Aluminum PCB: The New Buzzword in Electronics

Aluminum Printed Circuit Board (PCB) are a type of Metal Core PCB (MCPCB) that are well-known for their heat dissipation properties.

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 PCB 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.

•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 PCB

A lot of beneficial features of these metal core PCB make them an ideal choice for a number of applications. So, what are these features? They are as follows:

•These PCB offer good electrical insulation, which facilitates excellent performance.

•Aluminum PCB have a good thermal conductivity.

•All components on these PCB are surface mounted.

•These PCB require smaller footprints, which helps reduce overall assembly and hardware costs.

•Aluminum PCB have a good mechanical durability, and are a great replacement to ceramic based PCB.

•Aluminum made PCB 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 Metal core PCB

Aluminum based PCB 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 MCPCB:

•Automobile: In the automobile industry, these PCB are used in power supply controller, ignition, electronic regulator, etc.

•Power Supply: These PCB are also used in power supply for SW regulator, DC / AC converter, switching regulator, etc.

•Audio Devices: Audio devices also employ these MCPCB 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 PCB are used in computer power supply devices, as well as CPU boards.