Applying solder to high density substrates

A method of providing solder on an electrically conductive metallic land located on the surface of a dielectric substrate, said method comprising:

• providing a dielectric substrate having an electrically conductive metallic land of a first width located on a surface thereof;
• applying a quantity of solder mask material onto said surface of said dielectric substrate at a spaced distance from said conductive metallic land to define a perimeter area on said surface of said dielectric substrate around said land;
• depositing a first layer of metal or alloy onto said conductive metallic land, said perimeter area and at least part of said solder mask material;
• applying, exposing and developing a quantity of photoresist material onto said first layer of metal such that said photoresist material does not cover the portion of said first layer of metal located on said conductive metallic land and said perimeter area, said portion of said first layer of metal having a second with greater than said first width of said metallic land;
• depositing a second layer of solder-dissolvable metal or alloy onto said portion of said first metal not covered by said photoresist material such that said solder-dissolvable metal or alloy will have a width equal to said second width;
• removing said photoresist;
• applying a quantity of molten solder onto said deposited second layer of solder-dissolvable metal or alloy to cause said solder-dissolvable metal or alloy to become dissolved into said molten solder such that the resulting solder solution, including both said solder and said solder-dissolvable metal or alloy, will contract to substantially only said first width of said conductive metallic land;
• and cooling said contracted solder solution to substantially solidify said solder.