A maker experiments with using a 20W fiber laser combined with chemical etching to produce PCB traces as fine as 0.1 mm at home. The process involves spraying a chemical resist layer onto copper-clad boards, using the laser to engrave the resist, then etching with a hydrochloric acid and hydrogen peroxide bath. Key findings include the need to increase trace clearance slightly above 0.1 mm for clean etching results, and a 90-second agitation time. Resistance measurements came out slightly higher than theoretical, possibly due to copper removal during resist stripping. The post raises the question of whether direct copper ablation with the fiber laser could yield even better results.
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