Via connector and method of making same

A method of making a conductive via in an insulator circuit board substrate adapted to carry wiring patterns on an at least a first surface and a second surface thereof, comprising the steps of:

• providing an insulator substrate;
• forming a via having a sidewall in the insulator substrate between the first surface and the second surface by penetrating the insulator substrate;
• depositing a first conductive layer on the first surface and on the sidewall of the via such that the first conductive layer substantially covers the first surface of the insulator substrate and the sidewall of the via while leaving an opening in the via;
• depositing a conductive material in the opening of the via to plug the via such that the opening does not extend completely through the via in a direction generally perpendicular to the first and second surfaces, wherein the conductive material is a conductive ink;
• and
• forming a second conductive layer on the first surface of the insulator substrate subsequent to the forming of the via, the depositing of the first conductive layer, and the depositing of the conductive material in the opening such that the second conductive layer forms a substantially flat surface extending across substantially all of the first conductive layer and across an end portion of the conductive material in the via so that the end portion is covered by and makes direct contact with the second conductive layer.

A method of preparing a printed circuit board (PCB), comprising the steps of:

• forming a hole on at least one side of a substrate to form a via extending at least partially through the substrate to an internal surface of the substrate, the via having a sidewall;
• depositing a first conductive material on said one side of the substrate and on the sidewall of the via such that the via has an opening;
• masking the substrate with a stencil;
• filling the opening with a second conductive material by moving the second conductive material through an opening in the stencil to plug the via such that the opening in the via does not extend completely through the via in a direction generally perpendicular to said one side of the substrate, wherein the second conductive material is a conductive ink;
• and
• depositing a third conductive material on the first conductive material and on an end of the second conductive material in the opening.

A method of preparing a printed circuit board (PCB), comprising the steps of:

• forming a plurality of holes on at least a first surface of a substrate to forma plurality of vias extending at least partially through the substrate to a second surface of the substrate, the vias having sidewalls;
• depositing a first conductive material on at least the first surface of the substrate and on the sidewalls of the vias such that each of the vias has an associated opening;
• masking the substrate with a stencil to selectively cover a first predetermined number of the vias and reveal a second predetermined number of the vias;
• filling the openings associated with the revealed vias with a second conductive material, wherein the second conductive material is a conductive ink;
• and
• depositing a third conductive material on the first conductive material and on ends of the second conductive material in the filled openings.