| Core Material |
Solid Copper plate/core. |
FR4 (Fiberglass woven cloth and epoxy resin). |
| Primary Advantage |
Thermal Management (Heat Dissipation). |
Cost-Effectiveness and Design Flexibility. |
| Thermal Conductivity (W/m·K) |
Excellent: Up to 400 W/m·K (Pure Copper). |
Poor: Typically 0.3 to 0.4 W/m·K (Epoxy Resin). |
| Current Handling |
Very High. The thick copper base can also be used as a ground/power plane or heat sink. |
Limited. Relies on the copper trace thickness (typically 1-2 oz). |
| Mechanical Strength |
High Rigidity. The metal core provides excellent durability and resistance to warping/vibration. |
Moderate. Sufficient for most consumer electronics but less robust. |
| Coefficient of Thermal Expansion (CTE) |
Lower and Better Matched to the copper circuit layers. |
Higher (especially in the Z-axis), leading to thermal stress and potential PTH/via failure during temperature cycling. |
| Design Flexibility |
Limited Layer Count (mostly single or double-sided) due to the solid metal core. |
Excellent. Supports complex, multi-layer designs (4, 6, 8+ layers) for high-density routing. |
| Cost |
Higher. Copper is an expensive material, and processing is more specialized. |
Low. Cost-effective and widely available for mass production. |
| Typical Applications |
High-power LEDs, motor controllers, power supplies, automotive electronics, and high-frequency communication modules. |
Consumer electronics (smartphones, computers), low-to-mid power devices, and complex digital circuits. |