Rogers RT/duroid 5280LZ: Complete Guide to Properties, PCB Design & Applications

If you’ve ever worked on aerospace antenna systems or military radar projects, you know that choosing the right laminate material can make or break your design. Among the high-frequency options available, RT/duroid 5280LZ PCB material stands out as one of the most specialized solutions for demanding applications where weight, dimensional stability, and electrical performance are non-negotiable.

Rogers Corporation developed the RT/duroid 5280LZ laminate specifically for engineers who need the lowest dielectric constant available in a mechanically robust, glass-reinforced package. Whether you’re designing phased array antennas, satellite communication systems, or precision microstrip circuits, understanding this material’s unique characteristics will help you make informed design decisions.

In this guide, we’ll cover everything from material composition and electrical specifications to practical PCB design guidelines and real-world applications. Let’s dive into what makes RT/duroid 5280LZ PCB material a go-to choice for high-reliability RF and microwave circuits.

What Is RT/duroid 5280LZ?

RT/duroid 5280LZ is a filled PTFE (polytetrafluoroethylene) composite laminate reinforced with woven fiberglass. Rogers Corporation engineered this material for precise stripline and microstrip circuit applications that demand exceptional dimensional stability throughout the entire printed wiring board manufacturing process.

What sets RT/duroid 5280LZ apart from other materials in the RT/duroid family is its unique filler composition. This proprietary filler results in a low-density, lightweight material that delivers the lowest dielectric constant available in a woven glass-reinforced PTFE laminate. The very low Dk value remains uniform from panel to panel and stays constant across a wide frequency range, making it ideal for broadband applications.

Key Material Characteristics

The RT/duroid 5280LZ laminate combines several critical properties that engineers look for in high-frequency PCB substrates:

PTFE Base Matrix: The polytetrafluoroethylene foundation provides excellent chemical resistance and electrical stability. PTFE’s inherent low loss characteristics translate directly to minimal signal attenuation in your RF circuits.

Woven Fiberglass Reinforcement: Unlike the random glass microfibers used in RT/duroid 5880, the 5280LZ uses woven fiberglass fabric. This construction delivers superior dimensional stability and industry-leading Z-axis coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) performance from -50°C to 288°C.

Proprietary Low-Density Filler: The unique filler system reduces overall laminate density while maintaining the lowest Dk values available. This combination is critical for weight-sensitive applications like airborne antenna systems.

RT/duroid 5280LZ Electrical Properties

When designing high-frequency circuits, electrical properties determine your achievable performance. Here’s where RT/duroid 5280LZ PCB material really shines.

Dielectric Constant (Dk)

The dielectric constant varies slightly depending on the glass weave style used:

With Dk values of 2.06 to 2.10, RT/duroid 5280LZ offers the lowest dielectric constant available in a woven glass-reinforced PTFE laminate. This low Dk is critical for several reasons:

• Wider transmission lines for given impedances, improving manufacturability
• Reduced phase velocity, enabling smaller circuit dimensions at lower frequencies
• Better registration of small circuit features during fabrication
• Uniform electrical properties over a wide frequency range

Dissipation Factor (Df)

The dissipation factor of RT/duroid 5280LZ measures 0.0028 at 10 GHz across all standard thicknesses. This low loss tangent extends the material’s usefulness to Ku-band (12-18 GHz) and above. In practical terms, this means your circuits will experience minimal signal loss, which is essential for:

• Low-noise amplifier (LNA) circuits where every dB matters
• High-gain antenna feed networks
• Frequency-sensitive filter designs
• Long transmission line runs in phased array systems

Thermal Coefficient of Dielectric Constant (TCDk)

The TCDk measures 20 ppm/°C from -55°C to 288°C. This stability ensures your circuit’s impedance and phase characteristics remain consistent across temperature extremes—a critical requirement for aerospace and defense applications where operating environments can be harsh.

RT/duroid 5280LZ Thermal and Mechanical Properties

Beyond electrical performance, the thermal and mechanical characteristics of RT/duroid 5280LZ PCB material make it suitable for demanding applications where reliability is paramount.

