Copper clad laminate, also known as copper-clad laminate, is the core basic material for manufacturing printed circuit boards. It is formed by covering one or both sides of an insulating substrate with copper foil and bonding them through a hot pressing process.
1、 Superior electrical performance, the reliable cornerstone of signal transmission
The core mission of copper-clad laminates is to provide reliable electrical interconnection. Its advantages lie in:
Stable dielectric performance: Excellent copper-clad laminates have low dielectric constants and low dielectric loss factors, ensuring minimal attenuation, delay, and distortion of high-frequency and high-speed signals during transmission. This is crucial for 5G communication, high-speed computing devices, and advanced radar systems.
High insulation resistance and breakdown voltage resistance: It can effectively isolate different circuit layers and wires, prevent leakage and short circuits, and ensure long-term stable operation of electronic devices at rated voltage.
Controllable impedance: Through precise lamination technology and material ratio, stable and consistent characteristic impedance can be achieved, meeting the strict requirements of high-speed digital circuits for signal integrity.
2、 Excellent mechanical performance and reliability ensure durability of end products
Copper clad laminates provide structural support for PCBs, and their mechanical advantages are reflected in:
High strength and dimensional stability: It has good rigidity, bending strength, and dimensional stability, and can resist deformation, vibration, and stress during assembly, transportation, and use, preventing circuit breakage or performance drift.
High heat resistance: With high glass transition temperature and low thermal expansion coefficient, it can withstand high-temperature assembly processes such as reflow soldering and wave soldering, and maintain a strong bond between the copper layer and the substrate during temperature cycling, reducing hole wall fracture or delamination caused by thermal stress.
Good processability: Suitable for PCB mechanical processing such as drilling, punching, milling, etc., and the hole wall is smooth, which is conducive to subsequent metallization electroplating.
3、 Diversified material system to meet the needs of all scenario applications
Copper clad laminate is not a single material, but a vast family of materials, and this diversity is its core advantage:
Universal FR-4 epoxy glass cloth board: high cost-effectiveness, balanced comprehensive performance, occupying most of the markets such as consumer electronics and industrial control.
High performance materials: such as polytetrafluoroethylene substrates used for millimeter wave RF; Modified epoxy/PPO/cyanate ester resin for high-speed and low loss scenarios; Metal substrate is used for high-power LED heat dissipation; Flexible substrates are used for wearable devices, etc. This "tailor-made" ability enables copper-clad laminates to perfectly serve all fields from consumer electronics to aerospace.
4、 The firmness and consistency of copper foil bonding determine the quality of the circuit
The bonding force between copper foil and substrate is the lifeline of the quality of copper-clad laminates. Its advantages lie in:
High peel strength: Through surface treatment and bonding processes, ensure that copper foil is not easily peeled off or foamed during processing, welding, and use.
Excellent copper surface quality: We provide a variety of copper foils with low profile, ultra-thin, and clean surfaces without oxidation, ensuring the quality of pattern transfer and electroplating, which directly affects the conductivity and reliability of the circuit.
5、 Compliant with environmental and safety regulations, adaptable to sustainable development
Modern copper-clad laminates actively respond to global environmental trends:
Halogen free and phosphorus free flame retardant: While maintaining excellent flame retardancy (such as UL94 V-0 level), it reduces the use of harmful substances such as halogens and red phosphorus, meeting strict environmental directives such as RoHS and REACH.
High ion migration resistance: It can effectively prevent short circuits caused by ion migration in high humidity environments and improve the reliability of equipment in harsh environments.
In summary, the advantage of copper-clad laminates is that they are not passive base materials, but actively define the performance limits, reliability levels, and application boundaries of modern electronic devices. It successfully integrates multiple opposing demands such as insulation and conductivity, structural support and signal transmission, heat resistance and processing, and general and special needs, and is the silent cornerstone of innovation and development in the electronic information industry. From smartphones to artificial intelligence servers, from new energy vehicles to satellite communication, their superior performance is inseparable from the continuous progress of copper-clad laminate technology.
