IN Brief:
- Blueshift is spotlighting PhaseBlue 1500 Series Circuit Material at IMS 2026.
- The material uses an 85% air, 15% polyimide aerogel core.
- RF, microwave, CubeSat, UAV, radome, and phased-array designs are increasing demand for lighter, lower-loss substrates.
Blueshift will spotlight its PhaseBlue 1500 Series Circuit Material at IMS 2026, presenting a lightweight PCB substrate for RF, microwave, aerospace, defence, and high-speed communications designs.
The material is based on Blueshift’s nanoporous polyimide aerogel platform, with a core composed of 85% air and 15% polyimide. PhaseBlue 1500 offers a dielectric constant of 1.3 to 1.5 at 1GHz and a dissipation factor below 0.001 at 1GHz, while maintaining stable dielectric performance across a wide frequency range.
The substrate is up to 80% lighter than conventional laminates, with a density of 0.27g/cm³ to 0.45g/cm³. It is available in dielectric thicknesses from 0.0065in to 0.030in, or 165µm to 750µm, giving engineers a thin and formable material for 3D structures, conformal antennas, phased arrays, radomes, CubeSats, UAV communications, and high-speed aerospace links.
PhaseBlue 1500 integrates with existing FR-4 PCB processes, including DES, drilling, and etchback. That compatibility reduces the need for specialist equipment or major process changes, an important consideration for high-frequency materials that can otherwise require unfamiliar handling or fabrication steps.
The material is also PFAS-free, addressing regulatory and environmental pressure around perfluorinated materials in electronics. Many high-frequency PCB materials have historically relied on PTFE-based systems to deliver low loss, but that approach is coming under closer scrutiny as electronics manufacturers assess material compliance and long-term supply risk.
RF board design is being pulled in several directions at once. Higher-frequency communication systems need low loss, stable dielectric behaviour, and controlled signal propagation, while aerospace, defence, and satellite platforms demand lower weight, formability, and environmental resilience. In these systems, the PCB substrate is part of the RF structure, not only the carrier for components.
Material selection is already central to advanced electronic design, as shown by the relationship between ASIC applications and material considerations. PhaseBlue brings the same discipline to board-level RF design, where dielectric performance, mechanical behaviour, and fabrication compatibility all shape the final system.
For phased arrays and conformal antennas, weight and flexibility can be as important as insertion loss. A lighter and more formable laminate can open design routes for curved surfaces, small satellites, compact UAVs, and radome-integrated electronics. The ability to process the material through existing PCB workflows further reduces adoption friction for designers balancing RF performance with manufacturing practicality.
Blueshift will show the material at the IEEE International Microwave Symposium in Boston, with John Gardner, Speciality Electronics Consultant, scheduled to present on 10 June. The event brings the material directly in front of RF, microwave, and mmWave engineers working at the point where substrate limitations increasingly define system performance.
