3PCB classification

There are several overall types of PCB boards each with their own particular manufacturing specifications, material types and usages.

Table 1 shows a classification of most common PCBs used in electronics including main characteristics and applications.

Table 1 – PCBs classification
PCBs | Main Characteristics | Applications
Single-layer | Made out of a single layer of base material or substrate. One side of the base material is coated with a thin layer of metal. Generally their circuits and components are soldered onto one side, but also the components can be soldered on both sides of the board. Low-cost. | Calculators, cameras, radio and stereo equipment, solid state drives, power supplies, printers and other consumer electronic products.
Double-layer | A thin layer of conductive metal is applied to both sides of the board. Holes drilled through the board allow circuits on one side of the board to connect to circuits on the other. Smaller and with a lighter weight than Single-layer PCBs. | Industrial controls, Power supply, Instrumentation, LED lighting, Vending machines, Automotive dashboards or Amplifiers.
Multi-layer | Consist of a series of three or more double-layered PCBs. Complex designs. | VLSI electronics, File servers, Data storage, GPS technology and Satellite systems, Weather analysis and Medical devices.
Flexible | Made out of materials that can flex and move, such as plastic (Kapton, polyester or polyamide). Higher fabrication costs, flexibility and weight savings. | Electronic equipment subject to environmental hazards.
Rigid | Made out of a solid substrate material that prevents the board from twisting. Lower cost than flexible PCBs. | Computer motherboards, Audio keyboards, Solid-state drives, Flat-screen TVs and monitors.
Rigid-Flex | They consist of a mixture of flexible copper conductor layers on dielectric film and rigid copper material， Combine the best of both rigid boards and flexible circuits integrated together into one circuit. Rigid flex circuits provide higher component density and better quality control. | Aerospace, Medical, and Military electronic applications. Portable devices industry.
High-frequency | PCBs for special signal requirements into electronic circuits that offer a frequency range of 500MHz - 2GH. Requires the use of specialized materials. | High-speed designs, Radio frequency (RF), Microwave and Mobile applications.
Aluminum-backed | Aluminum backed PCBs are composed of an Al backing, a highly thermally conductive dielectric layer and a standard circuit layer. Excellent temperature control characteristics and high levels of mechanical stability and low levels of thermal expansion. | High power and tight tolerance applications. Motor controllers and Automotive applications.

Fig. 2. Double-layer PCB.