Saudi Basic Industries Corporation (SABIC) has launched its first polyetherimide (PEI) resin-based material for surface mount technology (SMT), ULTEM 3473 resin. This new product is designed to respond to the market trend of miniaturization and light weight of 5G base stations by providing metal replacement. For example, ULTEM 3473 resin helps reduce the weight of metal cavity filters by up to 40%. In a typical base station with a massive MIMO antenna filter, this weight reduction can be significant. In addition, the new resin enables innovative designs of Antenna Filter Integration (AFU) that cannot be achieved with metals. With the injection molding process, the antenna element and the cavity of the RF cavity filter can be produced in one piece. This approach simplifies the production process and promises additional weight and system cost savings.
"In our close collaboration with industry-leading companies, we have seen more and more 5G communication equipment manufacturers use lightweight materials to make it easier and faster to assemble, transport and install these components." SABIC Senior Commercial Manager Wang Li Qiu said. "We are committed to helping our customers achieve their design goals by providing an effective alternative to metal and helping to achieve an all-in-one antenna filter design."
Performance, processing and assembly advantages
Compared with metals and some thermoplastics, the new ULTEM 3473 resin offers advantages in product performance, processing and assembly. Parts produced with this new resin for surface mount technology (SMT) can withstand extreme short-term high temperatures of up to 260°C during assembly. Because ULTEM 3473 resin has a metal-like coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE), it provides long-term dimensional stability over a wide operating temperature range of -40°C to 150°C. The dimensional stability of the material also helps ensure consistent signal filtering in cavity filters by minimizing dimensional changes over these temperature ranges. According to SABIC's internal tests, the coefficient of thermal expansion of plastic materials with low glass transition temperature increases significantly at temperatures above 85°C to 90°C.
ULTEM 3473 resin provides excellent surface metallization properties in metallization processes, in addition to its low coefficient of thermal expansion and compatibility with surface mount technology, thereby ensuring good adhesion between metal layers and plastics , while reducing the surface roughness. These advantages help reduce signal loss and ensure long-term component reliability.
For customers, ULTEM 3473 resin helps to significantly shorten the production cycle of new antenna filter units compared to similar products made from metal. The integration of multiple components using an injection molding process can help manufacturers increase production capacity, respond more quickly to the growing market demand for 5G components, and is expected to further reduce the weight and system cost of 5G base stations.
"Our new ULTEM 3473 resin is the first in its portfolio designed for 5G base stations and other electronic devices," said SABIC senior researcher Jiang Siguang. "In addition to key properties such as good dielectric constant and dissipation factor, this material can also provide excellent thermal performance in SMT assembly processes. The improved flow properties also help customers to miniaturize complex designs. ULTEM 3473 Resin is not only an excellent product choice for 5G communication equipment, but is also expected to be used in other fields such as industry or electrical that have higher requirements for lightweight solutions."
SABIC's new ULTEM 3473 resin is now available for global markets.
