In the field of electronic circuit boards, in order to meet more product demand, more and more CCLs are flooding into the market. What is a CCL? What is the most popular and cheap CCL? It may not be focus for many junior electronics engineers. Here, you’ll learned a lot about CCL and it will helpful for your future electronics projects.

1. The definition of Copper Clad Laminate?
Copper Clad Laminate, abbreviated to CCL, is a type of base material of PCBs. With glass fiber or wood pulp paper as reinforcing material, a CCL is a type of product through lamination with copper clad on either one side or both sides of reinforcing material after being soaked in resin.

2. Classification of CCLs?

According to different classification standards, CCLs can be classified into various categories:

• Based on CCL mechanical rigidity, There are rigid CCL (FR-4, CEM-1, etc.) and flex CCL. Rigid PCBs depend on rigid CCLs while flex PCBs are on flex CCLs (Rigid flex PCBs are on both rigid CCLs and flex CCLs).

• Based on insulation material and structures, There are organic resin CCL (FR-4, CEM-3, etc.), metal-base CCL, ceramic-base CCL etc.

• Based on CCL thicknes There are standard thickness CCL and thin CCL. The former one requires at least 0.5mm thickness while the latter can be thinner than 0.5mm. Copper foil thickness is excluded from CCL thickness.

• Based on reinforcing material types, There are glass fiber cloth base CCL (FR-4, FR-5), paper base CCL (XPC), compound CCL (CEM-1, CEM-3).

• Based on applied insulation resin, There are epoxy resin CCL (FR-4, CEM-3) and Phenolic CCL (FR-1, XPC).

3. What kind of CCL widely used?
Among the fiberglass cloth base CCL products, FR-4 CCL play a very vital rule. It has bee widely used in many kinds of boards
Up to now, different products based on FR-4 CCL have been generated and developed due to different performance levels and the categories are undertaking gradual generation and development. The main products based on FR-4 CCL are displayed in Common FR-4, Mid-Tg FR-4, High-Tg FR-4, Lead-free soldering FR-4, Halogen-free FR-4, Mid-Tg (Tg150°C) halogen-free FR-4,High-Tg (Tg170°C) halogen-free FR-4,FR-4 CCL with high performance ect..
In addition, there are High modulus FR-4 board, FR-4 board with low coefficient of thermal expansion, FR-4 board with low dielectric constant, High-CTI FR-4 board, High-CAF FR-4 board, High thermal-conductivity FR-4 board for LED.