Printed Circuit Boards

PRINTED CIRCUIT BOARDS

Format of Course
A series of 10 one hour long lectures / tutorials

Delivered by

Dr Gary J Callon

Dr Graham Berry
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Course Content

History of PCB Development

The rapid advancements during the 50’s and 60’s

Developments up to the modern day

Materials – choices, properties of substrates, solders, metal

interconnects, chip and component packages etc.
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Course Content
Surface Mount Technology

Multi layers – associated technology, interconnecting

layers,
vias, electroless & electroplating etc.

Future Trends in PCB Manufacture

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The PCB
Basically consists of a planar (flat) substrate which has
electronic components mounted on it that are interconnected
by conductive tracks.
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The PCB
Obvious Advantages
Large number of components can be fitted and connected
together on a small, flat substrate – aided by advancements
in component reduction, thin line widths of interconnects.

Multi layer possibilities allows more complex circuitry

without taking up more room.

Mass production – high volume throughput, reduces cost to

customer.
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HISTORY
Late 1890’s – Great Advancements in Telephony

Early 1900’s – Great Advancements in Wireless Radio

Wiring becoming more and more complex as more components

being used.

High error rate as more and more wires needed to connect

components – improvement needed
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HISTORY
Alternative concept of using a planar substrate with mounted
components and patterned interconnects dates back to early 1900’s

In 1903, Albert Hanson, from Berlin, filed a ‘printed wire’ patent

based on stamped or cut out brass or copper foil adhesively bonded
to paraffin paper.

Included the concept of a double sided board with interconnections

between top and bottom layers. Interconnects basically crimped!

Also suggested the use of conductors deposited from conductive inks

and electrodeposition
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HISTORY
Edison had also been asked by the Sprague Electrical Co. how to
‘draw’ conductive traces on paper.

He suggested [1] applying glue or polymer and dusting with

conductive
powder. [2] Patterning a dielectric with silver nitrate solution and
decomposing the salt to the metal. [3] applying gold foil to the
adhesive.

[1] and [2] can basically be applied as printing techniques – Edison

realised the importance of mass production!
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HISTORY
Edison could have pondered further and included vacuum deposition
technology and copper plating.

America’s most prolific inventor had patented these!

NOTE – Edison’s suggestions were ADDITIVE techniques –

Putting material only where it is needed.
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HISTORY
Early circuitry generally ignored Subtractive techniques & favoured
Additive.

Generally conductive interconnects today are made via subtractive

technology – i.e. cover whole substrate with copper and etch or mill
away unwanted material.

There is considerable interest at the moment in being able to return to

additive technologies. Less waste, effluent, chemicals etc.
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HISTORY
In 1913, Arthur Berry filed for a patent which described
a method of manufacturing circuits for electric heaters,
in which metal was etched away. His patent described
the process of coating metal with a resist prior to
etching, an improvement over die-cutting, which left
stress-concentrating sharp corners. Later, Littlefield
described a similar methodology.

Bassist also described a photoengraving process very

similar to print plate production.
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HISTORY
The next inventor to rise to the occasion was
Charles Ducas, whose patent described both
etching and plated-up conductors. One version
involved electroplating a copper, silver, or gold
pattern onto a low-temperature metal alloy
through a contact mask.
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HISTORY

Another Ducas process involved forming

grooves in dielectrics such as wax and filling
them with conductive paste, which was then
electroplated. Both sides of the dielectric could
be circuitised, and Ducas went on to describe
multilayer circuits and a means of
interconnecting the layers.
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HISTORY
Frenchman Cesar Parolini disclosed
improvements in additive processing when he
patented the printing of patterns with adhesive
onto dielectric, followed by applying copper
powder to the wet ink. This was Edison's basic
concept and one of Ducas's methods, but
Parolini implemented it fully and added the
concept of jumper wires
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HISTORY
1920’s and 30’s – many other inventors exploit
print and plate technologies.

E.G. In 1933, Franz added conductive carbon

particles to polymer ink for printing on
cellophane or similar lamina and, perhaps aware
of Parolini's earlier work, added a copper plating
step.
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Introducing the ‘Father’ of the PCB

Paul Eisler – Born in Austria in 1907

In early 1930’s worked for HMV improving radio reception on

trains.

Life was difficult being Jewish in Austria/Germany at the time

Escaped to England, eventually interned as an enemy alien but

Released in 1941

Used his creativity to aid the defeat of the Nazis

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Introducing the ‘Father’ of the PCB

In late 30’s in England, Eisler took a radio he had made to bits
and took it apart and replaced all the wire-to-wire connections
with flat circuitry he made from strips of copper foil varnished on
Bakelite-backed paper.

Nearly sold the idea to Plessey in 1936 but production staff turned
it down – women labour was cheaper and more flexible!