Coefficient of Thermal Expansion (CTE)

The CTE values for RT/duroid 5280LZ are remarkably well-controlled across all three axes:

What makes these numbers significant? The woven glass reinforcement delivers industry-leading Z-axis CTE performance. This is critical for multilayer board reliability because:

• Plated through-hole barrel integrity is maintained during thermal cycling
• Registration accuracy improves during lamination processes
• Reduced risk of delamination in harsh thermal environments

The low and balanced CTE values along X, Y, and Z axes help minimize stress concentrations at copper-dielectric interfaces, extending the service life of your RT/duroid 5280LZ PCB assemblies.

Additional Thermal Properties

The 500°C decomposition temperature provides substantial margin above typical processing temperatures, ensuring the material won’t degrade during soldering or rework operations.

Mechanical Properties

The copper peel strength of 13.7 lbs/in (after thermal stress) indicates excellent copper-to-laminate adhesion, ensuring reliable connections even after repeated thermal cycling.

Physical Properties

The low moisture absorption (0.02%) is particularly important for aerospace applications. Moisture can significantly degrade dielectric properties and mechanical strength, so RT/duroid 5280LZ’s resistance to moisture uptake helps maintain consistent performance in humid environments.

NASA Outgassing Specifications

For space applications, outgassing performance is critical. RT/duroid 5280LZ meets stringent requirements:

These extremely low outgassing values make RT/duroid 5280LZ suitable for satellite and spacecraft applications where contamination of sensitive optical surfaces or electronic components must be avoided.

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RT/duroid 5280LZ vs. Other RT/duroid Materials

When selecting a high-frequency laminate, engineers often need to compare RT/duroid 5280LZ against other materials in the RT/duroid family. Here’s how the key variants stack up:

When to Choose RT/duroid 5280LZ

Choose RT/duroid 5280LZ PCB material when:

• Dimensional stability is critical: The woven glass construction provides the best registration accuracy for fine features
• Z-axis CTE matters: Applications requiring extensive thermal cycling benefit from the low, controlled Z-axis expansion
• You need the lowest Dk with mechanical robustness: Unlike the softer 5880LZ with random glass, the 5280LZ offers a similar low Dk with better handling characteristics
• Weight is a concern but you can’t sacrifice stiffness: The low density combined with woven glass reinforcement gives an excellent stiffness-to-weight ratio

When to Consider Alternatives

• If absolute lowest loss is your priority (and you can accept random glass reinforcement), RT/duroid 5880 with its 0.0009 Df may be preferable
• For weight-critical applications where the lowest Dk is paramount, RT/duroid 5880LZ (Dk = 1.96) might be worth the mechanical tradeoffs
• For commercial applications with less demanding requirements, consider Rogers PCB alternatives like the RO4000 series for better cost-performance balance

RT/duroid 5280LZ PCB Design Guidelines

Designing with RT/duroid 5280LZ requires attention to both general PTFE handling considerations and material-specific nuances. Here’s what you need to know to get the best results.

Stackup Design Recommendations

When designing multilayer RT/duroid 5280LZ PCB stackups:

Use symmetric constructions: Balance your lamination ratios to minimize warpage. An asymmetric stackup will bow during temperature changes due to CTE mismatches.

Consider hybrid approaches: For cost optimization, you might use RT/duroid 5280LZ only for critical RF layers and FR-4 or lower-cost Rogers materials for less demanding layers. However, carefully model the CTE interactions to avoid reliability issues.

Account for glass style variations: Since the Dk differs between 1080 and 3313 glass styles (2.10 vs 2.06), ensure your impedance calculations use the correct value for your chosen thickness.

