There are many types of materials that are put into a printed circuit board. There are many types of conductive materials and non-conductive materials. A PCB can do a variety of different functions, from common beepers to complex algorithms. The circuit board is very thin and has many circuits that perform a single function. The individual pieces of the circuit are placed on one side or on two sides. They can also be placed in layers. All of these components are connected by very thin wires. All of these components have different materials and purposes that mean that no two circuit boards are the same.
Major Materials
The biggest component of the
circuit board design is the board itself. The board is made of fiberglass reinforced epoxy resin with a copper foil on one or both sides of the board. PCB�s can also be made with paper reinforced phenolic resin with a copper foil. The paper one is used commonly in household devices, because they are cheaper and used for mass produced products.
The printed circuits are made of copper that is either etched away or plated on the service to leave the desired pattern. The pattern is filled in with either the fiberglass or paper layer. The copper is coated with a touch of tin to prevent oxidation. The fingers are made of tin-lead, nickel, and gold to increase conductivity. The major materials are filled in with purchased products like the resistors, capacitors, transistors, diodes, circuit chips, and other materials.
The board consists of these materials, a layer of copper etched in the shape of the connectors and the fingers, and the layer of fiberglass. These materials are used for their strength and their conductivity. The expense that can go into these materials as well as the layout of the PCB itself is the main factor going into the cost of the board. This is why the design process is so important.
Materials and Assembly
The materials need to be exact to the design, because the materials that are used are not easy to replace and are expensive to fix if they are wrong. Keeping the designs and the materials in check and finalizing the design before the assembly will save a lot of time and money in the long run.
The materials that go into the design of a PCB are hard to come by and costly to replace and repair. If not in the money, it is certainly in the time it takes to put something so small and intricate together. A hobbyist needs to be careful with getting the materials together and etching other materials in exactly. By nature, the design of these materials needs to be exact because of the conductivity of these materials. Quality control checks and stencils are used frequently in the process because it is such an exacting process. Some of these materials are also toxic, like lead. Being careful with these materials ensures that the final product or the prototype is in good working order.
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