How are PCB's made?

Hi guys:

How are copper clad pc boards made? Is the copper somehow electrodeposited
onto them, or is it a glued down foil of some sort?

Thanks for any replies.

Don

 

There are several different technologies. The most common way
hobbyists make them is to purchase board laminated with one or both
sides covered with copper. An etchant resist pattern is created is
made with a resist pen, or by several other techniques, or by buying
boards that are also covered with a photo resist layer. That later
has ot be exposed to UV through a pattern to make some areas soluble.
The board is then treated to an alkaline bath (or some versions of
resist use an organic solvent ot remove part of the resist). Then the
board is bathed in an etchant that dissolves the unprotected parts of
the copper layer. Holes are then drilled through the board and some
people add brass eyelets through the holes to connect the copper on
one side ot the other side.

The processes used commercially are quite a bit more varied and
complicated.
http://www.pwtpcbs.com/makingpcbs/index.html
http://www.kepro.com/howto.htm
http://www.ncws.com/rcrock/makepcb.htm

 

I think the question was how the "raw material pcb's" are constructed, thus
what one buys to start scribbling and etching

to answer it: the copper can be as well glued as electrolytically deposited
on the 'carrier' (be it epoxy or FR4 or any other)

 

Peel strength would be terrible if one used seeded electro deposited or
"glued" copper foil on raw PCB material. Manufactures get treated copper
foil (one side is very rough and may also be red oxided, Cu2O) and
laminate to the substrate material under heat and pressure.