Trace Width and Impedance Control

The low dielectric constant of RT/duroid 5280LZ results in wider traces for a given impedance compared to higher-Dk materials. For example, a 50-ohm microstrip line on RT/duroid 5280LZ PCB will be approximately 15-20% wider than the same impedance line on FR-4. This is generally advantageous for manufacturability because:

• Wider traces are easier to etch accurately
• Tolerance percentages translate to smaller absolute variations
• Reduced sensitivity to over-etching
• Lower current density for a given power level

However, when working with RT/duroid 5280LZ PCB designs, consider these important factors:

• Maintain adequate spacing: Use at least 3× dielectric thickness spacing between conductors for leakage control
• Account for fabrication tolerances: Allow for ±8-10% impedance variation in your design margin
• Use Rogers’ design tools: The company provides microstrip line calculators that account for their specific material properties

Surface Treatment Considerations

PTFE-based materials require special surface preparation for copper adhesion:

Sodium naphthalene treatment: Creates a chemically activated surface for improved bonding. This is the traditional approach but involves handling hazardous chemicals.

Plasma treatment: A cleaner alternative that roughens the PTFE surface and improves bondability without chemical hazards. Many modern fabrication shops prefer this method.

Surface roughness preservation: After etching, protect the inner layer dielectric surface roughness, which contributes to mechanical adhesion.

Bonding and Multilayer Fabrication

For multilayer RT/duroid 5280LZ PCB construction:

• Use compatible bondply materials (Rogers 2929 series or similar)
• Select inner copper surface treatments appropriate for your bondply chemistry
• Follow recommended lamination cycles for temperature, pressure, and time
• Ensure board surfaces are clean and dry before pressing—never mechanically brush PTFE surfaces

RT/duroid 5280LZ PCB Applications

The unique combination of properties in RT/duroid 5280LZ makes it ideal for specific high-performance applications.

Phased Array Radar Systems

Phased array antennas rely on precise phase control across hundreds or thousands of antenna elements. The beam steering in these systems depends on creating predictable phase shifts between elements—any variation in the dielectric constant directly translates to phase errors that degrade beam pointing accuracy and sidelobe levels.

RT/duroid 5280LZ PCB material supports these demanding systems through:

• Consistent Dk across the panel: Panel-to-panel Dk uniformity minimizes phase variations between channels and across production lots
• Low loss: The 0.0028 dissipation factor maximizes transmit power and receive sensitivity, improving overall system signal-to-noise ratio
• Dimensional stability: Ensures element spacing accuracy during fabrication and thermal cycling, critical for grating lobe suppression
• Lightweight construction: Reduces overall antenna weight for airborne and mobile platforms where every kilogram matters
• Frequency stability: The low TCDk of 20 ppm/°C maintains performance across operating temperature ranges without recalibration

Modern active electronically scanned arrays (AESA) demand materials that can maintain performance across wide temperature ranges while minimizing weight. AESA radar systems in fighter aircraft, for instance, may experience temperature swings from -55°C at high altitude to over 100°C from power amplifier self-heating—exactly the conditions where RT/duroid 5280LZ excels. The material’s ability to maintain both electrical and mechanical integrity under these conditions makes it a preferred substrate for next-generation radar platforms.

Airborne Antenna Systems

Aerospace antenna applications present severe constraints:

• Weight: Every gram matters for fuel efficiency and payload capacity
• Vibration: Flight loads stress PCB-to-component interfaces
• Temperature extremes: Operating environments from -55°C to well above 100°C
• Reliability: Failure is not an option in safety-critical systems

RT/duroid 5280LZ’s low density (1.64 g/cm³) combined with woven glass reinforcement addresses all these requirements. The material’s excellent outgassing characteristics also make it suitable for unpressurized aircraft bays and space applications.

Satellite Communications

Communication satellite systems operate in the Ku-band (12-18 GHz) and Ka-band (26.5-40 GHz), where low loss and precise impedance control are essential for link budget optimization. The extreme cost of launching payload to orbit makes every dB of system performance valuable.

