Advanced Materials: Use of Polypyrrole in Printed Circuit Boards (PCB)
The objective of our work is to investigate the application of polypyrrole (PPy) as a conductive precoat for the metallization of PCB holes. The method includes: etching of FR4, in situ deposition of a thin film of PPy, resulting in a FR4/PPy electrode. The process is very promising and environmentally friendly compared to the conventional electroless one. Several variables of the process at a laboratory level were studied. The poylyrrole-modified FR4 surfaces were conductive enough to allow the copper plating of the specimens at a later stage. Moreover, the peel strength of the copper plated on FR4 with our method was adequate.