MCPCB manufacturers: Best Material and PCB Thickness Guide 2021

How MCPCB boards solve the heat dissipation?

Nowadays you can clearly see the rapid development in the LED industry. But in the past, electronic designers had to face the issues of heat dissipation for high-power LED lighting.

Hence, MCPCB manufacturers solve these problems by the implementation of metal cores in these kinds of applications.

Today you can see the unlimited number of applications for this technology. General lighting, industrial and medical monitoring systems, automotive lighting, desktop, are common examples.

But if you are new in the PCB industry, and want to know properly what are circuit boards and why are they important? Don’t panic! Read this ultimate guide you will find the solutions to all your problems.

Moreover, you will also learn what MCPCB is, and what chemicals are used in MCPCB manufacturing?

What are circuit boards and why are they important?

Basically, PCB boards or circuit boards are an essential part of all modern electronic gadgets. Moreover, they direct the electrical charges that a wide variety of devices need to work.

You can easily see their uses because they are present in all electronic devices from cell phones to digital watches. In fact, these boards are very important as without them, the vast majority of our electronic devices can’t work properly.

How do circuit boards work?

The PCB boards are used to electrically connect and mechanically support all the electronic components by using

• conductive pathways,
• signal or tracks.

All these components have etched from copper sheets laminated onto a non-conductive substrate.

What is an MCPCB board?

MCPCB stands for Metal Core PCB. You may also call it metal-backed or thermal PCB. Moreover, it is a special type of PCB board that consists of a metal material. In the MCPCBs, MCPCB manufacturers use this metal material as its base for the heat spreader portion of the board. Similarly, in standard circuit boards, PCB manufacturers use CEM3 or FR4 as base materials.

Basically, the manufacturers of MCPCB boards deeply concentrate on customization designs. They can assemble as well as produce Metal Core PCB boards to use in a wide variety of electronic devices. These boards are ideal for gadgets that produce high heat dissipation.

They really know that without the right technique, heat dissipation will affect the performance of electronics that run on high-power. So, the enforcement of MCPCB boards in such kinds of devices solve all problems relating to heat dissipation.

What is MCPCB led?

MCPCB manufacturers often mount power LEDs on metal-core PCB boards (MCPCB). Further, these LEDs will be connected to a heat sink. The heat is conducted via the MCPCB and the heat sink is dissipated by radiation and convection.

In fact, MCPCB boards are extremely useful to use in high-power LED lighting. Since it has raised concerns about heat dissipation.

What chemicals MCPCB manufacturers use in MCPCB manufacturing?

In the manufacturing process of PCB boards, PCB designers usually use several solvents. Consequently, the same solvents are useful to use in manufacturing MCPCB boards. So, these most popular solvents are:

• cupric chloride,
• ferric chloride,
• ammoniacal etchant,
• hydrogen peroxide + sulfuric acid
• chromic and sulphuric acid
• alkaline etching
• cupric chloride
• as well as copper ammonia complex ion for etching fluids.

What materials and thickness are used in MCPCB boards?

Materials:

During the manufacturing of MCPCB boards, MCPCB manufacturers use metal core instead of FR4 substrate as a base material. These metals can be copper or aluminum. If they use copper as base material then these PCBs are known as copper core PCB boards.

Similarly, if they select aluminum as the base material, such PCBs are called aluminum core PCB boards. Moreover, they also use some other alloys as a mixture of copper and aluminum.

In fact, the other materials or alloys are steel and brass. These are not always necessary to use as they are requested but not recommended. Basically, MCPCB materials are very hard so cutting PCB boards into smaller pieces can cause some problems.

Thickness:

The MCPCB manufacturers use the thickness of copper foil up to 1 – 10 oz.

While the thickness of metal core that PCB designers use in PCB boards usually ranges from 30 mil – 125 mil. While they can also use thinner and thicker plates according to the needs of their applications.

Why is the aluminum PCB board manufacturing process unique?

If you examine the process of MCPCB manufacturing, you will find that it is different and unique from standard boards.

Actually, you will find the biggest difference in the step of chemical milling. It is different from the traditional process of PCB manufacturing. Most PCB designers use this process in the finishing of multilayer circuit boards as well as in aluminum PCBs.

Yes, producing aluminum PCB is indeed a specially producing process. Moreover, MCPCB manufacturers explain that you will find the main difference in several factors. There is a unique thickness parameter of MCPCB boards, as well as these boards, have unique stuck-up.

What are the top 3 ideal parameters of multilayer MCPCB boards?

First parameter:

One of the most important parameters of the multilayer MCPCB is the layer. Basically, MCPCB manufacturers design MCPCB boards by using one single side.

But it was only possible in the past. Now because of some very special requirements, MCPCB designers are rapidly producing multilayer MCPCB.

But you should also keep in mind that layers are totally different from stackup. Moreover, MCPCB boards with multilayers have several circuit layers.

Second parameter:

This is about the thickness of multilayer MCPCB boards. If you deeply examine the MCPCBs, you observe that MCPCB boards are thick in comparison to traditional PCB boards.

But it is not always possible in all MCPCB boards as small lighting devices usually need a very thin layer. Generally, the normal size for most MCPCB is 1-3MM.

Third parameter:

Moreover, the 3rd parameter is the thickness of copper of multilayer MCPCB. The MCPCB manufacturers use the thickness of copper according to their needs in different applications.

Such as indoor LED lighting needs less thickness in comparison to outdoor ones. On the other hand, industrial LED lighting will thicker in comparison to normal home ones.

Pros and cons of MCPCBs

Although MCPCB boards have several benefits in the latest LED technology they also have several limitations. So, we are here to discuss some pros and cons of MCPCB boards.

• The main feature of an MCPCB board is to dissipate heat
• Metal substrates are more conductive and long-lasting than epoxy products.
• ideal to implement in high vibration applications.
• Metals are recyclable and non-toxic.
• The metal boards may be etched to control heat flow away from other components.
• Aluminum PCBs are lighter in weight than ceramics.

MCPCB manufacturers claim that MCPCB boards can transfer heat 8 to 9 times faster than FR4 PCBs. But these boards may also have some disadvantages to use. Such as:

The temperature of electronic devices using MCPCBs should not exceed 140°C. Additionally, it must not exceed 250 °C ∼300 °C during the manufacturing process.

Conclusion:

Conductive cooling via MCPCBs is extremely an ideal production option. Moreover, these circuit boards are popular to use in LED technologies. They are ideal to reduce the total number of LEDs required in producing a specific illumination.

Several industries contact MCPCB manufacturers to get MCPCBs as they need to implement them in their applications. These are the consumer and medical electronics, aerospace, military, instrumentation as well as modern computers.