Ceramic Spacers: An easy solution to complex thermal, electrical, environmental or mechanical challenges.
What is a Ceramic Spacer?
A ceramic spacer is a precision component used to create a gap or maintain a specific distance between two parts in an assembly. These spacers are essential in various applications, particularly in electronics and high-temperature environments, where their unique properties offer significant advantages over traditional materials.
Ceramic spacers are often placed inside modules to ensure proper spacing and alignment of components. In thermal applications, the spacers facilitate efficient heat transfer from the component to the heatsink. The metallized surfaces enhance this process by providing a low-resistance thermal path, ensuring optimal performance and reliability.
Benefits include:
- High Thermal Conductivity: Ceramic spacers efficiently transfer heat, making them ideal for thermal management in electronic devices.
- Electrical Insulation: They provide excellent electrical insulation, preventing short circuits and enhancing the reliability of electronic components.
- Chemical Resistance: Ceramics are highly resistant to chemicals, ensuring durability and longevity even in harsh environments.
- Mechanical Strength: Ceramic spacers offer superior mechanical strength, maintaining structural integrity under high stress and temperature conditions.
applications can be found in photonics & microelectronics, Power electronic modules, automotive, (aero)space, medical and many other applications
Materials & Sizes
Our ceramic spacers are made from various high-quality materials, including:
Aluminum Nitride (AlN): Known for its excellent thermal conductivity and electrical insulation properties.
Alumina (Al2O3): The most common material thanks to its great trade off between costs, thermal conductivity, chemical inertness & hardness. We always carry large inventory of the 96% grade.
Zirconia (ZrO2): For applications where spacers need to provide a strong mechanical shield and a low thermal conductivity
Silicon Nitride (Si3N4): Known for its high thermal conductivity and flexural (bending) strength.
Spacers can be cut in various shapes with tooling holes and recesses and other features to fit your applications. The minimum dimensions we can reach is just 1x1mm and the maximum is typically below 100x100mm for standard batches. We can enlarge this to 180x150mm for Alumina 1mm or even bigger using special process.
Common Thicknesses and Sizes
Ceramic spacers are available in various thicknesses & sizes. they can be cut in various shapes with tooling holes and recesses and other features to fit your applications.
Common thicknesses that we carry on stock are:
Material Thickness | Al2O3 96% | AlN | Si3N4 | ZrO2 |
0.38mm / 0.015" | X | X | X (0.32mm) | X |
0.5mm / 0.02" | X | X | ||
1 mm / 0.04" | X | X | X | X |
1.5mm / 0.059" | X | X | ||
2.0mm / 0.078" | X | X |
Please contact us for other thicknesses. We have processed up to 5mm.
Metallized Ceramic Spacers
We can also offer ceramic spacers with one or both sides metallized, using copper or silver with a gold or tin finish.
These metallized surfaces allow the spacers to be soldered onto heatsinks or components, providing a secure and efficient thermal connection.
Have a Specific project in Mind? Reach Out for a Quote or Design Discussion.
If you want to learn more about our ceramic spacers or have a specific spacer requirement, please contact us. Our team of experts is ready to assist you in finding the perfect solution for your application.