Introduction to PCB

A complete step by step tutorial on the Introduction to PCB

Introduction to PCB

 PCB is a acronym of Printed Circuit Board that helps in connecting the electronics
components with pads, tracks and lines incorporated on a laminated copper sheet.
 It is considered as an insulating material which can be developed using epoxy on
which copper layer is laminated.
 PCB design has been evolved in an amazing way and revitalized the latest
technology. You can have a look at top 10 PCB design software.
 Before the inception of PCB, professional used laborious method of point to point
wiring to connect the electronics components. This method was costly and lead to a
most complicated design.
 In order to get rid of end to end wiring and make the circuit design hassle free, first
PCB was developed by Australian Engineer Paul Eisler.
 With the passage of time demands of electronics became prevalent, this made
professionals think they should come up with an ideal solution that made the
electronics cheap and incorporated in a lesser space.
 This was the start of PCB that revolutionized the electronics industry with lots of
innovation and productive ideas.
 Mostly, PCBs are composed of composite material, composite epoxy and fiber
glass.
 These are the most common components used in electronics devices that makes
the circuit design sophisticated and compact.
 PCBs come in different layers and multiple designs. PCBs used in simple electronics
are composed of single layer. Most compact and advanced hardware like graphics
card and motherboard are composed of multi layers PCBs.
 PCBs are not associated with computers only, they are widely used in advanced
electronics including digital cameras, cell phones, TV, scanners and automatic
control systems.
 There are also online PCB design services available you can work with. You can
have a look at Top online PCB design services.
 PCB Characteristics

Through Hole Technology

 Earlier PCBs were made using through hole technology where electronic
components were mounted with leads inserted through hole and were soldered on
the other side of the board.
 Based on requirements, boards can be single sided or more advanced double sided
with components placed on both side of the boards.
 Through hole parts can be installed horizontally with two leads that are bend at 90
degree. Insert the parts in the board, solder the leads and trim off the ends.

Surface Mount Technology

 Surface mount technology was came into play in 1960s and became commonly
used in 1990s.
 Instead of using wire leads to pass through the hole, components came with small
end caps that were soldered into the PCB surface.
 Components placement on both sides of the PCB was the common choice than
through hole technology, providing a much larger circuit density with relative smaller
PCB assembly.
 Surface mount components are 10 times smaller than through hole components,
making them an ideal choice for most of the applications.
 Surface mounted devices have a leg over through hole devices because of low cost
and compact design.

Composition of PCB

 Simple PCB is composed of different layers that are joined together with the help of
heat and adhesive, giving the board a compact shape into a single object. Let’s
discuss each layer one by one.
 Substrate Layer
 The base material, also known as substrate, is composed of fiber glass.
 The FR4 is the most common fiber glass used today. It is like a solid core that
provides rigidity and thickness to the PCB board.
 Some PCB boards are composed of phenolics and epoxies which are not as durable
as FR4 but they are less expensive and come with unique bad smell.
 Low end consumer electronics mostly use these types of substrates.
 Phenolics come with low decomposition temperature which allows these substrate to
erupt and delaminate if solder is placed on board for longer duration of time.
 Nature of substrate material defines whether board will be Flexible PCB or Rigid
PCB.
Copper Layer
 Beside substrate there exists a thin layer of copper foil.
 Heat and adhesive is used to laminate the copper foil on the board.
 Commonly, both sides of substrate are laminated with copper specially in double
sided PCB, except cheap electronics where only one side of the board is laminated
with copper.
 Board come with number of layers ranging from one layer to 16 layers or more.
 The copper thickness varies from board to board and can be defined in ounces per
square foot.
 The one ounce per square foot is suitable for most of the PCB, but applications
where we require more power come with 2 or 3 ounce per square foot.
 Each inch per square encompasses 35 micrometer of thickness.
SolderMask Layer
 Above copper layer foil, there lies a solder mask layer.
 This layer is applied on the copper layer to insulate the copper layer in order to avoid
conduction in case direct contact happens with some metal or conductive material.
 Most common used solder-mask comes in green color, however it is also available
in red color.
Silkscreen Layer
 Above soldermask layer, there exists a silkscreen layer that allows the user to add
symbols and number for better understanding of the board.
 Silkscreen labels provide the clear indication of function of each pin and component
soldered in the board.
 Silkscreen mostly comes in white color but there are also other color available
including red, grey, black yellow.
 Common practice is using silkscreen in one color as combination of different colors
of silkscreen makes it difficult for the user to read the board properly.

