Aluminum Printed Circuit Boards (PCBs) are a type of Metal Core PCBs (MCPCBs) that are well-known for their heat dissipation properties. The heat dissipation is conducted through a thin layer of thermally conductive dielectric material. These circuit boards are also referred as Aluminum base PCBs or Aluminum Clad PCBs. These types of PCBs are not only good at dissipating heat, but also help cool components, which improves the overall performance of the circuit. What is so significant about these PCBs? What are their benefits? Where are these PCBs used? Read on to get answers to all these questions.
The Structure of an Aluminum PCB:
A metal PCB is made from Aluminum base Copper Clad Laminate (CCL), which acts as a raw material. These PCBs are made up of three layers, and contain metal substrate, copper foil, and thermal infusion layer. The three layers are:
- Base Layer: This layer is made from a metal core. Most commonly, copper base and aluminum base are used in this layer.
- Dielectric Layer: This layer consists of a dielectric, and provides low thermal resistant and thermal insulation. This layer has a thickness that varies between 0.003ʺ and 0.006ʺ.
- Circuit Layer: The circuit layer is made up of PCB copper clad laminate. The thickness of copper foil can vary from l oz to 10 oz.
Beneficial Features of Aluminum PCBs
A lot of beneficial features of these metal core PCBs make them an ideal choice for a number of applications. So, what are these features? They are as follows:
- These PCBs offer good electrical insulation, which facilitates excellent performance.
- Aluminum PCBs have a good thermal conductivity.
- All components on these PCBs are surface mounted.
- These PCBs require smaller footprints, which helps reduce overall assembly and hardware costs.
- Aluminum PCBs have a good mechanical durability, and are a great replacement to ceramic based PCBs.
- Aluminum made PCBs lower the operating temperatures of products, thus increasing the power density and reliability of the circuit. This property helps the product to have a longer shelf life.
Applications of Aluminum PCBs
Aluminum based PCBs are used in a wide range of applications, due to the numerous advantages that it has. Here are some of the major applications using these MCPCBs:
- Automobile: In the automobile industry, these PCBs are used in power supply controller, ignition, electronic regulator, etc.
- Power Supply: These PCBs are also used in power supply for SW regulator, DC / AC converter, switching regulator, etc.
- Audio Devices: Audio devices also employ these MCPCBs for various stages such as power amplifier, preamplifier, and audio amplifier.
- Power Modules: Power modules, which include rectifier bridges, solid state relays, and inverters are equipped with Aluminum PCB.
- Computers: Aluminum clad PCBs are used in computer power supply devices, as well as CPU boards.
All the above-mentioned beneficial features and advantages make Aluminum PCB a buzzword in today’s technological world. If you have any PCB design requirements, you can get in touch with the experts. Rigiflex is one such expert players in design and manufacture of PCBs. For more information about Aluminum PCBs, please visit http://www.rigiflex.com/, or contact the company at (714) 688-1500.
