Learn more About Aluminum PCB

Aluminum Printed Circuit Boards Contain a Thin Layer of Thermally

Conductive Dielectric Material that Transfers Heat
There are many names for these products; Aluminum clad, aluminum base, Metal clad
printed Circuit Board (MCPCB), Insulated Metal Substrate(IMS or IMPCB), Thermally
conductive PCBs, etc but they all mean the same thing and perform the same way.

How Are Aluminum PCBs Made?

A thin layer of thermally conductive but electrically insulating dielectric is laminated
between a metal base and a copper foil. The copper foil is etched into the desired circuit
pattern and the metal base draws heat away from this circuit through the thin dielectric.

Benefits of Aluminum PCBs

Heat dissipation is dramatically superior to standard FR-4 constructions.

The dielectrics used are typically 5 to 10 times as thermally conductive as

conventional epoxy-glass and a tenth of the thickness

Thermal transfer exponentially more efficient than a conventional rigid PCB.

Lower copper weights than suggested by the IPC heat-rise charts can be used.

Applications of Aluminum PCBs

Although Power Converters and LEDs are the largest users of these products,
Automotive and RF companies are also looking to take advantage of the benefits of
these constructions. While a single layer construction is the simplest, other
configuration options are available at Amitron, including:

Flexible Aluminum PCBs

One of the newest developments in IMS materials is flexible dielectrics. These materials
feature a polyimide resin system with ceramic fillers which provides excellent electrical
insulation, flexibility and of course thermal conductivity. When applied to a flexible
aluminum material like 5754 or similar, the product can be formed to achieve a variety
of shapes and angles which can eliminate costly fixtures, cables and connectors.
Although these materials are flexible, they are intended to be bent into place and
remain in place. They are not suited for applications that are intended to be flexed
regularly.

Hybrid Aluminum PCBs

In a Hybrid IMS construction a Sub-assembly of a non-thermal material is processed
independently and then bonded to the aluminum base with thermal materials. The most
common construction is a 2-Layer or 4-Layer Sub-assembly made from conventional
FR-4. Bonding this layer to an aluminum base with thermal dielectrics can help dissipate
heat, improve rigidity and act as a shield. Other benefits include:

Less costly than a construction of all thermally conductive materials

Provides superior thermal performance over a standard FR-4 product
Can eliminate costly heat sinks and associated assembly steps

Can be used in RF applications where a surface layer of PTFE is desired for its
loss characteristics.

Use of component windows in the aluminum to accommodate through-hole

components. This allows connectors and cables to pass connections through the
substrate while the solder fillet creates a seal without the need for special gaskets or
other costly adapters.

Multilayer Aluminum PCBs

Common in the high performance power supply market, multilayer IMS PCBs are made
from multiple layers of thermally conductive dielectrics. These constructions have one
or more layers of circuitry buried in the dielectric with blind vias acting as either thermal
vias or signal vias. While more expensive and less efficient at transferring heat as a
single layer designs, they provide a simple and effective solution for heat dissipation in
more complex designs.

Through-Hole Aluminum PCBs

In the most complex constructions a layer of aluminum can form a Core of a multilayer
thermal construction. The aluminum is pre-drilled and back-filled with dielectric prior to
lamination. Thermal materials or sub-assemblies can be laminated to both sides of the
aluminum using thermal bonding materials. Once laminated, the completed assembly is
thru-drilled similar to a conventional multilayer PCB. The plated through holes pass
through the clearances in the aluminum to maintain electrical insulation. Alternatively a
Copper core can allow both direct electrical connections as well as with insulated
through holes.
RayMing is an Experienced Aluminum PCB Manufacturer
RayMing has been producing Aluminum Printed Circuit Boards (also called Metal base
PCBs) for over a decade. Although originally envisioned for use in the power-supply
industry these substrates are now most widely used in High Brightness LED products.

If you have any design for Aluminum PCB, any questions, you can send mail to
sales19@raypcb.com , RayMing engineer will give full explaination to you .

Double sided MCPCB,2W/M.K MCPCB, HASL lead free, Black solder

mask