Heavy Copper Power PCB

A heavy copper power PCB enables both high current and control circuits to be manufactured on the same board. This eliminates the common design technique of adding duplicate layers and crossing their fingers that they share the current evenly.

This design requires careful consideration of the copper thickness, trace width and spacing. It also requires special plating and etching techniques to ensure the board can withstand thermal strain.

High Temperature Resistance

Engineers and designers working with power electronics gadgets are turning to Heavy Copper PCBs to increase current-carrying capacity. These circuit boards feature up to 120-oz copper planes, which help transport more current without increasing resistance and heat generation. They also reduce the size of the product by reducing the number of layers and eliminating the need for bulky heat sinks. These high-performance PCBs are ideal for use in industrial applications where high-powered equipment requires robust and durable circuitry.

While the standard etching techniques are adequate for normal PCBs, Heavy Copper requires advanced etching and plating processes to achieve straight edges and good margins. It also requires a thicker copper plating to add thickness to the walls of vias and through holes. The PCB fabricator must also make sure that the copper and dielectric layers have a similar coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) to avoid cracking and layer separation.

While a high-temperature or extreme environment scenario may call for an exotic dielectric material, if the circuit traces and plated vias are made of standard 1 oz/ft2, will they be able to withstand the harsh conditions? The industry has developed a testing method for determining the thermal integrity of a completed PCB.

High Current Capacity

High current PCBs are a good choice for applications that require Heavy copper power PCB large amounts of electrical power to be transmitted through traces. They are thicker than standard PCBs, and have a higher current-carrying capacity. These boards also offer improved mechanical strength at connector sites and plated through holes. The extra thickness of these PCBs helps prevent excessive heat loss. They can be used in applications with a wide range of operating temperatures, and they provide excellent dissipation of heat.

When current flows through a copper trace, it generates excessive heat that dissipates into the environment through conduction and convection. This heat dissipation is one of the primary reasons why PCBs should be made from heavy copper material.

In addition, a heavy copper circuit board is easier to manufacture than conventional ones. It requires special etching and plating techniques to create straight side walls and minimize undercutting. The result is a highly durable PCB with a superior solder mask.

Heavy copper power PCBs are a great solution for applications that require high current, including aerospace, automotive and medical devices. They can withstand higher temperatures for longer periods of time, handle high rates of current and provide stronger connections. They can also help to reduce power losses by allowing designers to increase the size of the copper traces and pads.

High Temperature Tolerance

Printed circuit boards with heavy copper allow for large PCB-cross-sections to accommodate high current outputs and optimize heat dissipation. They can also provide a larger number of pads with varying shapes and sizes for a more Heavy Copper Power PCB Supplier flexible design. This type of circuit board can withstand a greater number of temperature variations and is suitable for use in a variety of environments.

Heavy copper power PCBs can withstand high temperatures and corrosive environments. This is because they can form a non-toxic passivation layer on the surface. This layer protects the circuit board from oxidation and corrosion. Additionally, it increases the mechanical strength of copper conductors and allows for a higher current capacity.

When current passes through a copper trace, resistance inadvertently causes the local thermal transition to generate a small amount of power. This energy is transferred through the circuit board and dissipated into the atmosphere through conduction and convection. For this reason, it is important to keep the length of current traces short and the total current load low.

Because of their increased thickness, heavy copper circuits require special etching and plating techniques. This process adds additional thickness to plated hole sidewalls and vias, which requires more allowances to be made in defining trace separations and pad size. It is important to consult a PCB manufacturer early on in the design process to determine what fabrication processes are necessary for your project.

High Heat Sinking Capacity

A circuit board that contains thick copper is able to dissipate a large amount of heat, which protects the PCB from overheating. This feature is extremely important for heavy power PCBs, which operate at high current levels and experience a great deal of thermal stress. The thermal stress can damage the circuit and cause it to fail, so a PCB with a good heat sinking capacity is crucial.

The thicker copper in a Heavy copper power PCB increases the current-carrying capability of the circuit board, making it more resilient against the stresses that are often associated with high-power applications. The increased copper thickness also helps reduce the number of layers in the circuit board, which reduces the overall product size and allows for more connections. This is especially beneficial for PCBs that require multiple layers of power and control circuits.

Additionally, the heavy copper plating in the heat vias of the circuit board allows it to transport a higher quantity of heat to an external heat sink. This is particularly useful for onboard planar high-power-density transformers. In addition, it enables the combination of high-current devices and circuit controls on a single printed circuit board.

The circuit board industry has established a tested method of determining the thermal integrity of a completed heavy copper PCB. These tests are used to determine the ability of a finished board to survive a variety of thermal strains. These strains are generated by various fabrication, assembly, and repair procedures. The differences between the coefficient of thermal expansion of the copper and that of the PWB laminate provide the force for crack nucleation and growth.