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Arlon PCB

Arlon PCB Manufacturing Service

Arlon PCB Materials for Electronics (MED) is a Division of Arlon LLC a major manufacturer of specialty high performance laminate and prepreg materials for use in a wide variety of PCB (printed circuit board) applications. These applications typically require laminates with specialized electrical, thermal, mechanical, or other performance characteristic that exceed those of traditional standard FR-4 materials.

Arlon Electronic Substrates specializes in thermoset resin technology including polyimide, high Tg multifunctional epoxy, and low loss thermoset laminate and prepreg systems. These resin systems are available on a variety of substrates including woven glass and non-woven aramid. Typical applications for these materials include advanced commercial and military electronics such as avionics, semiconductor testing, heat sink bonding, High Density Interconnect (HDI) and microvia PCB’s (i.e. in mobile communication products).

Arlon Microwave Materials specializes in fluoropolymers (i.e. PTFE), ceramic-filled fluoropolymers, and low loss ceramic hydrocarbon thermoset laminates that deliver the electrical performance needed in frequency-dependent circuit applications such as base station antennas, phased array radars, power amplifier boards, communications systems, and various other antenna applications. An exciting product is a lower loss version of CLTE, called CLTE-XT. CLTE-XT has the lowest loss, lowest thermal expansion, highest phase stability, and lowest moisture absorption of any product in its class.Request Arlon PCB Quote Now

Arlon PCB Material available Part Number :

Arlon Polyimide Products

Arlon 33N Kerimid 701 (VO) Polyimide
Arlon 35N Kerimid 701 (V1) Polyimide
Arlon 85N Polyimide – Unmodified
Arlon 84N Multifilm Hole-Fill Prepreg
Arlon 38N Low Flow Polyimide Prepreg
Arlon 37N Low-Flow vs. No-Flow Polyimide
Arlon HF-50 Polymide Hole Fill Compound

Arlon Epoxy Products

Arlon 44N “Multifilm” Hole-Fill Prepreg
Arlon 45N Multifunctional Epoxy
Arlon 47N Low-Flow Tetrafunctional Epoxy
Arlon 49N Low-Flow Multifunctional Prepreg

Arlon Legacy Thermount® Products

Arlon 51N Low-Flow Lead-Free
Arlon 55NT Multifunctional Epoxy/Thermount®
Arlon 85NT Polyimide/Thermount®
Arlon 55LM Low Moisture Regain Thermount®
Arlon 55ST Multifunctional Epoxy/Thermount®

Arlon Microwave Products

Arlon CLTE Product Family

Arlon CLTE-XT
Arlon CLTE-AT
Arlon CLTE

Arlon TC Product Family

Arlon TC350
Arlon TC600

Arlon Next Generation of Lower Loss Materials, Available with PIM+ Technology

Arlon AD255A
Arlon AD260A
Arlon AD300A
Arlon AD320A

PTFE and Microdispersed Ceramic reinforced with Commercial Grade Glass

Arlon AD350A
Arlon AD410
Arlon AD430
Arlon AD450
Arlon AD1000

Arlon Traditional Products – High PTFE to Glass Ratio, Lowest Loss Woven Fiberglass Reinforced PTFE – Unidirectional Plies

Arlon CuClad 250GT
Arlon CuClad 250GX
Arlon CuClad 233LX
Arlon CuClad 217LX

Arlon Traditional Products – High PTFE to Glass Ratio, Lowest Loss Non-Woven Reinforced PTFE

Arlon IsoClad 917
Arlon IsoClad 933

Arlon Ultra Thin Laminates with Higher Dielectric Constant

Arlon AD5
Arlon AD10

Arlon Ceramic Hydrocarbon Thermoset Laminates and Pre-Pregs

Arlon 25N
Arlon 25FR

Arlon Legacy, Low Cost Commercial Based Laminates

Arlon CLTE-LC
Arlon AD250
Arlon AD255
Arlon AD270
Arlon AD320
Arlon AD350
Arlon AD600
Arlon AR1000

Thermoplastic Bonding Films for Stripline and Multilayer Packages

CuClad 6250
CuClad 6700
CLTE-P

Will all the different features of every RF PCB application, we have developed partnerships with the key material suppliers such as Rogers PCB, Arlon, Nelco, and Taconic just to name a few. While many of the materials are very specialized, we do hold significant stock of product in our warehouseRequest Alaron PCB Quote Now

What sets Arlon PCB apart from other materials?

