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Modern printed circuit boards (PCBs) are the lifeblood of today's technology. It's almost impossible to find an electronic product that doesn't have some form of PCB. While it takes a professional PCB manufacturer to produce high-quality printed circuit boards, how can you make a PCB circuit board at home? In the following guide, we'll show you how to do it.
How to make pcb circuit board at home - What is a Printed Circuit Board?
Printed circuit boards became common in the second half of the 20th century. Before this, manufacturers directly connected the components of a device through wires. As a result, it was messy and disorganized. The creation of PCBs was intended to solve this problem.
Essentially, PCBs are a set of embedded wires that run through a flat piece of fiberglass. To understand how they work, you need to understand how manufacturers create them.
During the manufacturing process, manufacturers will stack the fiberglass sheets together and treat them with a chemical resin. The resin will cause them to bond together.
Next, the manufacturer will coat both sides of the fiberglass sheet with a layer of copper. Then, they will apply photoresist. The manufacturer will then etch a PCB layout pattern that matches the traces on the board. After that, they will harden and dry the board with ultraviolet light.
After the assembly is complete the printed circuit board moves to the reflow machine
Next, the manufacturer will wash the board with warm water, which will wash away the uncovered areas, leaving copper tracks. These tracks will serve as the basis for how the PCB will be treated after the copper etching process.
Depending on the specifications and design of the board, the manufacturer will drill mounting holes, vias, and through-holes for connections and components.
Still, since a PCB is just a collection of electrical connections on a substrate, you don’t need any fancy manufacturing processes to make a simple PCB. We’ll show you how in the rest of this guide.
How to make a PCB circuit board at home – Tools and materials needed
• Old magazine paper or advertising brochures with glossy printing
• Old newspapers
• Laser or inkjet printer
• Clothes steam iron
• Copper clad board
• Ferric chloride powder solution (FeCl3 etchant)
• Dishwashing scrub/steel wool
• Acetone (nail polish remover/thinner)
• Rubber gloves
• Plastic box/plastic container
• Teaspoon
• PVC wire
• A4 photo/glossy paper
• Sandpaper
• Black marker pen
• Blade cutter
• Sandpaper
• A roll of paper towels
• Cotton
• Scotch tape
• Brown paper
• Oven mitts
Instructions
For this tutorial, we decided to keep it simple. We will create a PCB connected to a timer chip. Thus, you will be able to develop or integrate into your own touch switch. Make sure you have all the materials and tools before proceeding with the instructions in this section.
How to make a PCB circuit board at home - step by step guide
Step 1: Print the layout
Using an inkjet or laser printer, print out the PCB layout created using our recommended PCB design software tool. Make sure to set it to print in black or grayscale mode, which can be configured in the PCB design software and printer driver settings. In particular, the printout needs to be set to mirror mode and print on the glossy side of the photo paper. Once the print is complete, accurately cut the design from the paper.
Step 2: Cut the copper clad board
Using a knife, cut a square of the copper clad board of the appropriate size. When cutting, use the previously printed PCB layout as a size reference to ensure that the copper board size is exactly the same as the design requirements.
Step 3: Treat the copper surface
Use steel wool or a kitchen scrubber to carefully wipe the cut copper surface of the copper clad board to remove the oxide and photoresist layer on the copper surface. This treatment will make it easier to attach the PCB layout to the copper surface later.
Step 4: Transfer the layout
Transfer the printed PCB layout onto the copper layer of the pre-treated copper clad laminate (this layer will be the final PCB). Make sure the shiny side of the photo paper faces down and is precisely aligned with the side of the copper foil.
Step 5: Heat press fixation
Cover the copper sheet and the paper with the pattern on it with a layer of kraft paper, and then use ironing to firmly press the pattern onto the copper sheet. The kraft paper plays a protective role in this process. Please pay attention to the following points when operating:
1. Choose a flat wooden or granite surface as the operating table.
2. Make sure the steam function of the iron is turned off.
3. When ironing, move the iron slowly while applying steady pressure.
4. For safety, you can use pliers to clamp the copper plate for operation. Preheat the iron to the highest temperature. If operated properly, the entire transfer process takes about an hour. If you are not familiar with the operation of the iron, you can also use a pencil and a permanent black marker to manually trace the design pattern onto the copper surface.
Step 6: Separate the Paper
Using oven mitts, transfer the patterned copper sheet to a bowl, sink, or container of warm water and let soak for 10 minutes. Afterwards, carefully separate the paper from the copper sheet, preferably by slowly peeling the paper off the copper sheet at a low angle. Sometimes the design may not show up completely on the copper surface, so use a permanent black marker to complete the missing lines.
Step 7: Etch the Board
Before proceeding, wear rubber gloves and cover floors, tables, and counters with kraft paper or newspaper to protect them from damage by the etching solution. Pour a suitable amount of water into a plastic container or box, add three teaspoons of ferric chloride powder, and stir carefully until it is completely dissolved. Next, submerge the PCB (i.e., copper sheet) in the solution for about 30 minutes, until the etching process removes the excess copper. During this time, use pliers to check the progress of the etching, which should eventually remove the unwanted copper from the final product.
Step 8: Post-processing and finishing
After etching is complete, dilute the remaining ferric chloride solution and dispose of it properly. Do not pour it into the sewer or toilet to avoid damaging the pipes. If conditions permit, you can contact a local hazardous chemical collection service. Soak cotton with a few drops of acetone (nail polish remover) and wipe the surface of the PCB to remove residual ink or toner and reveal a clear copper layout. After that, carefully wash and rinse the PCB with warm water and dry it with a paper towel. Finally, the edges of the PCB can be trimmed and polished with sandpaper to make it smooth. If you need to make through holes, you can use a micro drill; you can also choose to solder electronic components directly to the PCB. If you want the PCB to look more traditional, you can purchase green or red UV-curable solder paint for spraying. After completing all the above steps, clean up your work area and you will have a solid homemade PCB.
Once you have completed these, how to make a PCB circuit board at home is complete. All you have to do is clean up your work area and you will have a solid homemade PCB. Of course, if you have bulk needs, you can come to us and we are always here to help!