Heavy Copper PCBs | High-Current & High-Thermal Management
Uniting Strength & Flexibility for Advanced Electronics
When standard PCBs can’t handle the current, manage the heat, or withstand the mechanical stress, Heavy Copper PCBs are the critical solution. Utilizing copper weights and 3oz per sq ft to 30 oz and beyond, these robust boards are designed for demanding applications where failure is not an option.
HT Global Circuits (HTGC), with over 35 years of expertise, we specialize in manufacturing custom heavy copper and extreme copper PCBs. We provide the exceptional current-carrying capacity, superior thermal performance, and mechanical durability required for the most challenging applications in power electronics, automotive, aerospace, and industrial systems.
HT Global Circuit’s Heavy Copper PCB Capabilities
With our extensive expertise and advanced manufacturing capabilities, HT Global Circuits is well-equipped to provide custom heavy copper PCB solutions. Over the years, we have developed expert custom heavy copper PCB fabrication capabilities that enable us meet the most demanding power and performance requirements.
| Category | Capability |
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Copper Thickness |
Min. Outer Copper Thickness: 0.3 oz, Max. Outer Copper Thickness: 30 oz |
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Max. Outer Copper Thickness w/ UL: 15 oz, Min. Inner Copper Thickness: 0.3 oz |
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Max. Inner Copper Thickness: 28 oz, Max. Inner Copper Thickness w/ UL: 12 oz |
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Surface Finish |
HASL / LF: 1-40 µm (4-16 µinch) |
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Imm. Tin: 0.80-1.20 µm (3-4.75 µinch) |
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Imm. Silver: 0.15-0.5 µm (6-20 µinch) |
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ENIG: Ni: 1.75-9 µm / 70-354 µinch, Au: 0.025-3 µm / 1-118 µinch |
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OSP: 0.1-0.6 µm (4-24 µinch) |
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ENEPIG: Ni: 3-5 µm / 118-198 µinch, Au: 0.025-0.15 µm / 1-6 µinch, Pd: 0.025-0.15 µm / 1-6 µinch |
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Material Certifications |
RoHS, UL 94V-0, UL-C, UL ZPMV2 |
Key Benefits of Thick Copper PCBs
Thick copper PCBs offer a range of advantages that make them the ideal choice for high current PCBs. These benefits are why customers increasingly turn to heavy copper solutions for their most demanding electronic designs.
High Current Carrying Capacity
Heavy copper PCBs are designed to handle high electrical currents, making them ideal for power electronics, automotive, aerospace, and industrial applications that require superior current handling. These thick copper circuit boards ensure efficient power distribution even in high amperage PCB applications. The relationship between cross-sectional area, current, and temperature rise is fundamental, in reference to IPC-2156 standards.
Superior Thermal Conductivity and Heat Dissipation
With thicker copper layers, heavy copper PCBs provide excellent thermal management, efficiently dissipating heat to prevent overheating and improve overall system reliability. Copper’s high thermal conductivity (~385 W/mK) efficiently pulls heat away from components, potentially reducing hot-spot temperatures by tens of degrees Celsius compared to standard boards.
Enhanced Mechanical Strength
The increased copper thickness enhances the mechanical strength of the PCB, particularly at connector and plated through-hole (PTHs) locations, ensuring better durability and reducing the risk of failure under mechanical stress. This makes them ideal for demanding applications requiring robust heavy copper PCB designs.
Integration of Power and Control on the Same Board
Heavy copper PCBs allow for the integration of both power and control circuits on a single board, optimizing space and simplifying the design process while ensuring robust performance in multilayer heavy copper PCBs.
Extended Product Lifespan under High Load
Due to their superior heat dissipation and current handling, heavy copper PCBs are built to withstand high loads over extended periods, extending the overall lifespan of your products and reducing the need for maintenance.
Designing with Heavy Copper: Key Considerations
Success with heavy copper requires addressing its unique manufacturing challenges. Our engineering team partners with you to navigate these critical areas:
- Etching and Aspect Ratio: Achieving fine lines and spaces with thick copper requires specialized etching techniques. We manage the aspect ratio of traces to prevent under-etching and ensure precision.
- Layer-to-Layer Registration: The increased processing steps for thick copper can affect alignment. We employ advanced registration systems to maintain accuracy in multilayer stacks.
- Drilling and Plated Through-Holes: Drilling through thick copper cladding requires specialized drill bits and plating processes to ensure a uniform, reliable copper barrel in every via and plated through-hole, preventing barrel cracking.
- Material Selection (Laminates): Not all FR4 is created equal. We recommend and supply high-performance laminates with high Thermal Decomposition (Td) and Glass Transition (Tg) temperatures to withstand the thermal stress of soldering and operation on a heavy copper board.
- Controlled Impedance Challenges: Integrating controlled impedance signals on a board with massive power planes requires careful modeling and stack-up design. We provide SI/PI support to balance power integrity with signal integrity.
Heavy Copper Stackups & Design Support
At HT Global Circuits, we ensure the manufacturability and design success of your heavy copper PCB projects through our robust design support and flexible stackup options. Our team works closely with engineers to deliver high-quality, custom solutions tailored to your specific needs.
- 2-Layer to Multilayer Designs (Up to 20 Layers): We support a wide range of stackup configurations, from simple 2-layer designs to complex multilayer heavy copper PCBs, giving you the flexibility to meet your project’s requirements.
- Mixed Copper Thickness Per Layer: We offer asymmetric and symmetric stack-ups, allowing you to place extreme copper (e.g., 20oz) on power layers while using moderate copper (e.g., 2oz) on signal layers, optimizing both performance and cost.
- Controlled Impedance + High Current Routing: Our designs ensure controlled impedance for signal integrity and precise routing for high current applications, ensuring reliable performance in high amperage PCB circuits.
