DBC Ceramic PCB

Direct copper coating technology (DBC) ceramic circuit board is to use copper oxygen-containing eutectic liquid to directly bond copper to ceramics. The basic principle is to introduce an appropriate amount of oxygen between copper and ceramics before or during the bonding process. , in the range of 1065℃~ 1083℃, because the preparation method of DBC has requirements on the thickness of copper foil, generally not less than 150 ~ 300 microns, so the width-to-depth ratio of such ceramic circuit boards is limited. Copper and oxygen form a Cu-O eutectic liquid. DBC technology uses this eutectic liquid to chemically react with the ceramic substrate on the one hand to form CuAlO2 or CuAl2O4 phase, and on the other hand to infiltrate the copper foil to realize the combination of the ceramic substrate and the copper plate.

DBC ceramic substrate is a ceramic circuit board divided according to the process attributes in the ceramic board manufacturing process. DBC is directly coated with copper, which is a ceramic surface metallization technology. ) and substrate copper phase. This technology is mainly used for the packaging of power electronic modules, semiconductor refrigeration and LED devices, etc.

DBC copper-clad ceramic substrate has the advantages of stable shape, high thermal conductivity, thermal cycle, high reliability, and good rigidity. It is widely used in aerospace, automobile manufacturing, household appliances, military industry, electrical and electronic fields, etc.

DBC Ceramic PCB Material

The materials used for DBC ceramic substrates are mainly alumina(Al2O3), aluminum nitride(AlN) and beryllium oxide(BeO).

Alumina (Al2O3)

Alumina (Al2O3) has good insulation, good chemical stability, high strength, and low price, so it is the preferred material for DBC technology.

Aluminum Nitride (AlN)

The dielectric constant of aluminum nitride is moderate, the thermal conductivity is much higher than aluminum oxide (Al2O3), close to beryllium oxide (BeO), and the thermal expansion coefficient is close to Si. Various Si chips and high-power devices can be directly attached to the AlN substrate. No transition layer of other materials. It is widely used in DBC technology at present.

Beryllium oxide (BeO)

BeO is a common ceramic material for DBC technology. It has high thermal conductivity at low temperature and a perfect manufacturing process. It can be used in medium and high power devices. The high thermal conductivity and low loss characteristics of BeO are so far unmatched by other ceramic materials.

DBC Ceramic PCB Manufacturing Processing

The DBC process is to form a copper film on the surface of the ceramic substrate, and then directly bond the copper film to the ceramic substrate through a hot pressing process. This process needs to be carried out at high temperatures to ensure a strong bond between the copper and the ceramic substrate.

DBC ceramic circuit board technology has the characteristics of low operating cost, high work efficiency, thick copper layer, etc., and is suitable for large-scale production. After years of experience accumulation, Beton Technology DCB technology is becoming more and more mature, the production capacity of copper-clad ceramic substrates is rapidly expanding, and the output continues to grow. The DBC process is suitable for most ceramic substrates. The metal crystallinity is good, the flatness is good, the line is not easy to fall off, the line position is more accurate, the line distance is smaller, and the reliability is stable.

DBC Ceramic PCB Advantage

• Strong mechanical stress, stable shape; high strength, high thermal conductivity, high insulation; strong binding force, anti-corrosion;
• Excellent thermal cycle performance, cycle times up to 50,000 times, high reliability;
• Like the PCB (or IMS substrate), DBC Ceramic PCB can etch various graphic structures; no pollution, no pollution;
• The operating temperature range is -55°C to 850°C; the coefficient of thermal expansion is close to that of silicon, which simplifies the production process of power modules.

Advantages of using DBC

• The coefficient of thermal expansion of DCB is close to that of silicon chips, which can save transition layer Mo, save labor, save materials and reduce costs;
• Reduce the solder layer, reduce thermal resistance, reduce voids, and improve yield;
• Outstandig heat conductivity.  24 W/mk Al2O3 und 180 W/mK AIN;
• High electrical isolation > 15 KV/mm;
• Low CTE (coefficient of thermal expansion) 6.8 ppm – AL2O3 und 4.0 ppm – AIN;
• Under the same current carrying capacity, the line width of 0.3mm thick copper foil is only 10% of that of ordinary printed circuit boards;
• Excellent thermal conductivity makes the package of the chip very compact, thus greatly increasing the power density and improving the reliability of the system and device;
• Ultra-thin (0.25mm) DCBceramic circuitboard can replace BeO;
• Large carrying capacity, 100A current continuously passes through a 1mm wide and 0.3mm thick copper body, and the temperature rise is about 17°C; 100A current continuously passes through a 2mm wide and 0.3mm thick copper body, the temperature rise is only about 5°C;

Low thermal resistance, thermal resistance of 10×10mm DCB board:

(1)The thermal resistance of 0.63mm thick ceramic substrate DCB is 0.31K/W

(2)The thermal resistance of 0.38mm thick ceramic substrate DCB is 0.19K/W

(3)The thermal resistance of 0.25mm thick ceramic substrate DCB is 0.14K/W

• High insulation withstand voltage, ensuring personal safety and equipment protection;
• New packaging and assembly methods can be realized to make the product highly integrated and shrink in size

DBC Ceramic PCB Application

1. Power Electronics: IGBT, MOSFET, Thyristor Module, Solid-state Relay, Diode, Power Transistors;

2. Automotive: ABS, Power Steering, DC/DC Converter, LED Lighting, Ignition Control;

3. Home Appliance: Air Conditioner, Peltier Cooler
4. Environmental Technology: Local Power Generation, Electric Vehicle, Traction Control System, Photovoltaic Units, Wind Power
5. Industrial: LED Displays, Welding Machine
6. Aerospace: Laser, Power Supply for Satellites and Aircrafts
7. PC/IT: Power Supply, UPS System

DBC ceramic substrate circuits are present in almost all mobile devices and various wireless communication products, and as devices become smaller and more powerful, the need for DBC circuits to manage energy and heat becomes more and more important. Photochemical etching is the most cost-effective solution for processing direct bonded copper ceramic substrates, it produces clear, clean circuits without glitches or distortion, QFPCB has extensive experience in etching DBC ceramic substrate products for various applications. Any Ceramic pcb demands, please contact us at any time.