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Taconic TSM-DS3M – All the T’s and I’s

Sometimes, the struggle that surrounds choosing an ideal laminate material for
your PCB design becomes painstaking. Perhaps, it is best understood by those who
have designed printed circuit boards before. For instance, what material can work for
PCB applications, yet avoid interfering with your PCB attributes?

Typically, your application area will determine and influence your PCB
material choice. Regardless of the application, you must become smarter to ensure a
reliable, consistent, and thermally stable PCB. It becomes more critical to design a
PCB for a high-power application.

So why not forget about your typical FR4 material for a moment and think outside the
box? An excellent alternative in the Taconic TSM-DS3M laminate can work wonders.
This article will explore Taconic TSM-DS3M material, its attributes, and how it
makes your PCB better for your unique application.

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Table of Contents

Taconic TSM-DS3M – An In-depth Perspective

Taconic TSM-DS3M

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TSM-DS3M comes as a trendsetting and thermally stable low loss core. You can
already get the picture when you start considering its Df of 0.0011 at 10GHz. It gets
fabricated with consistency and predictability of RF4 (glass-reinforced epoxies).
However, TSM-DS3M is a unique ceramic-filled (to reinforce) material with a
low fiberglass content – mostly less than 5%. It rivals epoxies mainly in the
fabrication of large format complicated multilayers.

A TSM-DS3M PCB by design proves ideal for high power areas of application. In
such applications, it becomes necessary to ensure the dielectric material of the PCB
conducts the generated heat away from other sources of heat. Therefore, TSM-DS3M
has low CTE (coefficients of thermal expansion), especially for exerting thermal
cycling.

In most instances, you will find TSM-DS3M combined with a fastRise 27 prepreg.
With a Df of 0.0014 at 10 GHz, the material combination proves a perfect solution
with the least dielectric losses only comparable to epoxy-like fabrication temperatures
of 420-degree Celsius. Further, the characteristic low insertion losses can only
compare to fusion bonding – where Teflon laminates get melted within a range of
550 degrees faradays.

Why Avoid Fusion Bonding?

Fusion bonding proves an expensive technique. Besides, it also leads to excessive

movement of the material. It would help if you also watched out for the extra stress
the movement causes on the plated through-hole. In an instance where you want to
design a multilayer, the price or cost of poor yields will increase the ultimate cost of
the final product. Therefore, we at RayMing PCB often advise alternative materials
and parts like Taconic TSM-DS3M. The fastRise component of the material will
allow for the sequential lamination of the product – TSM-DS3M at a paltry
420-degree Fahrenheit.

Important Notes to Consider when Designing Your PCB Using Taconic

TSM-DS3M

The intended application should rank the highest in the factors you must consider
when designing your PCB using Taconic TSM-DS3M. For instance, if you want to
use your printed circuit board for RF or microwave application, then TSM-DS3M can
become useful. It will ensure that the vital spaces between traces in couplers and
filters have little to no movement with temperature due to the low CTE values of the x,
y, and z-axis. Additionally, TSM-DS3M can get deployed with low-profile copper
foils, which yield smooth edges on either side of the coupled lines.

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If you desire variation and yield in copper weights, you should consider registration
over numerous layers. Further, copper etching across the panel at times leads to
non-linear movements. Consequently, you may end up with a non-registration of
some of the pad’s drilled holes, ultimately leading to open circuits.

TSM-DS3M comes compatible with OhmegaPly and Ticer resistive foils.

The resistor foil’s stability comes when you laminate at a low temperature, primarily
when using AGC’s fastRise family prepreg. Additionally, TSM-DS3M’s intended
application entails RF circuitry and thus needs an original electronic
manufacturer design validation when intended for digital circuits.

