Laser Marking of ECC 200 2D Matrix Codes

on Printed Circuit Boards

Manufacturers of electronic devices, from home audio Due to the high information density inherent to Data
equipment to automotive keyless entry systems, are Matrix codes, they also offer built-in error-
increasingly seeking a reliable, cost effective method for correction techniques which allow fully recovering
uniquely identifying and tracking products through the the message encoded in a Data Matrix symbol even if
manufacturing cycle, sales distribution and after-sale the mark is damaged and missing as much as 20% of
warranty verification. An autonomous, automated the symbol.
tracking system requires that a permanent, machine- They are read by video cameras as opposed to a
readable code be applied to an internal printed circuit scanned laser beam used for reading conventional
board to uniquely identify each product. The code must barcodes, which means that they can be read in any
be durable enough to survive manufacturing processes orientation.
including wave solder and board cleaning, must not affect
circuit performance, and must store information in the ECC 200 Data Matrix is the most popular 2-D symbology
small space available on real-estate conscious printed with extensive use in automotive, aerospace, electronics,
circuit boards. semiconductor, medical devices and other manufacturing
unit-level traceability applications. Data Matrix codes are
The 2D matrix code provides a means to store typically not replacing conventional linear barcodes, but
alphanumeric character strings in very small areas of the are being used where traditional barcodes were too large,
printed circuit board. Laser marking technology provides did not provide sufficient storage capacity, or were
a method for permanently applying 2D matrix codes to unreadable.
most board substrates and conformal coatings. The high-
resolution and high-accuracy of beam-steered laser Data Matrix Code Structure
marking systems provides the means to create well The 2D matrix codes consist of four distinct elements.
defined, high reliability codes regardless of code size. The Finder "L" Pattern (the
Laser marking also provides the user with a computer- solid lines to the left and
controlled marking process for easy implementation into bottom of figure 2) orients
automated product tracking systems. the reader to the layout of
ECC 200 2D Matrix Codes the 2D code.
Two-dimensional symbologies encode information in the The Clock Track (the right
form of a checkerboard pattern of on/off cells. (See and upper borders of figure
Figure 1). Specific advantages of Data Matrix codes over 2) designate the row/column
conventional 1D barcodes include: count to the reader.
Figure 2
Encode information The Data Region is the
digitally, as opposed to pattern of black and white
the analog encoding of cells within the L pattern and the clock tracks that
data in conventional contain the alphanumeric content of the code.
barcodes. The Quiet Zone around the code must be free of any
Can accommodate low- features that may be visible to the reader. The quiet
contrast printing zone should be at least two rows/columns wide for
directly on parts codes constructed of square cells. The quiet zone
without requiring a should be at least four rows/columns wide for codes
label constructed of circular cells (dots).
Offer very high information density the highest
among other common 2D codes, which means that you
can place a lot of information in a very small area.
They are scaleable, which means that you can print
them and read them in various levels of magnification
only limited by the resolution of the available
printing and imaging techniques.
Data Matrix Storage Capacity Flat-Field Focusing Optics
Symbol Size Data Capacity Code Size After the laser beam is deflected from the beam-steering
mirrors, it is focused to the smallest spot possible by flat-
Row x Column Numeric Alphanumeric 7.5 Mil Cell
field focusing optics. The flat-field focusing assembly is a
10 x 10 6 3 1.9mm multi-element optical device designed to maintain the
12 x 12 10 6 2.3mm focal plane of the focused laser beam on a relatively flat
14 x 14 16 10 2.7mm plane throughout the marking field. The focused laser
16 x 16 24 16 3.0mm light significantly increases the power density and
associated marking power.
18 x 18 36 25 3.4mm
Image Generation
20 x 20 44 31 3.8mm
The function of the laser optical train is to focus the laser
22 x 22 60 43 4.2mm
beam to a small spot and to scan the laser beam over the
ECC 200 Data Matrix codes can store up to 3,116 target surface with high speed and accuracy. With the
numeric, 2,335 alphanumeric characters or 1,555 bytes of CO2 laser configuration, the focused spot diameter and
binary information in a 144 column by 144 row array. associated marking line width is about 0.0035" to 0.004".
More realistic symbol dimensions for printed circuit Man-readable text characters can be as small as 0.040"
boards can still contain a significant amount of and 2D matrix codes can be constructed from individual
information. (See Table) features as small as a single 0.004" dot.
Laser Marking System PCB Marking
The laser marking system consists of the laser source, the To mark printed circuit boards, the heat generated by the
beam-shaping optics, and the beam-steering system (see laser beam thermally alters the surface of the board to
Figure 3). create a contrasting, legible mark. The process does not
require labels, stencils, punches or any other auxiliary
Laser Source
hardware or consumable.
The laser is a light amplifier generating a bright,
For printed circuit board applications, several different
collimated beam of light at a specific wavelength. For
variations of this technique can be used for different
FR4 and solder mask applications, most users choose the
board/coating materials and background conditions (see
air-cooled CO2 laser operating at the 10,640nm far-
Figure 4).
infrared wavelength. This laser offers several
performance and cost advantages, and produces excellent Solder mask or other Conformal Coatings on FR4
marking results. Boards -
The laser beam can alter the texture of the coating,
Beam-Steering Galvanometer System
giving it a lighter contrasting appearance, or can
The laser beam is projected through two beam-deflecting completely remove the coating to expose the
mirrors mounted to high-speed, high-accuracy underlying substrate or copper ground plane.
galvanometers. Each mirror deflects the laser beam 90
degrees from the direction of travel. As the mirrors are Uncoated FR4 -
rotated under direction of the system computer, the laser The laser beam alters the texture of the surface of
beam scans across the target marking surface on both the the FR4 producing a near white appearance.
X and Y-axis to "draw" the desired marking image. Silk-screened Ink Block -
For users who already silkscreen component
identification or other fixed information on the
boards, a silk-screened white ink block can
function as a background to the 2D matrix code to
optimize readability. This technique is particularly
helpful when
o The background color of the board is similar to
the color of the laser mark.
o Underlying circuitry would obscure the
marking image to code readers.
o The board material is not suitable for laser
marking, such as ceramic substrates.

