The LED circuits are more and more compact, energy-efficient, and power-dense. IMS PCBs are widely used for LEDs, automotive, power electronics, solid-state relays, etc. This is because the IMS PCB can directly absorb the heat from the SMD components and distribute the heat quickly.įollowing is the summary of the above-discussed advantages of IMS PCBs. IMS PCBs are surface-mount device (SMD) friendly. It can also be used as an active ground plane in the circuit, which indirectly reduces the PCB manufacturing cost by reducing the copper traces required for the ground plane. The metal substrate also acts as an electromagnetic shield. This makes IMS PCBs ideal for high-power applications or applications where the environment temperature is high or flammable. Since the substrate material is metal, IMS PCBs are less vulnerable to fire compared to FR4 material used in normal PCBs. By getting advantage of the increased thermal conductivity, high heat dissipating components can be densely packed in IMS PCBs providing overall compactness compared to common PCBs. This is another advantage over common FR4 PCBs. Thick metal substrate can also be used as structural support or the main structural part in the application. The metal core thickness could vary between 0.4mm to 3.2mm. IMS PCB could have thermal conductivities ranging from 1-12 W/(m.K). The main advantage of an IMS PCB over a common FR4 PCB is that it has enhanced thermal conductivity. Here are the advantages of IMS PCBs over normal FR4 boards: IMS PCBs are usually found in compact circuits with high heat generation. The die-electric layer material has the qualities of excellent heat dissipation and great dielectric strength against high voltages. The metal substrate acts as a heat sink and also provides structural support for the PCB. The die-electric layer transfers heat from the circuit to the metal substrate.
Insulated metal substrate (IMS) PCB, also known as metal core PCB (MCPCB), is the term for the PCBs constructed with a metallic support plate (usually aluminum), which is separated by a dielectric layer from the copper conductors of the circuit.