Download the syllabus.

MODULE 1: INTRODUCTION AND OVERVIEW OF MATERIALS AND COPPER FOILS 

• Course Overview
• Introduction to Troubleshooting: 
  • Plan-Do-Check-Act
  • Use of Fishbone Diagrams
• How PCBs are Made: 
  • Process flow
  • Innerlayer  fabrication and lamination
  • Outerlayer  fabrication
  • Acceptance
• Materials and Copper Foils:
  • Raw material factors
  • Construction factors
  • Glass weave
  • Unwoven glass
  • Resign systems and properties:
    • CTE
    • Tg
    • Td
    • Impedance
    • Dk/Df
• Copper foils and glass styles: 
  • How these are manufactured
  • Different copper foil types
  • Raw material and construction factors

Assignment: Module 1 Quiz

MODULE 2: INNER PROCESS FLOW, SURFACE PREP, AND PHOTORESIST LAMINATION

• Innerlayer  Prep and Dry Film Lamination: 
  • Surface preparation: 
    • Mechanical vs. chemical surface prep
    • Issues related to surface preparation
• Dry film lamination mechanics: 
  • Hot roll laminator
  • Condition of the rollers
• Critical lamination parameters: 
  • Temperature
  • Pressure
  • Exit temperature
• Defects related to surface preparation and resist lamination

Assignment: Module 2 Quiz

MODULE 3: EXPOSURE, DEVELOPMENT, AND IMAGING DEFECTS 

• Dry Film Resist Exposure: 
  • Exposure basics
  • Contact and off contact
  • Exposure energy
  • Use of step tablets
  • Laser direct imaging
• Resist Developing: 
  • Process control
  • pH
  • Resist loading
  • Equipment considerations
  • Concept of break point
  • Defect analysis

Assignment: Module 3 Quiz

MODULE 4: INNERLAYER RESIST STRIPPING AND ETCHING 

• Etching
  • Alkaline ammoniated
  • Cupric chloride
  • Process controls
  • Over etching
  • Line width reduction
  • Undercut vs. etch factor
  • Other etching-related defects
• Resist Stripping: 
  • Mechanism 
  • Filtration methods
• Defects Related to Stripping: 
  • Scumming
  • Over exposure
  • Other defects
• Other Topics: 
  • Resist lock-in
  • Incomplete etching and stripping
  • Effects on downstream processes

Assignment: Module 4 Quiz

MODULE 5: OXIDE, LAMINATION AND MATERIALS

• Laminate, Copper Foils, and Material Selection: 
  • Material properties
  • Electrical properties
• Innerlayer  Adhesion Promotion: 
  • Interlaminar bond strength
  • Treatment methods and process variables
• Lamination: 
  • Lay-up and tooling
  • Press parameters
  • Temperature controls
• Common MLB Issues:
  • Delamination
  • Misregistration
  • Break-out
  • Resin recession
  • Other
• Drilling/Via Formation: 
  • Drill machine variables
  • Critical drilling concepts (feeds, speed, chip load)
  • Drill bit mechanics and design
  • Common drilling-related defects
  • Drilling rules of thumb

Assignments: Module 5 Quiz

MODULE 6: DRILLING, DESMEAR, AND PTH METALIZATION

• Hole and Via Preparation: 
• Desmear/Etchback  Options:
  • Alkaline permanganate
  • Plasma
  • Etchback vs. desmear
  • Effect of different materials
• Defects Related to Desmear/Etchback: 
  • Incorrect desmear parameters
  • Wedge voids
  • Plating voids
  • Lack of plating adhesion/blisters
  • Inadequate smear removal and effect on plating quality
  • Other anomalies related to desmear/etchback
• PTH Metallization:
  • Process overview
  • Operating variables and effect on plating
  • Control parameters
• Defect Discussion: 
  • Voids
  • Hole wall pullaway 
  • Interconnect defect
  • Other plating anomalies related to PTH processing

Assignments: Module 6 Quiz

MODULE 7: ELECTROPLATING, PATTERN DEFINITION, AND STRIP-ETCH-STRIP 

• Electroplating Key Variables: 
  • Mechanics 
  • Chemistry
  • Electrical
• Pattern and Panel Plating: 
  • Lamination, exposure, and developing
  • Image and developing defect
  • Proper exposure and developing parameters
  • Surface prep issues 
• Plating Distribution and Throwing Power
• Pulse Plating vs. DC
• Special Topics:
  • Copper via fill plating
  • Copper wrap
• Electroplating-Related Defects: 
  • Poor plating distribution
  • Corner and barrel cracking
  • Grain structure changes
  • Non-uniform plating
  • Peeling copper
  • Blisters
  • Weak knee
  • Dog boning
• Strip-Etch-Strip:
  • Resist Removal problems
  • Resist entrapment
  • Resist lock-in
  • Over- and under-etching
  • Etch factor vs. undercut
  • Etch resist attack/copper oxidation
  • Metal stripping issues
  • Extraneous Copper

Assignments: Module 7 Quiz

MODULE 8: SOLDERMASK  AND SOLDERABLE FINISHES

• Liquid Photoimageable Soldermask : 
  • Application methods
  • Critical parameters:
    • Wet mask thickness
    • Tack dry
    • Exposure
    • Development
    • Final Cure
• Soldermask  Defects: 
  • Mask peels
  • Mask is dull
  • Over and under develop/exposure
  • Poor coverage over plated circuits
  • Incompatibility with solderable finishes
  • Other soldermask -related defects
• Solderable Finishes: 
  • Solderability characteristics
  • Final finish overview (what types and where best used)
  • Solderability defects related to final finishes
  • Other defects (black pad, brittle fracture, microvoids, and creep corrosion)
  • Trench-etch
  • Copper corrosion
  • Other

FINAL  EXAM
Participants must complete the Final Exam with a passing score of 80% to access and download their Advanced Troubleshooting & Defect Analysis of Printed Circuit Boards Certificate. Students may attempt the exam up to three (3) times. Please note that a third and final attempt is permitted after 24 hours of the second attempt.