Arlon PCB material

Arlon, a term we come across in electronics manufacturing and design every day. It is often easily overlooked but it has an intriguing history. As you well know, printed circuit boards are vital for all electronic devices. Arlon PCB, a prime example of high performance and quality printed circuit board, becomes ideal for your electronic needs, especially if you have unique application areas that need superior PCB capabilities. It, however, becomes crucial to trust an ideal PCB manufacturing and assembly partner in XDF PCB and Assembly to ensure quality Arlon PCBs for your use. But before you engage us or any other Arlon manufacturing company, let us first understand what an Arlon printed circuit board means.

Arlon Printed Circuit Board

You can always bank the idea of circuit boards and electronics devoid of the appropriate fabrication materials as wishful thinking. Circuit board materials represent a fundamental aspect of the design, production, and performance of PCBs. It is with this background that this article will approach the entire subject of Arlon PCB.

So what is Arlon PCB? It implies a circuit board manufactured with materials from Arlon LLC. The company contains a division specializing in materials for electronics (MED) that features high-performance Prepreg and laminate materials. Such materials are deployed in diverse application areas that demand specialized mechanical, thermal, electrical, and other vital attributes that surpass traditional FR-4 resources and materials.

Therefore, it becomes crucial for you to get a top Arlon PCB manufacturer with the capacity to source for every Arlon material needed and offer fabrication and assembly services for your PCB design needs and at an agreeable cost.

Arlon PCB Materials

What sets Arlon apart from other materials is the unique chemical composition that makes it such a reliable and versatile material for industrial use. Arlon’s versatility is attributable to the unique properties which make it suitable for a number of different purposes, such as manufacturing, design, construction and testing. It has peculiarities in its chemical composition which make it ideal for addressing all these needs.

As alluded to, Arlon PCBs have become a reality with quality Arlon PCB materials. Arlon electronic materials comprise substrates, conductive layers, etc. However, all Arlon electronic substrates or Arlon laminates possess distinct features, courtesy of the thermal resin technology deployed in their manufacture. It is a technology that incorporates high glass transition multifunctional epoxy, low loss thermoset, and polyimide Prepreg and laminate systems. Such resin systems become available on diverse substrates encompassing non-woven aramid and woven glass.

The conducting layer, mostly copper, always remains the same as other FR-4 based printed circuit boards, though it comes a little thicker. However, the Arlon microwave material focuses on fluoropolymers filled with ceramic and hydrocarbon thermoset laminates with low-loss ceramic. It is a pool of materials that guarantees the required electrical performance in the frequency-dependent printed circuit board applications like communication systems, phased-array radars, base station antennas, power amplifier boards, and other areas/applications that rely on the antenna.   

Features of Arlon PCB Materials

Arlon printed circuit materials have diverse properties owing to the different types of materials falling under its classes of Arlon Polyimide products, low flow products, epoxy products, and SMT or controlled thermal expansion product material classes. However, before tackling some product-specific attributes, it becomes important to acknowledge that all Arlon products have common features. Such attributes include the following.

