Somthing You Should Know About PCB Fabrication Process

The process of producing the bare circuit boards that will form the basis of printed circuit board assembly is known as the PCB fabrication process.

Printed circuit boards (PCBs) are an essential component of practically all electronics applications.

They infuse action into electrical and electromechanical products by directing signals inside the circuit and allowing them to work.

Many individuals understand what PCBs are, and yet only a small fraction understand how they are made.

This article will walk you through the many steps of the printed circuit board design fabrication process.

How is a PCB fabricated?

The Victory PCB design process begins with design and implementation and continues through circuit board manufacture.

To maintain precision and eliminate short circuits or faulty circuits, several stages require computer assistance and machine-driven equipment. Before being packed and sent to clients, the final boards must pass stringent testing.

Designing the PCB

The design is, obviously, the first stage in any PCB manufacturing process. PCB manufacturing and design always begin with a plan: the designer creates a layout for the PCB that meets all the specifications.

After the designer has completed reviewing it, the completed PCB design is delivered to a PCB fabrication facility for a DFM check to make sure it meets, at the very least, the tolerances needed for manufacturing.

Design Evaluation and Engineering Considerations

Reviewing the design for any mistakes or defects is another important stage in the printed circuit board fabrication process.

 An engineer does a design review and examines every aspect of the PCB design stage to make sure that there are neither omitted components nor erroneous structures.

The design advances to the printing process after receiving approval from an engineer.

PCB Design Printing

The PCB design may be produced once all the inspections have been completed.

To print PCBs, a particular type of printer called a plotter printer is utilized. This printer creates a PCB "film," which is effectively a photographic negative of the board

The PCB's inner layers are characterized by two ink colors:

Black ink: is used on the PCB's copper traces and circuitry.

Clear Ink: Indicates non-conductive regions of the PCB, such as the fiberglass foundation.

This pattern is inverted on the outermost layer of the PCB design — transparent ink alludes to the line of copper routes, but black ink also indicates locations where the copper will be etched.

Afterward, when the film is produced, a registration hole is punched through it with a punch machine.

Printing the Copper on the Interior Layers

A copper foil overlay or copper plating is added only after the PCB design is imprinted onto a sheet of laminate material.

The copper is again pre-bonded to the same sheet of laminate that acts also as PCB's framework.

The laminate panel is then coated with a photo-sensitive film known as the resist. The resist enables technicians to get a flawless match between blueprint pictures and what is printed on the photoresist.

After preparing the board, it is cleaned with an alkaline solution and then pressure-washed to get rid of any remaining photoresists or residual debris from the surface and allowed to dry.

Etching the inner layers to eliminate excess copper

Prior to moving further with PCB fabrication, surplus copper must be eliminated from the printed circuit board's inner layers.

By etching, the essential copper on the board is covered, and a chemical is applied to the remaining board surface.

The chemical etching technique eliminates all exposed copper from the PCB, retaining just the quantity required for the board.

Partner with us for top-grade Victory PCB

Electronic circuit boards depend heavily on high-quality manufactured PCBs to function. Understanding the complexity of the process and why each step is necessary helps you appreciate the expense and work that goes into each printed circuit board.

Contact us at Victory PCB if your firm requires PCBs for any task. We strive hard to provide our clients with small and big quantities of reasonably priced printed circuit boards.