With the rapid development of 5G communication, artificial intelligence, new energy vehicles and other technologies, the high power density and miniaturization of electronic equipment put forward higher requirements for heat dissipation performance. Traditional thermal insulation materials (such as graphite flake and ceramic fiber) have been unable to meet the dual requirements of high-efficiency heat conduction and electromagnetic shielding, while metal-based composite materials, especially copper mesh, have become a popular choice for a new generation of electronic thermal insulation materials because of their excellent thermal conductivity, lightweight and machinability.

Core advantages of copper mesh

• Efficient heat conduction and insulation

The thermal conductivity of copper is as high as 401 W/(m k), which can quickly lead out the heat of electronic components. At the same time, local heat insulation can be realized through multi-layer structure design to avoid heat accumulation.
Application scenarios: chip heat sink, battery module insulation layer, LED lighting substrate, etc.

• Electromagnetic shielding performance (EMI)

Copper mesh can reflect and absorb electromagnetic waves, and its shielding effectiveness (SE) is over 60dB, far exceeding that of plastic or coating materials.
Application scenarios: 5G base station, smart phone internal shielding, aerospace electronic equipment.

• Lightweight and Flexible Design

Ultra-thin copper mesh (thickness 0.05~0.2mm) can be bent to fit complex structures and reduce the weight of equipment (for example, the battery pack of new energy vehicles can be reduced by 30%).

• Environmental protection and cost advantage

Copper mesh can be recycled, which is cheaper than rare metal (such as silver) and suitable for mass production.

the market application prospects

• Consumer electronics field

Demand-driven: Smartphones and tablets are becoming thinner and thinner, which requires higher heat dissipation efficiency. Case: Apple's M-series chips adopt the combined heat dissipation scheme of copper mesh and graphite.

• New Energy Vehicles and Energy Storage

Power battery: Copper mesh is used to isolate the thermal layer of the battery core to prevent the heat from getting out of control (patented technology in Contemporary Amperex Technology Co., Limited).Charging pile: the heat dissipation demand of high-power charging module promotes the penetration rate of copper mesh.

• Industrial and communication equipment

5G base station AAU (active antenna unit) needs to solve the problems of heat dissipation and electromagnetic interference at the same time, and copper mesh is an ideal choice.

• Aerospace and military industry

Satellite, radar and other equipment have strict requirements for lightweight and anti-electromagnetic interference, and the trend of replacing traditional metal foil with copper mesh is obvious.

the development trend of technology

• Compound design

The copper mesh is compounded with graphene, aerogel and other materials to further enhance the thermal conductivity and mechanical strength (such as Huawei's patent of "Superconducting Copper Mesh").

• Precision manufacturing technology

Micro-aperture copper mesh is realized by laser etching and electrochemical deposition technology to meet the requirements of micro-electronic components.

• Intelligent thermal management

Self-adaptive copper mesh system embedded with temperature sensor can dynamically adjust the heat dissipation path (the application direction of Tesla battery pack).

Challenges and Countermeasures

• Oxidation problem

Nickel plating or anti-oxidation coating (such as SiO₂) on the surface can prolong the service life.

• Cost competition

Large-scale production+recycling technology to reduce the unit price (China copper mesh enterprises account for more than 60% of the global production capacity).

• Alternative material threat

Strengthen the irreplaceable and differentiated competition of copper mesh in EMI and flexibility.

data support

Market size: The global market size of electronic insulation copper mesh is about 1.2 billion US dollars in 2023, and it is expected to reach 1.2 billion US dollars in 2030, 1.2 billion US dollars in 2030 and 2.8 billion US dollars in 2030 (CAGR 10.2%).
Regional growth: Asia-Pacific accounts for over 50% (dominated by China and South Korea), and Europe and the United States focus on high-end applications.

tag

Copper mesh is reshaping the market structure of electronic heat insulation materials by virtue of its trinity performance of "heat conduction-heat insulation-shielding". With the upgrading of composite technology and intelligence, it is expected to become the standard material in the field of thermal management of electronic equipment in the next five years. Enterprises need to speed up technology research and development, bind their head customers (such as TSMC and BYD), and seize the opportunities in the incremental market.