• High glass transition temperature. All Arlon printed circuit board materials, whether Arlon laminate, Arlon fabric, or other integrated circuit materials, possess a high glass transition temperature attribute. To better understand this, remember that glass transition implies the steady and reversible change of an amorphous substance from its tough and brittle glassy state to a rubbery or viscous state when subjected to a temperature increase.     
• Low loss dielectric thermoset. All Arlon PCB materials have a low loss thermoset, which means they cannot heat up quickly when operating in high RF situations. An excellent of such material includes polyimide, silicone, or PTFE, among other material types.
• Polyimide. In this case, it comes as an Arlon polymer, comprising of imide monomers under the high-performance category of plastics. Such a high heat resistance property allows the material to get deployed in diverse applications that need rugged organic constituents. Because of this, it gets deployed in the high-temperature display, fuel cells, military applications, etc.  

However, each category of Arlon materials has specific material products, with each possessing specific features. Therefore, if you want to design an Arlon printed circuit board, you cannot escape the significance of understanding these specific Arlon materials and their corresponding attributes to ensure quality and functional Arlon PCB.

Types and Attributes of Arlon Printed Circuit Board Materials

Polyimide Products

One of the crucial material classes and comprises different types of resin systems. It includes the following.

• Arlon 33N. It is a flame retardant polyimide composed of a glass transition/shift temperature of 250 degrees Celsius, a Td or decomposition temperature at 5% of 389 degrees Celsius, and a water absorption percentage of 0.21. Additionally, it expands at 1.2% on the Z-axis and with a TC of 0.2.

Application:

The Arlon 33N polyimide finds its application on PCBs designed for commercial applications that require a rating of UL94-V0. Such applications need thermal stability and reliability besides superior performance. Further, it should satisfy the IPC-4101/41and IPC-4101/40.

• Arlon 35N. Similar to the Arlon 33N, it comes as a flame retardant polyimide whose glass transition temperature is 250 degrees Celsius. While rated at V1 regarding the UL-94 class, the resin also comes with a decomposition temperature of 407 degrees Celcius and a water absorption percentage of 0.26. What’s more? It has a reduced cure time.

Application:

The Arlon 33N resin system is perfect for applications that need resistance to PTH failures and a low Z-axis directional expansion when operating. It is ideal for military down-hole gas and oil drilling, aerospace, and industrial and commercial electronics.

• Arlon HF-50. It is a powered poly-hole fill compound with a glass transition temperature of 250 degrees Celsius and a water absorption percentage of 0.4. The resin system also possesses a Z-axis expansion of 0.55 and a more than 400 degrees Celsius decomposition temperature. Additionally, it comes as a via fill compound.

Application:

It mainly gets deployed in filling clearance holes that connect through-hole components, especially in metal core printed wiring boards. Consequently, it finds its application in enhancing thermal conductivity, minimal resin shrinkage, and crack resistance.

• Arlon 84N. It is a filled polyimide Prepreg material with a glass transition temperature of 250 degrees Celsius and a water absorption percentage of 0.3. The resin system also possesses a thermal decomposition value of 407 and is ideal for filling heavy copper. It also meets the IPC-4101/41 and IPC-4101/40.

Application:

It is ideal for filling etched spots in polyimide multilayers with thick copper layers. Arlon 84N is also instrumental in filling metal core’s clearance holes.   

• Arlon 85N. The high-temperature polyimide material has a glass transition temperature of 250 degrees Celsius and a water absorption percentage of 0.27. It has a Z-axis expansion rate of 1.2% and temperature decomposition of 407 degrees Celsius. The resin system offers long-term and optimum stability.

Application:

Arlon 85N is ideal for multilayers with high layer counts, especially in the aerospace, space, military, and other allied industries where thermal stability and reliability prove crucial.  

• Arlon 85HP. Like the Arlon 85N, it is a high-temperature polyimide resin system with a high glass temperature of over 250 degrees Celsius and a Z-expansion percentage of 1.0. Additionally, the material has a thermal decomposition of 430 degrees Celsius and a water absorption value of 0.32%.  The unique blend of the micro-fine proprietary fine fillers and the polyimide resin ensure superior performance. It is validated through IPC-4101/40, IPC-4101/41, and IPC-4101/43.

