DEPARTMENT OF TECHNICAL EDUCATION

ANDHRA PRADESH
Name : R.Aruna
Designation : Lecturer
Branch : Electronics & Comm. Engg.
Institute : Govt. Polytechnic for Women,

Medak, Medak Dist.

Year/Semester : I year.
Subject : Electronic components & devices
Subject Code : EC-105
Topic : PCBs (6/6)
Duration : 100 mts.
Sub Topic : Steps involved in screen printing
Teaching Aids : Visuals
EC 105.101 to 102. 1
Objective

On completion of this period , you would

be able to know:

• The steps involved in screen printing for making

PCBs.

EC 105.101 to 102. 2
Known to unknown

• What are the steps in cleaning the board?

• What is a film master?

• What are the requirements in dark room?

EC 105.101 to 102. 3
RECAP

In the previous class you have learnt about

• How to clean the board.

• Film master preparation.

• Types in pattern transfer.

• Photo printing & screen printing.

EC 105.101 to 102. 4
 Screen - Printing
• A screen fabric with uniform meshes and opening is stretched
and fixed on a solid frame of metal or wood.

• The circuit pattern is photographically transferred on to the

screen, leaving the meshes in the pattern area open, while the
meshes in the rest of the area are closed.

EC 105.101 to 102. 5
• In actual printing step, ink is formed by the moving
squeeze through the open meshes onto the surface of
the material to be printed.

• The ink deposition, in a magnified cross-section, shows

the shape of a trapezoid.

EC 105.101 to 102. 6
 BASIC SCREEN PRINTING PROCESS

SCREEN PRINTING INK DEPOSITION IN THE SHAPE OF A

TRAPEZOID. Fig 1.
EC 105.101 to 102. 7
Basic Steps Involved In Screen Printing For
making PCBs

• Selection of screen fabric.

• Fixing the screen onto the frame.
• Pattern transfer on to the screen.
– Exposure
– Developing.
• Printing.
• Cleaning the screen fabric.

EC 105.101 to 102. 8
Selection Of Screen Fabric

• The primary selection of the fabric depend on

the following factors:

-the thickness of the ink to be deposited.

-durability of the screen.
-chemical resistivity.
-mechanical sensitivity.
-colour sharpness.

EC 105.101 to 102. 9
 Selection Of Screen Fabric

• For a thick ink deposition, a thick screen fabric has to be

used.

• For a thin ink deposition, a thinner, finer screen fabric is

needed.

• The fabrics used for PCBs are made of monofile

polyester fabric and stainless steel fabric.

EC 105.101 to 102. 10
Fixing the Screen onto the Frame

• These frames are usually made of wood or Aluminium.

• The frames should have a size of not less to the 400*400

mm for convenient handling.

• With respect to the pattern to be printed, only 10-25% of

the screen area should be utilized for the pattern.

• This will provide sufficient space between the squeeze

and the frame, thus printing distortions will be minimum.

EC 105.101 to 102. 11
Sufficient free border space minimizes printing distortions
Fig 2.
EC 105.101 to 102. 12
Fixing the Screen onto the Frame

• Clean the frame where the screen fabric has to be fixed

on it.

• All marks of inks or adhesives have to be carefully

removed and the edges must be rounded.

• For wooden frames, sand paper can be used.

• Metallic frames are cleaned with solvents.

EC 105.101 to 102. 13
Fixing The Screen Onto The Frame

• The screen is fixed into the frame and a degreasing

operation is carried out.

• A 20% caustic soda solution is splashed on to the screen

and evenly distributed with a brush.

• After 5 minutes, the solution is thoroughly removed with

a water rinse and the screen is dried by blowing hot air.

• The screen is ready for pattern transfer.

EC 105.101 to 102. 14
Pattern Transfer Onto The Screen

There are two methods:

• Direct method.

• Indirect method.

EC 105.101 to 102. 15
Direct Method

• The cleaned screen is coated with a photographic

emulsion.

• This is then exposed in direct contact with the film

master.

• The developing opens the meshes in the pattern area.

EC 105.101 to 102. 16
Photographic emulsion:

• These emulsions are based on polyvinyl alcohol,

polyvinyl acetate or polyvinyl chloride and contain some
dye to make it visible during processing.

• The actual coating of screen is done by even distribution

of photographic emulsion with a squeegee all over the
surface.

• More uniform layers are obtained by using a channel type

of coating device, passing from bottom to top over the
slightly tilted screen.

EC 105.101 to 102. 17
More uniform layers are obtained by using a channel type of
coating device, passing from bottom to top over the slightly
tilted screen.

Fig 3. Coating with a channel type coating device

EC 105.101 to 102. 18
Photographic emulsion:

• Several coatings are necessary to provide sufficient film

thickness.
• These are alternatively applied on both the sides.
• Complete drying in horizontal position is required before
the application of the next coat.

Fig 4. Emulsion thickness affects printing results

EC 105.101 to 102. 19
Exposure

• A thicker film needs more exposure than a thin film.

• Exposure time depends on many factors:

-sensitivity of emulsion.
-emulsion thickness.
-light spectrum and power of the light source.
-distance from light source to screen.

EC 105.101 to 102. 20
Developing

• It is carried out immediately after the exposure with cold

or warm water.

• The screen is immersed in water and rinsed with a water

spray until the meshes in the unexposed areas are
cleaned and the sharp pattern with all details is visible.

