Printed circuit board assembly and method for making a printed circuit board assembly
AssigneeMicron Technology, Inc.
InventorDean A. Klein
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A PCB assembly which allows economical and reliable rework. The PCB assembly contains a soldermask and a trace with a portion of the trace exposed by a soldermask relief When one needs to rework the PCB assembly, one bonds a rework wire, using conventional intermetalic bonding materials, to the portion of the trace exposed by the soldermask relief There is no need to bond a rework wire to a component. Further, there is no need to scrape a off the soldermask and possibly damage the traces and/or vias. The bonds are high reliability bonds, and the labor required to perform such bonds are minimal.
Claims8
A method to rework a printed circuit board assembly, comprising:
- exposing a portion of a device trace through a soldermask, the device trace having a first end electrically coupled to a first component and a second end;
- attaching a first end of a rework wire to the exposed portion substantially between the first and second ends;
- and
- breaking an electrical continuity of the device trace in a region between the attached rework wire and the second end, wherein the device trace has a first width associated with the exposed portion and a second width associated with a second portion, the second portion being between the second end and the exposed portion, wherein the second width is narrower than the first width, and wherein the act of breaking the trace comprises severing the second portion of the trace.
A method for use with a printed circuit board, comprising:
- exposing a portion of a trace having two ends, the trace having a length and a width that varies along the length;
- connecting a rework wire to the exposed portion of the trace;
- and
- breaking a continuity of the trace in a region having a reduced width as compared to another region of the trace,
- wherein exposing the portion comprises exposing a portion having a width greater than the width of the region being broken.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.