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Is it possible to expose dry photoresist film to UV before applying to copper for etching?

I've looked at a couple of resources regarding etching PCBs using dry photoresist film and in each of the methods, the film is applied to the copper before the image is projected onto the film with UV ...
Daniel's user avatar
  • 375
2 votes
2 answers
217 views

Problem in etching a PCB

I was working on making my own PCB but faced a problem during etching. I used an iron to transfer the circuit to the copper board, some of the sketch wasn't fine so I used a permanent marker to make ...
kam1212's user avatar
  • 693
2 votes
1 answer
106 views

Best ways to mask missing toner after toner transfer PCB etching

I want to make a general guide for masking the missing toner on copper clad after toner transfer. The masking methods I know so far: Permanent marker (some say it doesn't work, I am intimidated by it ...
CaveScientist's user avatar
0 votes
0 answers
55 views

Protecting vias with plated copper with the toner transfer method

With the film photoresist method, the film, if not etched off, can be used to form a protective layer over via to prevent the copper inside from being etched. Is this possible with the toner transfer ...
itisyeetimetoday's user avatar
2 votes
1 answer
675 views

PCB etching went wrong or what?

I was trying to etch a PCB of 12x23 cm using FeCl3 powder. Below are the pictures of the process: Before dipping into etching solution (some tracks were corrected using permanent marker): After ...
tinkerer's user avatar
  • 180
1 vote
0 answers
122 views

PCB manufacturing process

What process can I use for PCB etching? What chemical compositions required along with etching time, reuseability of the solvent, inks to be used so that copper layer of the drawing area is unaffected?...
rs04's user avatar
  • 57
22 votes
7 answers
7k views

In PCBs, why is copper etched away instead of added?

I know that in virtually every case, PCBs start as a substrate with a layer of copper laminated on top, which is then etched away, leaving the traces. But why are the traces not added on an empty ...
David Cian's user avatar
0 votes
1 answer
147 views

Trying to do circuit etching using ethanol or even iron

Have been trying to solve my circuit transfer from printout to the copper clad. Have failed mostly. Have used laser printout. Have used inkjet printout. Have used high resolution print. Have used ...
thevikas's user avatar
  • 287
0 votes
1 answer
514 views

Kicad negative plot pdf file export scaling issue

I have been using Kicad for about a month for my project. While finishing up the 2 layer design, I wanted to print out a negative plot on a butter paper with the top and bottom layer printed side by ...
abunickabhi's user avatar
1 vote
1 answer
306 views

PCB photoresist method etching incomplete - only etched around borders of traces

I'm trying to make PCBs for the first time, but I hit a roadblock and don't know how to fix the problem. I etched my 3rd developing attempt, but it looks like only the border around the traces was ...
Evan's user avatar
  • 113
6 votes
3 answers
4k views

Ferric Chloride Etchant Disposal

I am a beginner with PCBs and wanted to start making some. But before I did, I wanted to make sure I was completely prepared. I just wanted to make sure that the information I have is correct and had ...
Legend ile's user avatar
0 votes
2 answers
104 views

Dry or wet etching in fabrication cmos chip?

What types of etching are used in conventional chip fabrication technologies such as TSMC 0.18, dry or wet?
seyyedali hosseini's user avatar
0 votes
1 answer
189 views

Minimum EAGLE trace width for PCB etching with glossy paper and a cloth iron

What`s the minimum widht and clearence that's etchable using a photo paper and an iron? I've heard using too small clearence might mess the ink resulting in shorts. I want to have 20V@400mA, will 8mil ...
Gabriel Santos's user avatar
0 votes
2 answers
615 views

Beginner struggling with first time PCB etching - advice

First time hobbyist here. Is it a common issue for closely placed track lines to end up touching each other during the toner transfer process (I'm assuming this is the correct term)? If so, are there ...
SamuraiJack's user avatar
2 votes
1 answer
312 views

PCB electroplating then etching

How can I protect the through holes copper which is electroplated from being etched away by the ferric chloride? Is there a resistive solution or it`s just the conductive ink.
Ahmed Emad's user avatar
0 votes
0 answers
81 views

What is the pad-etching process in standard CMOS fabrication process

What is the pad etching process? Is it possible to etch to the bottom metal layers or vias in standard CMOS fabrication?
seyyedali hosseini's user avatar
0 votes
1 answer
469 views

PCB Toner Transfer Method - How to remove toner when it fails before etching?