Application:

It finds its application in mission PWB’s, especially in aerospace, military, down-hole gas and oil drilling, and space applications.

• Arlon 84HP. The filled polyimide Prepreg material possesses a high glass transition temperature of over 250 degrees Celsius and a water absorption level of 0.32%. It also has a thermal decomposition temperature of 0.5 and a perfect ceramic fill for thick copper layers. It also satisfies the IPC-4101/40, /41 and is validated through the IPC-4101/43.

Application:

It is primarily used to fill the thick copper layers, as the ceramic filler inhibits cracking and reduces shrinkage during drilling the through-hole.

It is vital to note that polyimide products such as double-treated and reverse-treated resins can become available whenever you want some. Additionally, it’s also possible to get ultra-thin copper foils for ultra-fine-line applications.   

Epoxy Products

It represents another vital material class of the Arlon PCB. It includes the following.

• Arlon 44N. It comes as a filled epoxy Prepreg material. It has a glass transition temperature of 170 degrees Celsius and a thermal decomposition value of over 300 degrees Celsius at 5%. The Arlon 44N also possesses a water absorption value of 0.1 percent and a Z-expansion value of 2.2%. It is compatible with orthodox epoxy fabrication and lamination. Besides all these, it also meets the IPC-4101/98 requirement.

Application:

It finds its application in filling clearance holes, especially in thin metal cores.    

• Arlon 45N. The multifunctional Prepreg and epoxy material has a glass transition temperature of 175 degrees Celsius and a Z-expansion value of 2.4%. It also has a thermal decomposition of at 5% of over 300 degrees Celsius besides a water absorption value of 0.1%. What’s more? It satisfies the IPC-4101/26 requirements and can be processed under similar conditions as other FR-4 laminations.

Application:

It is ideal for application in high-layer count MLBs either as Prepreg or lamination material.

Low Flow Products

It also comprises another vital category of Arlon PCB materials. So what does it entail?

• Arlon 37N. It is a low flow polyimide Prepreg material with a Z-axis expansion value of 2.3% and a glass transition temperature of 200 degrees Celsius. Additionally, the material possesses a thermal decomposition value of 340 degrees Celsius and less than 1% water absorption capacity. It meets the IPC-4101/42 requirement and proves perfect for bonding multilayer rigid-flex PCB. Additionally, it gets used in the attachment of heat sinks.

Application:

It finds its application in the military, space, aerospace, industrial, and commercial PWB electronics.

• Arlon 38N. The second-generation low-flow Prepreg material has a glass transition temperature of 200 degrees Celsius. Additional attributes include a water absorption value of less than 1% and a thermal decomposition value of 330 degrees Celsius.

Application:

Since it is designed to enhance the bond strength and adhesion of the low flow resin system to the polyimide films, it has many applications. It includes space, aerospace, military, industrial, and commercial PWB electronics.  

• Arlon 47N.  It is a modified epoxy low flow resin material with a glass transition temperature of 350 degrees Celsius. With a Z-axis expansion value of 3.5% and a thermal decomposition value of 315 degrees Celsius, the low moisture absorption material (0.1) becomes ideal for different applications. What’s more? It satisfies the IPC-4101/21 requirement.

Application:

It is ideal to bond multilayer rigid-flex epoxy PCB, attaching the heat sinks with the multilayer PCB besides the dielectric insulators. It especially becomes crucial for military and commercial electronics.    

• Arlon 49N. It is a multifunctional low-flow lead material with a glass transition value of 170 degrees Celsius and thermal decomposition of 303 degrees Celsius. Additionally, it has a Z-axis expansion of 3.1%, complete with a resin system possessing a water absorption capacity of 0.1%, and meets the set IPC-4101/26 requirement.

Application:

It is ideal for rigid-flex PCB applications with high-layer count that also demand high-temperature tolerance and high-performance expectation.  

