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To the data check →When the dielectric of a standard aluminium board becomes the bottleneck, the answer is a different core. Copper carries roughly twice the heat of aluminium, steel buys stiffness, and a thicker core spreads before it conducts.
Metal core is the umbrella the aluminium line sits under. The construction is the same in principle — a metal base, a thermally conductive dielectric, copper on top — but the base itself becomes a design variable. Aluminium is the default because it is light and cheap. Copper is chosen when the heat flux is high enough that the base’s own conductivity matters, steel when the board doubles as a structural part.
The number that decides the build is rarely the core, though. The dielectric between copper and metal is the thermal bottleneck: roughly a hundred microns thick and between 1 and 8 W/m·K, against about 200 for aluminium and 400 for copper. Halving the dielectric thickness or doubling its conductivity moves the junction temperature far more than switching the base metal does.
Around twice the thermal conductivity of aluminium, and the option when the base itself sits in the heat path rather than just behind it. Heavier and dearer, so specified where the thermal budget genuinely needs it.
Where the board is also a bracket or a mounting plate. Thermally the most modest of the three, mechanically the strongest, and it takes threads.
A 2 mm core spreads laterally before it conducts through, which flattens the hot spot under a point source like a single high-power LED or a TO package.
| Feature | Specification |
|---|---|
| Core material | Aluminium, copper or steel |
| Core thickness | 0.8 – 3.0 mm |
| Layers | 1 – 4 (single-layer standard, multilayer on request) |
| Dielectric | 75 – 150 µm, 1.0 – 8.0 W/m·K |
| Copper | 35 – 210 µm |
| Final thickness | 1.0 – 3.5 mm |
| Surface finish | ENIG, OSP, immersion silver/tin, lead-free HASL |
| Typical use | LED lighting, power electronics, motor drives, solar inverters |
The usual build for this line. Anything outside it is normally still possible — ask and we will confirm.
The core material sets the ceiling, the dielectric sets what you actually get. Both belong in the drawing.
| Parameter | Standard | Advanced | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Core material | Aluminium | Copper / steel | Copper roughly doubles base conductivity |
| Core thickness | 1.0 – 1.6 mm | 0.8 – 3.0 mm | Thicker cores spread better, drill slower |
| Dielectric thickness | 100 µm | 75 µm | Thinner conducts better, holds off less voltage |
| Dielectric conductivity | 1.0 – 2.0 W/m·K | 3.0 – 8.0 W/m·K | The real bottleneck in the stack |
| Copper weight | 35 – 70 µm | 105 – 210 µm | Heavy copper widens the etch tolerance |
| Layers | 1 | 2 – 4 | Multilayer IMS needs a separate lamination |
| Isolation voltage | 3 kV AC | 6 kV AC | Set by the dielectric, not by the core |
| Outline | Routed | Routed + punched | Metal cores cannot be V-scored cleanly |
Guide values for pre-selection. Binding values are confirmed per project against your data.
The points below are what most often comes back as a query after data review. Settling them before layout freeze saves a loop.
The dielectric is the thermal resistance that dominates. Specify its thickness and conductivity in the drawing — naming only “aluminium core” leaves the number that matters undefined.
Heat leaves through the base, so the base cannot carry components. Plan the whole placement on the copper side, connectors included.
Scoring a metal base leaves a burred, work-hardened edge and blunts the blade. Panelise with routed outlines and tabs instead.
Every plated hole, routed edge and exposed copper near the rim has to respect the isolation distance to the metal base. Treat the core as a conductor at chassis potential.
When the base metal is genuinely in the heat path — a dense array of high-power devices, or a spreading distance of several centimetres. For a single LED over a thin dielectric the base contributes little and aluminium is the sensible choice.
Only through pre-drilled and back-filled clearances in the core, which makes it a considerably more involved build. Most metal core designs are single-layer for exactly this reason; if you need real interconnect, ask about a multilayer IMS early.
It follows the isolation requirement — roughly 100 µm covers 3 kV AC. Going thinner improves the thermals and eats the isolation margin, so the two get specified together.
It should be tied to a defined potential, usually chassis. A floating metal core is a capacitively coupled plate and shows up as radiated emissions.
Send us your data or a rough sketch. We check feasibility, name the cost drivers and answer within one working day.