MCPCB Capabilities

Metal Base Material Type: Copper/Aluminum/Stainless Steel/Iron

Max. Layer: 8 layers

Max. Board Thickness: 4.0mm

Max. Panel Size: 1500mm x 600mm

Max. Copper Weight (Inner/Outer Layer): 6oz

Drilling Size on Aluminum Base: Max. 6.4mm, Min. 0.55mm

Drilling Size on Copper Base: Max. 6.0mm, Min. 0.6mm

Max. Breakdown Voltage: 6000V/AC

Heat Dissipation Performance: 12W/m.K

Advantages of MCPCB

Metal core PCBs have some unique advantages over traditional FR4 PCBs, including:

Superior heat dissipation: MCPCBs,utilizing a metal substrate such as aluminum or copper, offer excellent thermal conductivity.This allows MCPCBs to have effective heat dissipation in high-power and high-temperature applications,reducing the operating temperature of circuit components and enhancing system reliability and lifespan.

Reduced reliance on heatsinks and other bulky hardware: In comparison to traditional fiberglass-based substrates,which have poorer thermal conductivity, MCPCBs can better meet heat dissipation requirements,reducing the need for additional hardware such as heatsinks.

The durability of aluminum: Aluminum,in contrast to commonly used materials in PCB manufacturing such as ceramics and fiberglass,possesses higher strength and durability.It is a highly robust metal that helps minimize the risk of accidental damage during production stages,assembly processes,or normal usage of the final product.

Lighter weight and higher recyclability: PCBs with metal substrates are lighter, longer-lasting, and exhibit better conductivity compared to traditional PCBs made with epoxy resin materials.Additionally,they are more environmentally friendly,as the metals used (including aluminum) are non-toxic and easily recyclable.

Dimensional stability: Metal-based printed circuit boards exhibit greater dimensional stability compared to PCBs made with traditional materials like FR-4,as environmental conditions change.Through heating processes ranging from 30°C to approximately 150°C,PCBs with metal layers (such as aluminum) experience minimal dimensional changes, typically ranging from 2.5% to 3.0%.

Metal Core PCB Application

PCBs that require a lot of power usually generate a lot of heat. If your PCBs need fast cooling it is better to use Metal Core PCB than FR4. The following list includes some of the most popular applications that work great with this technology:

LED Lighting

Power Conversion Systems

Power Supplies

Photovoltaics

Telecom & Industrial

Automotive Electronics

What is a Metal Core PCB (MCPCB)?

A Metal Core Printed Circuit Board (MCPCB), also known as a thermal PCB or metal backed PCB, is a type of PCB that has a metal material as its base for the heat spreader portion of the board. The thick metal (almost always aluminum or copper) is covering 1 side of the PCB. Metal core can be in reference to the metal, being either in the middle somewhere or on the back of the board. The purpose of the core of an MCPCB is to redirect heat away from critical board components and to less crucial areas such as the metal heatsink backing or metallic core. Base metals in the MCPCB are used as an alternative to FR4 or CEM3 boards.

Metal Core PCB Stackup

MCPCBs consist of a conductive layer,a thermal insulation layer board,and a metal substrate layer.

The Types of MCPCB

Based on the different positions of PCB metal core and trace layers,MCPCB can be classified into five basic types：

Single layer MCPCB (only one trace layer on one side)

It consists of a single copper conductive layer, a metal substrate (such as aluminum),and a dielectric layer as an insulator.

COB MCPCB (chip-on-board MCPCB, one trace layer)

COB MCPCB (Chip-on-Board Metal Core Printed Circuit Board) features microchips (also known as bare dies) that directly contact the metal core.The metal core dissipates heat and provides electrical interconnections with the circuit board's traces (wire bonding),thus supplying power.

Double layers MCPCB (two trace layers on the same side)

A two-layer MCPCB consists of a metal core (usually made of aluminum or copper) and two copper conductive layers on the same side. The metal base is located at the bottom of the entire MCPCB, unlike a double-sided MCPCB where the two copper layers are placed on each side of the metal core. The assembly can only be done on the top surface.

Double-sided MCPCB (two trace layers on each side)

Similar to two-layer metal-based PCB, double-sided metal core PCB also has two layers of copper conductors, but the metal core is positioned between the two conductors. Therefore, there are conductors (traces) on both sides of the metal core, and they are interconnected through vias. Hence, it is called "double-sided metal core PCB," and you can mount SMD components on both the top and bottom sides.

Multi-layers MCPCB (more than 2 trace layers per board)

A multi-layer MCPCB consists of two or more conductive layers separated by the thermally conductive dielectric material. At the bottom of the structure is the metal substrate, and SMT components can only be placed on one side. The use of THT components is not allowed, but it provides the possibility of manufacturing blind vias and buried vias with internal signal layers and power or ground planes.

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