Types of PCB Boards

 PCBs can be divided into different types depending on the nature and number of
layers used in the boards. Let’s discuss one by one.

Single Sided PCB Boards

 Single sided PCB boards came into play at 1950 and became an ideal choice for
many applications since then.
 In single sided PCB boards, copper tracks are found on the one side of the PCB
board.
 Pins of different components are inserted from one side of the board to the other
side that comes with copper tracks and lines.
 These pins are then soldered on the copper side in order to provide the conducting
path to the components.
 These types of PCBs are commonly used in many electronic devices including
printers, coffee machines, basic electronics circuits and calculators.
 I have posted a tutorial Interfacing of Arduino with 2 Relay Board, in that tutorial 2
Relay Board’s PCB is Single Sided PCB and is shown below:

Double Sided PCB Boards

 Double sided PCB boards are served as a basic component for advanced
technology applications.
 In these boards, copper tracks are applied on both sides of the boards.
 In order to provide link between two points on the both side of the boards, holes are
created on the boards and then laminated with the copper layer.
 The components on these boards are electrically connected using two techniques i.e
through hole or surface mount technology.
 Using through hole technology, leads also known as wires are inserted in the hole
and then each lead is connected to the right component and build a smooth
conducting path throughout the board surface.
 Wires don’t behave as connectors in surface mount technology, instead whole board
provides a wiring surface where small leads are directly connected to the board.
 Different functions can be accomplished at a much faster rate with less space using
surface mount technology which helps in minimizing the cost and makes the whole
project light weight.
 Double sided PCB boards are widely used in many applications including amplifiers,
vending machines, LED lightening, HVAC systems and general power supplies.
 Here’s an image of Double Sided PCB Board:

Multi-layer PCB Boards

 Multilayer PCB boards are composed of number of double layered PCBs.
 These boards are then glued together with pieces of insulation in order to avoid
excessive heat that can damage the components.
 Multi layer PCBs come in different forms ranging from four layers to 16 layers or
more.
 The thickest multi layer PCB ever developed by professionals was 50 layers thick.
 These boards are more complex than double layered PCBs, help in initializing faster
operations than standard PCB boards and are very similar to microchip composition.
 Multi layer boards are used in wide range of applications including satellite system,
weather equipment, x ray equipment, data storage, GPS technology and many
more.
 I have discussed types of PCBs based on number of layers, however, there are
other types too like Aluminum PCB and High Frequency PCB, but they are used for
more robust applications where heat dissipation is required.

Applications

 1: PCBs are widely used in industrial machinery for many useful applications. Thick
copper PCBs are a great replacement of thin copper PCBs in many situations. Thick
copper PCBs are suitable for many applications including motor controllers,
industrial load testers and high current battery chargers. There are many software to
 make PCB design, however, if you are involved in embedded system you may like
designing PCB in Proteus Ares.
 2: Latest technology used in most of the electronics uses less power than their prior
editions, making it economical and widely used in medical field. Most of the
advanced medical equipments use high density PCBs that provide compact and
smallest design possible. Small size and light weight of PCB beautifully replaces the
old traditional equipments and becomes an ideal choice for medical field. These
devices are useful for a range of applications from small component like pacemaker
to large complex machine like X-Ray machines and CAT scanner.
 3: Aluminum backed PCBs are widely used in LED based lighting systems which
encompass low power consumption and high level of efficiency. These PCBs are
capable of transferring heat from one point to another and are considered as a step
ahead from standard PCBs. These PCBs are the back bone of basic lighting
solutions and LED applications.
 4: Automotive and aerospace industries are widely surrounded by vibration
environment, this is where flexible PCBs come into play. These PCBs can withstand
high vibrations and severe environments due to their flexible and compact design.
They can house in tight spaces like instrument gauge and instrument panel. Being a
light weight makes it an ideal choice for making manufacturing parts of
transportation industries.

PCB Manufacturing Process — A Step-by-Step Guide

Printed Circuit Boards (PCBs) form the backbone of all major electronics. These miraculous inventions pop

up in nearly all computational electronics, including simpler devices like digital clocks, calculators etc. For

the uninitiated, a PCB routes electrical signals through electronics, which satisfies the device's electrical and

mechanical circuit requirements. In short, PCBs tell the electricity where to go, bringing your electronics to

life.

