To meet the high-frequency, high-speed communication requirements of 5G, circuit board materials need to possess superior high-frequency characteristics and lower signal loss, while ideally being lighter and cost-effective. To meet market demands, 3M has launched a new generation of hollow glass sphere material. This material features lightweight, low signal loss, and low cost, and is a high-performance, low-dielectric-constant high-frequency, high-speed (HSHF) resin filler.
Hollow glass beads, originally widely used in consumer products and packaging materials, have gained significant traction in the PCB and CCL markets used in 5G equipment due to their excellent high-frequency characteristics, low cost, and lightweight properties.
3M's hollow glass spheres have been around for over half a century, and their superior properties have led to their widespread application in consumer products, electronics, packaging, and sporting goods. However, Brian Meyer, President of 3M's Advanced Materials division, stated that the company has never limited itself to existing applications of any material, and the innovative applications of hollow glass spheres are the best proof of this. As a resin filler, the new hollow glass sphere material can significantly improve high-frequency signal transmission speeds while reducing signal loss. These properties perfectly align with the needs of 5G communication, and therefore, the material has been adopted by 5G copper foil substrate (CCL) and printed circuit board manufacturers worldwide.
Andrew D'Souza, Global Glass Microsphere Lab Manager at 3M, pointed out that 3M's hollow glass microsphere products are currently suitable for signal bands below 6 GHz, but 3M will continue to move forward, hoping to develop hollow glass microsphere products towards the millimeter wave band.
Yin Guozhong, General Manager of 3M Taiwan's Automotive and Electronics Business Group, stated that in addition to traditional applications of weight reduction and heat insulation, 3M's hollow glass spheres have recently been developed for 5G heat dissipation applications. To accelerate Taiwan's 5G infrastructure development, we are collaborating with CCL manufacturers in Taiwan and have successfully developed heat dissipation products that meet the requirements of 5G transmission. We hope that our spirit of using technology to improve lives will bring greater benefits and more possibilities to 5G development and infrastructure construction.
The lightweight, low signal loss, and low cost characteristics of hollow glass spheres perfectly address the challenges of widespread 5G application adoption. To achieve better network coverage and reduce signal latency, 5G networks require a large number of micro base stations. Therefore, even base station equipment faces stringent requirements regarding size and weight, making lightweight, small-particle-size fillers a new benchmark for selecting materials for micro base station installations. 3M hollow glass spheres are lightweight, with a volume approximately 20 times larger than traditional solid mineral fillers of the same weight. In terms of cost per unit volume, the ability of 3M hollow glass spheres to reduce costs and increase performance in many applications is significant. Their unique lightweight properties help copper foil substrate designers create smooth, lightweight 5G copper foil substrates, leading to the production of printed circuit boards used in 5G wireless communication. Furthermore, 3M hollow glass spheres are incorporated into the manufacturing processes of 5G-related communication products, such as base station components, antenna covers, and even mobile phone casings.
Overcoming signal loss and interference in high-frequency communication has always been a significant challenge in printed circuit board (PCB) manufacturing, and this problem is exacerbated by the even higher signal frequencies of 5G. 3M hollow glass spheres, used as resin fillers, allow engineers to precisely control the conductivity of copper foil substrates, reduce transmission losses under high-frequency signals, and significantly improve the reliability of communication propagation. Among existing materials, 3M hollow glass spheres are among the fillers with the lowest dielectric constant.
