Teflon®∗ stripline printed boards — Consider the thermal properties of this dielectric

Teflon is a unique dielectric material. It has a dielectric constant and a loss factor that are extremely uniform for frequencies into the tens of GHz. However, some physical parameters of this material are also very sensitive to thermal environments. This paper considers some of the major thermal characteristics of Teflon, the relationships between those characteristics and the properties of plated copper, and finally the processing and design techniques which can overcome or accommodat these relationships to yield a reliable Teflon multilayer printed board.