<azonenberg> Got busy and didnt have time to do any work today... hoping to do a test of slow-etching copper (for better repeatability) tomorrow
<bart416> So alive on this beautifull afternoon azonenberg ?
<azonenberg_work> Lol, yep
<azonenberg_work> But it's 0800 for me
<azonenberg_work> just got in to the office :p
<bart416> :D
<bart416> I'm halfway through my ARM Sitara technical documents!
<azonenberg_work> Yay lol
<bart416> Also, I was thinking
<bart416> Can you evaporate copper on paper?
<azonenberg_work> I dont think paper is UHV compatible
<azonenberg_work> It'd probably outgas
<azonenberg_work> also, the metal vapor is quite hot
<azonenberg_work> the surface has to be able to handle what's quite literally boiling metal condensing on it
<bart416> yeah but it's not much
<azonenberg_work> It won't burn, due to lack of air, but might char
<bart416> yeah
<azonenberg_work> and in the process contaminate your chamber
<bart416> that's what I'm worrying about
<bart416> If it would only char it'd be perfect
<azonenberg_work> All of the pyrolysis products would make a huge mess though
<bart416> yeah, again that's my worry
<bart416> But it solves the hard to get rid off polymer
<bart416> Though using glass as substrate would also be nice
<bart416> Going to see if I can use the materials lab at college
<bart416> If I do I could also use the xray equipment to test the result
<azonenberg_work> What exacly is your goal?
<bart416> to make a multi layer pcb
<bart416> heh
<azonenberg_work> on paper?
<bart416> Was just considering paper for the simple reason that it's easy to chemically remove
<azonenberg_work> Hmm
<azonenberg_work> What about your ILD?
<azonenberg_work> You could use blank FR4 as the substrate if its vacuum compatible (dont think it is though)
<bart416> What the hell do you mean by ILD
<bart416> I've been trying to figure that out for days
<bart416> We're not big on acronyms in non-English speaking countries
<azonenberg_work> inter-layer dielectric
<bart416> SU-8
<bart416> I looked up the properties further
<bart416> It's perfect for this
<bart416> Can do thick layers
<bart416> good mechanical and chemical properties
<azonenberg_work> So you want to do su-8 on paper?
<azonenberg_work> Why not silicon
<azonenberg_work> get a cheap solar wafer, $50 per 25 pack on ebay
<azonenberg_work> put down one layer of su-8 over that
<azonenberg_work> And do you have what it takes to develop/coat it?
<azonenberg_work> And do you have a source for it?
<bart416> I just need a substrate that I can dispose of after I'm done
<azonenberg_work> I've never heard of an amateur attempting it
<bart416> SU-8 can be done by standard contact lithography equipment
<azonenberg_work> What i mean is, can you get hold of it and the developer?
<bart416> Through college, sure :|
<bart416> I've placed weirder orders for chemicals than that :S
<azonenberg_work> Lol
<bart416> Would be amazed if I couldn't get it
<azonenberg_work> I see
<bart416> Ever ordered a large canister of liquid oxygen and a bag of KNO3 on the same day?
<azonenberg_work> Um... nope
<bart416> I did :P
<azonenberg_work> My school is a little skittish about letting students get access to stuff
<azonenberg_work> most i was ever offered was some NaOH crystals
<bart416> Heh
<bart416> As long as the cost isn't too high they don't care
<bart416> If it's cheap they won't even charge you
<azonenberg_work> you can do an lot in a lab but they dont like you sneaking it out
<bart416> Like if you need a few cheap transistors or some cheap chemicals (like developer for more common photoresist for pcb etching) they'll just give it to you the next day most of the time
<bart416> And if you ask for the cost "nevermind"
<azonenberg_work> lol nice
<bart416> Though larger things like a scope or power supply are harder to get through the paperstack (you get college discount eh :P )
<bart416> But it happens
<azonenberg_work> lol nice
<bart416> Most expensive thing somebody got through was an 8000 euro R&S scope
<bart416> somebody tried an even more expensive scope once but got busted by taxes :(
<azonenberg_work> Lol
<azonenberg_work> What school is this? :P
<azonenberg_work> And the scope i plan to buy later this week is http://www.rigolna.com/products/digital-oscilloscopes/ds1000d/ds1102d/
<azonenberg_work> around 900 USD after educational discount
<bart416> I'm looking at picking up the 50 MHz rigol
<bart416> and unlocking it
<azonenberg_work> the MSO or just the analog capture?
