduce manufacturing costs and promote the popularization of PTFE high-frequency boards from high-end fields to mid-to-high-end consumer electronics (such as high-end smartphone millimeter-wave antennas).
Multifunctional integration: Integrate functions such as heat conduction, electromagnetic shielding, and heat dissipation into PTFE high-frequency boards, and develop "high-frequency + heat dissipation + shielding" integrated substrates to simplify equipment structure design.
Environmental protection and lightweight: Develop fluorine-free or low-fluorine alternative materials (such as modified polyolefins) to reduce environmental impact; at the same time, through thinning (substrate thickness can be as thin as 0.02mm) and lightweight design, adapt to the weight reduction needs of aerospace equipment.