thick film ceramic pcb

Friday, March 27th, 2026

What Is a Thick Film Ceramic PCB?

A thick film ceramic PCB is made by screen-printing functional pastes onto a ceramic base and then sintering the printed layers at high temperature. After firing, the material forms durable conductive paths or functional structures on the ceramic surface. In simple terms, a thick film ceramic circuit board combines the stability of a ceramic base with printed electrical features that can support conductors, resistors, and other functional layers.

The term “thick film” refers to the thickness of the printed conductive or resistive layer. In most cases, the conductor thickness starts at around 10 μm and often falls in the 10 to 13 μm range, with some designs reaching 20 μm. This is thicker than the metallization used in thin-film ceramic technology, but still thinner than the copper structure commonly found in DCB ceramic boards or standard FR4 boards.

A thick film ceramic substrate can do more than carry conductor traces. It can also support:

Conductors
Printed resistors
Dielectric layers
Cross-over conductors
Semiconductor-related functional structures

Because of this flexibility, thick film ceramic PCB is widely used in hybrid modules, sensor circuits, and compact control electronics.

Thick Film vs Thin Film Ceramic PCB

The comparison between thick film vs thin film ceramic PCB is one of the most common questions in ceramic electronics. Although both technologies use ceramic materials as the base, their process routes, cost structures, and application focus are quite different.

Item	Thick Film Ceramic PCB	Thin Film Ceramic PCB
Main Process	Screen printing + firing	Vacuum deposition or sputtering
Typical Conductor Thickness	10–20 μm	Much thinner
Cost Position	More economical for many industrial uses	Usually higher
Printed Resistor Integration	Easy	Less common
Fine-Line Capability	Moderate	Higher
Typical Use	Hybrid circuits, sensors, power-related modules	Precision circuits and ultra-fine patterns

In practical use, thick film ceramic PCB is often selected when the design needs better functional integration, a stable ceramic base, and a more workable cost. Thin film ceramic PCB is more suitable when very fine line resolution or higher pattern precision is the priority.

What Materials Are Used in an Alumina Ceramic Thick Film PCB?

An alumina ceramic thick film PCB is the most common version of this technology. The substrate is usually made from 96% or 98% alumina, because alumina offers a strong balance of electrical insulation, thermal resistance, and manufacturing practicality. For applications that require higher thermal conductivity, AlN is also a common choice. In some specialized cases, beryllium oxide may be used as well.

Common Substrate Materials

Material	Typical Feature	Notes
96% Alumina	Standard industrial choice	Good balance of cost, insulation, and manufacturability
98% Alumina	Higher purity	Better stability for more demanding designs
AlN	High thermal conductivity	Often used in high-power modules and applications with strict heat dissipation needs
BeO	Excellent thermal conductivity	Used in specialized applications with stricter handling and safety requirements

Common Substrate Thickness Options

0.25 mm
0.38 mm
0.50 mm
0.635 mm
0.76 mm
1.0 mm
1.6 mm or 2.0 mm as custom options

Common Conductor Materials

Conductor Material	Typical Use
Silver-Palladium	Common and more cost-effective
Gold-Palladium	Premium applications and bonding-friendly designs
Mo/Mn + Ni	Certain special environments, including ozone-related use

The choice of thick film ceramic substrate material affects both cost and performance. For example, gold-palladium is far more expensive than silver-palladium, so it is generally used only when the application truly needs its bonding or performance advantages.

What Are the Main Technical Parameters in Thick Film PCB Manufacturing?

When evaluating thick film PCB manufacturing capability, engineers usually focus on conductor thickness, minimum line width, resistor integration, and possible layer count. These factors directly affect whether the board can match the intended circuit design.

Parameter	Typical Capability
Substrate Material	96% / 98% Alumina, AlN, BeO
Conductor Thickness	≥10 μm, up to 20 μm
Standard Trace/Space	0.30 / 0.30 mm
Finer Production Capability	0.20 / 0.20 mm with higher cost
Prototype Fine Line	0.15 / 0.20 mm in limited cases
Final Trace Layout Tolerance	±10%
Typical Layers	1L and 2L
Maximum Layers	Up to 10L
PTH	Available for selected multilayer or double-sided designs
Solder Mask	Optional
Solder Mask Color	Semi-transparent
Solder Mask Heat Resistance	Above 500°C

These parameters show why thick film PCB manufacturing is well suited to many industrial, automotive, lighting, and sensor-related designs. It is not aimed at ultra-fine microelectronic geometry, but it offers very good process stability for a broad range of practical applications.

