Why does Bergquist offer copper-based as well as aluminum-based Thermal Clad?
There is a need for both. Depending on your application, either copper or aluminum may be the applicable solution. However, if your application demands heavy copper weights due to large current requirements or for mounting ceramic devices, then copper is recommended, or as copper foil thickness approaches 10% of the thickness of aluminum. The use of a copper base for Thermal Clad is especially suitable for bare die or large ceramic chip capacitors. In addition, copper does not have the CTE (coefficient of thermal expansion) mis-match issues that can be present with copper/aluminum substrates. See our “Selecting Base Material” section on the web and learn how you can select a thinner copper base for costs similar to thermally equivalent thicker aluminum.
