PCB Fabrication

Steps Involved in the Fabrication Process 

The fabrication process includes several techniques in the course of creating the panel:

• Layout: You’ll present the fabricator with a copy of the design for the PCB. The first step is for the fabricator to lay out the design on the board, usually by using photo imaging. They’ll coat the board’s copper surface with a liquid resin, then expose that to UV light to cure it in the areas left exposed. 
• Removing excess copper: The next step is to remove the copper, usually through etching, which exposes the excess copper to a solvent.
• Lamination: PCBs consist of several layers of material, usually copper alternated with a nonconductive substrate. The layers are fused together with heat during the lamination process.
• Drilling holes for mounting components: After lamination, PCB milling takes place. There are several ways to drill holes into the boards, including creating through-holes or vias or through panelizing. 
• Plating pin holes: If you need to apply plating, such as gold plate, to the vias holes or through holes, several plating techniques exist. The fabricator may use electroplating, electroless plating or dry plating. Each option has its benefits depending on the type of metal being used.
• Adding protective coatings: Once the boards are plated, the next step is to coat them with a protective material to minimize wear and tear.
• Applying finishes: Some fabricators apply a finish to the fabricated board to protect the copper.