Etch resist using printer technology
AssigneeHewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
InventorMaxwell S. DeHaven
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The present invention provides a printer and an inexpensive method for producing a printed circuit board using a printer configured to facilitate printing at least directly on a copper-clad substrate. The method includes the steps of feeding a copper-clad substrate into the printer, printing an inverse circuit image on the copper-clad substrate, allowing the inverse circuit image to dry, metalizing the copper-clad substrate to adhere a resist mask to exposed, uninked copper to form a metalized circuit image, and etching the copper-clad substrate that has been metalized to remove copper that forms the inverse circuit image.
Claims26
An inexpensive method for producing a printed circuit board using a printer configured to facilitate printing at least directly on a copper-clad substrate, comprising the steps of:
- feeding a copper-clad substrate into the printer;
- printing an inverse circuit image on the copper-clad substrate;
- allowing the inverse circuit image to dry;
- immersing the copper-clad substrate in a tinning solution to adhere a resist mask to exposed, uninked copper to form a tinned circuit image;
- and
- etching the copper-clad substrate to remove copper forming the inverse circuit image.
An inexpensive method for producing a printed circuit board using a printer configured to facilitate printing at least directly on a copper-clad substrate, comprising the steps of:
- feeding a copper-clad substrate into the printer;
- printing an inverse circuit image on the copper-clad substrate;
- allowing the inverse circuit image to dry;
- metalizing the copper-clad substrate to adhere a resist mask to exposed, uninked copper to form a metalized circuit image;
- and
- etching the copper-clad substrate that has been metalized to remove copper that forms the inverse circuit image.
A printer configured to print at least directly on a copper-clad substrate to facilitate inexpensively producing a printed circuit board, comprising:
- an adjustable feeding mechanism for feeding at least a copper-clad substrate into the printer;
- and
- a printing mechanism, proximate to the adjustable feeding mechanism, arranged to provide for printing an inverse circuit image on the copper-clad substrate,
- wherein the inverse circuit image is allowed to dry the copper-clad substrate is immersed in a tinning solution to adhere a resist mask to exposed, uninked copper to form a tinned circuit image, and the copper-clad substrate is etched to remove copper that forms the inverse circuit image.
A printer configured to print at least directly on a copper-clad substrate to facilitate inexpensively producing a printed circuit board, comprising:
- a flat-input feeder for feeding at least a copper-clad substrate into the printer;
- and
- a printing mechanism, proximate to the flat-input feeder and arranged to print an inverse circuit image on the copper-clad substrate that is fed into the printer,
- wherein the inverse circuit image is allowed to dry, the copper-clad substrate is metalized to adhere a resist mask to exposed, uninked copper to form a metalized circuit image, and the copper-clad substrate that has been metalized is etched to remove copper that forms the inverse circuit image.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.