Ceramic PCB’s Key Features
| Key Features | Description |
| High Thermal Conductivity | The thermal conductivity is 10-200 times that of FR-4 (aluminum nitride: 170-230 W/mK), allowing for rapid heat dissipation. |
| Low CTE (Coefficient of Thermal Expansion) | Match with chip materials (such as silicon) to reduce the risk of thermal stress cracking. |
| High-Temperature Resistance | The working temperature can reach above 350 ° C (FR-4 limit is about 130 ° C). |
| Excellent Electrical Insulation | High breakdown voltage, suitable for high-voltage scenarios. |
| Chemical Stability | Corrosion and oxidation resistance, suitable for harsh environments. |
What’s the Difference Between Ceramic PCB & FR4?
| Items | Ceramic PCB | FR-4 PCB |
| Thermal Conductivity (W/mK) | 20~230 (aluminum nitride is the highest) | 0.3~0.6 |
| Dielectric Constant/Dk | 9~10 (low high-frequency signal loss) | 4.5~4.8 (higher frequency loss) |
| Cost | high cost due to complex materials and processes | lower cost |
| Application Scenarios | High power, high frequency, extreme environment | consumer electronics, regular circuits |
Ceramic PCBs are widely used in applications requiring exceptional thermal management, high-frequency performance, and reliability. It common used in high-power electronics, RF(radio frequency) /microwave circuits, aerospace, automotive radar systems and medical devices, among other applications.
Power Electronics: IGBT module, electric vehicle inverter heat dissipation substrate.
- RF/Microwave: 5G base station power amplifier (PA), radar T/R module.
- Automotive: Autonomous driving LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging)
- Aerospace: Engine sensors, satellite power control system.
- Medical Devices: Thermal management of laser medical probes.
- LED Lighting: COB LED chip packaging solves the problem of light decay.
| Manufacturing Process | |
| Thick-Film Technology | Screen printing metal paste (gold/silver/copper) on ceramic substrates and high-temperature sintering to form circuits. |
| Thin-Film Technology | Vacuum sputtering coating+photolithography, with an accuracy of micrometer level, used for high-frequency chips. |
| DPC (Direct Plated Copper) | The ceramic surface is directly copper plated, with strong adhesion, suitable for high-power LEDs. |
| HTCC/LTCC | HTCC: 1600 ° C sintered alumina for aerospace/military applications. LTCC: 850 ° C sintered glass ceramic with integrated passive components. |
