E-NEWSLETTER l FEBRUARY 2021
A MESSAGE FROM OUR CEO
ASC leading the way with Thermal management PCB solutions.

With the onset of large super computers and other high clock rate electronic devices that generate large amounts of heat. All of this heat has to be properly dissipated using specialized thermal management PCB solutions. ASC’s markets for these technologies range from Telecom systems, to automotive, to power supplies, to military and motor controls.

As the needs for thermal solutions have increased, we have gradually increased our capabilities when it comes to thermal management PCB technology. Knowing that this area was going to become dominant we introduced a number of customized PCB Thermal Management Solutions.

Our Thermal solutions include making PCBs that meet our customer specific heat management requirements. We do this in several ways: one, by using ASC’s proprietary high temperature organic adhesives based thermally or two, using electrically conducting bonding films to suit our customers specific needs. We also use commercially available bonding materials.

In this particular Technology bulletin, we are focused on some of those, our most popular thermal solutions.

I hope you will find it helpful. And remember that if your company has a particular need for a thermal management PCB solution, give us a call and we’ll find a way to handle the heat!


Sincerely,

Anaya Vardya
President and CEO
American Standard Circuits
Double-Sided/Multilayer IMPCB’s

The PCB supplier manufactures a double-sided or multilayer IMPCB and then bonds it, utilizing a thermally conductive prepreg to metal. The bonding process is done in the same multilayer press that is used to manufacture a multilayer PCB. A lot of the design factor considerations discussed in the single-sided IMPCB section apply to double-sided as well. Some additional considerations to think about include the following.
Copper Weights on All Layers
The thicker the copper, the more expensive, and remember that the outer two layers will get additional copper since the vias will need to be plated. Lines and spaces should follow the design guidelines of the PCB fabricator based on the copper weights of each of the layers. Double-Sided/Multilayer Construction It is important to decide whether you can use FR-4 for your multilayer construction or if you require thermally conductive prepregs and cores. If you need thermally conductive cores and prepregs, there are a number of options available, but core thicknesses are limited, so it is best to work with the PCB fabricator or laminate supplier on constructions that would make sense. The prepregs tend to be low flow, so it is important to work with a PCB fabricator that understands the press cycles and flow dynamics of the specialty prepreg that need to be used. Thermally Conductive Prepreg Choose the prepreg to bond the PCB (double-sided or multilayer) to the metal based on thermal conductivity required and thickness of the copper circuitry.

From a PCB manufacturing perspective, several different factors need to be taken into account for in the process of bonding the PCB to base metal:
∎ Ensure that you don’t have delamination between the PCB and the metal. There are design factors that can impact this and process conditions in the lamination process
∎ Have a method to control the flow of the prepreg through the plated through-holes (PTHs) to the top side, and then have a method to remove any flow that ended up on the top surface of the PCB
∎ There are a number of mismatched CTEs in this package. It is important to balance the copper in the construction as much as possible from a PCB perspective and have a press cycle that minimizes warpage

Base Metal
Aluminum is the most common; however, there are many applications that will also use copper as the base metal. In general, for this kind of construction, if aluminum is the metal of choice, I recommend using the 6061T6 alloy.

Excepted from The Printed Circuit Board Designer’s Guide To Thermal Management.
1,287 downloads for our Thermal Management eBook!
Today’s designers are challenged more than ever with the task of finding the optimal balance between cost and performance when designing radio frequency/microwave PCBs.

Readers, especially RF PCB designers, will gain a better understanding of issues related to the design and manufacture of RF/microwave devices from a PCB fabricator perspective.
Aismalibar Thermal Management Materials
March 10, 2021
10:00 am to 11:00 am (CST)

This webinar will cover a new important industry requirement for heat disipation in advanced circuit design utilizing highly conductive thermal PCB laminater materials.
Taiyo's Solution for Thermal Management Materials
March 24, 2021
10:00 am to 11:00 am (CST)

We'll discuss the electronics industry's growing need for materials to handle extreme heat and our solution which includes high temperature resistant solder mask and heat dissipating products.
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ASC Presents: Rick Kohn eBook Customer Story
Thermal Management
77 second webinars
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