Current carrying capacity of copper conductors in printed wiringboards

摘要

The effect of thermal management of the copper conductors on PWBs(printed wiring boards) having different dimensions and arrangements isdiscussed. Design charts have been generated to include the parametersof conductor thickness from 1 to 3 oz, width from 5 to 20 mils, spacingat 8 mils, board thickness from 31 to 62 mils, input current, andtemperature rise up to 50° C. The analysis is based on finite elementmodeling with a heat transfer film coefficient obtained from infraredthermal imaging analysis of a test board. Of all the geometricparameters considered, conductor width and spacing are the primaryparameters influencing thermal resistance. Conductor thickness is next,and board thickness proves to be the least sensitive parameter