Metal Core/MC PCB Manufacturer: Ultimate Guide

Metal core PCBs (MCPCBs) are circuit boards with a metal substrate layer that have superior thermal conductivity and are used in high-density circuits to dissipate heat quickly. They have increased durability, use dielectric polymer layers and take less space on the board than traditional PCBs. They are more effective at dissipating heat than traditional PCBs.

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Description

What Is Metal Core PCB?

Metal Core

MCPCBs, or metal core PCBs, are circuit boards with a metal substrate layer. Aluminum, copper, and steel alloy are the three most often utilized MCPCB metals. The most economical PCBs are those made of aluminum; they are inexpensive and have superior thermal conductivity and capability.

PCBs made of copper function better than those made of aluminum, although they cost more. Steel-based PCBs have a poorer heat conductivity than the first two materials, but they are tougher. Metal PCBs are renowned for their superior thermal conductivity.

Circuits have developed toward miniaturization, lightness, multifunction, and high performance along with the advancement of electronics requirements. The stability and dependability of electronic products are thus greatly impacted by heat issues.

When manufacturers do PCB assembly prototyping and mass production, the metal core circuit board is the efficient solution for thermal issues in high-density circuits.

What Are the Main Advantages of Metal-Core PCBs?

Advantages

The main benefits of using metal core PCBs are:

  1. It has a unique substrate material that increases the durability of high-temperature device designs.
  2. The PCBs can dissipate extra heat from devices.
  3. Dielectric polymer layers that have high thermal conductivity can be combined with them to make them appropriate for low thermal resistivity.
  4. The PCBs dissipate heat nine times more quickly than standard FR4 PCBs.
  5. In terms of its mechanical strength, it is fairly stable and strong.

Metal Core PCB Vs Fr4 PCB: Similarities and Differences

Printed circuit boards are available in two types: standard FR4 boards or metal base PCBs (such as aluminum PCBs).

The FR4 type of PCB is perfectly acceptable to use even if some industries, like LED, prefer the former. In fact, you should continue using them for the foreseeable future if you have been using them in your production operations.

It is believed that knowing the difference between FR4 boards and printed circuit boards with metal cores can be helpful.

Let’s explore the main differences.

Thermal conductivity

Most electronic devices need circuit boards with effective heat dissipation. Metal core PCBs are particularly effective in this regard since they are designed to increase the dependability of functions that work at temperatures above the norm.

They also have “dielectric” components with a high thermal conductivity that perform as a heat-wicking bridge between the parts of the plate, enabling heat to go from the core to the heat sink.

In order to prevent potentially dangerous hotspots on FR4 boards, a topical heat sink must be introduced to transport heat through the board.

Surface-mounted components

Surface-mounted components operate best on a metal-core printed circuit board. The metal core PCB’s bottom layer, in contrast to the FR4 boards, is a thick metal that doesn’t work well with plated via holes.

PCBs based on FR4 substrates must transfer temperature via a closely spaced pattern across each component. This can be achieved by the metal PCB material itself. The majority of metal PCBs only require a few mounting holes as opposed to continuous drilling since the metal is more effective at providing thermal relief.

As a result, in a bottleneck operation inside a printed circuit board facility, the fabricator can move metal PCBs more quickly than FR4 boards.

Board space

It is common practice among makers of metal core PCBs to place a die or microchip in close proximity to the metal’s core in order to disperse heat. Makers can use them in place of heat sinks by using wire bonding to electrically connect the circuit board’s numerous traces.

This not only requires less space on the board but also makes installing components like power transistors simpler.

The presence of a metal substrate makes it possible to install power devices directly on top of the rubber, mica, and grease insulators to remove them. Overall, the elimination of insulated hardware increases heat transfer while freeing up board area.

Electromagnetic shielding

The former can provide you with better electromagnetic shielding, improved capacitive coupling, and higher power density, continuing the comparison between the metal core and FR4 PCBs.

Thermal vias can be used to achieve better thermal performance even if manufacturers are not required to use them for prototypes. Additionally, engineers may choose copper PCBs when they need to fit powerful circuits into small casings.

The dielectric substance may also be removed by copper PCB manufacturers so that the electrical component’s chip can be attached to the base’s exposed metal. The direct approach reduces thermal resistance to a large degree, which further enhances heat performance.

PCB Thickness

FR4 boards outperform metal core PCBs in this situation. PCB thicknesses in the FR4 material can be achieved using a wide range of layer counts and metal combinations.

The thickness range of metal core PCBs, in comparison, is limited to the backing plate and dielectric sheet thicknesses. Why? Because the thickest component in the entire structure is the metal backing plate, which is situated on the metal PCB’s bottom.

It is available in thicknesses of 3.2mm, 1.5mm, and 1.0mm since they are the most convenient to buy.

The metal layer flattens the circuit, adds strength, and achieves sufficient thickness for the metal core PCB to be mounted with equipment that is equivalent to that for PCBs of normal thickness. There is no additional solder mask or surface finish applied to the metal plate portion of the PCB.

The Manufacturing Process

Metal core PCB manufacturing involves a few processing issues, but as long as the manufacturer is aware of the materials and limits the design to “SMT-only, single-layer” types, producing the board won’t differ significantly from producing other single-layer PCBs.

If a single layer is not possible, frequent configurations include PTH, 2-layer boards with metal on the inside, or 2-layer boards constructed using regular PCB construction methods but using dielectric material rather than FR4 PCB. Heat transfer can be improved by adding a metal backing plate at the bottom.

