First PCB etch from mak on Vimeo.
I just finished etching an Arduino S3v3
http://arduino.cc/en/Main/ArduinoBoardSerialSingleSided3
it was an interesting experience
i used ferric chloride as my etchant
but unfortunately after i was done i ended up etching a bit too much and had to repair some of the disconnected traces.
Comments
just finished drilling the holes ended up finding just the tool to hold those super thin drill bits, a pin vice
thats the pcb with the holes, i need to find a generic drill press station
heres what the pin vice looks like
http://diydrones.com/video/pcb-etching
its a poor quality video i need to find my digi cam
sure ill post pics as soon as i find my misplaced digital cam , i made a small video with my web cam ill post that, soon,
i tried out two papers one was kodak photo gloss, its no good it sticks to the iron,
and then i tried out clear paper that is used with overhead projectors and that worked really nice, just wait till it cools before you peel it off, i printed with a laser printer,
I use DipTrace for laying out the pcb; print two copies to overhead projection transparency film and then use photosensitive pcb exposed through the two copies of the pcb using UV light. Develop and then etch with ferric chloride and I can easily make pcbs for 0805 SMD parts and 44pin TQFP IC packages. The secret for me is using two printouts of the pcb to give a very good light mask and process consistency with my exposure time (4mins) and developer temperature.
Peter
My method if for those that have inkjet printers
ferric chloride that brings back memories from a time before SMD componets a long time ago indeed !!
mahmood,
what are you using as the resist ? Back in those days you could get a heat transfer "paper " that you ran thru a laser printer. printing the traces on it, the laser ink acted as the resist and then you ironed the pattern on to the board and carefully peeled it off and then dropped it into the ferric chloride . it worked well enough that i have at least one dive comm box that has been in daily use (8 hours a day) for more than 20 years . i do not know if the "paper" (plastic sheet with a blue coating ) is even still available or even able to make traces fine enough to do SMD , but if you can find any and have access to a real laser printer it might give you good results . i just did a coursory look and it is still availible here is one place http://www.dipmicro.com/store/PNPB you might be in luck finding some in your part of the world
Good Luck on your project