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Cu Application

Cu Application

Cu Application

(OP)
Hi all.

I am in search of a liquid with for following application:

I have a PC board covered with 100micron Cu layer. I want a liquid to map/draw/print and circit on the Cu. It have to adhere to the Cu. There after I want to use FeCl3 to dissolve the copper not covered by the "liquid". Then I want to remove the liquid from the Cu.

Any suggestions will be much appreciated.
Sampi

RE: Cu Application

Sounds like the normal procedure hobbyists use to make PCBs.  Visit any RadioShack or similar store. There are special "PCB-Pens".

Gunnar Englund
www.gke.org

RE: Cu Application

Many supplies for making and developing photosensitive PCB in low volume used to be made by Kepro. Their supplies and chemcials are now available from:  www.dalpro.net

If you want to make a circuit board, there are many places where PCB boards pre covered with a photo-sensitive resist are available including places like www.digikey.com

However, if you have a special material you are trying to etch, I would try the Dalpro materials or do a Google search to find a film or photosensitive chemical for coating your material.

RE: Cu Application

Electrolube make an aerosol photoresist which is reasonably amenable to hobbyist and prototyping applications. They also market most of the other materials like FeCl3 and NaOH developer. The UV light source is the trickiest to arrange - I used to use a couple of small UV tubes in a box with crumpled bacofoil as a reflector and a sheet of translucent Perspex as a diffuser.

A laser printer printing onto acetate is the best way of getting an artwork to use in a photo-etching application if you can't get access to a proper Gerber photoplotter.

----------------------------------
  I don't suffer from insanity. I enjoy it...

RE: Cu Application

Sharpie markers are great at this kind of thing, and they come in various sizes... the large is pretty good at filling in ground planes, and the Xtra-sharp is great for fine pitch stuff (10 mils?).

Dan
Owner
http://www.Hi-TecDesigns.com

RE: Cu Application

I recently discovered that tracing paper makes a wonderful replacement for acetate sheet when used with laser printers.

The tone adheres much more readily, because it's paper, and I seem to get far fewer pinholes.

With the correct UV exposure timing I get wonderfully solid tracks and pads.

Not my own idea, but one which I found on the web.

RE: Cu Application

I think I saw it in this forum.  Actually you can use just a plain laser printer.  You print on a paper what you want to print (flipped image), you iron the paper onto the PCB.  The toner will fuse again and deposit on the copper.  The toner is resistent enough for the etchant.  The trick is in the type of paper, so that it will not retain all the toner.  There are people doing pcb prototypes like this and get good results!

Look at this link:

http://www.fullnet.com/u/tomg/gooteepc.htm

RE: Cu Application

If you use felix's method, try to find as high of a clay content as possible (such as those used for high-res inkjets)... surprisingly enough, some of the cheap store brands (OfficeMax comes to mind) show the best results.

Dan
Owner
http://www.Hi-TecDesigns.com

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