Method of mounting free-standing resilient electrical contact structures to electronic components

Method of forming a free-standing contact structure extending from a surface of an electronic component, comprising:

• bonding an end of a wire to a terminal on a surface of an electronic component to extend initially in a first direction from the surface of the electronic component;
• configuring the wire to have a shape including at least two bends;
• severing the wire so that a severed end of the wire extends generally in the first direction;
• and
• overcoating the wire and an area surrounding the bonded end of the wire with an electrically conductive, metallic material;
• wherein:
• the shape of the wire and the mechanical properties of the metallic material cooperate to impart resiliency to a resulting resilient contact structure comprising the wire and the metallic material.

Method for manufacturing a conductive contact on an electronic component, comprising:

• bonding an end of a wire to a first area on a surface of an electronic component;
• shaping the wire to extend as a wire stem from the surface of the electronic component;
• severing the wire stem so that it has a free end and a length;
• and
• depositing a conductive coating having at least one layer on the wire stem to form a conductive contact;
• wherein:
• the conductive coating covers at least a base portion of the wire stem;
• and
• the conductive coating covers a second area on the surface of the electronic component, said second area being larger than and encompassing the first area.

Method for manufacturing electrical contacts on a surface of an electronic component, comprising, for each electrical contact:

• bonding one end of a wire to a first area on the surface of the electronic component, said surface of the electronic component disposed in a plane defined by an "x" axis and a "y" axis orthogonal to the "x" axis;
• with the one end of the wire bonded to the area on the surface of the electronic component, extending the wire in a "z" axis mutually orthogonal to the "x" and "y" axes, are in at least one of the "x" or "y" directions;
• after extending the wire, severing the wire so that it has a length and a free end opposite the one end;
• while extending the wire, shaping the wire to have at least one U-shaped bend along its length;
• and
• after extending and shaping the wire, depositing a first electrically conductive, metallic material to cover a second area on the surface of the electronic component which is greater than and which subsumes the first area to which the one end of the wire is bonded and to cover at least a portion of the length of the wire, said portion of the wire extending from the one end of the wire along the length of the wire towards the free end of the wire.