RT/duroid 5280LZ PCB substrates support satellite communications through:

• Feed network designs: Phase-matched corporate feed networks for array antennas require consistent Dk to maintain proper power distribution and beam shape
• Low passive intermodulation (PIM): The material’s stability and surface quality minimize PIM, which is critical for high-power transponders operating adjacent channels simultaneously
• Radiation tolerance: PTFE-based materials exhibit excellent resistance to the ionizing radiation environment of space
• Long-life stability: Space missions often require 15+ year lifetimes; RT/duroid 5280LZ’s low outgassing and material stability ensure consistent performance over decades
• Temperature extreme performance: Satellites experience dramatic temperature swings between sun-facing and shadow conditions; the controlled CTE maintains circuit integrity through thousands of thermal cycles

Military Radar and Electronic Warfare

Defense applications often demand materials that are qualified to military specifications. RT/duroid 5280LZ meets the requirements for:

• Missile guidance systems: Precision RF circuits in severe shock and vibration environments
• Military radar systems: Ground-based, shipborne, and airborne platforms
• Electronic warfare: High-frequency receivers and transmitters with demanding performance requirements

Point-to-Point Digital Radio Antennas

Telecommunications backhaul systems operating at microwave frequencies benefit from RT/duroid 5280LZ’s:

• Consistent electrical properties over temperature
• Low moisture absorption for outdoor installations
• Long-term reliability under constant thermal cycling

RT/duroid 5280LZ Fabrication and Processing

Working with PTFE-based laminates requires specialized knowledge. Here are the key processing considerations for RT/duroid 5280LZ PCB fabrication.

Cutting and Machining

RT/duroid 5280LZ machines easily compared to some other PTFE composites:

• Shearing: The material can be cut with standard shearing equipment
• Routing: Carbide tools with appropriate feed rates produce clean edges
• Drilling: Use sharp carbide bits with controlled entry speeds to prevent material push-out

Chemical Resistance

The laminate resists all solvents and reagents normally used in PCB fabrication:

• Etching chemistries (ferric chloride, cupric chloride, alkaline etchants)
• Plating solutions for PTH and surface finishes
• Cleaning solvents for defluxing and surface preparation

This chemical resistance simplifies process development and ensures consistent results across production runs.

Storage and Handling

Proper storage extends material usability:

• Store in original packaging in a clean, dry environment
• Avoid exposure to UV light, which can degrade some PTFE formulations over time
• Handle with clean gloves to prevent contamination that could affect copper adhesion

Standard Offerings and Ordering Information

Rogers Corporation offers RT/duroid 5280LZ in the following standard configurations:

Available Thicknesses

Standard Panel Sizes

• 12″ × 18″ (305 × 457 mm)
• 24″ × 18″ (610 × 457 mm)

Standard Copper Cladding

• ½ oz (18 μm) electrodeposited copper
• 1 oz (35 μm) electrodeposited copper

When ordering RT/duroid 5280LZ PCB laminates, specify:

• Dielectric thickness and tolerance class
• Copper foil type (typically electrodeposited for RF applications)
• Copper weight requirement
• Panel size needed

Contact Rogers Corporation for custom configurations including additional thicknesses, panel sizes, or alternative cladding options.

Useful Resources for RT/duroid 5280LZ PCB Design

Here are valuable tools and documentation for working with RT/duroid 5280LZ:

Official Rogers Corporation Resources

• RT/duroid 5280LZ Datasheet: Download PDF – Complete specifications and properties
• Technology Support Hub: Access Here – Technical papers, calculators, and design tools
• Laminates Properties Tool: Compare Materials – Sort and compare all Rogers high-frequency laminates
• Product Selector Guide: Download PDF – Help choosing the right material

Design and Simulation Tools

• Rogers MWI Calculator: Microstrip/stripline impedance calculations with material-specific parameters
• Altium Designer: Includes Rogers material libraries for stackup design
• Ansys HFSS/SIwave: Electromagnetic simulation with Rogers material models

Sample Requests

Rogers Corporation provides material samples through their online request system. Visit rogerscorp.com to submit a sample request.