<azonenberg_work> this one has 16 digital inputs
<bart416> analog
<bart416> I just think it's not worth it
<bart416> If I were to get a mixed signal I'd pay 200 USD more and get the agilent
<azonenberg_work> i see
<bart416> Just a matter of reliability
<bart416> But actually going to wait until rigol responds to my inquiry
<bart416> and until after the flea market :P
<azonenberg_work> i see
<bart416> It's just if you can get an agilent for $200 more, on $1000 it's not going to matter
<bart416> especially with the current exchange rates
<bart416> + don't you do anything except messing with electronics?
<bart416> pokes azonenberg and wonders where he gets the $1000 USD budget
<azonenberg_work> Nope, i dont really :P
<azonenberg_work> Well, that and coding
<azonenberg_work> but that doesnt need hardware
<azonenberg_work> And re budget, i finally got paid for the summer :P
<azonenberg_work> and i need an oscilloscope so i figured, why not
<bart416> Heh
<bart416> Then again, I probably earned more than you during the summer, just sucks that I have to blow it all on things cause my parents turned greedy >_>
<bart416> Also SU-8 has adhession problems to glass
<azonenberg_work> lol i see
<azonenberg_work> Hmm
<azonenberg_work> Can you use a thin adhesion layer of something else?
<azonenberg_work> I mean, HMDS might work for starters
<bart416> Yeah they suggest it in the brochure
<bart416> Also 1mm of SU-8 will survive 40 kV :P
<bart416> (Atleast)
<azonenberg_work> Nice
<bart416> I have a feeling it'll do for PCB design :')
<bart416> Density is a bit higher than water
<bart416> And doesn't start to degrade until about 350°C
<azonenberg_work> Nice
<azonenberg_work> Did i add you to the googlecode page yet btw?
<azonenberg_work> *user list
<azonenberg_work> if not, PM me your google code email and i'll set you up with access for wiki etc so you can document your work when you actually start running experiments
<bart416> I'll first see if it's financially viable
<bart416> Nobody publishes the price of SU-8
<bart416> So I'm starting to have fears
<bart416> They suggest AP300
<bart416> Have you tried that azonenberg ?
<bart416> The main problem would actually be the top and bottom surface
<bart416> Though I guess using normal resist for this wouldn't be much of a problem
<bart416> cross linked SU-8 is fairly resistant to acetone anyway
<bart416> also azonenberg_work http://www.homalite.com/cr39.htm
<azonenberg_work> Cross linked SU-8 is pretty much indestructible from what i hear :P
<azonenberg_work> It practically takes piranha to remove
<bart416> they report etch rates of 1µm/minute
<bart416> lol
<azonenberg_work> 1um or nm?
<bart416> um
<azonenberg_work> Thats pretty high actually
<bart416> Using chemicals specifically manufactured to etch SU8
<bart416> But better rates are achieved using O2 + F radicals plasma
<bart416> azonenberg, you know the price of SU-8?
<bart416> $600 / liter o_O
<bart416> This would make for very expensive PCBs
<bart416> Not worth considering
<bart416> Need something cheaper
<azonenberg_work> Lol
<azonenberg_work> Yeah, i figured it would be something like that
<azonenberg_work> And do you plan to use O2 + F plasma in your living room? :P
<bart416> lol, no
<bart416> But I don't need to etch crosslinked SU-8 anyway
<bart416> Even if I were to use it
<bart416> What I won't cause $600 / liter would give a bad turn over rate
<bart416> mhhh, other idea
<bart416> coat plastic with Cu
<bart416> Should be a lot cheaper
<bart416> + I can etch both acrylics and copper easily
<bart416> And without damaging the other
<bart416> And pressing them together is easy as well
<bart416> oh btw, if anybody needs anything from springer, sciencedirect or web of knowledge
<bart416> now is the time
<bart416> damn the new search system they employ sucks o_O
<azonenberg_work> plastic coated with Cu was my suggestion too
<azonenberg_work> su-8 is not cheap :P
<bart416> what would you suggest
<bart416> electroless plating?