This type of metal core PCB is a great option when electrical component cooling is a top priority. It makes sense that they are being used more frequently in various lighting applications in cars, houses, and workplaces.

Manufacturing Process

How Many Types Does A Metal Core PCB Have?

The most common metal core materials used are aluminum and copper, while some people also employ additional conductive metals and a combination of special alloys. Different metals have particular features.

Aluminum and copper base PCBs are among the materials used for metal core PCBs. Due to its low cost, aluminum is a common material in the industry, particularly for LED lights.

Aluminum core PCB

The most typical type of Metal core PCB is an Aluminum PCB board. Standard FR4 and an aluminum core make up the foundation material. It has a thermal clad layer that efficiently distributes heat while cooling internal parts and enhancing overall product performance.

  • Circuit Copper Layer: A printed circuit is created by etching the copper layer of the circuit (often using electrolytic copper foil). This printed circuit is used to realize the assembly and connection of the device. The aluminum substrate may handle a larger current as compared to conventional FR-4 with the same thickness and line width.
  • Insulating Layer: The core technology of the aluminum substrate is the insulating layer, which primarily performs the roles of bonding, insulation, and heat conduction.
  • Metal substrate: The type of metal chosen to serve as the insulating metal substrate is determined after careful examination of the metal substrate’s thermal expansion coefficient, thermal conductivity, strength, hardness, weight, surface state, and cost.

Benefits of Aluminum Core PCB

  1. Eco-Friendly: Aluminum is recyclable and non-toxic. Aluminum is easy to assemble, which makes manufacturing with it energy-efficient. The use of this metal by printed circuit board manufacturers contributes to the preservation of the environment.
  2. Heat dissipation: Electronics can experience severe damage from high temperatures, so it is advisable to pick a material that can dissipate heat. The potential harm that aluminum could do to the circuit board is actually reduced by its ability to move heat away from vital elements.
  3. Greater durability: Aluminum bases give a product strength and durability that ceramic or fiberglass bases do not. Aluminum is a reliable base material that can minimize accidental damage during production, handling, and regular use.
  4. Lightweight: Aluminum is a very light metal considering its tremendous toughness. Without adding any additional weight, aluminum increases strength and resilience.

Copper core PCB

Copper core PCB

The base layer of a typically printed circuit board (PCB) is commonly comprised of fiberglass. While this material functions effectively under normal circumstances, high-power applications frequently result in damage.

Circuit boards with metal cores, such as copper core PCBs, provide the sturdiness and conductivity required for high-temperature applications.

Metal core PCBs includes copper-core circuit boards in the category. These PCBs have a multilayer structure with a copper base that provides improved heat conductivity.

  • Base layer: Copper is used as the base layer’s substrate because it has a high thermal conductivity and heat transmission rate.
  • Thermal insulation layer: Copper core PCBs use a high thermal conductivity insulator to improve heat transfer.
  • Circuit layer: The circuit layer is typically made of copper foil, which weighs between 1 and 10 ounces.
  • Dielectric layer: The copper substrate receives the heat that is absorbed by this layer and transferred from the circuit layer.

Benefits of Copper Core PCBs

Compared to conventional circuit boards, metal core PCBs have many advantages. The metal circuit board will perform effectively in a number of ways if it is made of copper.

  • High thermal conductivity: Copper offers the highest amount of thermal conductivity out of all the possibilities for metal core PCBs. The heat transport and dissipation are substantially stronger with better conductivity. Standard PCBs, such as FR-4 boards, may not be able to tolerate the heat in situations with high temperatures, leading to significant damage. A copper core PCB minimizes performance problems and extends its lifespan.
  • Environmentally friendly: Copper is recyclable because it is a completely natural substance. You may make your projects more ecologically friendly by using copper core boards.
  • Robustness: Copper base PCBs are more resistant to corrosion and distortion than ceramic or fiberglass circuit boards because they dissipate heat more effectively. Additionally, copper core holds up better during manufacture than ordinary materials, which lowers the risk of breakdowns during development and regular use.

What Are the Main Applications of Metal Core PCB?

A lot of different industries use metal-core PCBs because of their excellent performance.

LED Lights: MCPCBs are frequently suitable for applications like these that produce a lot of heat that can’t be removed by standard fans. Because they enable us to minimize the number of LEDs needed to produce a certain quantity of light and decrease the amount of generated heat, that’s why MCPCBs are frequently seen in LED technologies.

Automobile: Metal PCBs are used in all types of ignitions, power conditioners, swap converters, variable optics, etc.

Power Supply Devices: Metal core PCBs are necessary for power converters, switching regulators, high-density power conversion, and other equipment.

Military and Aerospace: PCBs used in aerospace and defense applications must resist moisture, thermal cycling, and extremely high temperatures. They also commonly encounter mechanical shocks.

We, therefore, use a metal core PCB since it satisfies these service criteria and provides higher structural stability. The MCPCB’s strong thermal conductivity ensures that the temperature is distributed evenly across these boards. As a result, they can tolerate thermal cycling better and avoid the development of hot patches close to active components.

Conclusion

Metal core PCBs are quite popular in the industry due to all the previous advantages mentioned and a wide range of applications. There will be a lot more advancement made with these PCBs in the future.

FXPCB well-known in the PCB business and are recognized for our top-notch services. Our commitment to tight quality control and our extensive knowledge of the many materials used to make metal PCBs ensure the high quality of each metal core PCB. Please get in touch with us if you want more information about our services.