Metal core PCBs also called MCPCBs, whose substrate layer is a metal base. The most common metals of MCPCBs used are aluminum, copper, and steel alloy. Aluminum-based PCBs are the most cost-effective; they exist good heat conductivity and thermal dissipation ability at low prices. Copper-based PCBs perform better than aluminum, but the price is higher. Steel-based PCBs are harder than the first two materials, while with a lower heat conductivity. Metal PCBs are known as their excellent thermal dissipation.In recent years, LED industry has been rapidly developed, but the problem of heat dissipation has been puzzling the application and development of LED, especially high-power LED in the field of lighting. The application of metal substrate provides a new way to solve the heat dissipation of LED effectively.

For metal core base material, there is aluminum and copper base materials. Aluminum substrate is a kind of metal-based copper clad plate with good heat transferring and dissipation function. Copper substrate has better performance than aluminum, but its price is relatively more expensive than aluminum.

Clients order aluminum pcbs more often, because the price of aluminum pcb is much more economic, they are used for LED lighting, audio frequency apparatus and communication electronic equipment.

A simple layer single sided MCPCB consists of a metal base (usually aluminum, or copper alloy), Dielectric (non-conducting) Layer, Copper Circuit Layer, IC components and solder mask.

Good heat dissipation of metal core PCBs makes them less prone to high temperature, which causes less distortion during signal transportation.

The advantages mentioned above make metal core PCBs ideal solutions in many applications, such as power converters, lightings, photovoltaic, backlight applications, automotive LED applications, home appliances, and so on. Aluminum-based PCB is the most common type of metal core PCBs for its cost advantage. Especially in solid-state lighting, aluminum PCBs helps achieve higher lighting levels with less quantity of LED.

The copper foil thickness of MCPCB can be 1oz to 10oz, and the metal core thickness of the boards usually is 30mil to 125mil. YMS offers all the types of metal core PCBs, and just contact us if you need thicker or thinner substrates. YMS will always keep our capabilities and equipment standards with the pace of advanced levels to provide customers with the best services of PCB prototype, PCB fabrication, component sourcing.