Advancing Substrate Materials for Next-Generation Electronics: Isola’s Technical Commitment
As system complexity and performance requirements continue to rise, the materials that serve as the foundation for advanced printed circuit boards (PCBs) and packaging substrates play an increasingly critical role. At Isola, we are committed to advancing substrate technology that meets the stringent demands of electrical performance, dimensional stability, and manufacturability, while also reinforcing supply chain resilience through production capabilities in Asia, U.S., and Europe.
Precision Control of Coefficient of Thermal Expansion (CTE)
The Coefficient of Thermal Expansion (CTE) of dielectric materials directly impacts reliability in both PCB and advanced packaging applications. Mismatches between the CTE of copper, silicon, and substrate materials can induce stress during thermal cycling, leading to via cracking, delamination, and bond failures.
Isola’s next-generation materials are engineered to address these diverse application needs:
In-plane CTEs approaching ~4 ppm/°C
Applications: Critical for semiconductor packaging, chiplet integration, 2.5D/3D architectures, AI accelerators, and high-density flip-chip bonding where silicon-to-substrate thermal matching is required. Matching silicon (~2.6–4 ppm/°C) minimizes warpage, reduces die placement compensation, improves reliability in underfill and solder interconnects, and ensures mechanical stability during thermal cycling.
In-plane CTEs closer to ~17 ppm/°C (aligned with copper)
Applications: Essential for traditional multilayer PCBs, high-speed networking boards, aerospace systems, and automotive electronics where copper foils are the dominant conductor. Aligning with copper (~17 ppm/°C) minimizes dimensional instability during lamination and reflow, reducing the risk of registration errors and mechanical stress in plated through-holes (PTHs).
Z-axis CTEs optimized to < 10-20 ppm/°C
Reducing stress on plated vias and stacked microvias, ensuring structural integrity in both high-layer-count PCBs and advanced HDI substrates.
High glass transition temperatures (Tg > 200 °C)
Expanding process margins for lead-free assembly and high-temperature applications.
By tailoring CTE targets to the needs of both silicon packaging and copper-dominated PCB structures, Isola provides a versatile materials platform spanning the spectrum of next-generation electronics.
Superior Electrical Properties for High-Speed Design
As frequencies push into the tens of gigahertz, the dielectric constant (Dk) and dissipation factor (Df) of substrates become defining parameters for signal integrity. Even slight variations can lead to skew, attenuation, and cross-talk in high-speed systems.
Isola’s advanced materials are designed with:
• Stable Dk values (3.2–3.7 range) over frequency and temperature, minimizing impedance drift.
• Ultra-low Df (< 0.002 at 10 GHz) to reduce insertion loss in high-speed digital and RF applications.
• Tight Dk/Df tolerance control across production lots, ensuring consistent electrical performance from design through manufacturing.
• Low moisture absorption (<0.1%), preserving electrical properties and reliability in humid environments.
These attributes enable designers to meet the rigorous demands of 5G infrastructure, high-performance computing, high-speed networking, aerospace, and advanced automotive electronics.
Enabling Manufacturability and Reliability
Beyond electrical and thermal performance, manufacturability remains central to adoption. Isola substrates are developed with a focus on:
• Laser-drillable resin systems optimized for HDI microvias.
• Robust copper adhesion to withstand multiple lamination cycles.
• CAF (Conductive Anodic Filament) resistance through tailored resin chemistry and glass treatments.
• Compatibility with existing lamination processes, reducing risk in scaling to high-volume manufacturing.
Building Supply Chain Resilience
While material performance is paramount, supply assurance has become a defining challenge for OEMs and fabricators. By maintaining manufacturing footprints in Asia, U.S., and Europe, Isola ensures:
• Localized supply for critical regions, reducing risk of disruption.
• Reduced logistics dependencies and shorter lead times.
• Regulatory compliance with regional content requirements in sensitive markets such as defense and aerospace.
This commitment to regional production not only strengthens supply chain resilience but also supports long-term innovation by ensuring that advanced materials are available where and when they are needed.
Conclusion
The next wave of electronic systems will demand substrates with exceptional thermal, electrical, and mechanical properties backed by a resilient global supply chain. At Isola, our technical innovations in CTE control (down to ~4 ppm/°C for silicon packaging and ~17 ppm/°C for copper-based PCBs), low-loss dielectric systems, and reliability engineering are enabling engineers to design with confidence while ensuring materials availability across global markets.
We are not only advancing material performance; we are building the substrate for the future of electronics.
08 September 2025