By 1943, The US Army were applying some of the techniques

Developed by Eisler in the production of rugged &
robust radio sets.
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Introducing the ‘Father’ of the PCB

At the end of the war, Eisler and his wife were
making electrodeposited copper foil on planar
substrates and etching it with ferric chloride.

Founded Technograph Printed Circuits Ltd and

filed many patents for printed heating and
electrical interconnect circuitry.

His most important patents dealt with etching

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Introducing the ‘Father’ of the PCB

Etching had been perfected by the printing industry
hundreds of years before in plate making.

An etch resist was used that was mechanically scraped

away

During the 1800s, photosensitive coatings were perfected

that enable the widespread use of photoengraving.
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Introducing the ‘Father’ of the PCB

Eisler’s technique however was different

Printers generally etched into a layer of thick copper

Eisler used thin, electrodeposited copper foil and therefore

Etched completely through the metal to isolate conductors.

He became embroiled in legal patent arguments in US

because British patents had constantly referenced ‘as used
in the printing industry’
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The Rise of the PCB in the 1950’s

PCB becomes commonplace in consumer products

Aided strongly by US releasing invention for

common use in 1948

Eisler therefore unsuccessful with US patent

attempts
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The Rise of the PCB in the 1950’s

In the 1950’s, every electronic component generally had
wire leads, and the PCB had holes drilled for each wire of
each component.

The components were then soldered to the PCB. This

method is called through-hole construction.

This could be done automatically by passing the board over

a ripple, or wave, of molten solder in a wave-soldering
machine.
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The Rise of the PCB in the 1950’s

Through-hole mounting is still useful in attaching
physically-large and heavy components to the board.

However, the wires and holes are wasteful. It costs money to

drill the holes, and the wires are merely cut off.
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1960’s and Onwards

Surface Mount Technology Developed

Components made with small contact pads that are

physically held by solder to the conductors.

Solder paste generally applied by screen printing process

and components mounted on. Solder paste also acts as
temporary adhesive.

PCB passed through IR oven to cure solder

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1960’s and Onwards

Surface Mount Technology Developed
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Advantages of Surface Mount

•smaller components
•no need to drill holes through abrasive boards
•simpler automated assembly
•small errors in component placement are corrected
automatically as the molten solder pulls the component
into place by surface tension
•components can be fitted to both sides of the circuit
board
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1960’s and Onwards – Copper Foil Bonding

Patterned Conductive Interconnects

Subtractive technique of copper foil bonding to whole

substrate and removing unwanted metal becomes
generally adopted. Copper foil is typically 10’s of
microns in thickness.

Substrates developed that are compatible with this

technology. Generally matted glass fibres with epoxy
based – e.g. FR4, FR5 etc.
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1960’s and Onwards – Copper Foil Bonding

Copper foil is generally pressed while heated onto the

substrate with ‘adhesive’

Substrates developed which are made of epoxy and glass

fibres to which this process can be done – Bonding aided by
Tg of the epoxy. Substrates such as FR4 become prominent.
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1960’s and Onwards – Copper Patterning

Unwanted copper etched away with ferric chloride – remember Eisler!

Photolithography exploited and developed further to produce
patterns

Light sensitive photoresists used as patternable barriers for etch

Design technology developed to produce circuitry as exposable

medium for transfer into photoresist – e.g. photomask – clear
acetate with dark emulsion as opaque regions
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Photolithography with a Photomask

Copper clad substrate covered with photoresist

Photomask placed over photoresist during exposure
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Photolithography with a Photomask

After exposure, photoresist developed

Copper left exposed in regions to be removed

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Photolithography with a Photomask

Exposed copper etched away with ferric chloride

Photoresist then removed

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Photolithography with a Photomask

A basic photomask for a simple PCB can be made today with

an inkjet transparency and a printer. Circuit design made on pc.

Photoresist covered, copper clad FR4 can be bought from RS etc

A light box can be easily made for exposing

Of course in industry much more sophisticated equipment is used!

- much better resolution and quality.

Photomask acetates designed on CAD packages and printed

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Alternatives for Patterned Resist

Techniques also developed since the 1960’s to screen print resist

onto copper layer – no exposure undertaken.

Resolution not as good as photolithography in terms of resolved

feature sizes but a good method for mass production of low cost
boards.
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Alternative for Patterning Copper

A milling tool can be used to ‘cut’ away the unwanted copper to

leave a desired pattern.

This requires sophisticated plotting equipment in either X,Y or

X, Y, Z axis control.

This is another Subtractive Method

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Simple Schematic for Producing a 1 layer PCB

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Some of the Areas of Interest for the Rest of the Course

Development of Substrate Materials – properties etc.

Development of Solders

Development of Components – e.g. reduction in size etc.

Multilayers – PCB’s with up to 24 layers – interconnecting layers

& electroplating, chemistry etc.

Problems with PCB’s and measures to overcome them, etc.