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A phototool is a printed film used in the process of manufacturing a
printed circuit board
A printed circuit board (PCB), also called printed wiring board (PWB), is a Lamination, laminated sandwich structure of electrical conduction, conductive and Insulator (electricity), insulating layers, each with a pattern of traces, planes ...
(PCB). The phototool is used as a mask to expose a
photoresist
A photoresist (also known simply as a resist) is a light-sensitive material used in several processes, such as photolithography and photoengraving, to form a patterned coating on a surface. This process is crucial in the electronics industry.
T ...
material.
Traditionally, phototools were made with silver halide film or diazo film, but in recent years, many suppliers have come out with films that do not fit into either of these categories. All dry-film phototools are printed using a similar process to film photograph.
The main alternative to using phototools is
maskless lithography
Maskless lithography (MPL) is a photomask-less photolithography-like technology used to project or focal-spot write the image pattern onto a chemical resist-coated substrate (e.g. wafer) by means of UV radiation or electron beam.
In microlithog ...
, more commonly referred to as direct imaging.
References and further reading
Chemistry of Photography By: Dr. Drew Myers, Chemistry Coordinator
* Mees, C.E.K, and James, T.H., The Theory of the Photographic Process, 3rd ed., The Macmillan Co., New York, 1966.
Electronics manufacturing