Frequently Asked Questions About RT/duroid 5280LZ PCB

What is the dielectric constant of RT/duroid 5280LZ?

The dielectric constant (Dk) of RT/duroid 5280LZ ranges from 2.06 to 2.10 at 10 GHz, depending on the glass weave style. Thicknesses using 3313 glass exhibit Dk of 2.06, while those using 1080 glass show Dk of 2.10. This represents the lowest Dk available in a woven glass-reinforced PTFE laminate, making RT/duroid 5280LZ PCB material ideal for applications requiring wider traces or minimum phase velocity.

Is RT/duroid 5280LZ suitable for aerospace and space applications?

Yes, RT/duroid 5280LZ is specifically designed for aerospace applications. Its extremely low outgassing values (TML: 0.02%, CVCM: <0.01%) meet NASA requirements per ASTM E595. The combination of low density (1.64 g/cm³), excellent dimensional stability, and performance across temperature extremes from -55°C to 288°C makes it a preferred choice for satellite communications, airborne antennas, and spacecraft electronics.

What is the difference between RT/duroid 5280LZ and RT/duroid 5880?

The primary differences are in construction and resulting properties. RT/duroid 5280LZ uses woven fiberglass reinforcement and a proprietary filler for Dk of 2.06-2.10, while RT/duroid 5880 uses random glass microfibers for Dk of 2.20. The 5280LZ offers superior Z-axis CTE (56 ppm/°C vs 237 ppm/°C) and better dimensional stability, but 5880 has lower loss tangent (0.0009 vs 0.0028). Choose 5280LZ when dimensional stability and registration accuracy are priorities; choose 5880 when minimizing insertion loss is paramount.

Can RT/duroid 5280LZ be used for multilayer PCBs?

Yes, RT/duroid 5280LZ supports multilayer construction using compatible bondply materials such as Rogers 2929 series. The woven glass reinforcement provides excellent dimensional stability during lamination, and the controlled Z-axis CTE ensures plated through-hole reliability. For optimal results, use symmetric stackups to minimize warpage and follow Rogers’ recommended lamination parameters.

What surface finishes are compatible with RT/duroid 5280LZ PCB fabrication?

RT/duroid 5280LZ is compatible with all standard high-frequency PCB surface finishes including immersion gold (ENIG), immersion silver, immersion tin, and OSP. The material’s excellent chemical resistance means it withstands the plating chemistries without degradation. For RF applications, immersion silver or ENIG are typically preferred for their consistent surface conductivity. Avoid HASL for high-frequency applications due to surface planarity concerns.

Conclusion

RT/duroid 5280LZ PCB material occupies a unique position in the high-frequency laminate market. Its combination of the lowest available dielectric constant in a woven glass-reinforced PTFE substrate, exceptional dimensional stability, and aerospace-grade reliability makes it the material of choice for demanding applications where compromise isn’t acceptable.

For RF and microwave engineers, the material selection process always involves tradeoffs. RT/duroid 5280LZ excels when you need:

• The lowest possible Dk combined with mechanical robustness
• Exceptional Z-axis CTE for multilayer reliability
• Lightweight construction without sacrificing handling properties
• Consistent performance from Ku-band through millimeter-wave frequencies
• Materials that meet aerospace and space qualification requirements

Whether you’re designing phased array radar systems, satellite communication antennas, or military-grade RF circuits, understanding the properties and design considerations covered in this guide will help you get the most from this specialized material. The investment in RT/duroid 5280LZ PCB substrates is justified when application requirements demand its unique property set.

For projects where the extreme specifications of RT/duroid 5280LZ aren’t necessary, or where budget constraints require alternatives, consider the broader Rogers PCB material portfolio. The RO4000 series, for instance, offers excellent high-frequency performance at lower cost points for many commercial applications.

The key to success with any advanced laminate material is working with fabrication partners who have experience with PTFE-based substrates and access to the specialized processes they require. When in doubt, consult with Rogers Corporation’s technical support team—they’ve helped engineers solve RF design challenges for decades.