PCB Etching Tutorial
DIY PCB Etching : Using Chemicals
Chances are you've probably seen a PCB before and it might of looked a little something like this
[Insert a picture of an example of a PCB maybe a Raspberry Pi or an Arduino etc]
The most important part of a PCB is the traces which connect the components to each other. These traces made in a CAD program for PCBs like : Eagle CAD , KiCAD etc
[Insert Picture of traces here]
This tutorial will show you how to make a simple single sided PCB using a chemical method. In summary the traces will be transferred and covered in a solid copper board , then the parts of copper not needed will stay expoxed. Finally the parts not needed will be removed with chemicals.
[Insert picture of before and after here ]
Materials Needed
- Single sided copper PCB board - Traces (should already have been designed on some CAD program) - Glossy Printer Paper (to print the traces on) - Iron -Ferric Chloride Solution (to dissolve the copper from the board) - WetorDry paper - Container to put PCB in with chemical solution
Steps
1) Preparing the Copper Board: Clean It
Make sure to clean any junk from the copper board before beginning the process!
- Use WetorDry paper / fine sand paper to clean the PCB under water until it turns pink - Wipe off water with a clean towel - Use acetone to remove oils from PCB
[ insert sink pic here]
2) Printing the Traces:
Grab your printer and print the traces onto the glossy printer paper
- be sure traces are nice and thick - check the preferences for a "no scaling" - Design must be mirrored - Only use black ink - Print at the highest resolution possible
3) Transferring the Traces to the PCB:
- Press down the glossy paper with the design onto the copper PCB - Use a hot iron to press down glossy paper to the PCB [INSERT PIC HERE OF IRON PRESSED] - After the glossy paper stick onto the PCB submerge the two in a tray of water and gently press down the paper so it peels off leaving the trace on the PCB [insert PCB in water tray here]
4) Get rid of the remaining Copper
- Place the Ferric Chloride Solution Bottle inside tray of hot water (this will heat the solution and make the PCB copper to be dissolved faster) - Pour some of the solution into a tray along with your PCB [insert blood water pic here] -