• Arlon 51N. The multifunctional and non-DICY resin comes as a low-flow Prepreg system material with a glass transition temperature of 170 degrees Celsius. It also possesses a water absorption capacity of 0.15% and a Z-axis expansion value of 2.6%. What’s more? The Arlon 51N satisfies the IPC-4101/126 requirement.

Application:

Perfect for use in the assembly and fabrication process of complex rigid-flex printed circuit boards, especially when minimum resin flow is crucial. It is also perfect for lead-free soldering processes.

SMT or Controlled Thermal Expansion

The last of the categories of Arlon materials prove equally important as the other categories. It comprises the following resin materials.

• Arlon 45NK. The woven aramid-reinforced epoxy material has a glass transition temperature of 170 degrees Celsius and a Z-axis expansion value of 2.8%. It also possesses a water absorption capacity of 0.8% and a thermal decomposition value of more than 300 degrees Celsius.  Additionally, the material meets the IPC-4101/50 (AFN) requirement for its various application.

Application

Arlon 5NK is ideal for compatibility with the LACCC (leadless alumina ceramic chip carriers) and other low expansion SMT devices.  

• Arlon 55NT. It is an epoxy non-woven aramid with a glass transition temperature value of 170 degrees Celsius. Additionally, it has a water absorption value of 0.3, a Z-axis expansion value of 3.5, and a thermal decomposition of 368 degrees Celsius. What’s more? It passes the IPC-4101/55 requirement. The system combines leadless processing and compatibility, which makes it efficient and unique. It is ideal for making light printed circuit boards.

Application:

Arlon 55NT resin system is ideal for PCBs used in aerospace and space applications.

• Arlon 85NT. It comes as a pure polyimide resin system with a glass transition temperature of 250 degrees Celsius both for the laminate and the Prepreg systems. The material also possesses a water absorption value of 0.6%, a thermal decomposition value of 426 degrees Celsius, and a Z-axis expansion value of 2.3%.  What’s more? It meets the HB UL-94 rating and IPC-4101/53 requirements.  Finally, it features X-Y CTE of 7-9 ppm/°C.

Application:

The polymeric reinforcement makes it ideal for light applications such as in space and aerospace areas.

• Arlon 85N/CIC. The material comes as a polyimide clad resin system complete with a CIC.  It has a glass transition temperature of 250 degrees Celsius, a Z-axis expansion of 1.5%, and a thermal decomposition value of 407 degrees Celsius. The material also possesses a low water absorption value of 0.2% and satisfies the IPC-4101/40/41 requirements.

It is also fundamental to note that you can get double treated and reverse treated foils when you order. Further, you can get thin copper foils for ultra-fine-line applications.  

Arlon Microwave Products

Products under the Arlon microwave category are numerous. This section will detail some of the subcategories and the products.

Arlon TC Product Family

• Arlon TC350
• Arlon TC600

Arlon CLTE Family of Products

• The CLTE-XT
• The CLTE-AT
• The CLTE

Next-Generation Arlon products: Materials with Lower Loss

• The AD255A
• The AD260A
• The AD300A
• The AD320A

PTFE and Micro-dispersed Ceramic (reinforcement with glass termed as commercial grade)

• The AD350A
• The AD410
• The AD430
• The AD450
• The AD1000

Arlon Traditional Stuffs

• Products with a High PTFE to the Glass Ratio, Reinforced PTFE with Woven Fiberglass exhibiting Lowest Loss – Unidirectional Plies
• The CuClad 250GT
• The CuClad 250GX
• The CuClad 233LX
• The CuClad 217LX
• Products with High PTFE to the Glass Ratio, Reinforced PTFE that is Non-Woven exhibiting Lowest Loss
• The IsoClad 917
• The IsoClad 933

