Defense Speak Interpreted: Is DARPA Still Around After CHIPS?
Beyond the Board: Orbital High Ground—Why Space Superiority Is Slipping Away
The Government Circuit: Trump’s Trade War Disrupts the Electronics Ecosystem
Isola Supports High-Speed Digital Circuits at IPC APEX EXPO 2022
January 10, 2022 | IsolaEstimated reading time: 2 minutes
Isola Group, a leading global manufacturer of copper-clad laminates and dielectric prepregs for printed circuit boards (PCBs), will be on hand at the IPC APEX EXPO 2022 exhibition with examples of its high-performance circuit materials for high-speed digital circuits, including Tachyon 100G and I-Tera MT40 materials. The exhibition is scheduled for January 25-27, 2022, at the San Diego Convention Center (San Diego, CA) and represents one of North America’s largest annual gatherings of electronics manufacturing technology and PCB manufacturers.
Isola Group will be well represented at IPC APEX EXPO Booth No. 3233, offering insights and guidance on the use of its outstanding circuit materials, in particular Tachyon 100G ultra low loss laminate and prepreg materials and I-Tera MT40 (RF/MW) very low-loss laminate and prepreg materials. The circuit materials provide stable foundations for high-speed digital circuits, including multilayer circuits in which size must be minimized.
Tachyon 100G circuit materials maintain dielectric constant (Dk) of 3.02 in the z-axis (thickness) with low dissipation factor (Df) of 0.0021 at 10 GHz across a wide temperature range of -55 to +125°C. With low z-axis coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE), Tachyon circuit materials are optimized with spread glass to provide the substrate stability needed for low-jitter data rates to 100 GB/s. They are available in laminate and prepreg forms for constructing compact high-speed-digital (HSD) multilayer circuits and circuit assemblies.
I-Tera MT40 laminates and prepregs are characterized by a z-axis Dk of 3.45 and low Df of 0.0031 at 10 GHz, both of which remain stable with temperatures from -55 to +125°C. They are cost-effective alternatives to more-difficult-to-process PTFE circuit materials for high-speed digital multilayer and hybrid high-speed digital and RF/microwave multilayer circuits. In fact, they are FR-4 process compatible for ease of hybrid circuit fabrication.
Regarding the two materials, Sean Mirshafiei, Chief Sales & Marketing Officer, said: “Circuit designers are pressing for more bandwidth, higher frequencies, and faster digital speeds for automotive, communications, industrial, medical, and military circuits. Both Tachyon 100G and I-Tera laminates and prepregs provide the characteristics needed for consistent outstanding circuit performance at the highest data rates.”
Isola Group representatives at IPC APEX EXPO will welcome visitors to their booth with details and advice on the use of Tachyon 100G, I-Tera MT40, and other circuit materials well suited for high-speed digital circuits and high-frequency millimeter-wave (mmWave) circuits through W-band frequencies to 110 GHz. The circuit materials are FR-4 process compatible and RoHS-compliant and make cost-effective alternatives to more-difficult-to-process PTFE circuit materials for high-speed, high-frequency circuits. For more information about any of their materials, please visit the Isola website at www.isola-group.com.
Share on:
Suggested Items
The Evolution of Picosecond Laser Drilling
06/19/2025 | Marcy LaRont, PCB007 MagazineIs it hard to imagine a single laser pulse reduced not only from nanoseconds to picoseconds in its pulse duration, but even to femtoseconds? Well, buckle up because it seems we are there. In this interview, Dr. Stefan Rung, technical director of laser machines at Schmoll Maschinen GmbH, traces the technology trajectory of the laser drill from the CO2 laser to cutting-edge picosecond and hybrid laser drilling systems, highlighting the benefits and limitations of each method, and demonstrating how laser innovations are shaping the future of PCB fabrication.
Day 2: More Cutting-edge Insights at the EIPC Summer Conference
06/18/2025 | Pete Starkey, I-Connect007The European Institute for the PCB Community (EIPC) summer conference took place this year in Edinburgh, Scotland, June 3-4. This is the third of three articles on the conference. The other two cover Day 1’s sessions and the opening keynote speech. Below is a recap of the second day’s sessions.
Day 1: Cutting Edge Insights at the EIPC Summer Conference
06/17/2025 | Pete Starkey, I-Connect007The European Institute for the PCB Community (EIPC) Summer Conference took place this year in Edinburgh, Scotland, June 3-4. This is the second of three articles on the conference. The other two cover the keynote speeches and Day 2 of the technical conference. Below is a recap of the first day’s sessions.
Preventing Surface Prep Defects and Ensuring Reliability
06/10/2025 | Marcy LaRont, PCB007 MagazineIn printed circuit board (PCB) fabrication, surface preparation is a critical process that ensures strong adhesion, reliable plating, and long-term product performance. Without proper surface treatment, manufacturers may encounter defects such as delamination, poor solder mask adhesion, and plating failures. This article examines key surface preparation techniques, common defects resulting from improper processes, and real-world case studies that illustrate best practices.
RF PCB Design Tips and Tricks
05/08/2025 | Cherie Litson, EPTAC MIT CID/CID+There are many great books, videos, and information online about designing PCBs for RF circuits. A few of my favorite RF sources are Hans Rosenberg, Stephen Chavez, and Rick Hartley, but there are many more. These PCB design engineers have a very good perspective on what it takes to take an RF design from schematic concept to PCB layout.