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Subject: Re: [Homebrew_PCBs] Re: Using pico projectors and maskless exposure

From: Simao Cardoso <simaocardoso@...>
Date: 2009-07-03

You are reinventing the 70's gerber photo plotters!

See http://www.artwork.com/gerber/appl2.htm.

Todays photo plotters use an lcd like a projector and raster not only a
beam but an small portion of the artwork. There are dozens of problems
in DIY from a projector and UV light source which don't worth the bits
here.

Two home made raster photo plotters with single laser beam.
http://pico-systems.com/photoplot.html
http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2008/10/microcontroller_based_pho.html
(like the crap ones bungard and others sell)

I could write full pages of the pros and cons off doing this. Or i can
tell you dozens of other ideas regarding similar things like modifying a
laser printer to do UV print or using a laptop tft display with a UV
backlight, and so on. But none off this worth the bits.

If you want to dedicate yourself to any project why not to direct inkjet
print ? You won't need to have anything UV sensible on the pcb just
print and cure. You only need to find something suitable as your ink.

Or direct laser print?
http://www.laserpcb.com

We are homebrews but we don't need to be 50 years behind the industry.



On Fri, 2009-07-03 at 14:03 +0000, gsi11135 wrote:
>
>
> Why not focus the projection and move either the projector or PCB
> while only exposing portions of the PCB at any one time. Essentially
> maskless lithography.
>
> There are a products that do just this kind of exposure activity
> emerging in the semiconductor industry. Some websites after a quick
> google -
>
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maskless_lithography
> http://www.intelligentmp.com/
> http://www.freepatentsonline.com/6764796.html
> http://www.lumarray.com/
> http://focus.ti.com/pdfs/dlpdmd/Digital_Projection_of_UV_Light_is_Enabling_New_Markets1.pdf
>
> I thought the plasma TV without phosphorus was a real neat idea.
>
> Joseph
>
> --- In Homebrew_PCBs@yahoogroups.com, DJ Delorie <dj@...> wrote:
> >
> > "javaguy11111" <javaguy11111@...> writes:
> > > The resolutions of most of the ones I have seen are somewhat
> > > limited, but I think there will be 1080p capable projectors on the
> > > market in relatively short order.
> >
> > The last board I did was a lowly 5x2" and was 14,400 "pixels"
> across.
> > I think 1080i is nowhere near enough resolution for PCB exposure.
> >
>
>
>
>
>