Printed circuit boards (PCBs) are made by drilling holes through either a piece of copper or plastic with copper tracks, then soldering the physical components into place. The tracks connect the components, forming a circuit. Manufacture of PCBs is cheap enough to be done at home.
Design and Layout
In the past, circuits were configured first on a breadboard with real components. Software now exists allowing a design to be created and tested in a virtual environment, and then printed for the second part of the process.
Transferring the Image
The design, once tested, is printed and then transferred to a piece of copper or glass using silk screen printing or transfer film. Transfer film is more expensive, but can be printed on directly from an inkjet printer. Any gaps in the transfer are filled in with permanent marker.
Etching
The circuit board then is dipped into a tray filled with etchant, the etching solution. The process takes anywhere from 5 to 20 minutes, and the exposed copper on the board is removed, leaving only the pattern. Holes are drilled, and components placed where needed, creating a working circuit board.
