High Speed PCB Materials of Megtron 6 vs EM-888

The development of high-speed signal transmission and switching circuits used in the new generation of computers, communications, and storage devices has been the main highlight of electronics technology during the latter half of this century. This remarkable progress can be attributed to unique circuit components made possible by various microminiature processing techniques such as etching and deposition. The same technologies apply to printed circuit board (PCB) fabrication, whereby a blanket dielectric layer is deposited onto multiple controlled-sized substrates and then etched at high accuracy to produce complex patterns for electrical interconnections.

There are a lot of PCB materials on the market, but each material has its profile. There are several factors that affect the quality of a printed circuit board, like thickness, base material, coating, and mask; not only that, but the type of conductive metal traces and circuit board thickness will provide additional strength and durability to your board.

Megtron 6 vs. EM-888 are two of the most commonly used high speed PCB materials in the industry. It is hard to get a reliable comparison of Megatron 6 vs. EM-888 since so much of each website only talks about their positive aspects. We thought it would be great to make a benchmark comparison of the two boards and help make your decision easier.

Megtron 6 VS EM-888 PCB Material Specification

Megtron 6 is an extremely high-performance, highly rigid PCB material. It offers outstanding thermal and mechanical properties and is particularly suited for high-speed applications. The high speed PCB materials of megtron 6 are advanced composite materials made by adding copper powder into polyimide resin. It has excellent thermal stability, electrical insulation properties, and a low thermal expansion coefficient. This kind of material combines the characteristics of polyimide resin with copper powder and has wide applications in high-speed signal transmission line insulation materials and electromagnetic interference shielding materials in the modern information technology field.

EM-888 is a high speed PCB material. It is used for high frequency signal transmission. EM-888 is a copper-clad laminate base material that has good thermal conductivity. The copper-clad laminate base material has a thin copper layer on both sides of the board that acts as the central conductor of the circuit. This material can withstand the high speeds and power requirements of this machine level without degrading the performance of the components on it. It also offers excellent thermal conductivity to transfer heat away from the board more efficiently, and the components do not overheat.

Megtron 6 VS EM-888 PCB Design Specification and Application

Megtron 6 offers outstanding thermal expansion and dimensional stability properties over a wide temperature range. The material exhibits very low creep under stress over long periods of creep, defined as changes in dimensions under constant pressure. This makes Megatron 6 highly suitable for highly reliable applications over long service lifetimes, e.g., military equipment.

EM-888 is available in two different grades; EM-888A and EM-888B. These grades differ in the amount of copper they contain, with EM-888A having more copper than EM-888B. The higher copper content in EM-888A gives this grade more excellent thermal conductivity than EM-888B, while the lower copper content in EM-888B allows it to be processed faster than EM-888A. EM-888 has been specifically developed to meet the requirements of the telecoms industry, with particular emphasis on microwave and millimeter-wave applications. The material also meets all relevant MIL standards for military and aerospace applications.

Megtron 6 VS EM-888 PCB Dielectric Constant and Dissipation Factor

The high speed PCB materials of Megtron 6 have a dielectric constant of 3.71 and a dissipation factor of 0.002. The dielectric constant can be lowered further by increasing the volume resistivity, increasing the dissipation factor. The value of 3.71 was chosen because it provides a high dielectric constant with a low dissipation factor that is still low enough to allow operation at frequencies up to 10 GHz without requiring expensive fabrication techniques.

The material is used to manufacture high frequency printed circuit boards that require low attenuation and low dielectric constant. The EM-888 PCB material has a dielectric constant of 3.8 and a dissipation factor of 0.0055.

Variety and Thickness

Megtron 6 is available in a variety of thicknesses from .010″ up to .250″ thick, with most thicknesses available in both 1/16″ and 1/32″ diameter copper traces. Depending on the application requirements, the copper layer can be either through-hole or surface mount pad types.

The thickness of EM-888 ranges from 0.5mm to 6mm, making it suitable for any PCB design, from small single-sided boards to complex multi-layer assemblies. EM-888 can be processed by different methods to form different shapes and sizes, and it can be processed into various shapes through drilling, cutting, and other processes without affecting its electrical properties.

FR4 Quality

The material of the EM-888 PCB is FR4, which is okay. But Megatron 6's PCB is made from high-quality double side FR4, which can better withstand high temperature and electrostatic charge.

Soldering

The EM-888 uses a non-reflow soldering technique that requires a reflow oven to ensure good solder joints. The Megatron 6 uses the micro solder process, guaranteeing good joints without needing a reflow oven.

Traces

Megtron 6 has a one-sided design with traces on the top side of the board, which is better than EM-888's double-sided design, where there is no ground plane under the top layer of traces and vias. This can make routing easier because you do not need to worry about cutting traces on both sides of the board like with EM-888. However, EM-888 has more space between traces, so that it may be more suitable for high speed signals.

Hemeixin's Recommendation

Megtron 6 is a more expensive option than EM-888 but offers better performance for your projects due to its higher density and thicker layers. If you are looking for an even stronger material, Hemeixin suggest that you should consider Megtron 6, which is essentially the same as Megatron 5 but with additional copper plating on both sides of the board. This creates an even stronger layer between the two sides of your board so that it does not bend easily when you put pressure on it during soldering or assembly processes.