Integrated Properties Improvement of Glass/Epoxy FR-4 Copper Clad Laminates via the Modification by Bismaleimide

Abstract

A new matrix system, coded as brominated epoxy (BE), with greatly improved thermal, electric, and dielectric properties as well as water-resistance for copper-clad laminates (CCLs) was developed via the modification of a commercial FR-4 CCLs-based brominated epoxy/dicyandiamide (BEP/Dicy) system with bismaleimide/diallylbisphenol A (BMI/DB). The prepregging parameters were optimized on the basis of the investigations of the reactivity and gel profile of the BE system and the performance requirements of final CCLs. Comparison of CCLs based on the BE system with commercial FR-4 based on BEP/Dicy demonstrated that the former has better integrated properties than does the latter, especially the thermal, electric, dielectric, and water-resistance properties. For example, the values of the dielectric constant and dielectric loss of optimized BE-based CCLs are only 74%, and 50%, respectively, that of commercial FR-4, meanwhile, the glass transition temperature of the former is 68°C higher than is that of the latter. Moreover, the water resistance of the former is 68% lower than is that of the latter, suggesting that BE could be a potential candidate for a high performance matrix for CCLs with wide applications.