Homebrew PCBs

Has anyone ever tried to make a printed circuit board by printing a reverse
image onto a sheet of aluminium foil [with an ink jet printer], then plating
copper onto the exposed trace? This sheet would be epoxied [copper side
down] onto a  thin  fiber glass board, allowed to set and then caustic soda
would eat the aluminium away leaving the copper trace behind.

Sound feasible?  See any obvious problems with the approach?

Surf


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

----- Original Message ----- 

From: "Surf Thenet" <surf@...>
To: <Homebrew_PCBs@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Wednesday, July 04, 2007 2:47 AM
Subject: [Homebrew_PCBs] Has anyone tried...


> Has anyone ever tried to make a printed circuit board by printing a 
> reverse
> image onto a sheet of aluminium foil [with an ink jet printer], then 
> plating
> copper onto the exposed trace? This sheet would be epoxied [copper side
> down] onto a  thin  fiber glass board, allowed to set and then caustic 
> soda
> would eat the aluminium away leaving the copper trace behind.
>
> Sound feasible?  See any obvious problems with the approach?

Ink jet ink will dissolve during the plating process. I don't think that Cu 
can be plated onto Al, anyway, because of the oxide film. There might also 
be an electrochemical problem with it.

Leon

I have long thought it should be possible to use lithographic methods to 
do what you want and more. Lithography works by putting a substance the 
repels water & attracts oil on a surface that attracts water making it 
repel oil. Toner from copiers is natural for it and I think some water 
proof ink jet inks may be too.

The system can be enhanced and modified by the chemistry of solutions 
you develop or rub up the image with. In the case of a ink jet print an 
emulsion that the oily or oil attracting component bound to ink and a 
gum component such a gum arabic stuck to the un-inked paper. The then 
paper is lightly rubbed with a damp sponge with water and maybe some 
chemicals added then a roller with an oily printers ink put on it. The 
ink can be offset to another surface that oil will stick to and used as 
a resist or mask for plating.

Forty years ago I ran a printing press that used a Xerox made paper 
printing plate that was good for about a 1,000 copies. The principles no 
different here. I doubt it is worth the effort as the direct transfer 
works so well.

Gordon Couger


Surf Thenet wrote:

>
> Has anyone ever tried to make a printed circuit board by printing a 
> reverse
> image onto a sheet of aluminium foil [with an ink jet printer], then 
> plating
> copper onto the exposed trace? This sheet would be epoxied [copper side
> down] onto a thin fiber glass board, allowed to set and then caustic soda
> would eat the aluminium away leaving the copper trace behind.
>
> Sound feasible? See any obvious problems with the approach?
>
> Surf
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>
>

> SurfThenet wrote:
>
> Has anyone ever tried to make a printed circuit
> board by printing a reverse image onto a sheet
> of aluminium foil [with an ink jet printer],
> then plating copper onto the exposed trace?
> This sheet would be epoxied [copper side down]
> onto a  thin  fiber glass board, allowed to set
> and then caustic soda would eat the aluminium
> away leaving the copper trace behind.
> 
> Sound feasible?  See any obvious problems with
> the approach?

Apart from the fact that is sounds harder and
more expensive than just using photographic
emulsion as nature/god/kodak intended.

From Finishing.com

Oct 6, 2003 

I can tell you general plating method. copper on aluminum 

1.etching(NaOH) 
2.desmut(HNO3) 
3.zincate 
4.strip(HNO3) 
5.zincate 
6.copper cyanide strike 
7.copper cyanide(high concentration) 
8.acid copper 
9.nickel 
10.chrome 

Why use Pt anode? copper ion source are solution and anode. 

So, plating electronic-quality copper on aluminum foil doesn't sound easy.

John

  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Andrew 
  To: Homebrew_PCBs@yahoogroups.com 
  Sent: Wednesday, July 04, 2007 6:36 PM
  Subject: [Homebrew_PCBs] Re: Has anyone tried...


  > SurfThenet wrote:
  >
  > Has anyone ever tried to make a printed circuit
  > board by printing a reverse image onto a sheet
  > of aluminium foil [with an ink jet printer],
  > then plating copper onto the exposed trace?
  > This sheet would be epoxied [copper side down]
  > onto a thin fiber glass board, allowed to set
  > and then caustic soda would eat the aluminium
  > away leaving the copper trace behind.
  > 
  > Sound feasible? See any obvious problems with
  > the approach?

  Apart from the fact that is sounds harder and
  more expensive than just using photographic
  emulsion as nature/god/kodak intended.



   

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Andrew wrote:
>
> > SurfThenet wrote:
> >
> > Has anyone ever tried to make a printed circuit
> > board by printing a reverse image onto a sheet
> > of aluminium foil [with an ink jet printer],
> > then plating copper onto the exposed trace?
> > This sheet would be epoxied [copper side down]
> > onto a thin fiber glass board, allowed to set
> > and then caustic soda would eat the aluminium
> > away leaving the copper trace behind.
> >
> > Sound feasible? See any obvious problems with
> > the approach?
>
> Apart from the fact that is sounds harder and
> more expensive than just using photographic
> emulsion as nature/god/kodak intended.
>





















You don't have to use silver you can use potassium or ammonium 
bichromate. It is nasty stuff but you can spin coat the aluminum foil 
with  a fresh made gelatin, albumen, agar, etc and  bichromate mixture 
and not be very expensive. The hologram guys have a lot on bichromate.

Gordon

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>
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