In PCB fabrication, every material is important. Aluminum PCB core circuit boards (aluminum PCBs) have different characteristics than circuit boards without metal substrates (standard PCBs). These two popular circuit board types power a wide range of commercial and consumer electronics. Is an aluminum PCB or a standard PCB the best fit for your project? The answer depends on your intended application.

What is a standard PCB?
Standard PCBs use dielectrics and copper as their most prominent metals and are composed of different layers of materials. They have a substrate or base made of fiberglass, polymer, ceramic, or other non-metallic cores. Many such PCBs use FR-4 as a substrate. This fiberglass material has a relatively affordable price and moderate durability. Additional copper layers, solder mask, and silkscreen layers make the board conductive and outline component locations. These layers may appear on one side, both sides, or in a multi-layer stack on the base.

You’ll find that the range of applications for standard PCBs is almost limitless. Their performance depends on the material and structure, so they can be used in both low-end and high-end electronics. Single-sided PCBs can be used for less complex devices, such as calculators, while multi-layer boards can be used to support space equipment and supercomputers.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Standard PCBs
Standard PCBs are versatile and adaptable. You have a variety of substrate options, which determine the price and durability of the board. If you have a low budget and a small purpose, you can choose an affordable fiberglass. On the other hand, you can invest more and buy a more robust substrate that can withstand higher stresses. RF substrates and flexible substrates are suitable for special applications.

However, FR4 circuit boards require additional components to withstand high-temperature applications. Non-metallic substrates are not thermally conductive, so you must add materials that are thermally conductive. If your device is designed with high power or high density, the circuits are susceptible to stress and damage. You must add heat sinks, copper-filled vias, or forced air to conduct heat away from the circuit.

What is an aluminum substrate?
The layout of an aluminum PCB is similar to other PCBs. It has one or more layers of copper, solder mask, and silkscreen on it. However, instead of fiberglass or plastic substrates, aluminum circuit boards have metal substrates. This substrate mainly contains a combination of aluminum. The metal core can be composed entirely of metal or a combination of fiberglass and aluminum. Aluminum PCBs are usually single-sided, but can also be double-sided. Multilayer aluminum PCBs are extremely difficult to manufacture.

Aluminum substrates are most widely used in LED and power conversion electronics. The strong light emitted by LEDs generates a lot of heat, and aluminum can conduct this heat away from the components. Aluminum substrates can extend the life of LED devices and provide greater stability. Aluminum substrates can be found in street lights, traffic lights, and home lighting. They allow power converters to change the current and regulate electronic devices. Creators in many other industries also find aluminum substrates useful, but they don’t use them often.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Using Aluminum Substrates
Aluminum substrates are one of the most thermally conductive PCB options. They separate heat away from important components as much as possible to ensure that circuit damage is minimized. Due to their high heat resistance, they can handle higher density circuits and greater power levels. Substrates made from aluminum alloys have a high level of physical durability, which reduces the risk of breakage. Compared to other metals, aluminum has a lower impact on the environment and is reasonably cost-effective.

On the other hand, the uses of aluminum PCBs tend to be more niche than standard circuit boards. While aluminum PCBs cost less than adding conductors to a copper board, they are more expensive than standard PCBs without these components. If your application doesn’t involve high temperatures, investing in an aluminum core may not pay off. If you plan to create a flexible circuit, an aluminum flex PCB can only bend to its initial position. It can bend to fit smaller electronic devices, but it can’t withstand the stress of vibration.
At KKPCB, we specialize in designing and manufacturing metal-core printed circuit boards (PCBs) for various applications. These applications include LEDs (light-emitting diodes), backlit LCD displays for desktops and laptops, street lights, medical and industrial monitoring systems, motor control applications, power converters, audio devices, photovoltaic components, surgical lighting tools, and high-power scanning technology.