What are the types of ceramic PCB

Ceramic PCBs usually consist of a ceramic core, with alumina and aluminum nitride (AIN) being the main types of ceramic PCBs. Both of these ceramic PCBs offer better thermal performance than metal core PCBs because no electrical planes are required between the core and the circuit.

Ceramic PCB refers to a special process board in which copper foil is directly bonded to the surface of an alumina (Al2O3) or aluminum nitride (AlN) ceramic substrate (single or double-sided) at high temperature. The ultra-thin ceramic PCB has excellent electrical insulation properties, high thermal conductivity, excellent solderability and high adhesion strength, and can etch various patterns like a PCB board, with a large current carrying capacity ability. What types of ceramic PCBs are there?

What are the types of Ceramic PCB by Material

1. Al2O3

Alumina ceramic PCB is the most commonly used substrate material in the electronics industry. It has high strength and chemical stability, and rich sources of raw materials. It is suitable for various technical manufacturing and different shapes.

2. BeO

It has a higher thermal conductivity than metal aluminum, and it is used in occasions that require high thermal conductivity, but it decreases rapidly after the temperature exceeds 300 °C.

3. AlN

AlN has two very important properties: one is high thermal conductivity, and the other is an expansion coefficient that matches Si. The downside is that even a very thin oxide layer on the surface can have an effect on thermal conductivity.

To sum up the above reasons, it can be known that alumina ceramic PCB is still in a dominant position in the fields of microelectronics, power electronics, hybrid microelectronics, power modules and other fields due to its superior comprehensive performance and is widely used.

Among the ceramic PCB prototypes, ceramic PCB boards are special boards, which have higher technical requirements and are more expensive than ordinary PCB boards. The workmanship of ceramic PCB is fine, because ceramic PCB is a precise circuit board component, there are countless resistors and capacitors on a small-area ceramic PCB, and high-quality ceramic PCB requires strict requirements on the distance between electronic components and the tightness of bonding. , The appearance of ceramic PCB has high flatness and smooth edges, which can also reflect its processing quality.

The market environment of ceramic PCB is relatively better this year, and the market demand continues to increase. The main reason is that the technology of ceramic PCB is becoming more and more mature, and the performance of ceramic PCB products is better, and the cost is also lower than that of the previous few.

Divided by Manufacturing Method

High temperature

Perhaps the most popular type of ceramic PCB is the high temperature PCB. Ceramic PCB boards designed for high temperatures are often referred to as high temperature co-fired ceramic (HTCC) circuits. These circuits are constructed by mixing binders, lubricants, solvents, plasticizers and alumina to create green ceramics.

Using the raw ceramic PCB material produced, this material is then coated and circuit traces are made on tungsten or molybdenum metal. After implementation, the circuit is baked between 1600 and 1700 degrees Celsius for up to 48 hours after lamination. All HTCC bakes are performed in a gaseous environment, such as hydrogen.

Low temperature

Unlike HTCC, LTCC PCBs are made by mixing crystal glass with a bonding substance on a metal plate with gold paste. The circuit is then cut and laminated before being placed in a gas oven at around 900 degrees Celsius. LTCC PCBs benefit from less warpage and improved shrinkage resistance. In other words, they have superior mechanical strength and thermal conductivity compared to HTCC and other types of ceramic PCBs. The heat dissipation advantage of LTCC provides an advantage when using heat dissipation products such as LED lamps.

Thick film ceramics

Thick film ceramic PCBs include gold and dielectric pastes implemented on a ceramic base material. Once implemented, the paste is baked at 1000 degrees Celsius or less. This ceramic PCB variety is popular among major printed circuit board manufacturers due to the high cost of gold conductor paste.

The main advantage of thick film ceramic PCB material compared to traditional PCB is that thick film ceramic can prevent copper oxidation. Therefore, ceramic PCB manufacturers can benefit from choosing thick film ceramic PCBs if they are concerned about oxidation. We are often asked, "How many layers does a ceramic PCB have?" The answer depends on the type of ceramic PCB used. The minimum number of layers used in a ceramic PCB is two, but depending on the performance of the product, several more layers may be added.

Application of Ceramic PCB

Memory module

One of the key application areas for ceramic PCBs is related to memory modules. These ceramic PCBs feature memory integrated circuits and are commonly used in the production of DDR SDRAM and other memory-related computer components. All RAM used in personal computers requires ceramic PCBs with integrated memory modules.

Receive and transmit modules

Ceramic PCBs enable the production of radar technology. Westinghouse was the first company to create transmit and receive modules using multilayer ceramic PCBs because of their high thermal conductivity and compatible CTE. Unlike regular PCBs, ceramic PCBs are the only circuits that can be used to create transmission modules.

Multilayer interconnection board

One of the main selling points of ceramic PCBs is that they have greater capacity than conventional circuit boards. In other words, ceramic PCBs can hold more components using the same surface area than conventional PCBs. Therefore, ceramic PCBs using multilayer interconnection boards have more potential applications.

Analog/Digital PCB

Low temperature ceramic PCBs (LTCCs) are used by various computing companies to create advanced analog and digital boards with excellent circuit traces. There are already ceramic PCB companies that have utilized LTCC to create many lightweight circuits, reducing the overall weight of the product and minimizing crosstalk.

Solar panels

Both HTCC and LTCC ceramic PCBs are used in the manufacture of solar panels and other photovoltaic (PV) electrical panels. Photovoltaic panels utilize multilayer ceramic PCB technology to ensure longevity and adequate thermal conductivity.

Power Transmitter

Wireless power transfer and charging modules are becoming more common in consumer electronic devices. These devices are built using ceramic PCB technology due to their unique thermal performance and heat dissipation ceramic PCB.

A ceramic PCB is used to generate the electromagnetic field through which energy is transferred between the receiver and transmitter. Induction coils help transfer electricity from the raw electromagnetic field and convert it into electrical current for the receiver circuit. Typically, the receiver circuitry is made of ceramic PCB material.

Semiconductor cooler

More and more electronic devices are being miniaturized. Behind the miniaturization of consumer electronics are semiconductor chips, which are getting smaller every year. Semiconductor chips use microfabrication techniques to achieve higher levels of high-speed integration while maintaining optimum trackability. Conventional PCBs cannot meet the circuit functions required by modern semiconductor chips. However, the advent of ceramic-based semiconductor circuits has led to superior integration and performance between miniature circuit components. Therefore, ceramic PCB substrates are often considered to be the future of semiconductor technology.

High power LED

Ceramic PCB provides the best base for high power LED lights. Unlike traditional PCBs, ceramic PCBs use thick film technology to maximize thermal efficiency. The heat generated by the LED light (about 70% of the heat of the LED) will not affect the operating efficiency of the circuit. In other words, only ceramic PCBs can provide the level of thermal efficiency required for LEDs to emit light. When LEDs are built on a ceramic PCB, no thermal interface material (also known as a heat sink) is required. Therefore, if manufacturers use ceramic PCBs, less material will be required to produce and maintain LED lights.

Get What are the types of ceramic PCB

Reprint: Thank you for your recognition of the website platform and your favor on our original works and articles. You are very welcome to share with your personal webmaster or circle of friends, but please indicate the source of the article "https://www.infopcb.com" when reprinting.