Can a Thick Film Printed Resistor Ceramic Board Integrate Different Resistor Values?

Yes. One of the strongest advantages of a thick film printed resistor ceramic board is that resistor elements can be integrated directly onto the ceramic surface. This means one substrate can carry conductors and resistors together, reducing the need for extra discrete components in some designs.

A thick film printed resistor ceramic board can include:

A single resistor value across the entire design
Different resistor values in different circuit areas
Combined conductor and resistor functions on one substrate

That is why thick film ceramic PCB is often used in resistor cards, hybrid circuits, analog control modules, and sensor products. At the same time, resistor complexity affects cost. In general, the more resistor values placed on one board, the more difficult the process becomes, and the higher the price is likely to be.

Can a Thick Film Printed Resistor Ceramic Board Integrate Different Resistor Values?

Can Thick Film Ceramic PCB Support Wire Bonding?

Yes, thick film ceramic PCB can support wire bonding, but the requirement should be defined early. Both gold-palladium and selected silver-palladium conductor systems can support gold wire bonding, although not every standard conductor paste is equally suitable for that purpose.

If wire bonding is required, the supplier should know this during quotation and engineering review. That early confirmation helps with:

Correct conductor system selection
Better process compatibility
Improved bonding reliability in production

For bonding-related projects, early material matching is always more effective than changing the design later.

What Board Structures Are Available for a Thick Film Hybrid Circuit Board?

A thick film hybrid circuit board is most commonly produced as a 1-layer or 2-layer design, but multilayer structures are also possible for more complex projects. Because a ceramic thick film circuit can integrate conductors and resistor functions on the same substrate, it is often chosen for compact modules that need both electrical function and dimensional stability.

Common Build Styles

Single-sided thick film hybrid circuit board
Double-sided thick film ceramic PCB
Multilayer ceramic thick film circuit structures
PTH-supported designs for selected projects
Optional solder mask upon request

Shape and Delivery Notes

Rectangular boards are the most common format
Boards can be shipped as single pieces
Boards can also be delivered in panel form

For standard production, rectangular shapes are usually the easiest to process, inspect, and ship. In most cases, they also provide the best balance between manufacturing efficiency and handling convenience.

What Are the Most Common Thick Film Ceramic PCB Applications?

Thick film ceramic PCB applications are broad, especially in products that need heat resistance, electrical stability, and compact function integration. Because the ceramic base can remain stable under demanding conditions, this technology is widely used across industrial and automotive sectors.

Typical Applications

High-power LED
Street light
High-brightness lighting
Automotive light systems
Hybrid integrated circuits for automotive
Fuel sender resistor card
Injection systems
Anti-lock braking systems
High-power semiconductor modules
Electric power transmitter modules
Semiconductor process equipment
Solar cell applications
Sensors
Telecommunication devices
Chip and wafer-related electronic applications

What Affects the Cost of Thick Film Ceramic PCB?

The cost of thick film ceramic PCB depends on material selection, conductor system, resistor design, and processing difficulty. Even when two projects look similar on the surface, their price can change noticeably if the conductor material, resistor count, or line definition is different.

Main Cost Factors

Gold-palladium is much more expensive than silver-palladium
More resistor values on the same board increase cost
Finer trace and spacing increase process difficulty
More layers add complexity
Special substrate thickness adds cost
Bonding-compatible conductor systems may require special materials
Small prototype runs with fine features often cost more per piece

For many engineers, thick film ceramic PCB offers a useful performance upgrade over standard boards without reaching the cost level of DCB in many practical use cases.

What Should Buyers Confirm Before Ordering?

A clear design review before production helps avoid rework, shorten communication time, and improve quotation accuracy. This is especially important for ceramic projects, where material and conductor choices directly affect the process route.

