Printed Circuit Board Manufacturing

Printed circuit boards, or PCB manufacturing, is the process of designing and constructing electronic circuit boards

. Circuit boards are used in many different variations of electronics. Technological products from video game consoles, HDTV's, portable music players to computers, business servers and other equipment all utilize PCB boards to operate.

Before PCB circuit boards can be used, they must go through a multitude of stages in the manufacturing process. This process prepares the boards for a conductive connection that occurs after the final stages of the custom PCB manufacturing process has been completed. The first step of the process in preparing a PCB is to layer the substrate layer, or main layer, with a thin non-conductive copper layer. This non-conductive layer allows for other layers to be placed on top, but also allows for drilling to be accomplished later without compromising the substrate layer.

Once the PCB's have had the substrate and non-conductive copper layer installed, a solder mask is applied to insulate the boards. Afterwards, the boards are drilled with a carbide drill bit to ensure precision and to avoid blistering of the circuit board as it is drilled through. Once the boards have been drilled, they undergo a washing process to rid any leftover copper shavings or substrate drill particles. After the washing stage of the PCB's, they are etched to aid in adhesion and also have an electroless copper layer installed to prepare the board for electrical components such as circuits, transistors, resistors, etcetera. The electrical components can be applied and installed into place using the prior drill holes.

Before the electrical components are affixed to the board, a variety of methods are employed to remove any final copper waste from the copper layers, as well as etching the patterns and traces onto the PCB board for the specific voltage requirements of the components. The traces etched into the PCB either make a signal connection or divert ground and power voltage to the necessary components. A surface resin or solder masks is applied to the boards so that they do not lose their ability to be conductive for the electrical components.

Screen printing is also applied to the PCB to aid in designating specific electrical components and details pathways. Once the screen printing has been applied, the electrical components can be affixed using a couple different methods. The components can be attached through the drilled holes on the PCB or they may also be applied to the surface of the board on landing pads, although both methods may be employed when manufacturing PCB boards. Once the components have been attached to the board, it is tested using a variety of algorithms and utility tools to troubleshoot any areas of the PCB that need addressed.

Once the boards have been thoroughly tested, they are sprayed or dipped in a protective coating. This coating is often times silicone rubber, epoxy or a similar coating. The protective coating helps protect the delicate components as well as prevent possible corrosion, which can lead to shortages. Once this process has been completed, the boards are typically packaged in an anti-static bag to ensure no static electricity is transferred to the sensitive boards during transit. Although complicated, manufacturing PCB boards has become much more efficient since the beginning stages of the circuit board.

by:Jordan McPelt

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