Home Made PCB using Toner Transfer Method

Making a circuit , soldering all components connecting them using wires etc are always been very painfull to me. So I came up with this solution of making PCB in home. In india it is really very difficult to find some shops from where you can get ready made PCB. Even if you find some shop (like i found one ) it will be very time taking ( you have to give order and then wait till it get ready and usually take one week or so ) and costly. So here we go.

Check list before you start.

1. Glossy paper (the one used for photoprinting and can be bought from any photostudio).
2. Blank copper PCB.
3. Ferric Chloride.
4. Acetone and Isopropenol (optional)
   
5. Liquid tin

Steps to follow-

1. First clean the PCB inorder to remove dust and oxides. You can clean it with VIM. (optionally you can clean it with iso proply alchohol).
2. Design you layout using the eagle software (you can download the free version just google it).
3. Take the printout of the circuit layout (mirror image) in the glossy paper.
4. Now heat up the iron, put the PCB on table and pre heat up it with iron and printed glossy paper on top of it heated PCB, be careful because the glossy paper will stick on the PCB so you have got only one chance to place the paper carefully.
5. Now put normal paper on top of the glossy paper and use iron to further heat. Put pressure so that the print get transfer to the PCB.
6. Once done with above step , let the PCB cool for some time to normal temperature and then put it in the water. Glossy paper will can now easy be removed from PCB just using thumb. After removing the glossy paper you can clearly see the Print on PCB.
7. Now take some Ferric chloride solution, heat it to 70 degree and then put the PCB in the solution and stair it for some time. (handle with care it is dangerous , avoid direct contact with skin - use mask and gloves).
8. You will see that the copper where the print is not there is been removed. Use window cleaner or nail polish cleaner to remove the remaining black print in PCB. (optionally you can use acetone or ask the printer guy the solution he uses when his clothes get dirty with the colors ).
9. Now you are left with the clean PCB with circuit treks in it. To avoid oxidation and good soldering use dip the PCB in liquid tin