Electrically Medicated Microetching Manufacturing Process to Replace Emersion and Spray Etching

70349S02-II This project will develop an electrically mediated etching technology to replace immersion and spray etching techniques used in the manufacture of large (2m x 2m to 5m x 5m), thin (100-200 mm thick), multiple-layer printed circuit boards of interest to the Department of Energy high energy physics program. Lines and spaces with dimensions down to 10 mm will be consistently etched to provide a cost-effective solution for improved electronics module designs. This approach will be compatible with commercial printed circuit-board-fabrication facilities. Phase I demonstrated that in a neutral salt electrolyte, the process met or exceeded desired performance criteria for etching small lines and spaces in a printed circuit board. The results exceeded those obtained by spray or DC etching. Phase II will further develop a mathematical model of the electrically mediated etching process and use it to develop and optimize an electrically mediated waveform library for a wide range of feature sizes. A pilot-scale Alpha test facility will be designed and developed for the fabrication of large printed circuit boards. The etching of full-size panels will be performed using that facility. Commercial Applications and Other Benefits as described by awardee: Today, microetched products with physical attributes below 75 mm experience low process yields (approx 70%). A process capable of etching lines and spaces down to 10 mm would increase yields, lower manufacturing costs, reduce material and utility consumption, reduce costs to the OEM, and provide a technology advancement that would allow higher density packaging at the printed circuit board level.