Most used ceramic PCB; strong thermal dielectric with low expansion
Aluminum Oxide (Al2O3) 96% or Alumina 96% is the most used ceramic material for ceramic printed circuit boards and packages. Thanks to its good thermal properties, low expansion, and hermeticity in combination with a relatively low cost and more easy handling. Applications include cooling and heating applications, LED boards, medical circuits, sensor modules, and high-frequency devices.
CERcuits supplies Alumina Oxide (Al2O3) 96% manufactured both by thick film process as well as Direct Plated Copper Technologies (DPC) to print the circuits.
C-Proto: Our in-house solution which is perfect for samples, prototypes, and small volume programs. PCBs are made in Belgium at a quick turnaround without the need for any tooling. Speeding up your development while reducing your budget. Quotes & orders can be done 100% online via our portal.
C-Production: Our medium to high volume solution. Together with our production partners, we can ensure competitive pricing, the right manufacturing footprint & tailored supply chain solutions for your volume program.
Hence, circuits can be made using Copper (Cu) or Silver (Ag) depending on the application and the request. Copper is offered in DPC and silver using a thick film process. We advise copper in 1-2 layer applications from low to high volume applications. Silver is advised when you need multi-layer and high-temperature resistance. In case you are unsure what material to specify, please do not hesitate to contact us.
Solder resist and surface finishes can be applied similarly to regular PCB when copper metallization is used. However, for silver thick film designs, we offer only a glass solder mask which is recommended for high-temperature designs. For high sulfur environments where silver corrosion can be an issue, we offer Gold plating as a solution to protect the exposed pads.
Download our Alumina (Al2O3) 96% PCB design rules here:
In case you need further information, more stringent specification or something is unclear; please contact us.
AluminaOxide 96% or Al2O3 is the most widely used ceramic substrates thanks to its low cost and bright white color.
* Reflectivity test reference thickness of 1mm
* Reflectivity test reference thickness of 0.5mm
The data shown is typical of commercially available material and is only offered for comparative purposes. The information shall not be interpreted as absolute material properties nor does it constitute a representation or warranty for which we assume legal liability. User shall determine the suitability of the material for the intended use and assumes all risk and liability whatsoever in connection therewith.
Compared to standard rigid PCBs (FR4), Al2O3 PCBs are more expensive. However, it is competitive with other high-end substrates (Rogers, Copper metalcore) and usually performs better thermally or in design possibilities. Also, thanks to its material properties, it allows for savings on other parts of the module.
To control costs, we recommend keeping the ceramic PCB small and integrated.
Yes, both are possible but be aware that your standard reflow profile likely needs to be updated as the substrates as more thermally conductive.
Yes, we can deliver multilayer ceramic circuits up to 4 layers. More layers might be possible, please enquire.
Our prototyping line serves a maximum of 100x80mm / 3.9″x 3.2″.
For normal production 125mmx125mm or 5″x 5″ panels are standard but we can accommodate larger boards up to 180mm x 180mm (7″x 7″) or even larger. please enquire via contact us.
Yes, depending on your requirements (operating temperature, environmental hazards, …) we can supply regular solder resist or glass-based solder masks. Also, silkscreen is possible. Surface finish depends on the metalization but generally immersion tin, silver, ENIG, and/or ENEPIG are available. We will help you to select the right specifications so it fits your application and design.
You can download our design rules on this page under ‘design rules’ which will give already a lot of information. Detailed design for manufacturing checks will be done before we start production. If you are still unsure whether your design is suitable for Ceramic PCB production. Please contact us and we’ll be happy to support you.
Rigid PCBs are made using a retractive method using photolithography and etching. Ceramic PCB can be made using a variety of additive and retractive methods like direct plating copper, direct bonding copper, thick film printing, thin-film printing, LTCC, HTCC, … which are all significantly different than standard PCB production. Selecting the right production process depends and the requirements and specifications of the design. We have the necessary experience and will support you so you can focus on what you need in the end rather than how to get it.
Al & Cu have indeed high thermal performances but the dielectric layer which separates the metal core from the conductive traces will increase the thermal resistance significantly. Both the dielectric by itself (usually <3 W/mK thermal conductivity) and the interface resistance will reduce the total thermal performance. Depending on the thickness of this layer (<10 W/mK) the thermal conductivity of the board can be reduced by 70-90%!
Alumina 96% (Al2O3), on the other hand, is a dielectric material and thus traces can be placed directly onto the board eliminating any loss in conductivity resulting in less overall thermal resistance. Furthermore, Alumina can handle multilayer designs without losing thermal conductivity.
Our experience learns us that alumina circuits especially outperform metal core PCB in smaller integrated designs where space is limited and where heat can’t be properly spread on the top side of the board.
If you wish to send us an attachment (f.e. drawing/gerber/project brief/…), please use the form on the contact us page.
