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pcb-help_ep [2021/01/19 13:12] – benh | pcb-help_ep [2022/10/03 18:41] – benh | ||
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- Overview | - Overview | ||
- Q&A | - Q&A | ||
+ | - Do I have to do this to get vias? This seems very time consuming. | ||
+ | - What's the deal with training? | ||
- What are the different baths? | - What are the different baths? | ||
- Why don't we use bath 4? | - Why don't we use bath 4? | ||
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- How much copper is plated? Can I specify this? | - How much copper is plated? Can I specify this? | ||
- What about RF application? | - What about RF application? | ||
+ | - Can I electroplate other materials? | ||
- Common Errors | - Common Errors | ||
- Device in failed state on startup | - Device in failed state on startup | ||
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=== Q & A === | === Q & A === | ||
+ | **Do I have to do this to get vias? This seems very time consuming.** | ||
+ | It is indeed time consuming, but plating is typically avoidable by making vias with a diameter of 40 mil (1 mm). A standard 0.1” header pin can then be pushed through and soldered on both the top and bottom. Boom. | ||
+ | |||
+ | **What' | ||
+ | We used to lump the electroplater training into the plotter and laser trainings, but it was a long session with the plater normally tacked on at the end as an afterthought, | ||
+ | |||
+ | So, here's the situation: | ||
+ | |||
+ | If you were trained on the plater in a previous life and would like access, great - shoot us an email. We'll see if we can work something out, though likely we'll just ask you to watch the video anyway, since it's only 30 minutes. | ||
+ | |||
+ | If you have never been trained on the plater but would like to be, also great - see our [[pcb-training|Training]] page for all the details. It's essentially the same process and the plotter/ | ||
+ | |||
**What are the different baths?**\\ | **What are the different baths?**\\ | ||
Baths 1 and 2 are different cleaners, called (appropriately) Cleaner 110 and Cleaner 210, respectively. Both are based on sodium metaborate. Bath 3 is Activator 310, a carbon-laced liquid that provides a conductive pathway for the copper plating onto non-conductive surfaces, such as FR4. Bath 4 is a ViaCleaner that isn't used at the Hive (as of Spring 2021). Bath 5 is called Copper Plater 400; it's sulfuric acid (97% strength) and copper sulfate. Don't stick your hand in it. Please. See the [[https:// | Baths 1 and 2 are different cleaners, called (appropriately) Cleaner 110 and Cleaner 210, respectively. Both are based on sodium metaborate. Bath 3 is Activator 310, a carbon-laced liquid that provides a conductive pathway for the copper plating onto non-conductive surfaces, such as FR4. Bath 4 is a ViaCleaner that isn't used at the Hive (as of Spring 2021). Bath 5 is called Copper Plater 400; it's sulfuric acid (97% strength) and copper sulfate. Don't stick your hand in it. Please. See the [[https:// | ||
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To try and mitigate this issue, we provide a chemically-resistant tape that has been shown to provide some masking capabilities. The tape is a beige color, and should sit underneath the plater. The trick is to apply the tape //before// drilling but //after// the " | To try and mitigate this issue, we provide a chemically-resistant tape that has been shown to provide some masking capabilities. The tape is a beige color, and should sit underneath the plater. The trick is to apply the tape //before// drilling but //after// the " | ||
+ | |||
+ | ** Can I electroplate other materials? **\\ | ||
+ | If you're asking about other substrates to plate copper onto, then yes, this should be possible. There are a few tricks here: the material you're trying to plate must not react negatively with sulfuric acid, and it must be conductive. The first constraint is primarily a safety thing; we don't want to generate any dangerous fumes accidentally. For the second, if the material is already conductive, then great! If not, you can use the activator (assume constraint #1 still holds) or you can find some other way to conducti-fy it. | ||
+ | |||
+ | If you're interested in plating a different metal, such as silver or tin, it //may// be possible. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Either way, please contact us first! **DO NOT ATTEMPT THIS WITHOUT PRIOR APPROVAL!!** Doing so could have serious repercussions for you, both from a health perspective and an academic one. | ||
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