PCB Blog - How to manufacture single-sided PCB?

Single-sided PCB board is a commonly used circuit board in the electronic manufacturing industry, usually used for simple circuit design.

Single-sided PCB

Overview of Single-sided PCB

A single-sided PCB board consists of a single circuit and electronic components. This module is suitable for simple electronic products such as calculators, toys, etc. At the same time, a single panel is also the type of circuit board that beginners usually design and build first. Compared with other types of circuit boards, single-sided PCB has lower costs and lower production process requirements. However, due to their design limitations, their application of products is limited.

Generally speaking, single-sided PCB boards are obtained by etching copper-coated boards. The copper-clad plate consists of a plate base and copper foil, which are usually made of insulating materials such as glass fiber and covered with a layer of copper foil (usually oxygen-free copper). After etching, copper foil is left with sections of twisted and twisted copper foil, which are called traces. These wiring functions are equivalent to the wiring in the circuit schematic, which is responsible for connecting the pins of the components. There are some holes drilled into the copper foil for installing electronic components, called drilling holes. The copper foil used for soldering with component pins is called a pad. Single-sided PCB circuit boards can provide mechanical support for fixing and assembling electronic components and can achieve electrical connection or insulation between electronic components. In addition, we can also see that many single-sided PCBs are printed with component numbers and some graphics, which provides convenience for component insertion, inspection, and maintenance.

Characteristics of Single-sided PCB

A single-sided PCB is the most basic PCB board, with parts concentrated on one side and wires concentrated on the other side. Because wires only appear on one side, we call this type of PCB a single panel.

1. Due to the repeatability and consistency of graphics, errors in wiring and assembly are reduced, saving time for equipment maintenance, debugging, and inspection;

2. Design can be standardized, facilitating interchangeability;

3. High wiring density, small size, and lightweight are conducive to the miniaturization of electronic equipment;

4. It is conducive to mechanized and automated production, improves labor productivity, and reduces the cost of electronic equipment.

The purpose of a single-sided PCB

LCD and FPC industries; Barrier materials for the chemical industry; Electrical isolation materials; Release materials, insulation materials, and heat insulation materials; Conveyor belt; Copper laminated sheet; Other industries.

The single-sided PCB substrate material mainly consists of paper phenolic copper laminated board and paper epoxy resin copper laminated board. Single-sided PCBs are mostly used in household appliances such as radios, heaters, refrigerators, and washing machines, as well as commercial machines such as printers, vending machines, circuit machines, and electronic components.

How to manufacture single-sided PCB?

Single-sided PCB is a commonly used circuit board in the electronic manufacturing industry, usually used for simple circuit design.

Material cutting, Board cutting - drilling - sinking copper - primary copper - circuit (dry film, single-sided production) - secondary copper-electroplating etching (since it is a single panel, it is best to hang the board positive and negative way during electroplating to ensure average current) - intermediate inspection - anti welding (silk screen solder mask layer) - text (silk screen text) - surface treatment (can be made according to customer requirements, OSP, gold, tin, etc.) - forming - testing (Electrical testing, generally using a universal testing frame, flying needle testing can be used for relatively few orders, which can save costs) - Completion inspection - Packaging, shipping.

Firstly, prepare the necessary materials and tools. The required materials include copper plate, iron chloride, photosensitive film, etc. The required tools include printers, laser printers, UV exposure machines, etchants, drilling machines, etc.

Secondly, design the circuit diagram and print it on transparent photosensitive film using a printer or laser printer. Note that when printing, the circuit diagram should be mirrored and flipped to obtain the correct circuit diagram when etching on the copper plate.

Then, clean the copper plate and use sandpaper to roughen the surface of the copper plate, so that the photosensitive film can better adhere to the copper plate. Next, place the photosensitive film on the surface of the copper plate and expose it using a UV exposure machine to form a chemical reaction between the patterns on the photosensitive film and the surface of the copper plate.

After exposure, place the copper plate in the etching solution. After the non-circuit parts on the surface of the copper plate are etched and removed, remove the copper plate and clean it thoroughly. At this point, the surface of the copper plate should be a reflection of the circuit pattern, meaning that the required circuit pattern has already been formed on the copper plate.

Finally, use a drilling machine to drill holes in the required positions on the copper plate, so that connections can be made when soldering components on the circuit board. At this point, the production of the single-sided PCB board is completed.

In summary, the production method of single-sided PCB boards is relatively simple, and the materials and tools required are also relatively common. However, in the actual production process, it is necessary to carefully operate each step to ensure the reliable quality of the circuit board produced.

Almost all electronic devices we can see with a single sided PCB cannot do without it, from small electronic watches, calculators, and general-purpose computers, to large computers, communication electronic devices, and military weapon systems, as long as there are electronic components such as integrated circuits, PCB is used for electrical interconnection between them. It provides mechanical support for fixed assembly of various electronic components such as integrated circuits, realizes wiring and electrical connection or electrical insulation between various electronic components such as integrated circuits, and provides required electrical characteristics, such as characteristic impedance. Simultaneously providing solder mask graphics for automatic soldering; Provide identification characters and graphics for component insertion, inspection, and maintenance.