High TG PCB Manufacturing: Characteristics, Applications & Advantages!

The demand for high Tg PCB manufacturing has been seeing exponential growth. Not without reason, High Tg PCB offers high resistance to temperature, pressure, moisture, harmful chemicals and more. They also offer increased electrical and mechanical support to devices. Little surprise then that high Tg PCBs find application in a wide variety of applications.

Let us look at the concept of high Tg PCB in detail:

What is a high Tg PCB?

Tg or Transition Glass temperature is the highest temperature at which a substance remains in a solid state. Beyond this temperature, it changes into its liquid form. A high Tg PCB therefore is designed to withstand extreme temperatures. Such PCBs work well in harsh temperature conditions as they do not melt or soften. If the operating temperature exceeds TG, the PCB can melt, show deformation, and more.

Standard PCBs offer a Tg value of 140°C, which can withstand an operating temperate of 110°C. For industries such as automotive, aeronautics and more, that have extreme temperature processes, a PCB made of FR-4 can offer a workable solution.

What is FR-4?

FR-4 is a flame-retardant fiberglass reinforced epoxy material. It offers far greater heat resistance than standard PCBs. FR-4 circuits boards, in turn, are classified based on the number of copper trace layers, as below:

• Single-sided PCB / Single-layer PCB
• Double-sided PCB / Double-layer PCB
• Four or more than 10 layers PCB / Multilayer PCB

What happens when the temperature exceeds the Tg value for the PCB?

When the temperature of the PCB exceeds its Tg value, the substrate undergoes structural change and changes into a rubbery state. This impacts the mechanical and electrical properties of the PCB.

When do you require a high temperature circuit board?

A high temperature circuit board is required when:

• Your product operates at 130 degrees Celsius or even higher.
• You have made a transition to RoHS circuit boards that requires high temperature for lead free solder.
• High Tg PCBs dissipate heat in the following 3 ways:
• Conduction – This is achieved by placing the heat sink directly with the heat source.
• Radiation – Here the heat dissipates by creating a direct path for electromagnetic waves.
• Convection – The heat dissipates by moving it to water or air.

Properties of High Tg Printed Circuit Boards

Some properties of a high Tg PCB include:

• Ability to withstand high temperature.
• Ability to withstand pressure.
• Improved mechanical and electrical properties.
• Low coefficient of thermal expansion.
• Improved durability.

On account of the above properties, even if a high Tg PCB comes at a higher cost, it still turns out to be a cost-effective solution for high-energy applications.

Advantages of high Tg PCB manufacturing

The advantages of high Tg PCB include:

High stability and durability

With a high Tg PCB you are assured of high durability as it can withstand high temperature, pressure, moisture, harmful chemicals and more.

Suited for high power density designs

When it comes to high-power density designs a high Tg PCB is ideal as it withstands high temperatures.

Suited for multilayer PCBs

A High Tg PCB comes in handy for multilayer PCBs that are the need of the hour for sophisticated appliances. With their ability to function under harsh conditions, they go a long way in improving the reliability of the appliance.

Applications of High Tg PCB Manufacturing

Any electronic application where excessive heat is a norm, benefits from a high Tg PCB. High Tg PCBs are also the perfect answer to high power PCB designs. Some of the areas where they find extensive application include:

Industrial Applications

Whether it is drilling machines, power inverters, solar power equipment or other devices, high Tg PCBs find extensive use in industrial applications.

Automobile Industry

The automobile industry finds wide use of high Tg PCBs. They find application in:

• Radar technology
• Control systems
• Navigation devices, and more

Some of the other industries where high Tg PCBs are extensively used include:

• Computer Technology
• Telecommunication appliances
• Security systems
• Wi Fi Boosters
• High Processing antennas
• Medical appliances
• Aeronautical appliances, and more

To Sum Up

With the development of high Tg PCBs, the focus has clearly moved from trying to minimize heat generation in appliances to resisting the heat efficiently.

At Technotronix, we specialize in high Tg PCB manufacturing which finds an extensive application in a wide range of industries that operate at relatively high temperatures. With over 4 decades of experience in PCB manufacturing as well as assembling PCBs with differing levels of complexities, we follow industry best practices to ensure we deliver cutting-edge products.

In case you have any questions regarding high temperature PCB, please feel free to contact us via email at sales@technotronix.us or call us on 714/630-9200.