PCBs direct current around their surface through a network of copper pathways. The complex system of

copper routes determines the unique role of each piece of printed circuit board.
Before PCB design, circuit designers are recommended to get a tour of a PC board shop and communicate

with fabricators face to face over their PCB manufacturing demands. It helps prevent designers making any

unnecessary errors from getting transmitted during the design stage. However, as more companies

outsourcing their PCB manufacturing inquiries to overseas suppliers, this becomes unpractical. On this

account, we present this article in order to provide a proper understanding of PCB manufacturing steps.

Hopefully it gives circuit designers and those new to PCB Industry a clear view on how printed circuit boards

are manufactured, and avoid making those unnecessary errors.

PCB Manufacturing Process Steps

Step 1: Design and Output

circuit boards should be rigorously compatible with, the designer creates a PCB layout using PCB design

software. Commonly-used PCB design software includes Altium Designer, OrCAD, Pads, KiCad, Eagle

etc. NOTE: Before PCB fabrication, designers should inform their contract manufacturer about the PCB

design software version used to design the circuit, it helps avoid issues caused by discrepancies.

Once the PCB design is approved for production, designers export the design into format their

manufacturers support. The most frequently used program is called extended Gerber. The 1980's baby food

ad campaign sought beautiful babies, and this software creates some beautifully designed offspring. Gerber

also goes by the name IX274X.

The PCB industry birthed extended Gerber as the perfect output format. Different PCB design software

possibly calls for different Gerber file generation steps, they all encode comprehensive vital information

including copper tracking layers, drill drawing, apertures, component notations and other options. All

aspects of the PCB design undergo checks at this point. The software performs oversight algorithms on the

design to ensure that no errors go undetected. Designers also examines the plan with regard to elements

relating to track width, board edge spacing, trace and hole spacing and hole size.
After a thorough examination, designers forward PCB file to PC Board Houses for production. To ensure the

design fulfills requirements for the minimum tolerances during manufacturing process, almost all PCB Fab

Houses run Design for Manufacture (DFM) check before circuit boards fabrication.

Step 2: From File to Film

PCB printing begins after designers output the PCB schematic files and manufacturers conduct a DFM

check. Manufacturers use a special printer called a plotter, which makes photo films of the PCBs, to print

circuit boards. Manufacturers will use the films to image the PCBs. Although it's a laser printer, it isn't a

standard laser jet printer. Plotters use incredibly precise printing technology to provide a highly detailed film

of the PCB design.

The final product results in a plastic sheet with a photo negative of the PCB in black ink. For the inner layers

of PCB, black ink represents the conductive copper parts of the PCB. The remaining clear portion of the

image denotes the areas of non-conductive material. The outer layers follow the opposite pattern: clear for

copper, but black refers to the area that'll be etched away. The plotter automatically develops the film, and

the film is securely stored to prevent any unwanted contact.

Each layer of PCB and solder mask receives its own clear and black film sheet. In total, a two-layer PCB

needs four sheets: two for the layers and two for the solder mask. Significantly, all the films have to

correspond perfectly to each other. When used in harmony, they map out the PCB alignment.
To achieve perfect alignment of all films, registration holes should be punched through all films. The

exactness of the hole occurs by adjusting the table on which the film sits. When the tiny calibrations of the

table lead to an optimal match, the hole is punched. The holes will fit into the registration pins in the next

step of the imaging process.

Step 3: Printing the Inner layers: Where Will the Copper Go?

The creation of films in previous step aims to map out a figure of copper path. Now it's time to print the

figure on the film onto a copper foil.

This step in PCB manufacturing prepares to make actual PCB. The basic form of PCB comprises a laminate

board whose core material is epoxy resin and glass fiber that are also called substrate material. Laminate

serves as an ideal body for receiving the copper that structures the PCB. Substrate material provides a

sturdy and dust-resistant starting point for the PCB. Copper is pre-bonded on both sides. The process

involves whittling away the copper to reveal the design from the films.

In PCB construction, cleanliness does matter. The copper-sided laminate is cleaned and passed into a

decontaminated environment. During this stage, it's vital that no dust particles settle on the laminate. An

errant speck of dirt might otherwise cause a circuit to be short or remain open.

Next, the clean panel receives a layer of photo-sensitive film called photo resist. The photo resist comprises

a layer of photo reactive chemicals that harden after exposure to ultra violet light. This ensures an exact
match from the photo films to the photo resist. The films fit onto pins that hold them in place over the

laminate panel.

