The IPC-4101E standard covers the requirements for base materials that are referred to as laminate or prepreg and listed in the specification sheets that are contained in the last of the main body. These are to be used primarily for rigid and multilayer printed boards for electronic interconnections. This IPC-4101E document contains 65 individual specification sheets that can be searched using keywords. These keywords allow this document’s user to find materials of a similar nature, but with specific differing properties that fine-tune their laminate and/or prepreg selection needs. This revision E now includes an Appendix A that provides supplemental inspection requirements, but only if required in the material user’s purchase order or master drawing. Number of pages 152. Released March 2017.
IPC-4101E – Specification for Base Materials for Rigid and Multilayer Printed Boards
Scope
This specification covers the requirements for base materials, herein referred to as laminate or prepreg, to be used primarily for rigid or multilayer printed boards for electrical and electronic circuits. Classification The system shown below identifies clad and unclad laminate or prepreg base materials. The specification sheets serve as a cross-reference connecting the outlined callout system in this document to previously used systems.Specification Sheet Description At the end of this document is a series of specification sheets. Each specification sheet outlines requirements for both laminate and prepreg for each product grade. The specification sheets are organized by a specific reinforcement type, resin system, and/or construction and are provided with a specification sheet number for ordering purposes. For convenience, the laminate and prepreg requirements for materials of the like composition are on the same specification sheet. Material Designator ‘‘L’’ indicates laminate material and Material Designator ‘‘P’’ indicates prepreg material as shown in designation examples in 1.1. When certifying to multiple specification sheets, the strongest performance requirements shall apply. The headings for each specification sheet include reference definitions for the material, which cover the reinforcements, resin systems, flame retardants, and fillers used, as well as its other known identifications and glass transition temperature, Tg. The specific line items within the specification sheets are the requirements that material shall meet in order to be certified to this specification. Specification sheets have no cancellation date. When no revision of IPC-4101 is called out, the latest revision of IPC-4101 shall apply. If previous revisions are used, then the specification sheet and revision shall be called out. Nominal Laminate Thickness The nominal thickness is identified by four digits. For all substrates covered by this document, thicknesses may be specified or measured either over the cladding or over the dielectric (see 1.1.4 and 3.8.4.2). For metric specification, the first digit represents whole millimeters, the second represents tenths of millimeters, etc. For orders requiring Imperial units, the four digits indicate the thickness in ten-thousandths of an inch. In the example shown in 1.1, 1500 designates a laminate with thickness of 1.5 mm
[0.0591 in], which would be specified as 0591 when using Imperial units.Preview the 4101E table of contents .pdf file.
Developed by the Laminate/Prepreg Materials Subcommittee (3-11) of the Printed Board Base Materials Committee (3-10) of IPC. Users of this standard are encouraged to participate in the development of future revisions.
