Method of treating and probing a via
First Claim
1. A method of treating a via connected with a substrate, comprising:
- aligning a stencil with the substrate, the stencil including a pattern with a plurality of apertures and a shield;
connecting the stencil with the substrate so that the shield covers a hole and a first portion of a pad of the via, and the apertures are positioned over a second portion of the pad;
applying a lead-free solder paste to the stencil to print the paste directly upon the second portion only, the shield preventing the paste from entering the hole;
removing the stencil from the substrate; and
reflowing the paste so that a flux drains through the hole and separate sections of lead-free solder are positioned around the hole directly upon the pad and wet only a portion of a surface area of the pad, the hole remaining unobstructed, the separate sections of lead-free solder exposed to receive an electrical test probe.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method of treating a via connected with a substrate and a method of probing the via are disclosed. A pattern of a lead-free solder paste is applied around a hole of the via without completely covering a pad of the via. The paste is reflowed to form a pattern of a lead-free solder on a pad that covers only a portion of a surface area of the pad and is positioned around the hole. The solder may be substantially symmetrically positioned around the hole. A flux generated during reflow is insufficient to plug the hole. The lead-free solder can be probed by a blade probe including colinear first and second edges and having a preferred orientation relative to the pattern of the lead-free solder.
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Citations
18 Claims
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1. A method of treating a via connected with a substrate, comprising:
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aligning a stencil with the substrate, the stencil including a pattern with a plurality of apertures and a shield; connecting the stencil with the substrate so that the shield covers a hole and a first portion of a pad of the via, and the apertures are positioned over a second portion of the pad; applying a lead-free solder paste to the stencil to print the paste directly upon the second portion only, the shield preventing the paste from entering the hole; removing the stencil from the substrate; and reflowing the paste so that a flux drains through the hole and separate sections of lead-free solder are positioned around the hole directly upon the pad and wet only a portion of a surface area of the pad, the hole remaining unobstructed, the separate sections of lead-free solder exposed to receive an electrical test probe. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A method of treating a via to provide a plurality of electrical evaluation contact points, the via having a hole and a pad circumferentially about the hole and exposed upon a substrate;
- comprising;
providing a stencil having a plurality of apertures and a shield, the shield and apertures structured and arranged to cover the hole and first portions of the pad and to define exposed second portions of the pad that abut the hole; applying a lead-free solder paste to the stencil to print the paste directly upon only the exposed second portions of the pad, the shield preventing the paste from entering the hole or pasting to the covered first portions; removing the stencil from the substrate; and reflowing the paste to provide a plurality of separate lead-free solder sections directly upon the pad and abutting the hole, the separate sections exposed and rising from the pad to receive an electrical test probe, the hole and separate solder sections remaining unobstructed. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18)
- comprising;
Specification