Using Copper in PCB Design & Fabrication for Maximum Reliability

Various power electronics products are being designed every day for a range of applications. Increasingly, these projects are taking advantage of a growing trend in the printed circuit board industry: heavy copper and extreme copper printed circuit boards.pcb design price

What defines a heavy copper circuit? Most commercially available PCBs are manufactured for low-voltage/low-power applications, with copper traces/planes made up of copper weights ranging from 1/2oz/ft2 to 3oz/ft2. A heavy copper circuit is manufactured with copper weights anywhere from 4oz/ft2 to 20oz/ft2. Copper weights higher than 20oz/ft2, and up to 200oz/ft2 are also possible and are referred to as extreme copper. For our discussion here, we will focus primarily on heavy copper. The increased copper weight, combined with a suitable substrate and thicker plating in the through holes, can transform the once unreliable, weak circuit board into a durable and reliable wiring platform.
The construction of a heavy copper circuit endows a board with benefits such as:

Increased endurance against thermal strains
Increased current-carrying capacity
Increased mechanical strength at connector sites and in PTH holes
Use of exotic materials to their full potential (i.e., high temperature) without circuit failure
Reduced product size by incorporating multiple copper weights on the same layer of circuitry (see image above)
Heavy copper-plated vias carry higher current through the board and help to transfer heat to an external heat sink.
Onboard heat sinks directly plated on to the board surface using up to 120oz copper planes
Onboard high-power-density planar transformers
Although the disadvantages are few, it's important to understand the heavy copper circuit's basic construction to fully appreciate its capabilities and potential applications.