Photo etching is a precise process for creating lines or tones in integrated circuits. It involves wet or dry etching and photolithography. Photoengraving is a halftone process that allows for the creation of detailed metal parts and is difficult to reproduce. It requires precision tools and can use a variety of materials. Different companies specialize in different types of parts, including light gauge, complicated designs, and thicker metals.
Photo etching is a process for creating lines or tones in integrated circuits. The plate may or may not be engraved, but there is always little variability in tone due to the uniformity of depth of the engraving. Etching is a process that can be wet or dry. Wet etching is the dissolution of a material in a chemical solution, while dry etching is the dissolution of a material with the help of ions or steam.
Photoengraving goes by several names, including chemical etching, chemical milling, photochemical machining, chemical machining, and metal etching. Combine a procedure called photolithography with basic etching. Photolithography is a process by which patterns are formed using substrates coated with photoresists or molecules acted upon by enzymes. This leads to the development of photoresist when exposed to ultraviolet light and viewed through a photomask. The substrate is then etched and the photoresist becomes a barrier allowing only the chosen portion of the etched material to be etched.
Photoengraving is referred to as a halftone process because gray colors can be formed by converting to halftones or by etching the plate multiple times at different lengths to create different plate depths. Detailed metal parts can be formed by etching and one advantage of this procedure is that it makes the resulting product very difficult to reproduce. Additionally, the process makes both the product and its design more flexible, allows for a greater variety of material types, eliminates product stress issues, saves money on rigid tooling, and shortens lead times.
Photoengraving requires precision tools, as it involves a very intricate and refined method of cutting and engraving metal. The result of the process is an extremely thin metal, usually 002 to 2 inches (05 to 5 mm) deep. A variety of materials can be used, including aluminum, brass, bronze, silver, nickel, copper, steel, and iron.
Different companies specialize in different types of parts. Some can photo-etch metal parts that are light gauge, which allows for very precise components. Others combine the process with blanking, a process used in forming parts for universal tools. This method allows for the creation of more complicated designs and patterns. Still other companies use various tools that can support thicker metals, which can be used to produce grooves in the metal surface.
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