Definition

Rogers RO3003 is a ceramic-filled PTFE laminate with CTE matched to copper (17 ppm/°C X/Y), designed for extreme frequency stability. Dk 3.00 ±0.04 at 10 GHz, Df 0.0010-0.0013, TCDk -3 ppm/°C (exceptional). The copper-matched CTE provides reliability through thermal cycling that pure PTFE cannot match. RO3003 is the standard choice for 77 GHz automotive radar (adaptive cruise control, collision avoidance) and 5G millimeter-wave applications. Like all PTFE materials, it requires surface activation (sodium naphthalene or plasma) for copper adhesion. Cost runs 8-15x FR-4. Specify RO3003 when you need both lowest Df and dimensional stability at millimeter-wave frequencies.