Ultra-Thin Arlon Laminates possessing Dielectric Constant that is higher

• The Arlon AD5
• The Arlon AD10

Ceramic Hydrocarbon Arlon Thermoset Prepreg and Laminates

• The Arlon 25N
• The Arlon 25FR

The Low Cost Arlon Legacy Laminates that are Commercial Based

• The Arlon CLTE-LC
• The Arlon AD250
• The AD255
• The Arlon AD270
• The AD320
• The Arlon AD350
• The Arlon AD600
• The AR1000

Films exhibiting Thermoplastic Bonding for Multilayer and Stripline Packages

• The CuClad 6250
• The CuClad 6700
• The CLTE-P

Designing an Arlon Printed Circuit Board

The design process of an Arlon PCB follows a similar one as other standard printed circuit boards. However, it becomes crucial to substitute the materials with the ones from Arlon, as the functionality, stack-up method, and schematic layout may remain similar. It is also crucial to enlist the help of current circuit board design software to ensure the design has the necessary details, proves executable, and will function once the prototype comes out.

Manufacturing of Arlon PCB

The manufacturing process of an Arlon PCB follows a similar process to that of other standard PCBs. It includes a design, prototyping, and high-volume production of the printed circuit board. However, the materials in your design have to get sourced from Arlon LLC. So it becomes important to detail this in your BOM before submitting it to the contract manufacturer.   

FAQ Guide to Arlon Printed Circuit Boards

Picking suitable printed circuit board materials for the manufacture of your circuit boards can prove difficult. However, this frequently asked question guide will help you settle on the correct Arlon materials for your high-performance PCB needs.

• How does the Arlon PCB material compare to its equivalents in the circuit board industry?

PCBs rely on diverse materials for their fabrications. Materials can come as Rogers, Nelco, Taconic, Isola, or Arlon materials.

• Arlon vs. Rogers PCB materials. While both get deployed to manufacture high-frequency printed circuit boards, Arlon materials prove mainly PTFT reinforced fiberglass while Rogers materials feature woven glass reinforced ceramics or hydrocarbons.
• Arlon vs. Nelco PCB materials. Both materials deploy a polyimide resin complete with a TG value of around 260 degrees Celsius. Additionally, both materials can get deployed in PCBs targeted at high-speed applications. However, most Arlon materials are light, as aspects such as physical properties and thermal management prove similar.
• Arlon vs. Taconic PCB material. Both of the materials depend on PTFT strengthened with other different types of materials. Consequently, you can deploy both in constructing high-frequency printed circuit boards.
• Arlon vs. Isola materials. Both materials can come as epoxy laminates, treated with fire-retardant compounds. Additionally, both materials are ideal for high-temperature areas of application.       
• What benefits can you derive from using Arlon materials for your printed circuit board?  

Arlon materials have distinctive features that offer plenty of advantages when deployed in the construction of PCBs. It includes the following.

• Uniform electrical properties on different frequencies
• Top chemical resistance
• Robust and consistent mechanical performance
• Low insertion loss
• Greater dimensional stability
•  A higher efficiency when it comes to its antennas
• Suitable for ER-sensitive circuits
• Thermal stability of the dissipation factor and dielectric constant  
• Limited waste on the edge trim
• Greater signal integrity
• Low moisture absorption
• A cost-effective board layout and processing process
• Perfect for deployment in humid conditions
• Low tangent loss
• Greater copper bond strength
• Can you consider Arlon materials high performance?

Yes. It is purely based on the classification standards and ability that exceeds that of a standard FR-4 laminate. Additionally, the application areas of an Arlon PCB also imply the high-performance tag of their corresponding materials. For instance, its application in high thermal and high-speed digital systems.

• What does the term Arlon laminate imply?

It refers to a composite of single or multiple layers of Prepreg and copper.

Final Thoughts

Arlon materials play an instrumental role in the manufacture or production of Arlon PCBs. If you want to design an Arlon printed circuit board, then note the types of Arlon materials, some design rules, and understanding the production process becomes necessary. Additionally, you also have to consider and select a top contract manufacturer.