August 9, 2021
Aluminum PCB is one type of metal core printed circuit board (MCPCB), widely be used in LED lighting industry.
An aluminum PCB has a similar layout to any other PCB. It has a layer or layers of copper, solder mask and silkscreen layered over it. Instead of having a fiberglass or plastic substrate, though, an aluminum circuit board has a metal substrate. This base mainly contains a combination of aluminum. The metal core can consist entirely of metal or have a combination of fiberglass and aluminum. Aluminum PCBs typically are single sided, but can be double sided as well. Mulilayer Aluminum PCBs are highly difficult to manufacture.
Aluminum boards get the most use in LED and power converting electronics. The intense light produced by LEDs creates high levels of heat, which aluminum directs away from components. An aluminum PCB extends the lifespan of an LED device and provides more stability. You can find aluminum substrates in street lights, stop lights and household lighting. They allow power converters to change currents and regulate electronics. Creators in many other industries also find use in aluminum circuit boards, but they don't implement them as often.
Aluminum PCB is the PCB type that used the low alloyed Al-Mg-Si with high plasticity alloy plate as the substrate material that has better thermal conductivity, electrical insulation, and machining performance, compared with the traditional FR4 PCB.
Similar to other types of PCBs, Aluminum PCB is structured by the conductive layer (copper layer); insulation layer (dielectric layer); and the substrate layer.
Aluminum PCB is capable to stand higher current with the same thickness and line width. Aluminum PCB is able to withstand voltage up to 4500V and thermal conductivity is more than 2.0. At present, aluminum PCB is the most common type for LED lighting PCB applications.
Common LED PCB has two sides. The top side with white solder mask is used for soldering SMD LED beads, and the other side normally has no solder mask and showing as aluminum metal color. If there is a demand for high-power heat dissipation, the aluminum base can also be coated with a thermal conductive silicone grease layer to connect with the installed heatsinks for better heat dissipation.