Figure 3 - Laser and Optics Train

2D Matrix Code Verification 5. Motion of the laser marking head to the next circuit
Verification of the legibility and content of the 2D matrix in the array.
codes is an important step in the overall quality program. 6. Repeat steps 3 and 4 for the remaining circuits in the
After marking of each circuit, the reader verifies the array.
integrity of the mark before indexing the laser marking 7. Transport of the panel out of the laser marking
head to the next marking location. The reader retrieves system (synonymous with bringing the next panel in)
the alphanumeric text string from the 2D code and Following are the calculated estimates for two marking
compares it with the text string that was to be marked. jobs. PCB #1 is a simple 4-up array with a marking time
The reader also evaluates the legibility of the code based of 0.5 seconds per circuit. PCB #2 is a 10-up array with a
on a variety of parameters including 1.5 second marking time per circuit and two fiducials on
foreground/background contrast, geometric accuracy the panel for marking alignment. Both incorporate
(skew, squareness, etc.) and the dimensional accuracy of verification of the 2D matrix codes as part the marking
both the marked and unmarked cells. The 2D matrix sequence.
codes are then categorized as passed (green), warned Fixed
(yellow) or failed (red). For overall production Transport In: 3 seconds
efficiency, the laser system can be programmed to verify Transport between circuits: 1 seconds
only a select few 2D codes on a panel, then to
Verification/Fiducial: 0.5 seconds
automatically switch to verifying every code if the code
legibility falls below a specified level. Transport Out: 3 seconds
Cost of Operation: $0.30 /Hour
Today's readers do an excellent job reading lower contrast
2D codes. If the laser marking system is installed on an
assembly line with older 2D matrix readers downstream Variables PCB #1 PCB #2
from the laser marker, the verification reader can be Circuits per panel: 4 10
configured to evaluate the codes based on the Mark time per circuit: 0.5 1.5
performance of the older downstream readers to assure
Circuits to verify per side: 4 10
consistent performance throughout the assembly process.
Fiducials: 0 2
Marking Performance
The typical printed circuit board marker is a fully
Time (seconds) PCB #1 PCB #2
automated, SMEMA-compliant, through-conveyor laser
Transport In: 3 3
marking system. The overall productivity of the laser
marker is comprised of several steps that make up the Fiducial Find: - 3
marking cycle. The steps required to mark one multi-array Mark/Verify Circuits: 7 29
panel are Total: 10 35
1. Transport and positioning of the panel in the
marking area. Circuits per Hour 1,440 1,029
2. Fiducial location (optional) Cost per circuit $0.00021 $0.00029
3. Marking of the first circuit in the array
4. Verification of the marked 2D matrix code Note: performance can vary significantly when the laser
(optional) system is configured to specific user requirements.
Cost of Operation Summary
Cost of operation is much less than $1.00 per hour. The electronics industry has been searching for a cost and
Typical utilities requirements are 110VAC, 1-phase, 12A. technically effective means of applying machine-readable
A compressed air source is required for the pneumatics. codes to printed circuit boards since the 1980's. Early
Total utilities costs at maximum laser power (the laser attempts included laser marking linear barcodes on the
should actually operate at less then 80% rated power) are board edge, a daunting challenge for reader alignment,
$0.12 per hour. The primary consumable item is the CO2 and marking linear barcodes next to circuit traces, also a
laser tube that must be replaced every 3 to 5 years at a challenge for barcode readers. Barcode content was
cost of typically $1,000.00 to $1,500.00. Assuming a 40- limited to a few characters due to limited space and the
hour workweek and tube life of 3 years, the tube barcodes character-per-inch capacity.
replacement cost would equate to $0.18 per hour for a The development of the 2D matrix code combined with
total operating cost of $0.30 per hour under worst case the resolution, permanence and speed of beam-steered
conditions. Actual operating costs will be lower due to laser marking technology now offers manufacturers a
less than maximum electrical usage and longer tube life. reliable, cost-effective, flexible and verifiable means to
For the two examples above, operating costs for laser uniquely identify every product through production,
marking of either PCB #1 or PCB #2 would be less than distribution and after-sale.
$0.0003 per circuit.