Rogers is the name of a major maker of RF and microwave laminates, and designers use it generically for any low-loss material with tightly controlled Dk, whether PTFE-based or hydrocarbon ceramic. Such materials hold Dk and loss steady across frequency and temperature, which RF front ends, radar and antennas need. They cost far more than FR-4 and some need special drilling and plating, so boards often use them only on the outer layer of a hybrid stackup bonded to FR-4.
Only the top layer goes on Rogers for the antenna feed, everything below it is FR-4, it's a hybrid build.
Also heard as
- RF laminate
- high-frequency laminate
Related terms
Dk
Dielectric constant: how much a board material slows signals and sets trace impedance, relative to vacuum.
FR-4
Flame-retardant glass-epoxy laminate grade that is the default base material for rigid circuit boards.
Laminate
Sheet of reinforced resin, usually clad with copper foil, that rigid printed circuit boards are built from.
Impedance control
Designing and building traces to a target impedance, such as 50 or 100 ohms, within a set tolerance.