Taconic TSM-DS3M Product Features

 It is dimensionally stable and a laminate with low loss attributes

 Has a Dk+ tolerance of 2.94 with a plus or minus margin of 0.05
 It has a DF of 0.0011
 Low Z-axis expansion
 Compatibility with resistive foils
 Predictable and consistent attributes during manufacturing

Benefits of a TSM-DS3M

 Industry-leading PDF of 0.0011 at 10GHz)

 A low Z-axis expansion, especially for military areas of applications
 High thermal conductivity
 A low fiberglass content of less than 5%
 Excellent dimensional stability that rivals that of an epoxy
 It allows for large format, and high layer count printed wiring boards
 It builds complicated printed wiring boards in yield with predictability and
consistency
 Stable temperature DK of +/- 0.25 (at -30°C to 120°C)
 It is compatible or in tune with resistive foils

Application Areas

 Stripline and microstrip circuitry, ideal for military areas of applications

 Couplers
 Radar Manifolds
 Automotive / mmWave Antenna
 Oil Drilling
 Phased Array Antennas
 ATE Testing/ semiconductor

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Thermal Coefficient of Dielectric Constant

Taconic TSM-DS3M Material

In most cases, the dielectric constant’s thermal coefficient gets abbreviated as T, K.

However, the dielectric values from dielectric test approaches depend on the specific
approaches. T, K proves similar and will rely on an approach that applies pressure
with securing or clamping to eradicate air gaps between the pattern cards and
dielectric substrates. Whenever you measure it with a fabricated printed circuit board,
variations of circuitry patterns (width and length) can get observed. It explains why
the PTFE consistently demonstrates a negative T, K.

Another crucial factor encompasses molecular vibrations or interactions that escalate

with temperature. It thus results in an increase in dielectric constant (Dk) with
temperature. It is a common occurrence with many epoxy-based laminates. For IPC
standard approaches, clamping of the samples under pressure tends to prevent the
normal expansion of the laminate in the z-axis. As a result, it may not represent the
military or industrial application.

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Typical Values for TSM-DS3M

Property Test Method Unit Value Unit Value

Dk at 10 GHz IPC-650 2.5.5.5.1 2.94 2.94
(Modified)
T, K (-55 to 150 degree IPC-650 2.5.5.6 ppm/°C -11 ppm/°C -11
Centigrade)
Df at 10 GHz IPC-650 2.5.5.5.1 0.0011 0.001
(Modified)
Dielectric Breakdown IPC-650 2.5.6 (ASTM D kV 47.5 kV 47.5
149)
Dielectric Strength ASTM D 149 (Through V/mil 548 V/mm 21575
Plane)
Arc Resistance IPC-650 2.5.1 Seconds 226 Seconds 226
Moisture Absorption IPC-650 2.6.2.1 % 0.07 % 0.07
Flexural Strength (MD) ASTM D 790/ IPC-650 psi 11811 N/mm2 81
2.4.4
Flexural Strength (CD) ASTM D 790/ IPC-650 psi 7512 N/mm2 51
2.4.4
Tensile Strength (MD) ASTM D 3039/IPC-650 psi 7030 N/mm2 48
2.4.19
Tensile Strength (CD) ASTM D 3039/IPC-650 psi 3830 N/mm2 26
2.4.19
Elongation at Break (MD) ASTM D 3039/IPC-650 % 1.6 % 1.6
2.4.19
Elongation at Break (CD) ASTM D 3039/IPC-650 % 1.5 % 1.5
2.4.19
Young’s Modulus (MD) ASTM D 3039/IPC-650 psi 973000 N/mm2 6708
2.4.19
Young’s Modulus (CD) ASTM D 3039/IPC-650 psi 984000 N/mm2 6784
2.4.19
Poisson’s Ratio (MD) ASTM D 3039/IPC-650 0.24 0.24
2.4.19
Poisson’s Ratio (CD) ASTM D 3039/IPC-650 0.20 0.20
2.4.19
Comprehensive Modulus ASTM D 695 (23°C) psi 310,000 N/mm2 2137
Flexural Modulus (MD) ASTM D 790/IPC-650 kpsi 1860 N/mm2 12824
2.4.4
Flexural Modulus (CD) ASTM D 790/IPC-650 kpsi 1740 N/mm2 11996
2.4.4