I am trying to do a PCB toner transfer, however sometimes the transfer is imperfect and the really small traces fail so I would like to start over and reuse the board again instead of etching it. I ...
axawire's user avatar
  • 94
3 votes
1 answer
513 views

PCB etching not working: everything etched

I tried to etch a PCB with the photoresist method, using sodium hydroxid as developer and ferric chlorid as etcher. I think the problem is in the development phase. Although reading a lot about ...
black's user avatar
  • 141
1 vote
3 answers
421 views

Is a cosmetic logotype on an outer copper layer a bad idea?

I've seen many people add logotypes and other graphics in the copper layers of PCBs, often also removing the solder mask in these places to expose the bare (or rather plated) copper. Is there ...
Emil Eriksson's user avatar
0 votes
3 answers
984 views

PCB etching gone bad

I'm etching a double sided circuit board for my project in electrical engineering but somehow the PCB gets these weird marks and turns out bad. I tried different things like washing the PCB before ...
C. K.'s user avatar
  • 530
0 votes
0 answers
92 views

Problem with PCB making

I have followed a process to make a PCB, whose link is given below. I have followed the every process as mentioned with correct proportion of chemicals. But, unfortunately, this didn't work (traces ...
Aakash Dey's user avatar
0 votes
3 answers
2k views

Stripping dry-film photoresist safely at home

I am trying my hand at dry-film photoresists. I am looking for any hints on how to strip it safely at home. From what I can gather, stripping dry-film is generally done with 1-4% sodium hydroxide or ...
ARF's user avatar
  • 5,239
0 votes
1 answer
218 views

handcrafted PCB problems

I have attempted to make this board below at home. Applied negative photoresist paint, left to dry for about 4 hours each side over a radiator, applied a double layer tracing paper with the artwork on ...
kellogs's user avatar
  • 1,061
0 votes
1 answer
102 views

How do we extract the etchant after it is stopped at the boron layer in MEMs fabrication process?

Dopant-Selective etch stop method is where we create a layer of highly doped boron in the substrate to stop the etching process at that exact layer, but when that cavity is created the etchants are ...
Arshdeep Singh's user avatar
16 votes
2 answers
4k views

How to rinse container used for ferric chloride etching?

From what I have gathered online, after etching one stores the "used" ferric chloride (more specifically FeCl2 and CuCl) in some container which can then be taken to a waste disposal facility. What ...
Jet Blue's user avatar
  • 1,153
3 votes
2 answers
462 views

Bubble etching versus rocker tank

I make my own PCBs and etch them in a homemade bubble tank. The tank has failed after a couple of years largely due to the etchant slowly eating it's way through some of the materials (glues, pipes, ...
ConanTheGerbil's user avatar
11 votes
4 answers
4k views

My PCBs etch all bad! (sodium persulfate)

I've recently started having problems with etching my PCBs. I use a permanent marker to do the traces and etch them in a stainless steel cup, heated with a tea light (small candle.) The PCBs come ...
thegamebusterpl's user avatar
0 votes
1 answer
297 views

"etching" transparent conductor on transparent plastic film or glass? [closed]

I've put the word etching in quotations as the method to get conductive tracks on a glass or plastic film might not involve a subtractive approach as with traditional PCBs of applying a conductive ...
Mark Legault's user avatar
1 vote
1 answer
567 views

Printing PCB layout on TES 200 paper

As title says, I'm trying to print a very dense PCB layout on a thermal paper. I'm using a laser printer, as it is mandatory. The problem is, you can see some little grains/gaps all over the printed ...
Julius Tvarijonavicius's user avatar
0 votes
2 answers
237 views

Which of these diagrams should be in the copper side of pcb?

I'm trying a DIY PCB using toner transfer method then etching but I am confused with the diagram below. I thought the top trace goes to the copper board but there's this bottom trace which shows ...
Rex Endozo's user avatar
2 votes
1 answer
161 views

Does fast one-day prototype manufacturing exist (with components, etching and pick and place under one roof)? What is the fastest possible? [closed]

We have different prototyping assembly houses, but cycle times are so long that engineers need to work on 2-5 projects in parallel. The typical prototype assembly process is: one day order process, ...
Lauri Voll's user avatar
0 votes
1 answer
856 views

Can a Laser Engraver be used to develop PCB with photoresist?

I'm building a simple laser engraver/cutter following these instructions: http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:1780556 Now my question is: can I use the laser light on the PCB photoresist instead of "...
Noisemaker's user avatar
0 votes
2 answers
248 views

How to measure current on an electrolytic etcher

I'm building a simple electrolytic etcher to mark steel parts. The set up is a 12v DC 5 amp power supply with the ground connected to on side of the steel part and the positive connected to a brass ...
user28659's user avatar
1 vote
1 answer
824 views

Etching using Sodium Persulfate, Is my photosensitive board too old?

