RO3010 is the high-permittivity member of the commonly used ceramic-filled RO3000 PTFE group. It is useful for investigating compact resonators and distributed RF structures, but the size reduction brings increased importance to fabrication tolerance, coupling and thermal drift. The process Dk is not the same as its transmission-line Design Dk.
Material system
Ceramic-filled PTFE
Technical properties
| Property | Reported value | Conditions / source |
|---|---|---|
| Process dielectric constant | 10.20 ± 0.30 | Typical, 10 GHz, 23°C; IPC-TM-650 2.5.5.5 clamped stripline; thickness direction. Source |
| Design dielectric constant | 11.2 | Typical, 8–40 GHz; differential phase length method. Average across the common constructions in the cited datasheet. Source |
| Dissipation factor | 0.0022 | Typical, 10 GHz, 23°C; IPC-TM-650 2.5.5.5; thickness direction. Source |
| Thermal conductivity | 0.95 W/(m·K) | Typical; ASTM D5470, 50°C, through-thickness direction. Source |
| CTE, X axis | 13 ppm/°C | Typical; -55°C to 288°C, IPC-TM-650 2.4.41; average expansion over the interval, not necessarily linear. Source |
| CTE, Y axis | 11 ppm/°C | Typical; -55°C to 288°C, IPC-TM-650 2.4.41; average expansion over the interval, not necessarily linear. Source |
| CTE, Z axis | 16 ppm/°C | Typical; -55°C to 288°C, IPC-TM-650 2.4.41; average expansion over the interval, not necessarily linear. Source |
| Thermal coefficient of dielectric constant | -395 ppm/°C | Typical; -50°C to 150°C, IPC-TM-650 2.5.5.5 (modified temperature measurement); 10 GHz. Source |
| Water absorption | 0.05 % | Typical; D48/50, IPC-TM-650 2.6.2.1. Source |
| Density | 2.8 g/cm³ | Typical; 23°C, ASTM D792. Source |
Typical reported values are not a purchase specification. Process Dk, design Dk and values measured at different frequencies are not interchangeable.
Selection and design notes
- Evaluate it when the circuit's footprint is a hard constraint and a higher-Dk approach has a measurable benefit. Compare the complete filter response and tuning tolerance with a lower-Dk design before claiming an improvement.
- For example, a shortened resonator may fit the board while leaving the coupling gap close to the etching limit. That is a reason to run a coupled geometry tolerance study, not simply scale all lengths.
Thickness and copper options
Use the RO3010-specific thickness and tolerance table and verify core availability for the desired electrical spacing.
Cladding type and weight are order-dependent. High Dk does not eliminate conductor roughness or surface-finish losses.
Fabrication considerations
- Confirm the PTFE drilling, surface preparation and bonding route with the fabricator. When combining RO3010 with another dielectric, examine field occupancy in each layer rather than assigning one bulk Dk to the whole stack.
Application fit
- Compact resonators
- Miniaturized filters
- High-Dk RF networks
Limits and substitution checks
- Its negative temperature coefficient can be consequential for narrowband circuitry. The manufacturer data describe a material test, not guaranteed resonator Q or final-board insertion loss. A drop-in replacement by TMM 10i or RT/duroid 6010.2LM requires new electrical and process verification.