Chemical Etching Formula
1J50 Permalloy with FeCl₃+HCl

Formula Summary

The table below summarizes every parameter that defines this etching formula. Values listed as ranges scale with sheet thickness across the supported band.

Why FeCl₃+HCl for 1J50 Permalloy?

On 1J50 Permalloy, the ferric chloride system attacks the alloy's oxide layer continuously while ferric ions drive dissolution. It is regenerable, compatible with standard photolithography, and produces clean burr-free edges — which is why nearly every 1J50 Permalloy etch line runs a variant of this formula.

Process Window & Bath Control

Hold the bath at 50°C with concentration 44 °Bé (specific gravity 1.410). Across the 0.05-0.3 mm thickness range, conveyor speed runs from 0.19-2.77 m/min — thinner sheets move faster, thicker sheets slower, in roughly inverse proportion to thickness. A typical mid-range setpoint is 0.96 m/min for 0.10 mm stock. Use redundant PID temperature control to hold the bath within ±1.5°C, and titrate at least once per shift.

Design Rules & Tolerances

Design rules for this recipe: hole diameter 60-360 μm, line width 100-300 μm, single-side undercut 9-55 μm — all as a function of thickness across 0.05-0.3 mm. The higher the etch factor (this formula holds about 2.75), the tighter the achievable tolerance. Below the minimum feature sizes, yield falls off steeply, so treat those numbers as hard floors rather than targets.

Yield & Production Economics

This formula delivers a typical yield of 96.6% (range 96.1-96.8%). At that rate, per-part economics are driven mostly by fixed photomask and setup cost for small batches and by sheet utilisation for large runs. The chemistry itself does not change with quantity, so the same recipe serves prototype and production volumes.

Typical Applications

1J50 Permalloy etched with this recipe typically ends up in hermetic sealing rings, lead frames matched to glass/ceramic, and magnetic shielding. Because chemical etching applies no mechanical or thermal load, the finished features are free of work-hardening and heat-affected zones — a decisive advantage over stamping or laser cutting for these uses.

Process Equipment & Material Reference

Production of 1J50 Permalloy parts using the FeCl₃+HCl formula described above runs on a wet chemical etching machine configured for through etch (double-sided). The bath chemistry, conveyor speed, and rinse cascade detailed on this page reflect the operating profile we use on a live spray-etching line for this alloy.

This alloy belongs to a family where the FeCl₃+HCl chemistry is well characterized; the process window we document is reproducible on any properly sized line.

Production Use Cases for This Formula

Typical end-uses for 1J50 Permalloy run on this formula include soy-milk-maker filtration mesh, stainless steel mesh for aroma diffusers, and ultrasonic mesh for robotic vacuum cleaners. The 50°C bath and 0.05-0.3 mm supported thickness range cover most of the production work in these segments without re-tuning chemistry.

If your part falls into one of these classes — or a closely adjacent one — this formula is usually the right starting point. We confirm fit with a short sample run on the actual sheet stock before locking in mask artwork.

Other Metals Etched with FeCl₃+HCl

The FeCl₃+HCl chemistry is also documented for these alloys.

More Precision Alloys Formulas

Other formulas in the same material family.

Frequently Asked Questions