The film and board line up and receive a blast of UV light. The light passes through the clear parts of the

film, hardening the photo resist on the copper underneath. The black ink from the plotter prevents the light

from reaching the areas not meant to harden, and they are slated for removal.

After the board becomes prepared, it is washed with an alkaline solution that removes any photo resist left

unhardened. A final pressure wash removes anything else left on the surface. The board is then dried.

The product emerges with resist properly covering the copper areas meant to remain in the final form. A

technician examines the boards to ensure that no errors occur during this stage. All the resist present at this

point denotes the copper that will emerge in the finished PCB.

This step only applies to boards with more than two layers. Simple two-layer boards skip ahead to drilling.

Multiple-layer boards require more steps.

Step 4: Removing the Unwanted Copper

With the photo resist removed and the hardened resist covering the copper we wish to keep, the board

proceeds to the next stage: unwanted copper removal. Just as the alkaline solution removed the resist, a

more powerful chemical preparation eats away the excess copper. The copper solvent solution bath

removes all of the exposed copper. Meanwhile, the desired copper remains fully protected beneath the

hardened layer of photo resist.

Not all copper boards are created equal. Some heavier boards require larger amounts of copper solvent and

varying lengths of exposure. As a side note, heavier copper boards require additional attention for track

spacing. Most standard PCBs rely on similar specification.

Now that the solvent removed the unwanted copper, the hardened resist protecting the preferred copper

needs washing off. Another solvent accomplishes this task. The board now glistens with only the copper

substrate necessary for the PCB.

Step 5: Layer Alignment and Optical Inspection

With all the layers clean and ready, the layers require alignment punches to ensure they all line up. The

registration holes align the inner layers to the outer ones. The technician places the layers into a machine

called the optical punch, which permits an exact correspondence so the registration holes are accurately

punched.

Once the layers are placed together, it's impossible to correct any errors occurring on the inner layers.

Another machine performs an automatic optical inspection of the panels to confirm a total absence of

defects. The original design from Gerber, which the manufacturer received, serves as the model. The

machine scans the layers using a laser sensor and proceeds to electronically compare the digital image with

the original Gerber file.

If the machine finds inconsistency, the comparison is displayed on a monitor for the technician to assess.

Once the layer passes inspection, it moves to the final stages of PCB production.

Step 6: Layer-up and Bond

In this stage, the circuit board takes shape. All the separate layers await their union. With the layers ready

and confirmed, they simply need to fuse together. Outer layers must join with the substrate. The process

happens in two steps: layer-up and bonding.

The outer layer material consists of sheets of fiber glass, pre-impregnated with epoxy resin. The shorthand

for this is called prepreg. A thin copper foil also covers the top and bottom of the original substrate, which

contains the copper trace etchings. Now, it's time to sandwich them together.
The bonding occurs on a heavy steel table with metal clamps. The layers securely fit into pins attached to

the table. Everything must fit snugly to prevent shifting during the alignment.

A technician begins by placing a prepreg layer over alignment basin. The substrate layer fits over the

prepreg before the copper sheet is placed. Further sheets of prepreg sit on top of the copper layer. Finally,

an aluminum foil and copper press plate complete the stack. Now it's prepped for pressing.

The entire operation undergoes an automatic routine run by the bonding press computer. The computer

orchestrates the process of heating up the stack, the point in which to apply pressure, and when to allow the

stack to cool at a controlled rate.

Next, a certain amount of unpacking occurs. With all the layers molded together in a super sandwich of PCB

glory, the technician simply unpacks the multi-layer PCB product. It's a simple matter of removing the

restraining pins and discarding the top pressure plate. The PCB goodness emerges victorious from within its

shell of aluminum press plates. The copper foil, included in the process, remains to comprise the outer

layers of the PCB.

Step 7: Drill

Finally, holes are bored into the stack board. All components slated to come later, such as copper-linking via

holes and leaded aspects, rely on the exactness of precision drill holes. The holes are drilled to a hairs-

width - the drill achieves 100 microns in diameter, while hair averages at 150 microns.
To find the location of the drill targets, an x-ray locator identifies the proper drill target spots. Then, proper

registration holes are bored to secure the stack for the series of more specific holes.

Before drilling, the technician places a board of buffer material beneath the drill target to ensure a clean

bore is enacted. The exit-material prevents any unnecessary tearing upon the drill's exits.