• The screen has to dry completely before it goes for

printing trials.

EC 105.101 to 102. 21
Direct Method

Advantage:

• It provides very durable screen stencils with a higher

dimensional accuracy.

Disadvantage:

• The finest details are not reproduced.

EC 105.101 to 102. 22
Indirect Method

• It makes use of a separate screen process film,

supported on a backing sheet.

• The film master is exposed on to this film followed by

film developing.

• The film on backing sheet is pressed on to the screen

fabric and sticks there.

• Finally the backing sheet is peeled off.

EC 105.101 to 102. 23
Photographic Screen Process Films

• These films consist of a film emulsion on a backing

sheet.

• The backing sheet is finally removed after sticking the

emulsion on to the screen.

• The films are available either in a pre- sensitised or in

an unsensitised state.

• Unsensitised films must be sensitised before exposure

and processing.

EC 105.101 to 102. 24
Exposure

• The exposure of screen process films is done in a

vacuum frame in direct contact with the film master.

• The exposure must be done through the backing sheet.

• The film master emulsion therefore rests on the backing

sheet and not on the screen process film emulsion.

EC 105.101 to 102. 25
Exposure

• As an exposure light source, point light sources with a

high UV radiation give best results.

• The proper amount of exposure is more important.

• The emulsion should be hardened by exposure to about

just two-thirds of its thickness and the remaining third
serves as an adhesive layer on the screen fabric.

EC 105.101 to 102. 26
Exposure

Fig 5.Indirect method – Exposure of screen process film

EC 105.101 to 102. 27
Developing

Pre-sensitised Films:
• Before washing, they are developed in a solution as
prescribed by the film manufacturer.

Films Sensitised Directly Before Exposure:

• The film is immersed in a tray with warm water (45-50
0
c), emulsion side down.

• With a mild spray water rinse from below, the film is

treated until the pattern appears with all details.
EC 105.101 to 102. 28
Transferring The Film Onto The Screen
• The wet film after the water rinse, is placed on a thin
glass plate.

• The emulsion side has to look upwards and the backing

sheet is in contact with the glass support.

• Then the perfectly clean screen is lowered and brought

in to contact with the emulsion.

• Weight might be put on the frame to maintain a perfect

and uniform contact between emulsion and screen fabric
for drying.
EC 105.101 to 102. 29
Drying

• The excess water on the screen can be sucked off with a

sheet of paper.

• Fans can be used for complete drying.

• After drying, the backing sheet is peeled off and the

screen area surrounding the film pattern is coated with a
suitable filler lacquer.

EC 105.101 to 102. 30
Indirect method

Advantages:

• It is suitable for smaller series.

• The finest details can be reproduced.

• It is faster.

EC 105.101 to 102. 31
Disadvantages:

• It is dimensionally less accurate.

• It is more sensitive to mechanical damages.

• Screen stencils are less durable.

• There are interruptions in printing.

EC 105.101 to 102. 32
Printing

• It is carried out in two types.

- Hand screen printing.

- Screen printing with machines.

EC 105.101 to 102. 33
Hand Screen Printing

• It is carried out on a sturdy work bench .

• The prepared screen is put in a frame holder which is

rigidly held.

• A squeegee of width 2 to 4cm more than the pattern

width is selected.

• The squeegee is pulled and firmly pressed across the

pattern on the screen.

EC 105.101 to 102. 34
• The first few prints are made on white papers until the
perfect pattern appears.

• The actual screen printing is now done on the copper

clad sheets.

EC 105.101 to 102. 35
Hand screen printing setup

Fig 6.
EC 105.101 to 102. 36
Screen Printing With Machines

• The screen printing with semi or fully- automatic

equipment gives very regular results.

• The squeegee can be driven by different means such as

pneumatically, electro mechanically or hydro
pneumatically.

• The squeegee speed should be steplessly regulated,

down to the minimum speed.

• The machines are mostly supplied with an adjustable

printing table.

EC 105.101 to 102. 37
Automatic screen printing machine

Fig 7.
EC 105.101 to 102. 38
 Cleaning The Screen Fabric

• After the desired number of prints are taken, the screen is

cleaned by removing the excess ink .

• The excess ink is removed with a spatula and put in to a

separate tin.

EC 105.101 to 102. 39
• With a soft piece of fuzzle – free cloth, wetted with
cleaning solution the screen is carefully rubbed while
sucking paper is put from below.

• The cleaning solution should be such that it should not

attack the screen fabric or the pattern.

EC 105.101 to 102. 40
Summary

We have discussed about

• Steps involved in screen printing for making PCBs.

• Direct & Indirect methods

• Advantages of both.

EC 105.101 to 102. 41
Frequently asked questions

1. Briefly explain about the steps involved in Screen

printing for making PCBs. ?

2. Write short notes on Direct & Indirect methods of pattern

transfer in screen printing ?

EC 105.101 to 102. 42
Quiz

1. In screen printing the ink deposited in the

shape of ___________.

a. Square.
b. Trapezoid.
c. Hexagon.
d. Triangle.

EC 105.101 to 102. 43
Quiz

2. The screen fabrics used for PCBs are made of

____________.

a. Monofile polyester.
b. Stainless steel fabric.
c. Both a & b.
d. None of the above.

EC 105.101 to 102. 44
Quiz

3. There are _______ methods in pattern transfer

onto the screen.

a. Two.
b. One.
c. Four.
d. None of the above.

EC 105.101 to 102. 45