DIY ceramic PCBs from applied science

[golf32]

Just figured I'd link Applied Science's most recent video about laser cutting ceramics. One application he goes into depth with is ceramic PCBs. Obvious implication for high precision circuitry. Thoughts?

[KT88]

Hmmm - I alreaady see myself building a standard capacitor with structures on fused silica...

[ahbushnell]

This guy is great!   

Andy

[golf32]

I wonder how hard it would be to get carbon to stick. DIY precision resistors anyone?

[TiN]

Precision resistors are not made out of carbon

[golf32]

Right, film/foil. He's not too far off from film resistors, he has a pretty cool deposition setup.

[KT88]

How about tantalum nitride?

[chickenHeadKnob]

The home gamer is far better off attempting wirewound resisters. Much simpler process wise, but still has complications with stress relief and termination.
The most stable Vishay metal films have two different metals with countervailing TCR's deposited side by side on a special substrate, good luck duplicating or beating that at home.

[golf32]

I don't think we're far off from DIY film resistors. Applied Science has everything in his shop to make some. PVD, maskless steppers/etching, and now ceramic PCBs seem to be within the grasp of the hobbyist. It'd take a lot (understatement) of experimentation to get Vishay foil level results, but if you have your processes down I'm sure one could make some nice resistors.

[ramon]

That guy is amazing. It also has a video about ALD


"Atomic-Layer-Deposited Alumina (Al2O3) Coating on Thin-Film Cryoresistors"
DOI: 10.1109/TIM.2008.2006964

Abstract:
Metal-alloy (Ni-Cr-Cu-Al-Ge) thin-film resistors were coated with alumina (Al2O3) using the atomic layer deposition (ALD) technique. The electrical properties of the thin-film resistors were studied in the temperature range of 4.2-300 K. It was experimentally demonstrated that the protective dielectric alumina coating improves the long-term stability and repeatability of high-value, thin-film resistors (100-500 kOmega). The drift rate of the resistance due to the native oxidation at room temperature was reduced from -2.45 times 10^-6 h^-1 for a nonaged uncoated resistor to 0.03 times 10^-6 h^-1 for an alumina-coated resistor. It was shown that the additional 15-nm-thick alumina coating does not significantly change the thermoelectrical properties of the metal-alloy, thin-film resistors.

[David Hess]

Tektronix had their own ceramics lab firing silver onto ceramic for their terminal strips starting in 1952.  I wonder what the composition of their silver paste was.

https://w140.com/tekwiki/wiki/Ceramic_Strips

I wonder how hard it would be to get carbon to stick. DIY precision resistors anyone?

Thick film resistors are screen printed and then fired but they are not usually carbon.  Thin film carbon resistors are deposited somehow.