Printed circuit board (PCB)

A printed circuit board is an electronics component that can contain one or several layers of an insulated material, with a conductive material on the surface. During manufacturing, part of the conductive material is etched off, leaving lines of conductive material that serve as "wires" for electrical current.

I recommend: Lazar Rozenblat explains the composition of a PCB and its various parts.

Vias

Vias are holes in individual printed circuit boards through which copper conductors pass to connect the separate printed circuit boards.

I recommend: HowStuffWorks explains the role of vias in multi-layer PCBs.

Pad

Every component, such as a diode or capacitor, has a pin on it. The place where the pin contacts the PCB is the pad. The design and purpose of the PCB will determine the diameter of the pad, and the pad may have a hole drilled through it.

I recommend: PCBDesign.org discusses pads and their place on PCBs.

Etchant

An etchant is one of several materials that manufacturers use to remove the unwanted portions of conductive material from the printed circuit board surface. Two chemicals used as etchants are ferric chloride and ammonium persulfate.

I recommend: Robot Room discusses the use of etchant on copper printed circuit boards.

IPC

IPC is a global trade association that sets standards for its members in several areas of electronic interconnecting activities, including printed circuit boards. The generic standard set for PCB design is IPC-2221A.

I recommend: IPC discusses its mission in serving the design, assembly and manufacture of PCBs.

Optical printed circuit board (O-PCB)

The Optical printed circuit board (O-PCB) connects circuits at the micro- or nano-level. These circuits can be plasmonic structures, photonic crystals or made of silicon.

I recommend: IEEE offers more information on O-PCBs.