IEC 61249-2-13:1999

Overview

IEC 61249-2-13:1999 specifies requirements for cyanate ester non-woven aramid copper-clad laminate used as base material for printed circuit boards and other interconnecting structures. The standard covers clad and unclad reinforced base material in thicknesses from 0.05 mm to 6.4 mm, and defines mechanical, electrical and flammability characteristics for a laminate designated FV1 (defined flammability).

Key topics and technical requirements

• Material construction: cyanate ester resin bonded non-woven aramid base with copper foil bonded to one or both sides. Preferred copper is type E1 (standard electro-deposited copper) per IEC 61249-5-1.
• Thickness tolerances: detailed nominal thicknesses and coarse/fine tolerances for clad and unclad conditions (examples: ±0.15 mm coarse for 0.8 mm clad, finer tolerances available on order). At least 90% of the area must meet tolerances.
• Electrical properties (test methods from IEC 61189-2): requirements for surface resistance, volume resistivity, dielectric strength (optional), relative permittivity ≤ 4.0 after damp heat recovery, and dissipation factor ≤ 0.03 after damp heat recovery.
• Adhesion and bond strength: pull-off strength ≥ 60 N; peel strength minimums specified for common foil weights (e.g., ≥0.7 N/mm for 35 µm foil), plus requirements after heat shock and simulated plating.
• Flammability (FV1): vertical burning test (IEC 61189-2 method 2C06) limits-flame application times and total flaming/glowing combustion times (e.g., ≤30 s per flame application; total ≤250 s; glowing ≤60 s).
• Mechanical and processing attributes: surface appearance limits (scratches, pin-holes, blisters), dimensional stability under heat (e.g., conditioning at ~170 °C with specified mm/m limits), drilling/shearing behavior and restrictions on delamination at drilled holes.
• Inspection and acceptance: internal marking not specified; packaging, marking and acceptance testing procedures are covered by the standard.

Applications and users

IEC 61249-2-13 is intended for:

• PCB designers and materials engineers selecting flame-retardant base materials.
• PCB fabricators and OEMs specifying copper-clad laminates for multilayer and single-sided boards.
• Procurement and quality teams validating supplier material compliance (electrical, mechanical and flammability tests). Use cases include any printed circuit board or interconnecting structure that requires controlled flammability, stable dielectric properties and reliable copper-to-laminate adhesion.

Related standards

• IEC 61189-2: Test methods for electrical materials and interconnection structures (referenced test procedures).
• IEC 61249-5-1: Sectional specification for copper foils used to produce copper-clad base materials.

Keywords: IEC 61249-2-13, cyanate ester laminate, non-woven aramid, copper-clad laminate, PCB base materials, FV1 flammability, dielectric constant, peel strength, electrical properties.