RT5880 vs RT5870 vs RO3003 — Rogers PTFE PCB Material Comparison
Three Rogers PTFE materials cover the majority of RF and microwave PCB designs above 5GHz: RT5880 (Dk 2.20), RT5870 (Dk 2.33) and RO3003 (Dk 3.0). All three are PTFE ceramic composites requiring the same fabrication process — in-house plasma activation, controlled drill parameters and limited lamination cycles. But their different dielectric constants produce meaningfully different trace widths, insertion loss profiles and optimal applications. This guide explains when to choose each.
Table of Contents
Material Properties Comparison
| Property | RT5880 | RT5870 | RO3003 | RO4350B (ref) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dk (10GHz) | 2.20 | 2.33 | 3.0 | 3.48 |
| Df (10GHz) | 0.0009 | 0.0012 | 0.0010 | 0.0037 |
| Insertion loss | Lowest | Very low | Low | Moderate |
| Thermal conductivity | 0.20 W/m·K | 0.20 W/m·K | 0.50 W/m·K | 0.69 W/m·K |
| Process type | PTFE — plasma | PTFE — plasma | PTFE — plasma | Hydrocarbon |
| Thicknesses in stock | 6 (0.127–1.575mm) | Available | 2 (0.127, 0.254mm) | All standard |
| Prototype lead time | 7–10 days | 7–10 days | 7–10 days | 5–7 days |
The Key Trade-off: Dk, Df and Trace Width
The three materials present a trade-off between two competing design priorities:
- Lower Dk (RT5880 Dk 2.20) → wider 50Ω trace → lower insertion loss, but larger footprint
- Higher Dk (RO3003 Dk 3.0) → narrower 50Ω trace → easier to route dense designs (77GHz arrays), but slightly higher loss
RT5870 (Dk 2.33) sits between the two — slightly narrower traces than RT5880 while maintaining very low Df (0.0012), making it useful for wideband designs where compact layout matters more than absolute minimum loss.
The difference in Df between RT5880 (0.0009) and RO3003 (0.0010) is small — approximately 10% — and for most applications within a single frequency band, RO3003 is chosen over RT5880 not because of Df but because of trace width: at 77GHz with 0.127mm substrate, the narrower 50Ω trace of RO3003 (~0.28mm) enables λ/2 patch spacing of ~1.95mm, which is not achievable with RT5880 (~0.34mm trace) in the same stack.
50Ω Trace Width Comparison
| Substrate (thickness, copper) | RT5880 | RT5870 | RO3003 | RO4350B |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0.127mm, 0.5oz | ~0.34mm | ~0.30mm | ~0.28mm | ~0.26mm |
| 0.254mm, 1oz | ~0.72mm | ~0.64mm | ~0.60mm | ~0.54mm |
| 0.508mm, 1oz | ~1.42mm | ~1.28mm | ~0.95mm | ~0.83mm |
| 0.787mm, 1oz | ~2.20mm | ~1.98mm | ~1.47mm | ~1.28mm |
Trace widths are approximate and depend on production Dk tolerance. Always confirm 50Ω trace width against the actual material Dk certificate before tapering from design to production.
Application Selection Guide
| Application | Best Choice | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| Wideband EW receiver 2–18GHz | RT5880 | Lowest Df minimizes loss across wide BW |
| DRFM wideband input | RT5880 | Maximum loss budget preservation |
| 77GHz FMCW radar | RO3003 0.127mm | Lower Dk → narrower 50Ω trace → denser array |
| Ka-band patch antenna array | RO3003 0.127mm | Dk ±0.04 uniformity critical for array pointing |
| Ka-band phased array (AESA) | RO3003 | Tight Dk uniformity per panel |
| Compact wideband filter | RT5870 | Slightly higher Dk → more compact vs RT5880 |
| High power amplifier RF path | RO3003 | Higher thermal conductivity 0.50 W/m·K |
When to choose RT5880
RT5880 is the primary choice when absolute minimum insertion loss is the design objective — wideband EW receivers, DRFM input stages, ESM/ELINT antenna feeds, and any design where the loss budget is tight across a wide instantaneous bandwidth. The wider trace width is a disadvantage for dense array designs but acceptable for most filter, amplifier and divider designs. RT5880 is available in 6 thicknesses in stock at Riching PCB — see Rogers RT5880 PCB manufacturer.
When to choose RT5870
RT5870 (Dk 2.33) provides a compromise between RT5880’s minimum loss and RO3003’s compact trace geometry. The slightly higher Dk produces traces approximately 10% narrower than RT5880 at the same thickness, useful when circuit density is a constraint but RO3003’s Dk 3.0 produces traces that are too narrow for the available etching tolerance.
When to choose RO3003
RO3003 (Dk 3.0) is the standard choice for 77GHz radar, Ka-band patch antenna arrays and Ka-band phased arrays where element spacing is constrained by the operating frequency. The narrower 50Ω trace width and tight Dk tolerance (±0.04) make it the correct material for designs where trace geometry precision and element-to-element consistency matter more than absolute minimum loss. RO3003 0.127mm and 0.254mm are in stock — see Rogers RO3003 PCB manufacturer.
Process Notes — All Three Materials
- All three require in-house plasma activation — not outsourced — within 2 hours of copper plating
- Maximum 2 lamination press cycles — enforced for all PTFE grades
- PTFE-specific drill parameters — 40–60K RPM spindle speed
- TDR impedance verification — ±10% standard, ±5% available on request
- Rogers 2929 bondply available — for hybrid stackups combining any of these materials with FR4 inner layers
Frequently Asked Questions — RT5880 vs RT5870 vs RO3003
Request a PCB Quote
Upload your Gerber ZIP file and project requirements. Our engineering team will review your PCB material, stackup, impedance needs, surface finish, and production quantity before quoting.
Please prepare:
- Gerber files in ZIP format
- PCB material or stackup requirements
- Controlled impedance notes if available
- Prototype or batch production quantity