What are the advantages of metal core boards?
Metal Core PCB, also known as MCPCB, Insulated Metal Substrate (IMS) or Heat Dissipating PCBS is one of the most widely used PCBs today. These PCBs have applications in various industrial electronic equipment. You may ask how these PCBs are different from regular PCBs. What are their advantages over standard CEM3 or FR4 PCB.
The basic structure of MCPCB includes:
Solder mask
Circuit layer
Copper layer
Dielectric layer
Metal core layer
Radiator
The base material used in this PCB is metal, not FR4 or CEM3 material. The most commonly used metals are Aluminum base board, steel alloy and copper. Aluminum is cheap and has good heat dissipation and transmission capabilities. Copper has better heat dissipation and transmission capabilities than aluminum and stainless steel, but it is expensive. Stainless steel is harder than copper and aluminum, and its thermal conductivity is also very low. Therefore, the choice of metal cores will depend on the applications in which they are used.
Types of metal core PCB
According to the position of the metal core and the wiring layer, PCBs are divided into four basic types. They include:
Single-layer MPCB: A PCB with a single trace layer on one side.
Double-layer MPCB: A PCB with two wiring layers on the same side.
Double-sided MPCB: These PCBs have two routing layers on each side.
Multilayer MPCB: These PCBs have more than two layers per board.
Application of MCPCB
Here are some applications that use MCPCB:
l LED lights: spotlights, high-current PCBs, high-current LEDs, street safety applications and all applications that use LEDs.
l Automobiles: power regulators, ignition tools, switching converters, variable optical systems, and electric motors for electric and hybrid vehicles.
l Power supply equipment: DC-DC converters, voltage regulators, high-density power conversion and switching regulators.
Audio equipment: balance, input and output, audio, power supply and pre-shielding amplifier.
Other electronic equipment: IC arrays, semiconductor heat shields, IC carrier chips, solar cell substrates, radiators and semiconductor refrigeration equipment.
Household appliances: flat panel displays, motor controls,
OA equipment: large electronic display substrate, thermal print head and printer driver.
Benefits of metal core PCB
The following advantages of metal core PCB make it an ideal choice for different industrial applications:
High thermal conductivity: Standard PCB with FR4 and CEM3 has weaker interlayer insulation and lower thermal conductivity. Without proper heat dissipation, the internal temperature may increase and affect internal components. The metal PCB made of aluminum has excellent thermal conductivity and helps keep the internal components safe.
Good dimensional stability: Compared with FR4 or CEM3 PCB, metal core PCB shows good dimensional stability. When the aluminum PCB is heated to a temperature of 30 degrees Celsius to 140~150 degrees Celsius, its size will expand between 2.5-3%.
High thermal expansion: The coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) is a term used to describe the expansion or contraction of a substance at temperature. The CTE of aluminum and copper is higher than ordinary FR4, and the thermal conductivity is 0.8~3.0 W/cK
