Process 01: An open source 2 layer PCB process - part 1

This video presents Process 01, an open source 2 layer PCB production process, including electroless copper plating of vias.
In this first part I will go through all the 31 steps required to make a double sided printed circuit board, while in the next video I will detail the preparation of all chemical solutions required by the process.

Other works cited in this video:

Example of 2 layer PCB without plated vias, using rivets:

Conductive graphite and electroplating process experiments:

Electroless copper plating experiments:

Images used in this video:

[the_runofff]

incredible process, im really frustrated with my boards not having hole plating. thanks so much for this!

[williamchaves]

What a jewel of a video. You are a very good teacher.

[fouzaialaa]

for electro plating use a coffee filter and wrap the anodes in it to catch the large chunks of copper (do not wrap the PCB)

i myself use a laser to etch double sided pcbs, i use flatcam and Lightburn to generate the cnc job, i then take a cheap pcb with copper already in it, coat it in spray paint, and then burn the negative of the traces of the pcb on both sides with the laser, then i etch it, and give it a green coat of paint like a solder mask, and then burn away the green paint to reveal the solder pads .

its less involved since im bad with chemicals, my reason for doing this is that shipping from pcb way or any other company is 25 $ plus
so i just do it at home

[HennerZeller]

Ldgraphy guy here. Stripping photoresist (step 24) I found that acetone works well and is less scary than concentrated NaOH.

[TheVideoGuardian]

Just to clarify, the main point of this process compared to a PCB mill is to get plated vias, right?
More importantly, is it possible for either the palladium activation or electroless plating steps to be masked? Because if it is, wouldn't it be possible to just deposit the traces directly onto bare fiberboard? (Ignoring for a moment how to connect the cathode during electroplating...)

[almanimaxim]

did you test your vias with current?
i found it very useful to do this test in the developement of my process
my 0, 3mm vias usually can take about 5A, 1, 2mm vias could conduct even more then 25A of current
with a test batch and the vias fusing at about much lower currents, i found it useful to use that as an indicator
also it turns out: you can fairly use a lot of other colloid solutions for activation (even copper in NaBH4 itself), it requires an additional etching and desmearing step+ sensitation steps tho

[Berghiker]

Is it best to use acetone or 70% alcohol to clean the PCB before applying the film? Is Sodium Hydroxide better to use than Sodium Carbonate for the developer? I tried with NaCO3 for 2 mins and did not get great results. I need to rub the board gently with my finger afterwards.

[crazysoulpubg]

Really nice video, thanks for sharing. One Question though, how do you avoid solder mask from going inside the holes when applying it in the end? in my case it got stuck in some holes and even though it wasn't cured because of mask blocking the pads, it didnt dissolve by itself and i had to use a drill bit to poke it out. probably cause i had too small holes for this?

[hpux]

I wonder if it's possible to use PCB milling to avoid the photolithography steps at the end. I suspect once the hills are drilled and plated you could just isolation-mill the the PCB as usual. Of course, the limitations of isolation-milling would still apply, but you wouldn't have to worry about protecting the plated through holes from etchant.

[tgross]

Excellent video! A couple questions if you don’t mind:
2. Have you tested using tin plating as mask? Basic process is mask areas to be removed, plate with tin, remove mask, and etch with enchant that ignores tin (the right etchant is tricky, usually NH4Cl or (NH4)2SO4). Tin resist is often used commercially, protects the vias better
3. What size via/trace are you able to get to? They look like about 0.5 mm drill with 0.2 mm traces
4. Do you have a link to a written guide? I would like to try your process out

Thanks for the video, excellent explanation of the process

[sumguysr]

Can this process work with electroless nickel solution?

[dawidbrzeski]

Your process is very expensive because you use pdcl2. I have another solution to use AgCl for activator.

[Frankey]

Concentrated sulfuric acid is the most wasteful way to degrease a PCB blank I've ever seen. Look, people: thorough degreasing IS important, but not to the point where you have to go full alchemy on this step. Any grease contamination that is not visible with the naked eye (under nice and bright lighting) is negligible.