<bart416> Also, you suggested glass :P
<bart416> Not acrylics
<azonenberg_work> I had suggested FR4 originally
<azonenberg_work> re plating, not sure
<azonenberg_work> evaporation probably wont work for it
<bart416> FR4 phenolic seems like something that'd be horrible to etch though
<bart416> That's why I'd use normal acrylic
<bart416> etch holes
<bart416> apply photoresist
<bart416> expose
<bart416> develop
<bart416> remove unexposed
<bart416> add electroless plating solution
<bart416> apply palladium ions to make plastic conductive
<bart416> plate
<bart416> remove resist
<bart416> Meh, I need to go and talk to a chem professor anyway sooner or later
<bart416> Or I could ask my ex-girlfriend :|
<bart416> But I so do not want to do that
<azonenberg_work> You dont etch FR4
<azonenberg_work> You use the FR4 as the *substrate*
<bart416> Yeah but then I have only a single layer
<azonenberg_work> Then use something else (details TBD) as the ILD
<bart416> that I can mount actual devices on
<bart416> Removing FR4 would be horribly complicated
<azonenberg_work> like i said, you dont remove it
<azonenberg_work> you'd drill those holes by hand
<azonenberg_work> or CNC even
<azonenberg_work> they'd be huge, the equivalent of a TSV
<bart416> Sub millimeter holes are hard, even for CNC machines...
<bart416> especially if you're looking at 500+ of them
<azonenberg_work> you dont do 500+
<bart416> Actually considering my current design for this damned arm that's about what I need
<azonenberg_work> lol
<azonenberg_work> what are you making?
<bart416> Easy enough for a professional plant
<azonenberg_work> oh, did i mention i soldered a 5-ball CSP BGA last night?
<bart416> Ever tried a 500 pin BGA on a double layer pcb?
<azonenberg_work> 520 x 570 micron grid with one extra ball in the middle, all 200 micron diameter
<azonenberg_work> and nope
<azonenberg_work> this was my first attempt at a bga
<azonenberg_work> It appears to have been successful so i'll probably try larger in the future
<azonenberg_work> i have some 11x11 0.8mm XBGA
<azonenberg_work> would be cool to get them to work
<bart416> I'm starting to become as insane as one of my analog circuit design professors
<bart416> I like things that don't work and figuring out how to get them to work
<azonenberg_work> lol
<azonenberg_work> And i like building stuff
<azonenberg_work> like, all-out building stuff :P
<azonenberg_work> from the kernel to the CPU RTL to the wafer fab
<bart416> Heh
<bart416> I'd love to do that but we don't have the facilities goes too much money goes to stupid business and humanities
<bart416> yes business and humanities get all the scholarships for studying abroad and research grants >_>
<bart416> Electronics gets less for research than business gets for rewards to give to people for their surveys...
<azonenberg_work> Lol
<azonenberg_work> And RPI just built a new athletics facility and performing arts center
<azonenberg_work> the old ones were fine
<bart416> Our college decided to make a new artificial grass soccer field
<bart416> You know, the type you find in professional sports stadiums
<bart416> Then again, two years ago they did spend money on something useful
<bart416> A new library
<bart416> heh
<bart416> Believe me, it was necessary
<bart416> But yeah, electronics department had to beg to buy a new network analyzer
<bart416> well, it sort of costs the same as a new small building but yah :P
<bart416> But yeah, 50 GHz network analyzers don't come cheap :P
<bart416> So they bought it together with the university
<bart416> Though technically starting from within a few weeks we're part of the university and not the college anymore
<bart416> heh
<bart416> They moved engineering to university cause they didn't think it was right that a college does masters degrees >_>
<berndj> bart416, dj delorie makes his own multilayer boards, afaik he uses some sort of hacked laminator to get the layers together
<bart416> any website?
<berndj> www.delorie.com, but i don't think i've seen much doc on his process - rather pics of the results
<berndj> are you on the homebrew_pcbs yahoo group? seems like lots of clever people hang out there