In recent years we have been facing more and more opportunities to handle immense quantities of data in our daily lives − i.e. video, image, music, voice data, etc. Furthermore, the popularization of IoT is forecast to lead to the transmission of even vaster quantities of data in the future. IT and telecom devices such as smartphones and tablet computers have been the primary drivers in this progress. The trend towards smaller, lighter and more functionality has been driving even further progress.

In addition, looking to the field of automotive, development of autonomous vehicle technology is proceeding at a rapid pace. Increased adoption of high-speed data transmission components is forecast in order to capture data from sensors and cameras while driving in real time and control the vehicle. Such increasing data volumes transmitted at increasingly higher speeds is leading to a shift towards higher frequency transmission signals and wider bands. This trend brings in increasing demands for high performance and high reliability electronic parts that can be applied in the microwave and millimeter wave high frequency bands.

When designing high-speed transmission components, it is important to ensure good impedance consistency. Thus, materials for the films and connectors used in cabling, antenna and circuit boards must be prepared with a wide range of dielectric constants. To this end, we commenced the development of low-dielectric and low-dielectric-tangent materials made of liquid crystal polymer (LCP), a resin which is widely used in connectors. Here we have debuted LAPEROS^® LCP E420P as the first in a series of low dielectric grades. While securing LCP's inherent high heat resistance, mechanical properties and chemical resistance, the new grade E420P realizes flowability and low warpage that can be applied to connector applications. Here we introduce this new grade along with our ongoing developments of a series of low dielectric grades.

Generally speaking, plastics are insulating materials and do not conduct electricity. However, when viewed at the molecular level, they possess positive and negative charges and when placed in an electric field, they enter into a polarized state like a magnet. The "dielectric constant" expresses how readily a material polarizes. When a plastic material is subjected to an alternating signal, the positive and negative charges commence inversion motion. When a high frequency signal is applied, molecular polarization inversion can no longer be tracked. Consequently, the electrical energy is consumed as thermal energy. The extent of this electrical energy loss is expressed ......

22th March 2018