What are the types of PCB aluminum substrates ?
2024-01-23
There are many names for PCB aluminum substrates, aluminum cladding, aluminum PCB, metal clad printed circuit board (MCPCB), thermally conductive PCB, etc., the advantage of PCB aluminum substrate is that the heat dissipation is significantly better than the standard FR-4 structure, the dielectric used is usually 5 to 10 times the thermal conductivity of conventional epoxy glass, and the heat transfer index of one-tenth of the thickness is more efficient than the traditional rigid PCB, let's learn about the types of PCB aluminum substrates.
1. Flexible aluminum substrate
One of the latest developments in IMS materials is flexible dielectrics. These materials provide excellent electrical insulation, flexibility and thermal conductivity. When applied to flexible aluminum materials such as 5754 or similar, products can be formed to achieve a variety of shapes and angles, which can eliminate expensive fixtures, cables, and connectors. Although these materials are flexible, they are designed to bend in place and stay in place.
2. Mixed aluminum-aluminum substrate
In a "hybrid" IMS structure, the "sub-assemblies" of non-thermal matter are handled independently, and then the Amitron Hybrid IMS PCBs are bonded to an aluminum substrate with a hot material. The most common structure is a 2- or 4-layer subassembly made of conventional FR-4, which is bonded to an aluminum substrate with a thermoelectric to help dissipate heat, improve rigidity, and act as a shield. Other benefits include:
1. The cost is lower than that of building all thermal conductive materials.
2. Provide better thermal performance than standard FR-4 products.
3. It can eliminate expensive radiators and related assembly steps.
4. It can be used in RF applications that require the RF loss characteristics of PTFE surface layer.
5. Use component windows in aluminum to accommodate through-hole components, which allows connectors and cables to thread connectors through the substrate while welding fillets to create a seal without the need for special gaskets or other expensive adapters.
3. Multi-layer aluminum substrate
In the high-performance power market, multilayer IMS PCBs are made from multiple layers of thermally conductive dielectrics. These structures have one or more layers of circuitry embedded in the dielectric, with blind vias being used as hot vias or signal paths. While it is more expensive and less efficient to transfer heat in a single-layer design, they provide a simple and effective solution for heat dissipation for more complex designs.
4. Through-hole aluminum substrate
In the most complex structures, a layer of aluminum can form the "core" of multiple layers of thermal structure. Before lamination, the aluminum is pre-plated and filled with dielectrics. Thermal materials or sub-components can be laminated to both sides of aluminum using thermally bonded materials. Once laminated, the finished component resembles a traditional multi-layer aluminum substrate by drilling holes. Plated through-holes pass through gaps in aluminum to maintain electrical insulation. Alternatively, copper cores can allow direct electrical connections as well as insulated through-holes.
If you want to know more about PCB aluminum substrate types, welcome to leave a message!
Rogers PCB assembly
How to troubleshoot the short circuit fault of PCBA processing
SEND MESSAGE