I am trying to etch my first PCB ever, I have used the inkjet transparency method to expose my photosensitive Bungard board and developed it using Sodium Peroxide. This part of the process seems to ...
peterrus's user avatar
  • 189
1 vote
2 answers
3k views

PCB Etching (Negative Photoresist) Issue

I seem to be having issues getting my new PCB etching setup to work. My earlier setup worked just fine which included: printing negative artwork on a parchment paper exposing a copper pcb with ...
Ankit's user avatar
  • 1,761
2 votes
2 answers
714 views

signs of complete PCB photo-resist development

Currently. I'm making a PCB using the photolithographic method (print on transparency, expose with UV which works, then develop under a bright red LED as the only light source), but half the time, the ...
user avatar
0 votes
3 answers
327 views

"Reverse etch" PCB base(not the copper)

Is there a reliable way to etch a PCB(from working product) so as to be left with the surface without the substrate? Sometimes an existing PCB product which wasn't designed with weight, size or ...
Nick's user avatar
  • 45
2 votes
2 answers
3k views

How to remove Kapton polyimide film from Pyralux cupper sheet?

I want to etch Pyralux sheet and will follow this tutorial. The sheet I want to try is LF9120R and it is 1 oz of copper per square ft (or 305g/m^2). They describe ...
KingsInnerSoul's user avatar
3 votes
1 answer
758 views

PCB UV Etching Paint

Is the UV curable paint used for PCB etching the same UV curable paint used for making PCB solder masks? Some have different eBay descriptions but they're all in identical 100g black containers. As ...
user avatar
1 vote
2 answers
1k views

Can Petroleum Jelly be used as a PCB resist?

I've been experimenting with various setups for PCB etching, and thought I'd share one of the more useful things I'd found, as I don't see much information about the subject anywhere else. I've been ...
P...'s user avatar
  • 275
5 votes
2 answers
2k views

What is the typical PCB fabrication process in a professional PCB house?

I have been etching my own boards as part of my hobby interest into electronics, and I can't help but wonder how exactly is the typical printed circuit board manufactured? Unfortunately, details on ...
jms's user avatar
  • 8,681
2 votes
1 answer
7k views

Proper storage of ferric cloride PCB etchant

I etch about half a dozen printed circuit boards each year at home, using an aqueous ferric chloride AKA iron(III) chloride etchant solution. As I want to minimize the costs and hassle of buying new ...
jms's user avatar
  • 8,681
3 votes
1 answer
812 views

Apply etch resist on copper

I cannot get my toner etch resist on to my copper board. I'm doing with the iron, but each time I try the ink does not transfer completely. I've tried many things - applying some water on it, ...
Bernard Meunier's user avatar
1 vote
2 answers
2k views

How to etch Double sided pcb?

I am trying to etch my circuit on a double sided copper clad at home. After designing my circuit I took a print on tracing paper and used iron to get the trace on copper clad. When I used iron paper ...
devansh's user avatar
  • 45
1 vote
1 answer
181 views

How do I make a through-hole via? [duplicate]

Using a simple PCB with copper on both sides but naturally in between, is it feasible for a hobbyist to make through-hole vias like this: It seems there is copper in the via itself, isn't there? If ...
user avatar
-1 votes
1 answer
480 views

Current limiting AC

I am currently experimenting with electrolytic marking. I use a DC bench supply with a current dial so I can drive the reaction with a constant current to keep the marking steady and as a plus keep it ...
Shorthair's user avatar
0 votes
1 answer
2k views

What is the recommended exposure time for presentisized positive photoresist board? [duplicate]

What is the recommended exposure time for presentisized positive photoresist board using UV light, fluorescent light, CFL bulb and (will it also work with LED light)? How do we also determine if the ...
Xegara's user avatar
  • 431
-1 votes
1 answer
381 views

pcb etching: chemical method or milling [closed]

i'am actually intending to install a small pcb production process (100 pieces per day) and i am still hesitating on the etching method: chemical or with a milling machine !! I would prefer a cnc ...
Nad92's user avatar
  • 19
1 vote
0 answers
58 views

crystalline structure of single crystal wafers used for MEMS fabrication

When they say that we have a {1 0 0} single crystal wafer, I know that the surface normal to the wafer is oriented in the <1 0 0> family direction, but if I draw a line on the wafer, parallel to my ...
Ghosal_C's user avatar
  • 666
0 votes
2 answers
93 views

Silicon etching process

I am a student doing my Master's Degree having a background in Electrical Engineering. I have studied on my own millers indices, crystallographic planes and directions so to be able to understand the ...
Ghosal_C's user avatar
  • 666