Make your own PCB @Home

Home Made PCB using Photo Resist Paper Method

Materials Required:

1.Copper Clad Board(double/single layer according to your need)

2.glossy paper/ photo Resist Paper

3. Iron box

4.Ferric Chloride (FeCl3)

5.IP solution

                  

STEP 1: Take printout of circuit board layout

Take a print out of your PCB layout using the laser printer and the A4 photo paper/glossy paper. Keep in mind the following points:

àPrint Nature: Mirror ,Color: Black, Print Side: glossy paper side

PCB print on glossy paper

STEP 2: Board

Cut the copper clad board according to the size of layout using a hacksaw or a cutter.
Clean the board using cotton cloth (board should be dry)

Rubbing away the top oxide layer

STEP 3: Transferring the PCB print onto the copper plate

Iron on glossy paper method Transfer the printed image (taken from a laser printer) from the photo paper to the board. Make sure to flip top layer horizontally. Put the copper surface of the board on the printed layout. Ensure that the board is aligned correctly along the borders of the printed layout.  And iron gently (at initial till the glossy sticks on to the board) and the apply with some force.

(iron around 10 mins)

      

Iron the paper onto the plate

CAUTION: Do not directly touch copper plate because it is very hot due to ironing.

After ironing, place printed plate in luke warm water for around 10 minutes. Paper will dissolve, then remove paper gently. Remove the paper off by peeling it from a low angle.

Peeling the paper

In some cases while removing the paper, some of the tracks get fainted. In the figure below, you can see that the track is light in colour hence we can use a black marker to darken it as shown.

Light trace

Darkening the track

STEP 5: Etching the plate

You need to be really careful while performing this step.

·         First put rubber or plastic gloves.

·         Place some newspaper on the bottom so that the etching solution does not spoil your floor.

·         Take a plastic box and fill it up with some water.

·         Dissolve 2-3 tea spoon of ferric chloride power in the water.

·         Dip the PCB into the etching solution (Ferric chloride solution, FeCl3) for approximately 30 mins.

·         The FeCl3 reacts with the unmasked copper and removes the unwanted copper from the PCB.

·         This process is called as Etching. Use pliers to take out the PCB and check if the entire unmasked area has been etched or not. In case it is not etched leave it for some more time in the solution.

Etching the plate

Etched copper plate

STEP 6: Cleaning, disposing and final touches for the circuit board

Be careful while disposing the etching solution, since its toxic to fish and other water organisms. And don’t think about pouring it in the sink when you are done, it is illegal to do so and might damage your pipes So dilute the etching solution and then throw it away somewhere safe.

A few drops of thinner (nail polish remover works well) on a pinch of cotton wool will remove completely the toner/ink on the plate, exposing the copper surface. Rinse carefully and dry with a clean cloth or kitchen paper. Trim to final size and smoothen edges with sandpaper.

Removing the ink