Silicon-based PCBs are advanced circuit boards that use silicon as the substrate material, offering superior thermal conductivity and miniaturization capabilities compared to traditional FR-4 or polyimide PCBs. Silicon’s thermal conductivity (150–180 W/m·K) is significantly higher than FR-4 (0.2–0.3 W/m·K), making these boards ideal for high-power devices where efficient heat dissipation is critical, such as microprocessors, LED arrays, and power electronics.

The use of silicon enables integration with semiconductor manufacturing processes, allowing for extremely fine trace widths (as small as 1–5 μm) and tight spacing, which supports high-density interconnects (HDIs). This miniaturization is essential for next-generation electronics like 5G base stations, artificial intelligence (AI) chips, and quantum computing devices, where packing more components into a smaller area is a priority.

Silicon-based PCBs can be bonded directly to silicon chips using techniques like flip-chip mounting, reducing thermal resistance between the chip and the PCB. This direct thermal path efficiently transfers heat from the chip to heat sinks or cooling systems, preventing overheating and improving device reliability. Additionally, silicon’s compatibility with CMOS (complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor) processes allows for the integration of passive components (resistors, capacitors) directly into the substrate, further reducing size and improving performance.

Challenges include higher manufacturing costs compared to traditional PCBs and silicon’s brittleness, which requires careful handling during assembly. However, their advantages in thermal management and miniaturization make silicon-based PCBs a key technology for high-performance electronics, particularly in applications where heat and space constraints are limiting factors.