Aluminum PCBs are common insulated metal substrate PCBs (IMSPCB) widely used for LED lights, automotive lighting, and other high thermal conductivity applications. The thermal conductivity of aluminum PCBs is usually 1W/mK or 2W/mK. If an aluminum PCB’s thermal conductivity can’t satisfy your expected application requirements, why not consider copper-based PCBs?
Copper-base PCBs have better thermal conductivity than aluminum PCBs and provide you with much more design possibilities.
A copper base PCB is a metal core PCB with a copper substrate. If a hybrid PCB whose substrate is a copper plate inlay in the FR4 board, it is also a copper base PCB.
Usually, copper-base PCBs have the same structure as aluminum PCBs – single-layer, double-layer with single component-mounting side, double-layer with dual component-mounting sides, and four-layer with dual component-mounting sides. Even they use the same prepreg material to insulate the copper layers. However, the copper substrate (398W/mK) has better thermal conductivity than the aluminum substrate (237W/mK).
What’s more, there’s thermoelectric separation technology (also called direct touch technology) for copper-base PCBs. It means by solder mask opening and electroplating copper to increase the copper thickness of required positions, the heat conducts directly from the LEDs or other components to the copper base, while the circuit network is independent of the thermal network.
Applications of Copper-Base PCBs
Copper base PCBs are used for high-power applications, applications in areas with large temperature differences, and heat dissipation for precision communication equipment. And some applications of copper-base PCBs are:
LED lights: copper-base PCBs can be used for LED lights, especially COB LED lights. COB LEDs can be bonded to the LED plates by gold wires or solder balls from PCBONLINE, and then the LED module is surface-mounted on the copper-base PCB to make the LED lights.
Automotive lighting: double component-mounting-sided copper-base PCBs can be used for the headlight of vehicles. The double-sided copper-base PCB provides high efficiency, excellent heat dissipation, and a superior spotlight effect. Both regular copper-base PCBs and thermoelectric separation PCBs can serve automotive lights.
Charging piles for electric vehicles: copper-base PCBs can be used for the charging piles for EVs and HEVs. For example, the adaptor board in the high-power charging pile is a copper/FR4 hybrid PCB. For reliability and safety, in the PCB design, large-current circuits and small-current circuits are separated. The copper plate areas conduct large currents and dissipate heat, and the FR4 areas conduct small currents and signals.
Conclusion
Copper-based PCBs have good thermal conductivity and are used for high-power devices and systems. There are regular copper-base PCBs with 1W/mK to 9W/mK thermal conductivity, and thermoelectric separation copper-base PCBs with 398W/mK thermal conductivity. For copper-base PCB fabrication and assembly, you can consider the one-stop manufacturer Hitech Circuits Co., Limited, who can manufacture from prototype to bulk production and offer you cost-effective and quality fabrication.
If you have metal core PCB inquiry, please contact us freely, thanks.
Hitech Circuits Co., Limited