What Is Glass PCB? | A Comprehensive Overview & A Guide to Making One

March 25, 2023

Printed circuit boards are now commonplace since we live in a technologically advanced culture. An electronic circuit may be found in almost every modern piece of equipment, including computers, household appliances, mobile phones, and even factory machinery. There are now PCBs built from a wide variety of materials. A kind of printed circuit board (PCB) called Glass PCB is the subject of this in-depth analysis.

What Is a Glass PCB?

Glass circuit boards often have a non-conductive base material with a copper circuit layer on the exterior or the interior. There are as many as a hundred layers of copper in each one, giving them a dense makeup and protecting them from UV radiation. Each copper layer on a glass PCB is protected by a UV-resistant film, and the glass transition temperature of these films is carefully controlled. Glass substrates are very homogeneous and thermally stable. In conventional circuit printing, a board with copper plating must be designed, and then unused copper must be removed by an etching process. To move the circuit to the glass PCB, however, you need need a UV-curable mask.

SPECIFICATIONS

  • Anti-static, water-repellent, and dustproof
  • Durable and highly reflective
  • May be laminated with various materials, including metals
  • Diminished coefficient of expansion
  • Accurate flatness,
  • FPC compatibility; the ability to merge with metals; high-frequency/high-speed lamination;

TYPES OF GLASS PCB

PCBs and glass substrates are both made using a wide variety of materials. The performance of various materials is guaranteed by their unique qualities under certain situations. The following are examples of glass PCB.

Epoxy Glass PCB

Uses for this material include infrared heaters, optical quartz crystals, electric light sources, and microelectronics. The low thermal coefficient, which many people don't know how to produce, is the main drawback.

Sapphire Crystal Circuit Board

Infrared heaters, optical quartz crystals, electric light sources, and microelectronics are just a few of the many applications of this versatile material. The biggest disadvantage is the difficult-to-manufacture low thermal coefficient.

Temperature Glass PCB

This form of tempered glass is recycled by the glass company. While it is tough and long-lasting, it is also difficult to shape or damage in any way. With a compressive strength of up to 125 MPa, it is an extremely sturdy material. In addition, tempered glass PCB has excellent mechanical qualities. Dropping a steel ball of 1 kilogramme from 1 m against the glass will not cause it to shatter.

Electronic circuit component designs should include the following elements, all of which are necessary to create a glass PCB:

  • If required, a pane of glass
  • ultraviolet (UV) light resistance
  • Powder for baking
  • Foil, Copper
  • Chromate of iron
  • Making a copy from an OHP
  • Glue

Making a Glass Printed Circuit Board

Now that you know what a glass PCB is, you can see that there is a certain procedure to follow to make one. Even if you have every tool at your disposal, if you don't know what you're doing, your job on a glass PCB will fail. The following are the proper procedures to obtain a remarkable glass-printed circuit board:

Plan of the Circuit

After we have the necessary components, we may begin transferring the circuit board design to a blank sheet of paper. One way to do this is to have the layout printed on overhead projector paper. The first step is to draw a block schematic of the circuit. Finally, design the printed circuit board (PCB) and install the cured resist tracks. Then, using the autoroute tool and the scotch tape, sketch out the circuit's layout. If you take the time to learn which copper materials you want and which ones you don't, you'll have no trouble at all.

Page Layout for Publication

With OHP printing, one may make a mask to shield some sections of the resin from the sun's rays. The OHP's darker side blocks the light from shining through, maximising its effectiveness. The paint, however, is only partly effective in blocking the light. As a result, we pasted the three prints together after carefully aligning them.

Affix the Glass with the Adhesive to the Copper Plate

Copper plated on the glass will need some kind of adhesive if you plan on using it. The technique is facilitated by using a thick copper foil; 0.05 mm is optimal.

Photoresist is used

Start by trimming a section to fit your specifications. The photoresist is protected on both sides by a pair of clear covers. Rough materials such as photoresists. When the top has been taken off, the base must be attached to the copper plate. As was already said, resist film consists of two packaging layers. If the photoresist needs fixing, you'll need to take the lid off in the first place. Two pieces of tape, one on top and one on the bottom of the resist film, will do the trick. Just peel off the adhesive and the lid will come off.

Vary the Aperture and the Shutter Speed

Now that the photoresist has been applied, we may adjust the parameters. The previously created OHP prints should be dispersed. Arrange it on the copper sheet. Verify that the printed page is right-side up. And if that doesn't happen, the whole pattern might be reflected. After that, put a glass piece on top of the copper plate to make sure the OHP print stays put. When you have accomplished this, you should put the result in direct sunshine and examine it closely.

Light Illusion

The next step is to expose the mixture to sunlight. If you don't have access to natural light, you may always resort to an alternative. Sufficient amounts of this may be obtained by spending 5 minutes in direct sunshine. Protects the integrity of the global setup while it's being exposed. Clips are helpful here since they can hold things together.

Raise Opposition

Use baking soda to create a remedy. I'll settle for the simplest answer. If you don't have any baking soda on hand, you may use laundry detergent. Nevertheless, after making the developer (a baking soda and washing powder solution), wet the board and let it sit for a minute. Take off the tape cover one more. To finish, take it off and wash it well. The hidden portion will be swept away before your own eyes. If you want to make sure that every exposed area gets clean, just keep rinsing.

Engraving

In a container holding around 150 ml of water, dissolve the ferric chloride powder. The colour of the solution is critical. Ferric chloride may be added if needed. When the solution has been made, the copper plate is submerged in it. To get the best etching results, shake the board often. After ten to fifteen minutes, the remaining route should be free of any undesired copper.

The use of glass for circuit boards may not provide any electrical benefits. Nonetheless, this circuit designer has many potential uses in fields where openness is essential. It's common for downhills to be the highlight of this style of course. Copper trace resistance may be dissolved with acetone or hot water.

SUMMARY

There's no denying that glass PCBs look nice. They can withstand very high temperatures, making them useful in a wide variety of contexts. As a result, they have contributed considerably to the development of circuit boards. Optical electronics, new-energy electronics, solar power devices, and display screens made of glass LED are only some of the modern uses for printed circuit boards. Contact the FX PCB MANUFACTURER ONLINE if you have any questions or require any glass-printed circuit boards.

Need Someone to Manufacture Your PCB? FX PCB can help!

Because of the complexity involved, making a printed circuit board requires a lot of time and effort. Selecting a Manufacturer with a high degree of knowledge and an emphasis on quality at each step will ensure your PCBs are made with the quality, performance, and durability you expect.

One of the most seasoned providers of bespoke PCB fabrication services in China is FX PCB. They pay close attention to the need for precision in every stage of PCB production. Their PCB orders may be delivered securely and undamaged thanks to their vacuum packing, weighting, and shipping services. Around 80 nations have already ordered printed circuit boards from them, and they want to expand that number in the future years.

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