Understanding PCB Copper Thickness: Standards and Conversions
When talking about copper thickness, there are some limited options available with manufacturing houses. When designers have to increase the current carrying capacity of a trace without making it wider, then copper weight or thickness is increased in the lateral dimension. There are only a few options, and most of the manufacturers have a standard thickness. Copper selection is all about power delivery, signal propagation, and thermal management.Copper width and length are always a concerning factor for designers because if the traces are too thin, and your traces burn under high current. Too thick, and your etching process turns into an expensive nightmare. Somewhere in between lies the sweet spot. In the article, we will see some standards, measurement methods, and unit conversion related to copper thickness.
What Is PCB Copper Thickness?
In simple terms, PCB copper thickness is the height of the copper layer deposited on the laminate of a PCB. It can be expressed in three different units: Micrometers (µm) Mils (1 mil = 0.001 inches) Ounces per square foot (oz/ft²) Ounces are adopted as the industry standard because PCB manufacturers historically measured copper by weight spread over one square foot. 1 oz/ft2 ≈ 35 μm ≈ 1.37 mils. This means a 1-oz copper PCB layer has a thickness of about 35 µm.
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