A computer controls every micro-movement of the drill - it's only natural that a product that determines the

behavior of machines would rely on computers. The computer-driven machine uses the drilling file from the

original design to identify the proper spots to bore.

The drills use air-driven spindles that turn at 150,000 rpm. At this speed, you might think that drilling

happens in a flash, but there are many holes to bore. An average PCB contains well over one hundred bore

intact points. During drilling, each needs its own special moment with the drill, so it takes time. The holes

later house the vias and mechanical mounting holes for the PCB. The final affixation of these parts occurs

later, after plating.

After the drilling completes itself, the additional copper that lines the edges of the production panel

undergoes removal by a profiling tool.

Step 8: Plating and Copper Deposition

After drilling, the panel moves onto plating. The process fuses the different layers together using chemical

deposition. After a thorough cleaning, the panel undergoes a series of chemical baths. During the baths, a

chemical deposition process deposits a thin layer - about one micron thick - of copper over the surface of

the panel. The copper goes into the recently drilled holes.

Prior to this step, the interior surface of the holes simply exposes the fiber glass material that comprises the

interior of the panel. The copper baths completely cover, or plate, the walls of the holes. Incidentally, the

entire panel receives a new layer of copper. Most importantly, the new holes are covered. Computers

control the entire process of dipping, removal and procession.

Step 9: Outer Layer Imaging

In Step 3, we applied photo resist to the panel. In this step, we do it again - except this time, we image the

outer layers of the panel with PCB design. We begin with the layers in a sterile room to prevent any

contaminants from sticking to the layer surface, then apply a layer of photo resist to the panel. The prepped

panel passes into the yellow room. UV lights affect photo resist. Yellow light wavelengths don't carry UV

levels sufficient to affect the photo resist.

Black ink transparencies are secured by pins to prevent misalignment with the panel. With panel and stencil

in contact, a generator blasts them with high UV light, which hardens the photo resist. The panel then

passes into a machine that removes the unhardened resist, protected by the black ink opacity.

The process stands as an inversion to that of the inner layers. Finally, the outer plates undergo inspection to

ensure all of the undesired photo resist was removed during the previous stage.

Step 10: Plating

We return to the plating room. As we did in Step 8, we electroplate the panel with a thin layer of copper. The

exposed sections of the panel from the outer layer photo resist stage receive the copper electro-plating.

Following the initial copper plating baths, the panel usually receives tin plating, which permits the removal of

all the copper left on the board slated for removal. The tin guards the section of the panel meant to remain

covered with copper during the next etching stage. Etching removes the unwanted copper foil from the

panel.

Step 11: Final Etching

The tin protects the desired copper during this stage. The unwanted exposed copper and copper beneath

the remaining resist layer undergo removal. Again, chemical solutions are applied to remove the excess

copper. Meanwhile, the tin protects the valued copper during this stage.

The conducting areas and connections are now properly established.

Step 12: Solder Mask Application

Before the solder mask is applied to both sides of the board, the panels are cleaned and covered with an

epoxy solder mask ink. The boards receive a blast of UV light, which passes through a solder mask photo

film. The covered portions remain unhardened and will undergo removal.

Finally, the board passes into an oven to cure the solder mask.

Step 13: Surface Finish

To add extra solder-ability to the PCB, we chemically plate them with gold or silver. Some PCBs also

receive hot air-leveled pads during this stage. The hot air leveling results in uniform pads. That process

leads to the generation of surface finish. PCBCart can process multiple types of surface finish according to

customers' specific demands.

Step 14: Silkscreen

The nearly completed board receives ink-jet writing on its surface, used to indicate all vital information

pertaining to the PCB. The PCB finally passes onto the last coating and curing stage.

Step 15: Electrical Test

As a final precaution, a technician performs electrical tests on the PCB. The automated procedure confirms

the functionality of the PCB and its conformity to the original design. At PCBCart, we offer an advanced

version of electrical testing called Flying Probe Testing, which depends on moving probes to test electrical

performance of each net on a bare circuit board.

Step 16: Profiling and V-Scoring

Now we've come to the last step: cutting. Different boards are cut from the original panel. The method

employed either centers on using a router or a v-groove. A router leaves small tabs along the board edges

while the v-groove cuts diagonal channels along both sides of the board. Both ways permit the boards to

easily pop out from the panel.