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Unclad Thermal Conductivity ASTM F 433/ASTM 1530-06 W/M*K 0.65 W/M*K 0.65
Peel Strength (CVI) IPC-650 2.4.8 Sec 5.2.2 lbs/in 8 N/mm 1.46
Dimensional Stability (MD) IPC-650 2.4.39 Sec. 5.4 mils/in 0.21 mm/M 0.21
(after bake)
Dimensional Stability (MD) IPC-650 2.4.39 Sec. 5.5 mils/in 0.15 mm/M 0.15
(TS)
Dimensional Stability (CD) IPC-650 2.4.39 Sec. 5.4 mils/in 0.20 mm/M 0.20
(after bake)
Dimensional Stability (CD) IPC-650 2.4.39 Sec. 5.5 mils/in 0.10 mm/M 0.10
(TS)
Surface Resistivity IPC-650 2.5.17.1 Sec. Mohms 2.1 x Mohms 2.1 x
5.2.1 (HC) 107 107
Surface Resistivity IPC-650 2.5.17.1 Sec. Mohms 2.3 x Mohms 2.3 x
5.2.1 (ET) 106 106
Volume Resistivity IPC-650 2.5.17.1 Sec. Mohms/cm 1.8 x Mohms/cm 1.8 x
5.2.1 (HC) 108 108
Volume Resistivity IPC-650 2.5.17.1 Sec. Mohms/cm 1.1 x Mohms/cm 1.1 x
5.2.1 (ET) 107 107
CTE (x-axis) (Room temperature to IPC-650 2.4.41/TMA ppm/°C 10 ppm/°C 10
125 degrees centigrade)
CTE (y-axis) (Room temperature to IPC-650 2.4.41/TMA ppm/°C 16 ppm/°C 16
125 degrees centigrade)
CTE (z-axis) (Room temperature to IPC-650 2.4.41/TMA ppm/°C 23 ppm/°C 23
125 degrees centigrade)
Density (specific gravity) IPC-650 2.4.41/TMA g/cm3 2.11 g/cm3 2.11
Hardness ASTM D 2240 (Shore D) 79 79
Td (2% weight loss) IPC-650 2.4.24.6 °C 526 °C 526
(TGA)
T (5% weight loss)
d IPC-650 2.4.24.6 (TGA) °C 551 °C 551
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Aspects to Consider for Your Taconic TSM-DS3M

Laminate

To design, develop, and use a Taconic TSM-DSM PCB, you must understand some
basic aspects of the material. It includes storage, handling, layer preparation,
lamination, etc.

Storage

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If you want your TSM-DS3 material or laminate to stay perfect, you need to store it
flat in a clean area and at room temperature. Additionally, the core gets preserved well
when stored between stiffeners. It helps avert any unnecessary layer bending. You can
use soft slip sheets to keep debris and dust from embossing into the material. What’s
more? The storage conditions determine the shelf-life of the Taconic TSM-DS3M
laminate.

Handling

The composition of the TSM-DS3M makes it a unique laminate for Taconic

TSM-DS3M PCBs. Because of its properties, it becomes crucial to avoid any
mechanical scrubbing. You also have to stop picking up the panel horizontally using
either side of the edge or end.

Other handling considerations should entail the prevention of contaminant deposits on

the copper or material, avoiding any panel stack up – one on top of the other. It is also
crucial to avoid mechanically abrading the PTFE surface post etching.

Layer Preparation

It is crucial to acclimatize and scale when preparing the layers for lamination.
However, during the actual lamination, you need to follow the set guidelines to ensure
a proper and functioning TSM-DS3M PCB,

Final Thoughts

Taconic TSM-DS3M is an excellent laminate material for high-RF applications.

However, while picking it in isolation might appeal to anyone, you have to remember
that it works in combination with fastRise prepreg for best results.

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4. Taconic EZ-IO-F: The Next Generation Spread Weave Laminate

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