What are the major challenges to fabricating a PCB using PTFE materials?
There are many considerations for fabricating a PCB using PTFE. It also depends on what type of PTFE material is used. The more “pure” PTFE materials, such as RT/duroid® 5870 /5880, have more issues for processing than do the loaded PTFE substrate such as the RO3000 and RT/duroid® 6000 materials. The ceramic loading of the RO3000 and RT/duroid 6000 materials helps with issues regarding CTE and dimensional stability. It also helps with an easier process to make the drilled through hole wall plateable. In the case of the RT/duroid 5000 materials, a chemical activation of the hole wall is necessary. The RO3000 and RT/duroid 6000 materials can use a plasma process, which is safer for fabrication and reliability. In general, the most critical issues for processing PTFE are drilling, possibility of entrapped chemistry, dimensional stability and CTE.
