Re: [CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO] Laser "route" Printed Circuit Boards

On Sat, Nov 7, 2009 at 02:00, Roland Jollivet <Roland.Jollivet@...>wrote:

>
>
> Laser drilling of via's is not new, maybe 10 years old. And yes, pulsed
> Yag.
> If you look at any compact board from the east, the via's are barely
> visible. All laser drilled, at a hellish rate.
>
> I still think (without trying) that good resolution PCB etching could be
> obtained using a fine wire and EDM or ECM in a raster format.
>
> Roland
>
> 2009/11/7 Jon Elson <elson@... <elson%40pico-systems.com>>
>
>
> >
> >
> > Roland Jollivet wrote:
> > > Hi alan
> > >
> > > Knee jerk response is; If you want to use a CO2 laser, the power would
> > have
> > > to be a bit higher than if the substrate was a wafer of steel. Shiny
> > copper
> > > is THE best surface for reflecting CO2 laser beams and laser mirrors
> are
> > > made of this for that reason. But maybe that means using 50W instead of
> > 20W
> > > ??
> > >
> > > What would the effect be of the burn on the fibreglass substrate? A
> thin
> > > burnt surface between tracks is going to be conductive, maybe not at DC
> > > levels, but definately at RF.
> > >
> > > Notwithstanding, those teeeny vias you see on PC cards are laser
> drilled.
> > >
> > If they are actually laser drilled, they are drilled by a really high
> > power pulsed laser,
> > YAG I think. The explosive vaporization of the epoxy leaves a fairly
> > clean hole.
> > Burning a gap with a CW laser would not do anywhere as clean a job, I
> > don't think.
> > The lasers are such expensive gear, and so easily damaged, that I think
> > a lot of
> > really fine holes are still mechanically drilled.
> >
> > Jon
> >
> >
>
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>
>
>


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