Buyer Checklist

Substrate material
Ceramic purity
Substrate thickness
Conductor material
Conductor thickness requirement
Minimum trace and spacing
Number of resistor values
Whether wire bonding is required
Whether PTH is needed
Layer count
Solder mask requirement
Single-piece or panel delivery

If you are interested in thick film ceramic PCB, please contact us today for more information about Thick Film Ceramic circuit board.

Thick Film Ceramic PCB

Thick film technology is a process by using screen printing conductor paste and directly deposit slurry (conductor) on the ceramic substrate. Then sintering it under high temperature to form conductive circuit traces and electrodes, which is suitable for most ceramic substrates.

After the material is sintered at high temperature, a strong adhesion film will be formed on the ceramic circuit board, repeat this step for many times, a multi-layer circuit is generated.

You can print resistor or capacitor on the surface to get a interconnected structure. At EBest Circuit (Best Technology), we can make all the resistors with the same value, or different value for different resistor on the same board.

What are the different types of ceramic pcbs?

Thick film ceramic PCB has advantages on the simple manufacturing process, but it has some drawbacks that can’t be ignored:

Limited by the conductive paste and screen size
Line width less than 100um is difficult to achieved
Three-dimensional patterns are not available
Not suitable for fine-trace project

DBC / DCB Ceramic PCB

Direct Bonded Copper (DBC) or Direct Copper Bonded (DCB) ceramic PCBs are known for their excellent thermal conductivity. They are made by bonding a layer of copper directly onto a ceramic substrate, typically aluminum oxide or aluminum nitride. Due to the DBC technology is directly bond copper on the ceramic substrate, it can achieve thicker copper thickness to 300um. So, it is very suitable for high power applications.

The basic chemistry principle is to introduce an appropriate amount of oxygen between copper and ceramics before or during the application process. Copper and oxygen will form Cu-O eutectic liquid under 1065℃~1083℃. This is an important element in the manufacturing. DBC ceramic circuit board uses this eutectic solution to chemically react with the ceramic substrate to form CuAlO2 or CuAl2O4, achieving the combination between substrate and copper foil.

However, it is easy to generate micro-porosity between Al2O3 and Copper during the copper bonded process, and it doesn’t have a good solution by far. That is why the yield of DBC ceramic PCB is not good than DPC.

DPC (Direct Plated Copper Ceramic PCB)

DPC ceramic PCB utilizes direct copper plating technology, deposit copper foil on the alumina oxide (Al2O3) substrate. It is the most commonly used ceramic PCB in recent years. The circuit generated process is: pre-treatment – sputtering – exposure – develop – etch – strip – electroplating.

AMB (Active Metal Brazed Ceramic PCB)

AMB ceramic copper clad plate adopts the active brazing process, and the copper layer bonding force is higher than that of DPC, which is around 18n/mm – 21n/mm. AMB ceramic copper clad plate usually has a high binding force, usually makes thicker copper, between 100um and 800um. The AMB ceramic PCB generally rarely design traces or holes, even if there is a trace is very simple, the spacing is relatively wide.

HTCC (High Temperature Co-fired Ceramic PCB)

HTCC is a relatively early development technology, but due to the high sintering temperature (1300~1600℃), the choice of electrode materials is limited. Meanwhile, its cost is more expensive, these promotes the development of HTCC is relatively slow.

LTCC (Low Temperature Co-fired Ceramic PCB)

Although LTCC reduces the co-firing temperature to about 850 ° C, the disadvantage is that the dimensional accuracy and product strength are not easy to control.

Thin Film Ceramic Circuit Board

The thin film ceramic PCB is to deposit a metal layer directly on the surface of substrate by sputtering process. Through lithography, development, etching and other processes, the metal layer can also be graphed into a circuit pattern. Due to the low deposition speed of sputtering coating (generally less than 1μm/h), thin film substrate surface metal layer thickness is small and can prepare high pattern accuracy (line width/line space less than 10μm).

Common Ceramic Substrates

EBest Circuit (Best Technology) is a leading ceramic PCB manufacturer in Asia, our core members has over 20 years manufacturing experience in ceramic PCB fabricating. “High mixed, low volume, high quality, fast delivery” is our advantages and we always try our best to do that, make ourselves better and better. If you are interested in it, feel free to contact us, we are always online.