- Thermal Relief Pad Design for Soldering: This is critical for hand-soldering and rework to prevent heat from sinking into the large copper plane, and can lead to cold solder joints. To ensure effective soldering and prevent thermal stress during assembly, improving the overall reliability of the finished product.
- DFM Support and Design Consultations: Our experienced team provides comprehensive Design for Manufacturability (DFM) support and design consultations, helping you avoid potential issues and ensuring your PCB is optimized for both performance and manufacturability.
- IPC Class 2 and 3 Capability: HT Global Circuits is fully capable of manufacturing high current PCBs that meet the rigorous standards of IPC Class 2 and 3, ensuring your designs achieve the highest levels of reliability and performance for both commercial and high-reliability applications.
Industries & Applications of Thick Copper PCBs
Heavy copper PCBs are essential components in many high-power applications where performance, durability, and reliability are critical. HT Global Circuits delivers tailored solutions for industries that require robust and efficient PCB designs to meet their specific needs.
Below are some of the key industries and applications we serve:
- Power Supply Modules: Heavy copper PCBs are ideal for power supply modules, including DC-DC converters and switch-mode power supplies (SMPS), where high current carrying capacity and efficient heat dissipation are crucial. These thick copper circuit boards manage the electrical demands of the power conversion process, ensuring stable output and reliable performance under high-load conditions.
- EV & Automotive: In electric vehicles (EVs) and automotive power systems, heavy copper PCBs are used in onboard chargers, power inverters, and other critical power management applications. The ability to handle high currents and provide thermal relief is key in supporting the efficient conversion and distribution of energy within EV systems, enhancing overall vehicle performance and reliability.
- Industrial Control: Heavy copper PCBs are used extensively in industrial control systems, including high-voltage equipment and relays, where precision and robustness are essential. These PCBs help manage high power loads and ensure the safe operation of industrial machinery and electrical equipment, even in harsh environments.
- Renewable Energy: In renewable energy systems, such as solar power, heavy copper PCBs are used in solar inverters and power distribution units to handle large electrical currents while maintaining efficient thermal management. These PCBs play a vital role in maximizing energy conversion efficiency and ensuring long-term, reliable operation in renewable energy systems.
- Military & Aerospace: Heavy copper PCBs are a critical part of ruggedized military and aerospace systems, designed to withstand extreme conditions, including high shock, vibration, and temperature fluctuations. These PCBs power critical high-load electronics in defense and aerospace applications, ensuring that vital systems function reliably in the most challenging environments, from battlefield scenarios to outer space.
- LED Drivers: In lighting systems, heavy copper PCBs are commonly used in LED driver applications, particularly for power-handling backplanes that manage high current loads. These PCBs ensure that LED systems operate efficiently, providing reliable power delivery for energy-efficient lighting solutions, even under demanding operational conditions.
Prototyping to Production at HT Global Circuits
At HT Global Circuits, we offer a seamless transition from prototyping to full-scale production, providing both R&D and procurement teams with the confidence that their thick copper PCB designs will be executed to the highest standards at every stage.
Our comprehensive process is built to meet the unique needs of each project, whether you are in the early stages of development or scaling for mass production.
- Quick-Turn Prototyping: We understand the need for fast development cycles in today’s fast-paced industries. Our quick-turn prototyping service allows you to test and validate your heavy copper PCB designs rapidly, enabling faster iterations and shorter time-to-market. This ensures that your designs can be thoroughly evaluated before moving to larger production runs.
- Thick Copper Plating with Controlled Etch Profiles: Our advanced manufacturing capabilities allow for thick copper plating, up to 30 oz and beyond, with controlled etch profiles that maintain the integrity of the design. This ensures consistent current-carrying capacity and precise thermal management for high-load applications, while preserving the quality and performance of the final PCB.
- Scalable to Medium and High-Volume Production: Whether you need a small batch of prototypes or large-scale production runs, HT Global Circuits offers scalability to meet your project’s demands. Our production processes are flexible, allowing for seamless transitions from low-volume prototypes to medium and high-volume manufacturing, ensuring your design can scale efficiently without compromising quality or performance.
- High-Reliability Testing & Traceability: Quality and reliability are paramount, especially in industries such as aerospace, defense, and power electronics. We perform rigorous high-reliability testing on all our heavy copper PCBs, including thermal cycling, vibration, and high-voltage testing, to ensure they meet industry standards. Additionally, our comprehensive traceability system tracks every component and manufacturing step, ensuring full transparency and confidence in the final product’s performance and longevity.
Frequently Asked Questions
At HT Global Circuits, we can provide heavy copper PCBs with copper thicknesses up to 30 oz and beyond. This allows for superior current-carrying capacity and efficient heat dissipation in high-power applications.
Yes, heavy copper PCBs can be used in multilayer designs, with up to 20 layers. We offer flexibility in stackups to ensure optimal performance for complex, high-current, and high-power applications.
We leverage the innate high thermal conductivity of copper itself. Thick copper planes act as embedded heat spreaders. In extreme cases, we can integrate thermal vias under high-power components to channel heat directly to internal layers or the opposite side of the board, sometimes eliminating the need for a secondary heatsink. Our heavy copper PCBs are designed with superior thermal conductivity and heat dissipation. Thick copper plating ensures that heat is effectively spread across the board, preventing overheating and improving overall system reliability.
We perform rigorous testing on all heavy copper PCBs, including thermal cycling, high-voltage, vibration, and current carrying capacity tests. Additionally, we ensure full traceability of materials and processes to meet the highest reliability standards.
Heavy copper PCBs are more expensive due to more raw material, longer processing times (etching, plating), and specialized equipment. However, this is often offset by system-level savings: increased reliability, reduced need for external heat sinks, and integration of functions onto a single board.